Powerful Time Management Skills for Muslims by Zohra Sarwari BOOK NOTES

 

This self-help book was a great read on the subject of time management. This book is well organized and the reminders make one think about the importance of time management in our lives, especially as Muslims. Anyone really can benefit from this book. Read through the notes, do the activities, and implement what you learn. If we really want to be productive in our daily lives, inshAllah this book will be beneficial in helping us come closer to achieving our goals. I gave this book 5/5 stars. If you would like to purchase your own copy of Powerful Time Management Skills for Muslims by Zohra Sarwari, I suggest getting it directly from her site @ http://zohrasarwari.com/order/ You may also find other interesting products there!

 

Chapter 1: Changing Your Thinking

Time management begins the moment you have the attitude that you want to change; to begin even thinking about time management, one must have a desire to change. One must have the desire to commit to take action daily. One has to do the little things on a daily basis that will add up to make a big change within time, inshAllah (God willing).

Change your thinking:
1. Attitude should be results- oriented
2. Think positively instead of negatively

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The 2 feet of the son of Adam will not move from near his Lord on the Day of Judgment until he is asked about 5 matters:
1. About his life and how he spent it
2. About his youth and how he took care of it
3. About his wealth and how he earned it
4. And how he spent it
5. And about that which he acted upon from the knowledge that he acquired

How do you change your attitude?
1. Recognize the importance of attitude
2. By changing our attitude and being prepared for the worst case scenario, we are equipped to handle any situation inshAllah
3. Constantly monitor and correct our attitude

"Take benefit of 5 before 5: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your preoccupation, and your life before your death" (Hadth reported by al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqee, and Saheeh).

Suggested: http://www.studygs.net/schedule/index.htm

Activity 1: Write down 5 results that you want to see happen.
Activity 2: Write down 5 things that you will change about your attitude.

Chapter 2: Understanding Procrastination

One procrastinates when one puts of things that one should be focusing on right now, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or that they are more comfortable ding.

Causes why people procrastinate:
1. Don't understand the difference between the urgent and important things to do.
2. Being overwhelmed by the task
3. Lack of interest
4. Fear of failure
5. Poor organizational skills
6. Seeking perfection
7. Personal problems
8. Low self-esteem

Activity 3: Write down 5 things that you procrastinate on.

Chapter 3: Getting Over Procrastination 
 



1. Acknowledge that we are procrastinating
2. Figure out if you want to do the task or delegate it
3. Reward yourself for all your work
4. Tell someone about your task so they can hold you accountable
5. Split the project to smaller tasks and do a little everyday

Activity 4: Write down 5 projects that you have began and finished within this last year.

Chapter 4: Activity Grid

An activity grid is where you will write down everything you do on a daily basis. By doing this for a week, you will start to notice patterns of things that take place daily in your life. By writing your activities down and looking back at them, you will also discover what times of the day you are at your peak (most productive), and when you are the most tired. The tasks that are most difficult and time-consuming should be done at a time when you have the most energy. You also need to realize which activities and how much time you are wasting on things that aren't helping you.

Activity 5: Write down 5 things that you think is wasting most of your time.

Chapter 5: Action Plan

An action plan is a list of all the tasks that you need to carry out in order to achieve your main objective.

Everyone needs a to-do list in order to manage their time effectively. With a to-do list, one should write down and organize it so that all of the most important tasks are at the top of the list and least important at the bottom. The to-do list allows one to organize oneself and make sure one doesn't forget anything that needs to get done. You should begin working on the list immediately.

A Muslim needs to learn how to organize their time and make a realistic schedule for their religious and worldly duties. Always remember that we need balance in our lives and have to make some time to reflect and relax.

The best method would be to wake up early in the morning and go to sleep after Isha. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said "O Allah, bless my Ummah in its early rising..." (Tirmidhi). One has to remember that when we start our day with prayers to Allah, that alone has tremendous blessings.

Activity 6: Write down 5 things that you have to get done.
Activity 7: Write down the to-do list for each.

Chapter 6: Delegating

 

Delegating is very difficult to do for leaders at times. However, to be the most successful, one has to be able to delegate work to others. Delegating allows others to make decisions and feel responsible and also takes some stress off of you.  

 

... 'Abdullah bin 'Umar had said, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'All of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and the things under your care. The Imam (i.e. ruler) is the guardian of his subjects and is responsible for them and a man is the guardian of his family and is responsible for them. A woman is the guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it. A servant is the guardian of his master's belongings and is responsible for them.' I thought that he also said, 'A man is the guardian of his father's property and is responsible for it. All of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and the things under your care." (Sahih Bukhari Book 13, Hadith 18)

 



1. Find people and know what they are good at.
2. Spell out what you are asking them to do. Be specific and detail-oriented.
3. Keep a checklist of what everyone is responsible for and let them know of any deadlines.
4. Motivate and help your team.

