4 OUTER ASPECTS:
1. Do not eat or drink too much as it will make you sleepy
2. Do not tire yourself out during the day doing something that has no value
3. Take a midday nap if it is possible
4. Do not commit any wrong actions during the day or Allah will prevent you from standing in prayer at night

4 INNER ASPECTS:
1. Clean your heart of any envy of Muslims, and avoid following innovations and preferring the world of the Hereafter.
2. Remember that death will surely come to you, act for the Next world and fear in your heart postponing good deeds.
3. Strive to appreciate the significance of standing in prayer before your Lord at night.
4. Love Allah and have a strong belief while you stand in prayer that you are speaking directly with Allah, exalted is He, and do not utter a word without being aware of its meaning.

Allah tells us: “By Time, Mankind is at loss.” [Asr: 1-2] Essentially, “we’re on the clock.” From the minute we’re born, there is a timer counting down to the day we will leave this planet.  And as a result, we look to succeed in the limited time that we have. But Allah doesn’t leave Mankind hopeless, just saying “Well, guess what, you’re losing, too bad, so sad, see you later.”  (So don’t ever give up hope!) Rather, Allah follows up this statement with “EXCEPT, for those who have believed, done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” [Asr: 3]

So here, then is our recipe for success.  This is the blueprint – your road-map to Jannah.  Don’t want to be a LOSER? (And being a loser is by default–like a water-slide. You just let go, let the world sweep you buy, and you go down, down, down.) Then follow these simple steps! Believe, Do righteous deeds, Advise one another to the truth, Advise one another to patience.

Anything that Allah the Most High swears by in the Qur’an is a tremendous matter – such as ‘Wa al-Fajr’ (by the dawn) or ‘Wa al-Shams’ (by the sun). In the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), beginning with an oath was a method to draw the attention of the listener. Time is a concept that fascinated and awed the Arabs then, and it still fascinates Muslims now.

The Characteristics of Time
1-Time passes quickly.
2-Time that passes can never return, nor can it be compensated for, for time is irretrievable.
3-Time is the most precious thing that man possesses. 

Time management

You can either consume or invest your time. When one consumes time they engage in activities that are not of benefit to themselves or others – essentially ‘killing time’ through idol activity. In contrast, when one invests time they learn a new skill, gain new knowledge and engage in activities that benefit themselves and others.

Good time management is not about changing or developing time, but rather, minimizing the amount of time one wastes with unnecessary actions. Being conscious of how one uses time and ever mindful and thankful for this precious resource is a good starting point.

In Islam, good time management starts with setting appropriate goals and working diligently to achieve them. Those who set specific, definite and measurable goals in their life are more aware of the effects time has on the achievement of their goals. When we are consciously aware of how time can affect the goals we pursue, we are more apt in using our time constructively, striving to meet our objectives and achieve our dreams within identified time frames.

If one considers the life of the Prophet Muhammad, it offers the best example of how humans ought to invest their time. Whenever he was at home he would divide his time into three equal parts: one-third was used to worship God, one-third was devoted to caring for his family and one- third was dedicated to improving himself. In fact, he used to use half of the latter third to improve understanding of the public who often visited, seeking greater knowledge of Islam.

Time Tips

1. Aim higher EVERY DAY. Better than day before. Start day with intention to make day best of your life. Push self. Ask yourself everyday how you want your life to be. Is it fame, wealth, or the sole pleasure of Allah that is driving you towards the project you want to undertake?  Every person begins his day as a vendor of his soul either freeing it or ruining it. “A vendor of his soul either freeing it or ruining it” Every person begins his day, so he labors himself, works hard, and tires himself. From them are those who free their souls and from them are those who ruin them, i.e. they destroy them by their actions. lf he acts in obedience to Allah and upholds His legislation, he frees his soul, i.e. frees it from slavery to Shaytan (the devil) and desire. If the opposite is the case, then he ruins it i.e. destroys it.

