As we draw to the end of a calendar year, there is time for reflection on what has been accomplished or achieved and what has also brought challenges and tests. Islamically, there is no “best” time to engage in this type of exercise. In fact, some suggest it is a process that should be done on a daily basis, to ensure that we are being our best selves, performing worship, and attending to our responsibilities as if tomorrow is not promised.
Just in case you decide to examine your past accomplishments, present activities, and future goals in the coming weeks, here is a checklist to keep in mind to ensure you are on a well-rounded course physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
For your physical well-being:
Allah created the human body as a finely-tuned machine. In order to benefit from optimal performance and to express gratitude for it, we must consciously take care of our physical selves. If you find yourself sluggish or unable to concentrate, specifically reflect on the following:
- Drink plenty of water.
“We made water essential for every life.” (Surah Al-‘Anbiyaa, 21:30)
The average adult requires 8-10 cups of water per day. Most of us drink less and even cancel the beneficial effects of any we do drink by consuming caffeinated drinks which cause dehydration. Ensuring proper hydration is important for the optimal health of every organ plus helps rid our bodies of harmful toxins.
- Examine your eating habits.
“Oh people, eat of what is on Earth, lawful and wholesome.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:168) There is abundant guidance in our deen and from nutrition science about how to eat in moderation, make healthy food choices, ensure adequate intake of vitamins and minerals, increase fiber with fruits and vegetables, reduce or eliminate sugar intake, avoid junk food, etc. When it comes to eating, remember the adage “you are what you eat!”
- Fast routinely.
Muslims commonly think of fasting during Ramadan but it has many benefits year round. In addition to the spiritual rewards, science has proven physical rewards, too. Fasting also teaches us discipline that can be empowering and relevant to other challenges.
- Exercise regularly.
Scientific research has found that exercise enhances mood, reduces stress, boosts energy, improves overall health, and provides for a more restful sleep. Setting goals, gathering resources, and adding a social component by making it a family affair can help to get started and also maintain a healthy exercise regimen.
- Get enough sleep.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average adult should get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Sleeping too little can have serious long-term health consequences, including increased risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In contrast, better sleep can make for better moods, increased productivity during the day, and better overall health and longevity.
- Strengthen kinship ties.
A man said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “Direct me to a deed which may admit me to Jannah.” Upon this, the Messenger said, “Worship Allah and never associate anything with Him in worship, establish salat, pay zakat, and strengthen the ties of kinship.”
Maintaining good terms with our family members and relatives is one of the main responsibilities of a Muslim. Family in Islam has the high privilege second only to the rights of Allah.
- Visit your doctor regularly.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah never inflicts a disease unless he makes a cure for it.”
It is important for us to attend to illness by gathering as much information as possible, seeking the advice of medical experts, and following a prescription for treatment. But it is equally important to make regular visits to assess your overall health and prevent illness. Diagnosis of many different types of ailments are made easier to manage and even cure with early detection and treatment. Be sure to schedule recommended screening exams, and attend to eye and dental health as well.
- Manage your time wisely.
The most valuable commodity we have in this world is time. There is an enormous amount of busyness in our lives today, particularly for parents. Value your time by prioritizing your responsibilities each day, getting help when it is needed, and managing or eliminating time wasters – things like social media, excessive attention on TV or entertainment, use of the internet, etc.
- Mind your footprint.
As a vicegerent or protector of the world we live in we must keep ourselves and our families accountable for the way we interact with everything we encounter and the footprint we leave behind. Be careful of both accumulation and waste. Each can become a challenge for the believer and also cause harm in this world.
For your emotional well-being:
Emotional health is an important part of overall health. People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and are better able to cope with everyday challenges. Research shows that emotional health is a skill that can be learned, enhanced, and supported. Here are some steps you can take to improve your overall emotional health.
- Be aware of your emotions and reactions.
Notice what makes you sad, frustrated or angry. Many situations or even people may cause us to feel a variety of ways. All that we control, however, is our responses. And it is our responses that we will be accountable for.
- Express your feelings in appropriate ways.
It is important to be able to be honest and express our feelings to people who are close to us. Keeping feelings bottled up – particularly those related to anger and frustration – can negatively impact relationships at work and at home and actually make things worse over time. Expressing feelings of love and affection are also important. Be sure that you let the people you love know that you love them.
- Think before you act.
This is how we can also be conscious of the feelings of others. Avoid responding in the height of emotion and take time to reflect. Consider both sides of the matter, seeking to empathize or put yourself in the other person’s shoes. This may help you address what part is your own responsibility and what responsibility rests with the other party.
- Manage stress.
Stress can play a huge role in both emotional and physical health. There are a wide variety of relaxation methods to cope with stress including deep breathing, meditation, and exercise.
- Muster patience.
There are two pieces of Islamic guidance that attest to the importance of patience in every test or trial. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, stated that “No one can be given a blessing better and greater than patience” (Al-Bukhari). And in the Quran, Surah Al-Anfal, verse 46 instructs the believer to “be patient, indeed Allah is with the patient.”
- Stay positive.
No matter what is going on in our lives, we should take comfort in the fact that Allah is in control of all things. And, if we trust in His Ultimate Wisdom, then we can accept that there is an opportunity and the potential of good in anything that befalls us.
- Keep good company.
The people that surround us are important to our ability to stay positive and to gain assistance, support, and sound advice or nasihah from. We have no choice of our family members or coworkers, but we can choose our friends. And these choices are very important. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, cautioned, “A person is on the way of life or deen of his close friend, so let people look into whom they take as close friends.” (Abu Dawud)
- Be mindful.