Activity 8: Write down 5 things that you will delegate to others.

Chapter 7: Working Smarter and Not Harder

Always think of the results that you want and then think of a way to make it happen. There are many ways of getting your job done. Be open-minded to the fact that others can help you and also how you can delegate to others. When you work harder, you are able to achieve more in a short amount of time.

When you are results-oriented, you tend to focus on the big picture and not the small details. You want to complete the project and move on to what's next.

It takes a team to succeed, it doesn't happen alone. You will need people to help you, so finding the right team is where the gold is.

Activity 9: Write down 5 people that you want on your team to help you manage your time better and to get more accomplished.

Chapter 8: Learn to Model Successful People

1. Look for a role model who has been there and done that.
2. Know that success is possible to achieve, but figure out how. One cannot stop learning.

"To realize the value of 1 year, ask a student who has failed a grade.
To realize the value of 1 month, ask a mother who has given birth to a pre-mature baby.
To realize the value of 1 week, ask an editor of a weekly paper.
To realize the value of 1 day, ask a daily wage laborer who has a family to feed.
To realize the value of 1 hour, ask the girl and guy who are waiting to get married.
To realize the value of 1 minute, ask a person who has missed the train.
To realize the value of 1 second, ask a person who has avoided an accident.
To realize the value of 1 millisecond, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics." -Unknown

Activity 10: Write down 5 people that you see as role models.

Chapter 9: How a Muslim Should Best Manage Their Time

Why time is the most valuable thing a human has:
1. It passes quickly
2. Passed time cannot be returned or compensated for

Every Muslim should try to spend their day and night as follows:
1. Wake up saying morning duas. http://www.makedua.com/display_dua.php?sectionid=1
2. Pray your 5 daily obligatory prayers on time (and try to concentrate).
3. Avoid committing (big and small) sins. Remind yourself that it is a sin and you should not do it.
4. Repent to Allah in every prayer and moment by saying http://www.makedua.com/display_dua.php?sectionid=127
5. Make it a habit to read Quran daily, even if it is for a few minutes, a few pages a day (and gradually increase).
6. Watch your tongue when speaking to others. Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "...and anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should talk what is good or keep quiet (i.e. abstain from all kinds of evil and dirty talk).  (Sahih Bukhari Book 73, Hadith 47)
7. Don't be distracted with work, wealth etc. that you forget your prayers. Remember your purpose in life!
8. Whenever you are doing something that doesn't need full concentration, do dhikr of Allah. http://www.makedua.com/display_dua.php?sectionid=128
9. Always be thankful to Allah by praising him and saying Alhamdulilah.

10. Remember death often.



InshAllah the above notes help you. Please make dua for Zohra Sarwari, me, and every Muslim around the world. And don't forget to share this link with others who need help with time management!

Before you go, watch 2 great video reminders below worth watching and sharing about the subject of time.



Check out the rest of the series by Quran Weekly too!
 


Time is precious, so waste it wisely!

Free Will in the Genesis, The Odyssey, and Inferno

Final paper I wrote for my Euro. Lit class this past semester.

Free will has been a topic that many people have discussed and debated over throughout history. Some people acknowledge that they choose their actions and path in life, while others believe in divine decree. The good and bad results are either accepted as one’s own shortcomings or rejected by blaming others or God. This important and interesting topic has not been left out in literature. Based on Genesis, The Odyssey, and Inferno, humans were given free will, which is illustrated when they choose to sin/ disobey God and/ or not follow directions by others; thus they deserve the outcome.

Most importantly, both divine entities and some people recognize that humans were given choices in life, but still choose to do wrong. In The Odyssey, Zeus contemplates human affairs and says, "My word, how mortals take the gods to task! All their afflictions come from us, we hear. And what of their own failings? Greed and folly double the suffering in the lot of man" (Homer 422-423). Here, humans don’t want to take responsibility for their actions and blame the gods instead. Zeus, "the father of gods and men" (422), doesn’t agree. As much as the Greek gods interacted with humans on earth, humans still managed to mess things up amongst themselves.

While on his journey through the different levels of Hell, Dante learns the punishments for sinners on Earth. At first he sympathizes with the ones being punished, but then he admits that people ruin themselves. Dante compares humans who choose to sin to waves. He writes, "How is it that we choose to sin and wither? Like waves above Charybdis, each crashing apart against the one it rushes to meet" (Alighieri 715). People only hurt themselves when they know they are doing wrong. Yet they continue to do so, like waves constantly crashing against others. The end result of facing evil consequences is known, but out of habit or ignorance, people don’t want to do what they know is right.