2. Get things off of mind immediately, so you can use it for other important things. Mind is prime real estate. Only leave room for best knowledge in brain. Other things write down and get off of mind right away. De-clutter your mind: • Start your day on the right note: In Islam, we are always asked to start on a positive note. We start with the name of Allah. We start with the right foot/hand. Similarly, it is wise to start with the important things first. If you start with trivial things, such as checking Facebook, chances are that your entire day will not be as productive as you intended.  The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhe wa sallam) always demanded that work should start early in the morning. On the authority of Sukhr Al-Ghamidi: “The Prophet said, ‘O Allah, bless my nation’s early rising.’ If he dispatched an army or a division, he did that early in the morning.” [Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban]

3. Write things down in places where you will come across it again. A diary or something of that nature is effective in organizing your tasks and writing down any thought that comes to mind aswe often lose focus when numerous ideas pop up in our mind, and are further distracted by tasks that need to get done. This way, you won’t be forgetting things and your mind will be free to focus on the Hereafter, for your ambition.

8. Never multi task. Only focus at what is at hand. Pay full attention to people you are talking to. Don’t check phone/email while talking to them. Finish work first if you have to, then talk to them with complete focus (Sunnah and adhab of a Muslim).
1. Become conscious

When you start doing something, become more aware you’re starting that activity. As you do it, become aware of really doing it, and of the urge to switch to something else. Paying attention is the important first step.

2. Clear distractions

If you’re going to read, clear everything else away, so you have nothing but you and the book. If you’re going to do email, close every other program and all browser tabs except the email tab, and just do that. If you’re going to do a work task, have nothing else open, and turn off the phone. If you’re going to eat, put away the computer and other devices and shut off the television.

3. Choose wisely

Don’t just start doing something. Give it some thought — do you really want to turn on the TV? Do you really want to do email right now? Is this the most important work task you can be doing?

4. Really pour yourself into it

If you’re going to make dhikr, do it with complete focus, complete dedication. Put everything you have into that activity. If you’re going to have a conversation, really listen, really be present. If you’re going to make your bed, do it with complete attention and to the best of your abilities.

5. Practice

This isn’t something you’ll learn to do overnight. You can start right now, but you’re not likely to be good at it at first. Keep at it. Practice daily, throughout the day. Do nothing else, but practice.

• Never ignore the problem: Whatever barriers you face on your road to productivity, do not ignore them. If you ignore them, you will never be able to solve them! Therefore, do not fool yourself into thinking that you are being productive when you are not (for example, by browsing Facebook for hours). If you are facing time constraints, admit it and assess this issue.

• Solving a problem: First and foremost, make sincere du’aa to Allah. Saying from personal experience, duaa can help you achieve things which you could have never imagined. In addition, take the help of experts. Study materials accordingly.

• Leisure time:  • Take mini-breaks: Your productivity increases if you take a short break of about 10-15 minutes after you have worked for about an hour. However, do not fool yourself by taking breaks too frequently, or by taking an hour-long break for every 5 minutes that you work!Do not deprive yourself of rest and leisure. This will boost up your productivity. Your leisure time shouldn’t just be checking mails. Instead, indulge yourself in adventurous/creative activities, develop some productive hobbies, or simply relax with Qur’an and/or dhikr.

Ibn `Umar (radiyallahu `anhuma) said that Allah’s Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said,“For every action there is a period of enthusiasm/activity, and for every period of enthusiasm/activity there is a period of rest/inactivity. So he whose period of rest/inactivity is in accordance with my Sunnah then he is rightly guided, but he whose period of rest accords with other than this, then he is destroyed.” [Ahmad 2/188 and 210.]

• Have an ambition: Make sure you have a long-term goal. Dream of leaving a legacy. Be honest and decide a goal that excites you. This is very important because all your other actions will be based on this. Once you have decided your ambition, plan short-term goals for achieving that. Remember that excellence and legacies don’t come about by accident, they are the product of deliberate reflection and planning.
Have a direction for your life and then, put your trust in Allah.

Make dua to MASTER time

According to at-Tabaraani, whenever any two Companions of the Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam met, they would not part, until one of them had recited to the other Soorah Al-`Asr and then delivered Salaams upon him. Ash-Shaafi`i said: “If the people were to ponder on this Soorah, it would be sufficient for them.” (Ibn Kathir)

Alhamdulilah as Muslims we know our purpose in life, the reason why we were created. He created all of mankind for a purpose.  And that is to worship Him alone and to seek His pleasure.  Our Creator did not just put us on this earth without any guidance. Think about this, would this be fair? This is the reason why Allah send messengers and Prophets, to give us guidance. The final Prophet should have a message and miracle that will continue after his death.  The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was send to all of mankind, not just to the people of his time. So Allah gave him the Qur’an. Which is still a guidance and miracle up until this day.

