In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
I have prepared yesterday’s sermon until late after midnight, but I started too late with the preparations and failed to deliver it on time. And I didn’t agree with the final result, because it was hurriedly made and I don’t like to give a Sermon that I don’t agree with for one hundred percent, so I decided to start all over today. Being a practicing Muslim requires a lot of disciple, especially if you are an imam. Discipline is not something to be overlooked in Islam. Islam is all about discipline. Being able to pray the five daily prayers (on time) requires discipline. Being able to do the Ramadan requires discipline, being able to eat halal requires discipline. Being able to wake up before sunset every day requires discipline. And so on. Order and structure form the basics of Islam. This is perfectly illustrated in Islamic Art. In Islamic Art order and beauty go hand in hand and are an expression of divinity.
I remember the decorations in the Mosques I have visited. They start very simple and then through repetition become an intrinsicate weave of mindboggling patterns. This is what lies at the centre of nature and creation at whole. Everything is very simple and yet becomes very complex. What these patterns teach us is their interrelatedness. Try to make a very small change and it will have huge effects of the pattern at whole. This is why discipline only works if you follow it to the letter. You cannot make small changes without disrupting the whole (divine) plan. This is why Islam has created a unique system of prayer and planning which are continous and follow a divine pattern that can be found in nature (sun and moon).
The setting of goals, making plans and designing strategies to assure the accomplishment of objectives are all Islamic principles. This is according to the Qur'an and the practice of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Planning, therefore, must be at the center of a Muslim's life, in all his or her moral, political, social and economic activities. In the Quran it is mentioned that Allah is the master planner.
In all things the master-planning is Allah's. He knoweth the doings of every soul.
13:42
It is no surprise that Allah is mentioned as the master planner in the Quran. Islam is a very organized faith. Even if a muslim does nothing in a day, his or her day will still be extremely organized, just by being a practicing muslim. He or she will start Morning Prayer at least 10-15 minutes before sunrise. Waking up at the morning Azaan (call to prayer before sunrise) they will hear the call to success.
Come to prayer.
Come to prayer.
Come to success.
Come to success.
Prayer is better than sleep.
Prayer is better than sleep.
Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would wake up at Fajr time in a state of Janabah; so he would take bath before dawn and observe fasting.
Then after noon at lunchtime they will pray once again. Then one in the afternoon, one after sunset and finally one at dusk before bedtime. As you can see being a practicing Muslim involves planning.
The Prophet said, “The best of deeds in God’s sight is the prayer that is performed in time”.
So Islam tells Muslims to perform prayers before sunrise every day. This means that when you ring the doorbell at a Muslim home after sunrise that you should expect them to be fully dressed and ready for the day. Even in the weekends!
So a day in the life of a Muslim is long and fully planned. Successful people happen to be early risers as well. From Franklin to Mother Theresa, from Anna Wintour to Branson, all were known to rise with the morning sun.
Various accounts of the Prophet’s daily life tell us that he was very careful in the observation of his daily schedule. We understand this particularly from the observation that when the Prophet changed his schedule, this was a cause for worry in the community. For instance, one companion relates:
“The Messenger of God (upon whom be peace and blessings) left his home at a time when normally nobody saw him outside.”
So the prophet peace be upon him promoted an early bird’s and organized life for the Muslim community. This is necessary, because as Muslims we are instigated to make a difference into the world for the better.
How to organize ?
- Create A Life List – Make a list of activities that make you feel happy and alive. Then document your experiences by photographing your adventures. Looking at these pictures will inspire you to create even more happy moments.
- Laugh! Studies have shown that people who watched a comedy, performed better on math tests afterword. In other words, after you have a pleasant experience that makes you happy, you tend to be more productive.
- Print out a moon calendar for meditation times. (He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the measuring of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. Quran 6:96
- Schedule your plans on the moon calendar for the month beforehand (make sure you do your work related activities between sunrise and sunset)
- Meditate – Research shows that regular meditation can permanently rewire the brain to raise levels of happiness. Take 5 x5 minutes a day to focus on your breathing, posture and recite affirmative surahs.
Check http://organizedkaos.com/blog/ for more inspiration.
Wishing you a pleasant Eid al Adha and as this moth of Hadj is coming to an end & we are heading into a new Islamic year I wish you much success in your life's goals. The Islamic new year will be on October the 15th insjaallah.
Healthy greetings from the world's first online Female Mosque,
The Healthy Muslimah