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Personal development and free time

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abu mohammed, Moonlight, Naqshband66
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#1 [Permalink] Posted on 21st March 2020 08:34
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Many of us find ourselves with more free time due to the coronavirus situation. May Allah forgive us, allow us to do tauba and protect us from this. I've heard that when people have free time it can lead to sin.

I was wondering how people plan to fill this time, what plans they have for personal development and any courses/ideas they could suggest.

Recently, I completed an online course on a website called coursera. Some of the courses on this website are free and others are not. The course I completed was free and it was called "learning how to learn".

It was broken down in to four weeks of learning and was very valuable. If I had to pay for it knowing I would gain what I have, I would.

The course goes through the different modes of learning, specifically focused mode and diffuse mode. Focus mode is where you study giving the material your undivided attention for a short period of time. You then deliberately go in to diffuse. Mode. This is where you take a break and allow the brain to make connections with what you have learnt.

A tip they offer for going through this is to use the pomedoro technique. This is where you choose a time limit of focussed learning after which you reward yourself. This is essentially to help you beat procrastination.

Example: I choose to study for 25 minutes giving the material my undivided attention. I then reward myself with a five minute break of walking, stretching, zikr or whatever I would like to make myself relaxed. Something to look forward to basically.

The idea is to give yourself a challenge of doing some pomedoro every day. So you can set yourself a target and say I will complete three pomedoro a day. That would mean three 25 minute sessions of study followed by your own choice of reward. It does not need to be 25 minutes, but that's a good suggestion in the course. It could be more or less.

The course is delivered by some professors. One of the professors is amongst the leading brain specialists in the world. He said one of the most important things in learning is exercise. This is because initially, scientists thought that all the neurons your brain needed were made while your were developing as a baby. However, recent studies suggest exercise also helps building neurons. So going on long runs is good. It also works wonders on lowering stress levels.

The course goes on. The above was a brief breakdown on week 1 of the course.

Let us make a timetable for ourselves and the children. When making a timetable I would suggest doing it via a mashwara with all the household. Here you can discuss rules, timings of activities, behaviour sanctions etc. Teachers sometimes create their classroom behaviour rules with their students. This works well because when students go against it, which they will. You can quickly reign them back in by telling them "remember that we made the rules together". These students want to see you are being fair. Have some timetable for physical activity, even if it's just in the house.

One valuable lesson I learnt from a shaikh was never get angry. The shaikh mentioned that he doesn't know much about the uk system of education other than what his children tell him. But he mentioned do not get angry. The fruits of this advice were unbelievable.

For example, have sanctions for poor behaviour, dont shout with rage inside you. The shaikh mentioned, if you are angry dont speak, wait for about thirty seconds to the nearest meaning. Then go with the sanction of the poor behaviour. So if in your rules you discussed that during study time if someone does not complete the work they will not get a full break then follow through with that sanction without shouting at them. Just mention, "these were our rules which we discussed".

Please use this thread to suggest ideas for adults and children during these times. Any good courses, material or whatever suggestions you can make would be valuable
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#2 [Permalink] Posted on 21st March 2020 08:42
Just a quick note

In my last post I mentioned
"So if in your rules you discussed that during study time if someone does not complete the work  they will not get a full break"

I would like to mention make sure they are trying. Sometimes they may not compete the work. As long as they are working well and concentrating, without disrupting unnecessarily.

If they didnt complete the work due to laziness that is a different matter. Then there should be a sanction
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#3 [Permalink] Posted on 21st March 2020 15:43
Only those can remain steadfast, who have higher goals. The higher the goal the more steadfast you will remain.
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#4 [Permalink] Posted on 22nd March 2020 10:58
sipraomer wrote:
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At the same time, the higher the goals the more hurdles need crossing. So Sabr is also required
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#5 [Permalink] Posted on 22nd March 2020 20:01
abu mohammed wrote:
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Yes indeed! Sabr is one of the main ingredients of steadfastness.
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#6 [Permalink] Posted on 23rd March 2020 09:36
And to attain sabr we need

1. Companionship of those who already have sabr.
2. We need to raise the quality of dhikr in order to attain peace.
3. We need to raise the quality of our recitation and understanding of Quran in order to attain peace as well as inspiration.
4. We need to raise the quality of our Salah in order to attain peace, prepare our body for discipline and sacrifice and also to train our subconscious mind to instill right and consistent thoughts.

Only a healthy and disciplined body with a soul in which there is peace and a mind which is focused on positive thoughts can make a person remain steadfast to attain a higher goal.
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#7 [Permalink] Posted on 25th March 2020 10:01
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1) Start memorising the Qur'an.

Mufti Shabbir Ahmad said, “All those who are at home due to the Coronavirus should spend their time wisely and start memorising the Quran. Some of our scholars memorised the entire Quran in jail.”

2) Learn Arabic.

Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RA) is reported to have said: "Learn the Sunnah and Arabic. Learn to parse the Qur'an for it is written in Arabic."

In another version, he said: "Learn Arabic for it is part and parcel of your Religion."
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#8 [Permalink] Posted on 26th March 2020 16:52
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#9 [Permalink] Posted on 5th April 2020 15:21
bint e aisha wrote:
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#10 [Permalink] Posted on 25th April 2020 11:02
I will be pasting some amazing points from the kitaab "maarif muslihul ummat volume 3" which can be downloaded for free from the al qamar publications website.