The Prophet ﷺ said: Every Prophet has been given people the like of which cause people to adopt faith; What I have been given is the revelation that Allah has inspired to me, so I hope to be the Prophet that is followed the most on the Day of Judgement. (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)

When the Prophet recited Surah an-Najm (Qur’an 53) in Makkah, the entire audience, believers and non-believers, fell into prostration in awe, overpowered by what they had heard. When `Utbah ibn Rabi`ah, who was one of the leaders of the polytheists in Makkah came to debate with the Prophet ﷺ and he ﷺ recited Surah Fussilat (Qur’an 41) in response, `Utbah ibn Rabi`ah left shaken and humbled by the verses.
So what does the Qur’an mean to you?

If someone asks you this question. What does the Qur’an mean to you? What would you answer. Would your answer resemble your actions? We put the Qur’an high on the shelf, when it falls on the ground we quickly pick it up give it a kiss and put it back. What if our iman falls? Do we use the Qur’an to get us back up? The Qur’an should not only be on a high shelf in our room, but also have a high priority in out daily lives.

Unfortunatly we have abandond the Qur’an.

Different types of abandonment

1.       To disbelieve in the Qur’an and prevent others from listening to it.
Some scholars considered this verse to refer to the polytheists of Mecca who would make noise and speak loudly while the Qur’an would be recited to drown out its sound. They did this out of fear that those who would hear the Qur’an would be affected by its magnificence and also out of ridicule and disdain towards it. Informing us of their attitude towards the Qur’an, Allah (swt) says: “And those who disbelieve say, ‘Do not listen to this Qur’an and speak noisily during [the recitation of it] that perhaps you will overcome.’ But We will surely cause those who disbelieve to taste a severe punishment, and We will surely recompense them for the worst of what they had been doing” (41:26-27).

2. not seek out its message, as is the case with so many human beings who go all through life not giving any priority to God and hence they do not make any attempt to discover His true revelation.

3. Muslims who do not even listen to the Qur’an. Listening is put before reading because it is easier and doesn’t require any knowledge (of rules of recitation) on the part of the listener. This level of abandonment doesn’t imply that the Qur’an is never recited in the presence of those Muslims, but rather it means that when it is recited, they do not concentrate on listening to it, at the very least, out of respect. Those who have abandoned the Qur’an in this way may even continue their idle conversations during the recitation of the Qur’an, feeling no shame or modesty in front of Allah (swt). They may even joke or laugh aloud while the Qur’an is recited, in complete contradiction to the mood of humility and contemplation that Allah (swt) has ordered us to assume when His words are recited. Allah says: “So when the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy” (Qur’an 7:204).

4. to abandon reading of the Qur’an. Usage of the Qur’an for worldly gain. Imran ibn Husain (ra) narrated that when he came upon a reader who was reciting the Qur’an and then asking for payment, he told the reader that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “When anyone recites the Qur’an, let him ask reward for it from Allah, for (in the future) there will come a people who will recite the Qur’an and ask reward for it from men.”

5. Abandonment of memorization of the Qur’an. This could refer to those who go through life memorizing only a small portion of the Qur’an, or those who memorize the Qur’an but allow themselves to forget it by not reviewing.

6. Abandonment of reflection is the sixth stage. This is mostly due to lack of understanding of the Arabic language. “Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you may understand” (Qur’an 12:2).

Abu Darda’ (Allah be pleased with him) reported that we were in the company of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He (the Holy Prophet) looked towards the sky and mentioned a matter saying: “That will be at the time when knowledge departs.” Ziad b. Labid Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) asked, “How can knowledge part when we recite the Qur’an and teach it to our children and they will teach it to their children up till the Day of Resurrection?” He (the Holy Prophet) replied, “I am astonished at you, Ziad. I thought you were the most learned man in Medina. Do not these Jews and Christians read the Torah and the Injil (Bible) without knowing a thing about their contents?”” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib hadith.

