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There is a profound statement by Ibn
Qayyim al-Jawziyyah which says: ‘Women are one half of society which
gives birth to the other half so it is as if they are the entire
society.’
If women make up nearly all of society,
shouldn’t we be striving to be productive in this life for the next? Yet
we know it’s no easy task being a Muslimah today! In fact, being a
sister, mother, wife, professional and more means a Muslimah in the
modern day can find herself struggling to be productive, trying to
juggle all the tasks on that ever-growing to-do list. Here’s the good
news though: at Productive Muslim we believe in starting off with a
sincere intention and working hard to reach our end goal.
So “who’s a Productive Muslimah?” I hear
you asking. We believe a productive Muslimah is a woman who uses all
the resources around her with a mission to live her life to excellence,
ultimately working to achieve the highest stations in Jannah. Once a
Muslimah in the world is armed with these tools she can achieve some
great things insha Allah!
In this article we’re going to start
exploring the top 10 tips to becoming a Productive Muslimah and we’ll
look at the practical steps you can take to live a more productive life.
1. Have sincere intentions
At Productive Muslim we have a motto
which says: ‘Have sincere intentions and work hard’. This is the motto
of the life of a productive Muslimah. By beginning with sincere intentions in
any of our actions, whether as a working professional by going to work
with a good intention to bring about positive difference or as a busy
wife or mother looking after the family, we are able to gain rewards and
blessings in our actions so start off with a sincere intention always!
2. Be proactive
One of the best lessons I’ve learnt in
life is that in order to be productive, we need to be proactive. This
doesn’t mean in order to be productive you have to be busy; in fact,
busy people may be unproductive. Instead, you must focus your energy on
being active in areas which will bring about benefit to your overall
life goals insha Allah. For example, one of the ways I am proactive is
by attending personal and spiritual development courses and then sharing
that with others through writing articles or delivering talks. We find
that in the example of the historical and contemporary figures, being
proactive is one of the traits of successful Muslimahs.
3. Seek knowledge
It is often said that if you ‘educate a
man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a
nation’ which highlights the importance of sisters continuously seeking
knowledge.
To become a productive Muslimah, seek
out courses from those available online through various Islamic
organisations to offline seminars and courses locally which will help to
develop your knowledge. In the modern era, accessing books on Kindle
and in libraries and bookshops means you can read up on almost any
subject that you need to develop your knowledge in and then impart it to
your children, families and wider community.
4. Plan your time effectively
One of the secrets of being productive
is that you don’t waste time! One of the first things a productive
Muslimah must do is plan her time effectively, this includes scheduling
in time to study, work, pray and spend with family and if you have
children slot in time for them and yourself so you don’t burn out.
Choose wisely how you spend your time; you can use our fantastic Taskinator online
to help you get started. One of the profound sayings on the benefits of
utilising time well is by one of the great scholars, Ibn Qayyim
al-Jawziyyah who stated: ‘If Allah wants goodness for His slave He aids
him with time and makes his time a helper for him.’
5. Be self-reflective
As a proactive Muslimah, it can be
difficult at times to assess how effectively you are using time and
being able to fulfill all your roles. With this in mind, it is
recommended you regularly take time out for self- reflection, perhaps at
the end of each day you can journal what went well in your day and also
be critical of how you could use your time better for the next day.
Only with continual self-reflection and feedback are we able to grow,
develop and become more productive insha Allah.
6. Focus on Quality over Quantity
There’s a hadith which often reminds me
that as Muslims we need to strive to perfect whatever task or project we
embark on; the Prophet 
said:
‘Allah loves that when you do anything, you do it with excellence.’
[Muslim] As a Muslimah embarking on any activity, always remind yourself
that it has to be quality over quantity. It’s better to excel in one
area, such as writing or being a good mother, than to do a mediocre job
by focussing on too many things. A productive Muslimah always strives to
excel at what she does and isn’t satisfied with mediocrity.
said:
‘Allah loves that when you do anything, you do it with excellence.’
[Muslim] As a Muslimah embarking on any activity, always remind yourself
that it has to be quality over quantity. It’s better to excel in one
area, such as writing or being a good mother, than to do a mediocre job
by focussing on too many things. A productive Muslimah always strives to
excel at what she does and isn’t satisfied with mediocrity.7. Do your best!
Some of the most inspiring stories of the wives of the Prophet and many other productive Muslimahs show that they worked hard to be the best in their roles, such as Khadijah 
who
was a successful business woman. As a wife or a mother, you may focus
on being supportive to your husband and that small action alone can be
one of the ways you are a productive wife. Giving your best to your
roles and task at hand requires focus and for you to expend your energy
only at the task at hand.
and many other productive Muslimahs show that they worked hard to be the best in their roles, such as Khadijah who
was a successful business woman. As a wife or a mother, you may focus
on being supportive to your husband and that small action alone can be
one of the ways you are a productive wife. Giving your best to your
roles and task at hand requires focus and for you to expend your energy
only at the task at hand.8. Be resourceful
Living in the information and technology
era, we are a generation that have been equipped with many useful
technological tools, books, networks and knowledge which we can use to
be more productive and organised in our lives. You can use tools online
to help manage your time, such as those in our Resources section, to
develop your knowledge and learn many new skills online with courses
which will make you more resourceful. Use these resources to lead a more
productive life.
9. Strive to benefit others
Many of the productive Muslimahs from
history to modern day have achieved great things because of their
understanding of this beautiful hadith where the Prophet said:
‘The best of you are those who benefit mankind’. [Bukhari] Always ask
yourself this question: ‘will my actions benefit others?’ This will help
you to decide what action is worthwhile and help you set up initiatives
as a mother, wife, professional or student to bring about benefit to
those around you which will also benefit your own self.
said:
‘The best of you are those who benefit mankind’. [Bukhari] Always ask
yourself this question: ‘will my actions benefit others?’ This will help
you to decide what action is worthwhile and help you set up initiatives
as a mother, wife, professional or student to bring about benefit to
those around you which will also benefit your own self.10. Put your trust in Allah
Finally, the productive Muslimah,
despite her striving and efforts, must always be mindful that success in
achieving her goals will only come from Allah who says in the Quran:
“Put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed.” [Qur'an: Chapter 5, Verse 23] This focus on spiritual productivity is
the secret ingredient to being successful. As a Muslimah, you must work
hard, contribute to society and plan your time effectively around
prayers, then place your trust in Allah by always making dua for Him to
help you achieve the ultimate success in this life and the Hereafter.
So that’s the top 10 secret tips to become a productive Muslimah but by no means an exhaustive list!
This article originally appeared in SISTERS Magazine,
the international magazine for fabulous Muslim women co-founded and
edited by Na’ima B. Robert, author of From My Sisters’ Lips. Productive
Muslimah readers are entitled to full free copy of the magazine today. Click here to get your free copy of SISTERS Magazine.
Productive Muslimah is a Muslimah who is striving for the highest station in Jannah by making the best of all the resources around her. Sister Lotifa Begum serves as Head of Productive Muslimah at ProductiveMuslim.com. She has gained a huge insight into a wide range of productivity-related issues and has delivered workshops for sisters on issues relating to time management, personal development and productivity. She is passionate about sisters excelling in their pursuit of productivity.