One of the early examples in literature of humans disobeying God and having to suffer the consequences is described in "The Garden of Eden." Adam and Eve both gave into the temptation from the snake who was encouraging them to disobey God and eat fruit from the forbidden tree. It is written, When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat, and that it was pleasing to the eye and tempting to contemplate, she took some and ate it. She also gave her husband some and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they discovered that they were naked… (Genesis 143). The fact that both Adam and Eve acted upon the suggestion of the snake rather than God, shows that they did this willingly. They could have easily obeyed God who wants what's best for His creations, but they didn’t. As a result, the snake was punished along with Adam and Eve for their disobedience. As for why it was discouraged to eat from the tree of knowledge in the first place, people become arrogant as they learn more and more. This is not to discourage learning, but people question and become too curious. And sometimes curiosity does kill the cat, or the brain.

Adam and Eve's choice in doing the opposite of what was told of them is similar to Odysseus's situation. In The Odyssey, many of the difficulties that Odysseus and his men faced were due to the lack of controlling their desires and heeding warnings. For example, on his journey to Hades, Odysseus was told by the blind prophet Teiresias to stay away from the Sun's flocks on the land of Thrinakia, or else he will suffer more on his journey back home (Homer 563). But Odysseus's men disobeyed orders and, as foretold, they suffered because of this. While Odysseus was asleep, his crew "performed the prayers and ritual, knifed the kine and flayed each carcass, cutting thighbones free to wrap in double folds of fat. These offerings, with strips of meat, were laid upon the fire" (Homer 590-591). As punishment, Helios asked Zeus to punish Odysseus and his men. Because people choose not to follow orders that could save them from trouble, they must learn their lesson the hard way.

As previously mentioned, Dante affirms the belief that humans were given free will. In his Inferno, Dante included a level for neutrals where individuals, who lead uncommitted lives, choosing neither good nor evil during their time on earth, are punished. In Canto III, Dante asked Virgil who the people that are crying out in pain are. Virgil replied, "This is the sorrowful state of souls unsure, whose lives earned neither honor nor bad fame. And they mingled with angels of that base sort who, neither rebellious to God nor faithful to Him, choose neither side, but kept themselves apart" (Alighieri 698-699). According to Dante, neutrals have a place within Hell and are still punished for not committing to either good or bad. He compares this to some "fallen" angels who did likewise. Whether mortal or not, the act of freedom of choice requires accountability for justice.

A look at the reverse position of obeying God and being saved also takes place in Genesis. In the example of Abraham being put to the test of sacrificing his son Isaac, one can see that he didn’t question God's request. Abraham readily went to do as God said: "Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then he stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son..." (Genesis 150). Before Abraham managed to sacrifice Isaac, an angel stopped him and said he now knows that Abraham is a God-fearing man. Abraham was saved from losing his only son and sacrificed a ram found nearby instead (150-151). Abraham's example is just one on how it is possible to do what is told. As hard as it may be, there is a reason for everything. God knows what will break us and build us as people. Sometimes people do need to suffer to appreciate something or simply because they deserve the consequences. It is hard to admit and hear, but it is true. People don’t want to recognize their faults/ sins, so they are quick to blame others or God.

All in all, humans were given free will as proven by the texts above. Whether in Genesis, The Odyssey, or Inferno, readers can reason that all people have a say in their actions, good and bad. Using God as justification or making excuses for doing bad won't cut it. God didn’t force a person to do bad. People abuse and wrongly take advantage of their freedom and do things they know they shouldn’t. And there actually can be a mix of both free will and divine decree. God did give humans free will to choose between right and wrong, but He already knew what we would do in our lifetime. Even if we were to change our mind at the last minute about a situation, God already knew that because He has knowledge over everything. Whatever God wills to happen, does happen. The opposite is also true.

For the ones who do accept that they have free will, the problem then becomes not taking responsibility, especially at times when something goes wrong. This leads to suffering. Unfortunately, sometimes innocent people do suffer through harsh conditions such as natural disasters, war, etc. But that is life. The saying that life isn't easy is true. God puts everyone through trials, like Abraham (and all his prophets and messengers) to see who amongst them is obedient, patient, and remembers Him in times of hardship, seeking His help and forgiveness. Life was never meant to be easy, so people shouldn’t expect absolute good at all times. And how much intervention from God do people want anyway? If a person is in a dangerous situation like they are about to fall from a ladder, is God supposed to send down a mattress to prevent that fall? Everyone needs to recognize the responsibility that free will comes with and act accordingly if they don’t want to endure the results of their wrong actions.