7. The last and most dangerous level is the abandonment of practice. The essence of this type of abandonment is illustrated in the following narration in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “…the Qur’an is either an argument for you or against you.”10 Imam an-Nawawi (rahimahu Allah) states in regard to the meaning of this hadith: “[It means] that you will benefit from it if you recite it and act by it, otherwise it will be an argument against you.” This means that on the Day of Judgement, the Qur’an will be a proof or a testament against those who disobeyed Allah (swt) and did not follow the path He outlined in His Holy Book.

Action plan!
So what should we do know. How do we turn back to the Qur’an?

The goal is to become more attached to the Qur’an and make the Qur’an your companion.

Imam al-Hassan Al Basrisaid:“Son of Adam, how is your heart ever going to be softened by the recitation of The Qur’an when all you read for is to reach the end of the surah?” `Uthmaan ibn `Affan (ra) said: “If our hearts were really clean, we would never become satiated with the words of Allah

Bishr bin as-Sirri said: “Verily, each verse is like a date: the more you chew it, the more of its sweetness is released.” Abu Sulayman heard this and commented: “True. It is the case with one of you that if he begins one chapter of it, he wants to read it to the end.” ['al-Hadith fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an'; p. 70]

Allah says that the Qur’an is a cure. Try to read the Qur’an for at least 15 min a day. When the sun shines on you it gives you vitamins without you knowing it. It is the same with the Qur’an. It will cure and nourish you without you knowing it. Even if you don’t know the exact meaning of what you are reading!

Challenge youself. What do you want to achieve before Ramadan?

We say lots of things and want to achieve so much in our lives. But just saying things will take you nowhere. We have to plan things. By planning we will achieve something. Unless a person has a preset plan to read, learn study, ponder and memorize Qur’an, time will pass him or her by without realizing that one has stayed days weeks or even months without giving any attention to the Qur’an. How many people complete the Qur’an outside of Ramadan?

Stop making excuses!

Excuses, Excuses…

Normally, what makes people procrastinate from reading the Quran daily revolves around the following six excuses:

1. Lack of time: “I don’t have time! I’m too busy!” I’m sure you have 10 minutes!
2. Enough Quran in Salah: “I read Quran in my Salah everyday…” Alhamdulillah, it’s good that you’re reading Quran in your salah every day, but unless you’re Hafidh of Quran, the large majority of what you recite in Salah is the last 5 pages of the Quran. Correct? Exactly, reading the Quran outside the salah allows you to explore the other beautiful and miraculous 595 pages and truly build the Quran into your life. You need time with Quran where you can just sit down to read and reflect on the ayah.
3. Mental blocks: “I like to be in a certain mental/spiritual state to read the Quran – I rarely get those ‘states’ every day” Get into the habit of reading the Quran daily and your ‘special mental state’ will come.
4. Guilt: “I haven’t touched the Quran in ages, I feel so bad, don’t think I can read it now, maybe when I go to Hajj or in Ramadan” This is one of the most famous tricks of Shaytan. Shaytan will whisper to you that you’re too sinful to even come close to the Quran, there’s no point now after so long, and you can only make repentance during Hajj. My simple advice is to fight those whisperings of Shaytan; now that you know those thoughts come from Shaytan, don’t listen under any circumstance. Use that guilt you feel for abandoning the Qur’an to drive you into taking action and making a change. It’s really as simple as picking up the Quran and reading it. Insha’Allah you’ll soon fall in love with the Quran.
5. Inability to read: “I don’t know how to read the Quran” Join a Quran class or find a Quran teacher.
6. Lack of Understanding: “I can read the Quran but I don’t understand it, so for me, there’s no point reading it” Join a Quran class, find a Quran teacher, start learning Arabic, and/or have a translation next to you.

Stop making excuses. I have to go abroad enz.. We are giving rights to others and not giving rights to our own hearts. So much technology now.

1. 1.                      A plan how to read (even if you can read, take tajweed classes)
2. 2.                      A plan to learn its basic meanings
3. 3.                      A plan to memorize it (the key is intention)
4. 4.                      A plan to read it frequently. And target to finish the Quran

Three Practical Tips

So here are the practical tips to get you into the habit of reading the Quran on a daily basis.

