- 1. How to ease the struggle By: Saadia Z. Yunus (with
assistance from Dr. Mohammad Yunus)
2. Promise of Allah for Good and Pure Life"Whoever works
righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to them will We
give a new Life, a life that is good and pure, and We will bestow
on such their reward according to the best of their actions.
Nahal,16:97 3. Way to reach Jannah "Do good deeds properly,
sincerely and moderately. . . Always adopt a middle,
moderate,regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of
paradise)" - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470 4. Why is it
important to balance our time and ease our stress? It means to
create harmony- a state in which nothing is out of proportion or
unduly emphasizedat the expense of the other. 5. Its advantages?
Enhanced productivity and commitment to Islam,family and society.
Less conflict between various roles within life- i.e. being a
parent or a spouse. Better relationships with colleagues, friends
& family. Ability to feel more confident about life and be
happier 6. Islam is balanced way of life Islam is a system of life
(Deen) that is optimallybalanced in its design by Allah SWT based
on His ultimate knowledge and absolute wisdom.1And the Firmament
has He raised high and He has set up the balance (of Justice) .In
order that ye may not transgress (due) balance. So establish weight
with justice and fall not short in the balance. Rahman,55:7-9 1 7.
Balance is shining feature of Muslim Ummah Allah (SWT) has
mentioned balance, moderation andequilibrium as the distinguishing
feature of the Muslim UmmahThus have We made of you an Ummah justly
balanced that ye might be witnesses over the nations and the
Apostle a witness over yourselves Baqarah,2:143 8. Individual
Muslims must be balanced Islam expects its followers at a minimum,
to bebalanced, moderate and fair in everything they do; and to
strive towards excellence in goodness, as their target. Always
adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach
your target (of paradise)" (Bukhari) 9. Maintain balance as a
Muslim Can be viewed from two perspectives:1. Balance in views,
attitudesand focus (stress) 2. Balance in assigning time and
resources (time management) 10. 1- Balance in views Many Muslims
regard Islam as a religion (a set ofreligious rituals They think
balance is to be struck between Dunya (worldly matters) and
Deen(misunderstood as merely religion) To give enough time to
religious rituals in a way that their worldly pursuits are not
negatively affected. This leads to a lifestyle where they worship
their Dunya (worldly matters and expediencies) and only a little
time here and/or a little money there are given to the acts of
worship. 11. 2-Balance in assigning time and resources Deen
encompasses every part and aspect of Dunya It is a matter of
assigning appropriate time andresources to all components of Deen
according to the importance and priorities that Allah (SWT) has
assigned to them Prophet (SAW) demonstrated this balance through
his practice, and the Sahabah observed them in their lives 12. Life
is a juggling act Bryan Dyson, a former CEO of Coca Cola
HealthFamilyFriends ICNAWorkSpirit Personal Excellence 13.
Challenge of Balancing Life ISLAMIC WORKFAMILY 14. 5 Areas of
Islamic Obligation FamilyIslamic workFinancesHealthRelation with
Allah 15. Time and resources to be given to 5 obligations:
1-Islamic work responsibilities are met on a timelybasis in such a
way that the Islamic movement is able to progress towards its goals
according to its strategy and plan. 2-A strong personal
relationship with Allah is maintained and efforts to attain
personal excellence in Islamic knowledge and Ibadah are
consistently pursued; 16. 5 Areas of Islamic Obligations 3- Familys
basic physical and psychological needs,according to the Ma roof of
the society, are adequately met and childrens training and coaching
needs are not neglected 4- The persons own physical health (through
adequate food, rest and exercise) is maintained. 5- Reasonable,
lawful money/resources are earned to finance all of the above. 17.
Where do we find a model of balance? This balancing is not an easy
task. 1- Seerah: We find ideal level of moderation andbalance in
the life of the Prophet (SAW). 2-Lifestyle of the Sahabah is
another model. Prophet said: The best society is my society; then
the generation succeeding them and then the generation succeeding
them. 18. Examples of an unbalanced life? ??? Spending hours on the
phone Rushing to get things done Projects are turned in late
Relationships are ignored/lacking Procrastination Lack of
organization/cleanliness STRESS! 19. Tips on achieving this
balance: 1 If you can break down your day and plan youractivities,
you will find time that you didn't know existed. Effective time
management will give you the feeling that you have more hours in
your day. 20. Focusing on Family Time Each trial that your family
presents to you is a meansfor inner purification, and serves as the
practical training and test of your faith It is not appropriate to
view our Muslim families as impediments to our lofty spiritual
ambitions, but rather, they are a trial of our actual, personal
application of Islam. 21. Example of Ibrahim (AS) At no time did
Ibrahim give up or sacrifice his relationship with his sons or his
wives in order to follow Allah. Nor did he leave his sons'
religious education and moral upbringing to their mothers while he
went off to make dawah. His sons were a priority in their father's
life, and they had a close relationship. When Ibrahim was ready and
willing to sacrifice his first-born son to Allah, it was not
because Ismail was a victim of parental coldness or neglect.