We may recognize a cluttered home or workspace? But did you know that your mind can also be cluttered? When it is overfilled, you can be unfocused, unproductive, and stressed out. Declutter your mind of things like harping on the past, excessive worrying about the future, hanging onto complaints, and keeping mental to-do lists. There are lots of technical tools that can help, especially with keeping track of schedules and important tasks.
- Be more forgiving.
One of the most consistent characteristics of all humans is that we are subject to making mistakes. Add Shaytan’s whispers to the mix and we will likely have to deal with our own flaws and those of others each and every day. Make it a point to be more forgiving when you do. This is especially important for parents when trying to raise our children in the best way possible. To do so doesn’t mean ignoring wrongdoing; just realistically understanding the challenges before us. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever suffers an injury and forgives (the person responsible), Allah will raise his status to a higher degree and remove one of his sins.”
- Watch your tongue.
The tongue is called “the mirror of the heart.” And, nothing is truer then in fits of anger, frustration, or stress when we lose any sense of discipline. There are eight specific types of speech we should avoid:
- lying
- breaking promises or oaths
- backbiting or slandering
- wrangling, arguing and disputing with others without any clear benefit or when it will get out of hand
- self-justification or self-praise in a way that leads to arrogance
- cursing or using foul language
- invoking evil on someone even if your worst enemies
- jesting, ridiculing, and scoffing at people in a way that hurts people’s feelings or gives them a bad reputation (this is made worse when directed toward an entire community of people)
For your spiritual well-being:
And finally and most importantly, every Muslim should take heed to protect and strengthen their spiritual selves. We must avoid becoming complacent with our worship, our knowledge, and our connection to others and the world we live in. There are several areas to assess and improve upon in order to enhance your attention to the guidance that Allah has so mercifully provided.
- Start everything with Bismillah.
Whether it is launching a new project, planting a seed, taking out the trash, or eating your favorite food, beginning with Bismillah - in the Name of Allah - will turn every task into an act of worship. When we make this practice a habit, it can also prompt us to think twice before heading into an activity or behavior that may be harmful.
- Attend to prayer.
“… prayer is obligatory for the believers at prescribed times.” (Surah An-Nisa, 4:103)
There are many injunctions about prayer in the Quran - salat appears 67 times and commands to offer salah or prayer are also mentioned hundreds of times. We are also told that salah will be one of the first things a Muslim will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgement. This has to do with our attention to every aspect of the obligatory prayers - our correct pronunciation, our timeliness, our concentration or kushoor in the prayer.
- Make duaa.
“When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on me.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:186)
Who better to confide in or ask for assistance than our Creator and Sustainer. Making duaa has been referred to as “the weapon of the believer” for good reason. Duaa should be our go-to for matters both big and small.
- Be generous.
“Those who spend their wealth in Allah’s cause are like grains of corn which produce seven ears, each bearing a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies (His reward) for whom He wills.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:261)
It is important to recognize that being generous applies to not only our money but also our time. Volunteering to help in a spontaneous or even structured manner brings rewards in both this life and in the Hereafter. There is another very commonly referenced saying of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, who said, “even a smile is a charity.” Be generous in all of these ways.
- Enhance your relationship with the Quran.
There is no better source for guidance than from Allah’s own words. Learn how to read and recite it properly in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed, but don’t stop there. Be sure you understand the meaning of those words so that you can also put this guidance into practice in your daily life.
- Seek knowledge.
“Read! In the name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.” (Surah Al-’Alaq, 96:1-5)
These are the first words revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It is incredibly important that we strive to think, ponder, reflect, and acquire knowledge that would bring us closer to Allah and His creation. This means all kinds of knowledge that enhances your understanding of the world we live in and your purpose in it.
- Learn from the Seerah and prophet stories.
There were at least 124,000 rightly-guided prophets sent to mankind, starting with Prophet Adam, peace be upon him. Only 25 are mentioned in the Quran. These stories are filled with intrigue and lessons that can be applied to contemporary life. For example, Prophet Ibrahim’s, peace be upon him, story is one of hardship, challenges within a family, trust in Allah, speaking truth to power, and more. Learn from them and teach them to your children.
- Eliminate jealousy and envy.
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not turn your back on one another (in discontent), (but) be servants of Allah as brothers.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Jealousy and envy are great sins that are destructive and discouraged in every religion. They are sins that damage our hearts and ultimately our peace in this world and the Hereafter.
- Increase good deeds.
Keep the opportunity for good deeds on your radar screen at all times. We should never be too busy to indulge or lose sight that there are blessings to be gained for both the one who receives and the one who takes time to give.
- Protect your modesty.
Modesty not only is a distinguishing trait of the religion, but it is also a Divine commandment when it comes to interactions between men and women. In Surah An-Nur, verses 30-31, Allah says, “Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty, that will make for greater purity for them. And Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty.”
- Be grateful.
A large body of research suggests that people who are grateful – adults and children alike – are generally happier, healthier, more engaged with friends and family, and more likely to provide support to others in their communities. Gratitude can be a game-changer in accepting life’s challenges and the opportunities they also bring. Our own attitude toward gratitude is significantly important to the way our children also think about themselves and the world they live in.
As human beings we exist in a number of realms. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves are each important on their own but the three are indelible parts of the whole. They are connected and impactful to one another. And this is by design.
The overarching goal that can positively impact each area is to keep Allah at the center of our lives. In doing so we can find balance and pursue life with purpose and vigor. In doing so we can follow the Divine guidance given to the whole of mankind. “And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that ‘There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.’” (Surah Al-‘Anbiyaa, 21:25)
Add new comment