1. Set a daily allocated time, not more than 15 minutes, to read the Quran. I say not more than 15 minutes because if you over do it (especially in the first few days), you won’t come back reading the Quran again. It’s a psychological quirk, don’t ask me! Just simply set a daily 15 minutes a day, whether it’s before/after Fajr, or during your commute, or before you sleep.
2. Make it a habit: You know brushing your teeth in the morning is a habit? Good, use that same concept with the Quran. It’s part of your morning routine or evening routine or some form of a habit that you consistently do and you would feel incomplete and unhappy if you have not done it.
3. Sign up to a Quran class: This depends on your level. If you can’t read the Quran, join a class that teaches you how to read. If you can read the Quran, but don’t understand its meanings, start learning Arabic. If you can read the Quran, and can understand it, start memorizing. Whatever it is, make sure you attend a learning circle related to the Quran. Subhan Allah, the Quran is an endless sea of knowledge that one does not tire to explore, so start your journey today.

As Muslims, the phrase “alhamdulillah” اَلحَمْدُ لِله is an integral part of our deen; we are taught to say it from both the Qur’an and Sunnah and most of us have this phrase in our everyday vocabulary, not to mention we read it every day in Suratul Faatihah. ‘Alhamdulillah’ is an amazingly deep word, which would take pages upon pages to explain properly in English (which has been done by the scholars) but the explanation that follows is very brief so that we can convey the core of what this phrase really contains.

Linguistically, Hamd is from ha-meem-daal ( حمد or ح م د) and hamd to mention the good attribute of a person, such an attribute that is the at the level of perfection. Hamd is based on mahabbah (love) and ta’dheem (honor). Hamd is not a ‘fake’ praise, meaning it is not done to please the person or without significance, rather Hamd is always true. Hamd implies admiration, love and magnifying the praise of the mahmood (one who is praised). Hamd can only be done for a living being who has an intellect. Hamd is a sincere and true praise, a praise that the mahmood (one who is praised) deserves. The one doing hamd is doing submission to the one being praised out of humility. Hamd also includes sincere gratitude and mentioning the kamaal (best) traits of someone.

When we say ‘alhamdulillah’, it implies exclusivity and entirety, meaning that praise is entirely and only for Allah. How do we know this? The ‘al’ (ال) before ‘hamd’ is called “istighraaq” in Arabic, and when “al” comes before this phrase its means that the entire praise, all kinds of praise and at all times, is due to Allah. The “li” ( لِ in lillah, meaning, for Allah) implies limitation which is known as “ikhtisaas” in Arabic and it means that Allah is the only One who deserves the hamd.

Now with this concrete definition in mind, what does ‘Alhamdulillah’ really mean? A more suitable definition would be: The perfect, most beautiful praise is only for Allah. We say ‘alhamdulillah’ out of love, honor, with humility, complete submission and sincere gratitude to Allah azza wa jal. In the Qur’an we learn that ‘alhamdulillah’ will be the last call of the believers in Jannah, Allah tells us:

وَآخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“and the last of their call will be Alhamdulillah, Rabb of all that exists!” (Surah Yunus, verse 10)

‘Alhamdulillah’ appears 38 times in the Qur’an. (Trivia for the readers: mention in the comments how many surahs begin with ‘alhamdulillah’ and which surahs they are!)

When a surah begins with hamd, it implies three interpretations:

• Firstly, to tell and to make it known that: alhamdulillah. As if to announce it.

• Secondly, it teaches us that when we open something, we begin with hamd. (like a khutbah)

• Thirdly, it teaches us how to praise Allah (by saying alhamdulillah) and we also learn that we must praise Him.

A Name of Allah that coincides with Hamd is Al-Hameed. Allah ta’ala is Al-Hameed, The Most Praiseworthy. How is Al-Hameed different from mahmood (one who is praised)? Mahmood is one who is praised only when they are praised by someone. Hameed is One who is ALWAYS deserving of praise, NO MATTER if He is praised or not. So Allah ta’ala is THE Most Praiseworthy, if we do hamd of Him or not.

Alhamdulillah.

Such a short phrase, such a deep meaning.