Works Cited

Alighieri, Dante. "Inferno Canto III." The BedfordAnthology of World Literature. Vol. 2.          Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2004. 698-715. Print.

"Genesis." The BedfordAnthology of World Literature. Ed. Paul Davis. Vol. 1. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2004. 143-150. Print.

Homer. "The Odyssey." The BedfordAnthology of World Literature. Vol. 1. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2004. 422-591. Print.

My Book to Movie Loves + To-Watch (General)

I saw a friend's post on something similar and thought of adding my own twist. Below are movies that I enjoyed that were based off of books. I didn't read all of these books myself, but still liked the movie version! (That's why I am not easily disappointed in adaptations ;) If you have different opinions on movies I mentioned, feel free to share them in the comments below as well as any recommendations!

Enjoyed Book-Movies
1. The Spiderwick Chronicles- I think this movie wrapped all 5 books in 1 from the main book series. Nice job though!
2. A Series of Unfortunate Events- I read all the books and I think the movie put the first 3 books in 1, but it was worth watching! So sad :(
3. Guardians of Ga'Hoole-  I only read the first book and quit, so I don't know how many books this movie was based off of. But, I loved everything about the movie; the animation/ graphics, idea, (and a song..)
4. Eragon- I hated the book except for a chapter (weird...), but the movie had a lot of action and adventure, so of course I loved watching it rather than reading Eragon.
5. Chronicles of Narnia, #1, 2 and 3- Again, I didn't read all the books in this series, but loved these movies. They had a lot of action/ adventure and some beautiful locations. Can't wait for another one!
6. Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1- Didn't read the book (I know, I have a lot of books to read...), but the movie was interesting!  
7. Harry Potter #1-7- What HP fan doesn't love these movies?
ETA 8.20.13 8. Matilda- How could I forget to mention this classic by Roald Dahl?! Watched this so many times, I practically memorized it!

Below are some random/ general movies I want to watch along with trailers if you haven't seen them either ;)

Want to Watch!!!

1. Oz the Great and Powerful- Looks interesting.


2. Monsters University- Looks cute :)


3. Despicable Me 2- Loved the first one and hope the second is just as funny!


4. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters- The trailer is full of action and I enjoyed the first movie, so I am expecting the same here.


5. Catching Fire- I liked the 2nd (and 3rd books). Can't wait to see this in movie form!

Reading and Writing in Wonderland

I wrote this essay for my Creative Writing class this past semester about Reading and writing in my life. This is like an extension to my intro. Hope you learn something new about me :)

I am so thankful that I enjoy reading and writing. I know many who don’t like either one or both. I got into reading before writing, but enjoy them both for fun. The first time I was read to was when I was in kindergarten and my older sister would read to me and my younger brother on our sofa bed. She loved to read so she would read us picture books. My 4th grade teacher also read A Series of Unfortunate Events books 1 and 2 to my class, so I finished the rest on my own. I loved reading on my own since I was young. For example, I read Dr. Seuss' books for his rhymes and message and also poetry by Shel Silverstein.

As I got older, reading and writing became two of my favorite hobbies. I remember reading Mary-Kate and Ashley books and also Harry Potter and the Prisoners of Azkaban in 5th grade. I constantly made trips to the school library during my lunch periods throughout middle school, looking for interesting books and helping the librarian, who I eventually became friends with.

My favorite book genre is action/ adventure. Some of my favorite single books include The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein, The Eighth Scroll by Laurence B. Brown, The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton Shaw, Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed, and Wonder by R.J. Palacio. My favorite series include Echoes by Jamilah Kolocotronis, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, The Children of the Red King by Jenny Nimmo, and of course Harry Potter by J.K Rowling. I have come across new authors and genres like crime fiction and young adult thanks to recommendations by others and goodreads.com, which I highly recommend bookworms check out.

I’ve been loving this site since a friend told me about it back in 2011. You can keep track of as many books you’ve read from as far back or as current as you want. Users can also add books to their to-read list and update what they are currently-reading. In addition, you can rate, review, and recommend books as well as receive recommendations depending on the type of books you read and are on your shelves. You can enter giveaways or host your own, share you writing, take quizzes, challenge yourself to read a number of books in a year, make friends, and a lot more!