USEFUL PIECES OF ADVICE

The brother of Hadrat Maulānā Shāh Walī Allāh
Sāhib rahimahullāh, Hadrat Shāh Ahlullāh Sāhib
rahimahullāh offers many pieces of advice in his book
Chār Bāb. A few are quoted below:
(1)

When faced with an important matter, consult the
intelligent and wise well-wishers who are experts in
that field. This is because Allāh ta‛ālā instructed
Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‛alayhi wa sallam to consult
with the Sahābah radiyallāhu ‛anhum. This is
actually an instruction to his followers to consult in
all matters.

(2)

Follow the ways of the noble and righteous people in
whatever you do. Stay away from the company of
ignoble people. The type of people whose company
you choose will definitely have an effect on you. If
you remain in the company of ignoble people and
those of the lower strata of society, your
temperament will imbibe and absorb their qualities.
You should therefore remain aloof from such people.

(3)

Do not be hasty in any Dīnī matter, and do not do
any work without consultation and planning.

(4)

Do not allow yourself to be useless and idle. Instead,
do works for the Hereafter. If you cannot do that, do
not let an opportunity to pass in doing worldly works.
For example, learn some type of craft or skill through
which you could acquire of this world.

329

I quote a statement of Hadrat ‛Umar radiyallāhu
‛anhu which supports the above piece of advice of
Hadrat Shāh Sāhib rahimahullāh. ‛Allāmah ‛Alī Fikrī
quoted it in his book as-Samīr al-Muhadhdhab:
قال عمر بن اoطاب ر‚ االله عنه إ} لأÓره أن أرى أحد
Ù…

ً سبهللا لا عمل اaنيا ولا عم
ل الآخرة .

I dislike seeing any of you idle – neither doing any
worldly work nor occupied in any action of the
Hereafter.
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#11 [Permalink] Posted on 25th April 2020 11:09
The training of Hadrat Muslihul Ummat

I always tell you that if you have no interest in doing
any work of the Hereafter, you should at least occupy
yourself in worldly occupations. Man has to do
something or the other. Unfortunately I see you doing
nothing for the Hereafter nor occupying yourself in
any worldly activities.

When we speak to people about these things, they
abhor our own presence and existence among them.
Through their actions and attitude they are actually
saying: “If this person was not around, we would
have made tremendous progress.” I reply to such
people, very well, we will move aside. Do something
and show us, but you will not be able to do anything
because let alone being able to do anything, you do
not even have the intelligence to understand
anything. The general condition which I observe in
you is that you will do nothing yourself, but if one
person in your family works hard and earns
something, you will fight with him and want to take
his earnings by force. You then leave him distressed.
You do nothing and you don’t allow others to do
anything.


The deplorability of idleness

Listen! I heard this from Hadrat Maulānā Thānwī
rahimahullāh. There was a man sitting quietly in one
place. A saint was walking pass but he did not offer
salām to the man and continued on his way. When
the saint was returning and walked pass the man
again, he offered him salām. Someone asked the
saint: “Hadrat, what is the matter? When you passed
by this man the first time, you did not offer him
salām, but you did on your return!?” The saint
replied: “When I passed by him the first time, he was
sitting idle, doing nothing. He was therefore closer to
Shaytān. On my return, I saw him marking the
ground with his hand. Although this action is futile,
he became distant from Shaytān because he was now
occupied in something.”

We learn from this that no matter what work a
person is occupied in – whether Dīnī or worldly – he
will stay away from Shaytān. But if he remains idle
and inactive, he will be subjugated by Shaytān. This
is why Hadrat Shāh Sāhib rahimahullāh said:
Do not allow yourself to be useless and
idle. Instead, do works for the Hereafter.
If you cannot do that, do not let an
opportunity to pass in doing worldly
works.

And Hadrat ‛Umar radiyallāhu ‛anhu said:
I dislike seeing any of you idle – neither
doing any worldly work nor occupied in
any action of the Hereafter.

Those who are occupied in some work – whether Dīnī
or worldly – are safeguarded against temptation and
corruption. Because they are occupied, they do not
have the time to fall in futile activities.



There was a youngster here who was studying
English. He is now gone to Europe. On going there,
he kept a beard and began performing salāh
regularly. He was also punctual with tahajjud and
ishrāq salāh, and encouraged others towards Dīn. He
is employed there and receives a monthly wage of
10 000. He wrote to his father: “Ensure you educate
all the boys in Dīnī knowledge. Leave them in the
service of Hadrat Maulānā Shāh Wasīyyullāh Sāhib
in Allāhābād, and make arrangements for their
education and training.”

We observe from this that there are people who,
despite going to Europe and living among the
Europeans, are preserving DÄ«n. If this is the case,
there is no harm in a person going to America,
London or anywhere else. As long as īmān is with
him, it will protect him wherever he goes.
I related this while speaking on the point that
everyone is doing some work or the other, why can’t
you do something? You have hands and feet just as
others do. Everyone is progressing, why can’t you?
When a person gives preference to DÄ«n, money is an
aid to him. We cannot say it is unlawful. In fact, this
world is necessary to a certain extent and one has to
do something in it. He has to have wealth as well.
There are Ahādīth in this regard.
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