Rather, he was the recipient of prophetic understanding. It was as
a result of the strength of this family bond, that father and son
were united in full submission to the command of Allah. 22. Strong
family is vital for joyous existence Raising a family is Islamic
work. Maintaining the spirit of love and peace at home isvery
rigorous, nafs-reducing, intensive Islamic training. Children learn
by imitation, so they need to see their parents in action. A strong
marriage is essential to good health, longevity and a joyous and
meaningful existence. *** 23. - Plan Quality Time It is best to
schedule family time and time with spouseand kids on daily basis.
It's important for marriage and children's wellbeing that time is
spent together in unhurried, leisure activities. They don't have to
be all-day events. Date nights/days! 24. 11 Tips on Time Management
1) Realize that time management is a myth. There are always only 24
hours in a day. Time doesn't change. All we can actually manage is
ourselves and what we do with the time that we have. 2) Find out
where you're wasting time. Many of us are prey to time-wasters that
steal time we could be using much more productively. 'Net surfing,
reading email, or making personal calls 3) Create time management
goals. Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing
your behaviors, not changing time. Eliminate your personal
time-wasters. For one week, for example, set a goal that you're not
going to take personal phone calls while you're working 4)
Implement a time management plan. So you need to not only set your
specific goals, but track them over time to see whether or not
you're accomplishing them. 25. Tips continued 5) Use time
management tools. Physically managing your time is to know where
it's going now and planning how you're going to spend your time in
the future; Examples? 6) Prioritize ruthlessly. If you have 20
tasks for a given day, how many of them do you truly need to
accomplish? Deadlines! 7) Learn to delegate and/or outsource. For
effective time management, you need to let other people carry some
of the load 8) Establish routines and stick to them as much as
possible. While crises will arise, you'll be much more productive
if you can follow routines most of the time 9) Get in the habit of
setting time limits for tasks. Reading and answering email can
consume your whole day if you let it. Instead, set a limit of one
hour a day for this task and stick to it. 26. Tips continued 10) Be
sure your systems are organized. Are you wasting a lot of time
looking for files on your computer or phone numbers or things? 11)
Don't waste time waiting. From shura meetings to doctor
appointments, it's impossible to avoid waiting for someone or
something. Always take something to do with you. Technology makes
it easy to work wherever you are You can be in control and
accomplish what you want to accomplish - once you've come to grips
with the time management myth and taken control of your time. 27.
What is Stress? Stress is a part of life, a normal response to
demandseither emotional, intellectual, or physical It can be
positive if it keeps us alert, motivated, and ready to avoid danger
It can be negative if it becomes chronic, increasing the risk of
diseases like depression, heart disease and a variety of other
problems Managing stress is the key to health, happiness, and
productivity 28. Warning Signs of Stress Dizziness or a general
feeling of "being out of it" General aches and pains Grinding
teeth, clenched jaw Headaches Indigestion or acid reflux symptoms
Increase in or loss of appetite Muscle tension in neck, face or
shoulders Problems sleeping Racing heart Cold and sweaty palms
Tiredness, exhaustion Trembling/shaking Weight gain or loss Upset
stomach, diarrhea Sexual difficulties Irritability, impatience,
forgetfulness 29. Whats causing your stress? When you find yourself
feeling the bad effects of stress, you needto take action
immediately. The sooner you begin the process of treatment, the
easier it will be and the quicker you find relief and be back to
your normal state 1--Identify the cause of the stress Known source
(deadline in ICNA work, a pile of unpaid bills, or
arelationship/friendship that is not working out) Unknown source?
If you can identify the source of your stress, remove yourselffrom
it or address the situation If you are unable to determine the
source of your stress, you need to seek outside help Family,
friends, or an ICNA sister Doctor or a mental health counselor
Therapist, counselor 30. Tips for Reducing Stress Keep a positive
attitude. Which of the Favors of your Lord will you deny? Accept
that there are events that you cannot control Be assertive instead
of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead
of becoming angry, defensive, or passive Learn and practice
relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi. Breathing!
SALAH! Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when
it is fit (during conference calls) Eat healthy, well-balanced
meals Learn to manage your time more effectively. *** 31. Tips
continued Set limits appropriately and say no to requests that
would create excessive stress in your life Make time for hobbies
and interests Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to
recover from stressful events Don't rely on medication or food to
reduce stress. Ease up on caffeine, too (Chai! Coffee!) Seek out
social support. Spend enough time with those you love Seek
treatment with a psychologist or other mental health professional
trained in stress management or biofeedback techniques to learn
more healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life 32.
Advice from Prophet Muhammad (s) when you are stressed: In hadith
#599 narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas in SunanAbu Dawood, The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: If anyone continually asks pardon, Allah
will appoint for him a way out of every distress, and a relief from
every anxiety, and will provide for him from where he did not
reckon. Anas said that when the Prophet, peace be upon him,
wasfaced with a serious difficulty, he would always supplicate, Ya
Hayyu, ya Qayyumu, bi-rahmatika astaghithu (O the Living, O the
Eternal, I seek help in Your grace). Source: Tirmidhi 33. Quranic
remedy SABR and SALAH! 34. - Continuously make Dua to help with
stress and time management. Allah is the best of Helpers. 35. To
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