I go on goodreads.com daily (it is my FB ;) According to their site, I've read 157 books so far, have 17 shelves including favorites, children's books, Islamic books, self-help, etc., own 97+ books in my home library collection, and have 6 friends. More details of what I am up to book-wise, like what I am currently reading, can be found at http://www.goodreads.com/sabrinafatima Some of my book related goals consists of reading 50 book in 2013 and to give away some of my books to friends and/or book sales. In addition, I want to do a bookshelf "tour and decor" on my reading and writing blog and become a Barnes and Noble member soon.

Along with reading, I enjoy watching movies. Many of these movies are based off of books. Unlike some people I know, I don’t hate movies based off of books because of the lack of accuracy. Instead, I like to see the images I had in mind put to life by the directors. So it is rare for me to hate a movie that was based off a book I like or plan to read. Some of the movies that were inspired by books and that I like are the infamous Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia movies 1-3, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief, and The Hunger Games. I look forward to continue watching Percy's adventures in the second movie as well as the second movie to The Hunger Games, both coming out in the near future. 

While I loved to read since I was young, and got into movies a few years ago, my interest in writing began when I was in 8th grade. My middle school librarian told me and some other students about a contest where we had to write a short story in Dr. Seuss style. Being a fan of Dr. Seuss's books, I started writing my own story. Others quit, but I liked mine so I finished it, illustrations and all, and sent it in. My entry, "The Purple Blurble," was about a curious boy going on a trip to learn about the extinction of blurbles after sneezles made life difficult for them. A few lines from my short story includes: "Well thank you for all the help and letting me understand/ The importance of all living beings, they each have a role to play like in a marching band/ We should assist all of God’s creations instead of breaking them apart/ I thank you again from deep within my heart.” The entire piece can be found on my reading and writing blog at sfraww.blogspot.com/2010/07/purple-blurble.html. To my surprise, I won 1st place in my category!

Winning 1st place for the first time in my life was very exciting. I found out the day I was invited to The Brownstone for participating in the contest. Being 1 of 10 winners, I had to read my writing out loud to the audience. I was nervous, but got through it. After all the readings, we had time to eat and take pictures. While I was eating a fruit salad, some people came up to congratulate me, like a school principal and my elementary school librarian. I received a certificate and a gift card to Borders, which came in handy for books to take on summer vacation to England and Bangladesh that summer of 2007.

Doing well enough to win a contest motivated and kept my interest in writing. Ever since then, I have been writing for fun and love it. I have entered more writing contests, written a poem to a friend, and another to my high school teachers. Two of my other poems were also published in my high school's literary magazine. In addition to writing for fun, I learned to enjoy writing for school assignments where I get to choose the topic of my interest. During my senior year in high school, I took a journalism class where I became the Editor of my high school's newspaper, The Torch, and wrote numerous articles and designed layouts. One of these, my editorial on teacher pay vs. student performance, won 1st place in opinion writing!

I like to share and get feedback on my writing, so in January 2013, I joined writing.com. Here, users can do both of what I was looking for. People give helpful reviews of one's writing and there are many opportunities to enter contests. Great tips for writers can also be found on this site. My writing can be found at http://Writing.Com/authors/knowledgeseekr

Another place I share my writing to the public is on my reading and writing blog. I started my blog in 2010 just to share my writing and also some tips I learned, but since December 2012, I decided to include book related posts. I try to consistently post every Sunday. Some of these blog posts are my writings, both for school and fun, like journal entries, poems, memoirs, and research papers. With regards to books, I try to put up book hauls, reviews, "tags," etc.

Islam is very important to me and my lifestyle so I try to incorporate my religion and complete way of life in my writing in whatever way I can. I want to finish an article I had started a long time ago on my Islamic recommendations to the youth. I also want to continue writing more poetry, which is my favorite type of writing. Intro. to Creative Writing class helped me write my first lengthy short story, so I want to brainstorm more ideas and get some started. In addition, I want to write more book reviews. Some books I want to review are Laurence B. Brown's The Eighth Scroll, The Returned, and The Zion Deception (once I read the latter) and The Game of Triumphs books 1 and 2 by Laura Powell because these are not mainstream books. All of these writings and reviews can be found on RAWW.

I still continue to read and write for fun as much as possible to this day. I journal daily and blog on Sundays. I also have a number of other blogs I manage weekly about Islam. Overall, I love literature, whether in the form of novels or creative writing. Since I love to read and write, I am majoring in English Writing as well as Elementary and Middle School Education. I hope to become a better and more frequent writer through my writing classes, journaling, blogging, and writing for fun at home. I also want to encourage young children to get into reading and writing from a young age, since both are needed for everything in life. God willing, I write a book in the future that many will like to read and recommend!