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ProductiveMuslim Manifesto PDF
ProductiveMuslim Manifesto PDF
ProductiveMuslim Manifesto PDF
MANIFESTO
Is this manifesto
right for me?
productivemuslim.com | p. 2
The world can change. It starts with you.
Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people
until they change what is in themselves.
[Quran: Chapter 13, Verse 11]
Assalamualaikum brothers and sisters. choose to take active steps, water that seed in your %
& "
heart, and become productive participants in rebuilding ProductiveMuslim, and how it is a starting point to
You are here because you have a seed in your heart this Ummah; person by person. rebuilding a Productive Ummah.
waiting to sprout.
I know just by reading this report that you want to Practical Holistic Productivity Tips
Within that seed there is a great potential and with become a productive participant in rebuilding this $
"
%
Ummah, ma sha Allah!
potential so that you can help the Ummah, take part in
#
"'
restoring truth and dignity in society, and uphold Islam I also know that you, like millions of other Muslims who are small and easy, but do not underestimate its
for the sake of Allah Subhanahu wa Taaala. share the same sincere intention, just dont know where power! Just by following these steps, it will create
to start. After all, you can barely manage your day-to- an essential change that propels you towards
You are excited to plant this seed where you can be of day responsibilities, so how are you possibly going to a productive holistic lifestyle, which in turn can
tackle the Ummahs problems? grow to become a foundational piece to rebuilding
and doubt. It almost feels like the precious seed inside the Ummah, in sha Allah.
of you does not have the nourishing support it needs In sha Allah, the next few pages will be aimed at
to thrive. giving you the starting platform you need to become a If youre excited to begin this change and are ready
ProductiveMuslim. to put behind you the days of heedlessness and
Just by looking around, you see many challenges that go wastefulness, then youre ready to join us and millions
against the Muslim way of life. Our Ummah has plunged
"
of other brothers and sisters in the ProductiveMuslim
into a painful plight from poverty, war, terrorism and that every Muslim needs to develop within themselves movement.
Islamophobia, to Muslims themselves who have gone
that rebuilds this Ummah, in sha Allah. Welcome. May Allah accept your deeds and make your
society that tends to be distanced from what pleases path easy.
Allah Subhanahu wa Taaala. Heres what you can expect in this manifesto:
Sincerely,
y,
SubhanAllah. Things seem bleak. But YOU have a choice. The 10 Essential Qualities
"
#
You can choose to simply accept the situation and a truly productive lifestyle for the sake of Allah
become a passive observer watching from the sidelines Subhanahu wa Taaala spiritually, physically, and Mohammed Faris, a.k.a. Abu Productive
as the Ummah plunges further into chaos; or you can
$
productivemuslim.com | p. 3
Is this manifesto right for me? 02
The world can change. It starts with you. 03
Essential Quality #1 05 Pursue everything in life with an active intention
Table of Contents
credit to ProductiveMuslim and you dont use this material for commercial purposes.
Read more about the license here: *++ #
+
+&
+/+
pursue
EVERYTHING
essential
Quality #1 with an
in life
ACTIVE
intention
If you were to review your life
today, will you describe it
as an Intentional Life or a So what is an intentional life
Spontaneous Life? and how do you achieve it?
Knowing the distinction between a life of intention and a We tend to think of intention as the thought we have before we perform an act of
worship or embark on a good deed or project. Yet, this is just the basic form of using
0
1# 2
"
3
intentions.
reapply the concept of Intention more powerfully to your daily life.
An intentional life goes beyond the basic form of intention, and leverages its true
What do I mean by an intentional life? Let me explain with an example. power to achieve excellence and high levels of productivity.
Imagine two friends Ahmed and Omar who both started college around the same How do you leverage the true power of intentions?
time. Ahmed was leading an intentional life. He planned and focused his time and
4
4
35 6 =
3
4
3
and dunya (this world).
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3 *
Ahmed focused on his daily prayers, got involved in dawah activities, focused on his
$
$
3
Whats my intention now?
exactly what and why hes doing something. Even his rest, fun and social times are How am I serving Allah Subhanahu wa Taaala by doing this act?
intentional. As a result he builds healthy and loving relationships with family, friends, Why do I want this/Why should I do this?
and the community.
How can I have a higher/better intention to boost my productivity?
7
7
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his classes and does his homework, hes not too bothered to give it full focus. Its just
something that he has to do and he does the bare minimum he needs to get by.
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$
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Unproductive ;) !
the right job, but beyond that, he wont push himself too hard. He doesnt really
bother taking care of his health either. His focus on his spiritual life is much the Now that youre on this journey, I want you to reach your full potential and be more
productivemuslim.com | p. 6
Practical tips to get started:
pursue
EV
EVERYTHING
EVE
VERYTRY
Y HIHING
NG
with an
in life
l
lif
fee
Write your intentions
ACTIVE
A CTIVE >
8
Surat Al-Mulk this month, as well as general intentions like, I
intend to choose positivity over being negative.
iintention
nten
te
e tio
ion
Review your intentions
Every week, go through your intentions and review them and see
how youre applying them in your daily life, and if youre happy with
them or need to revise them and update them.
productivemuslim.com | p. 7
SPIRITUAL
seek
essential
Quality #2 connectivity
BARAKAH
& i n eve
every
y
moment
What is barakah and why is it
important?
Have you ever had the sudden Barakah is the secret sauce of the
realisation that youre not as strong, ProductiveMuslim!
smart, special, or amazing as you think
you are? You can achieve so much more with barakah than
without it.
I dont mean disrespect, but we all go through these
realisations. It can come to us during times of trial and In scholarly terms, barakah is the divine attachment to
calamity, or it can dawn upon us during moments of
.
For example, if theres barakah in your time, you can do
These moments are humbling. Yet they can also be more in an hour without feeling exhausted. If theres
disempowering. barakah in your sleep, you can sleep for just a few
hours but feel refreshed and energetic when you wake
Thats why, whenever such thoughts cross your mind, I up. If theres barakah in your money, you can do more
want you to link it with another thought: Yes, I may not with your money.
be as strong, smart, special but with Allah, Im more
powerful than I can imagine! It really is the secret to a Muslims productivity and its
a blessing available only to you a Muslim who believes
Being consciously aware of Allahs presence and in Allah and His Messenger sallAllahu alayhi wasallam.
attributes in your life, and seeing the Power, Beauty,
and Majesty of Allah all around you can truly help you So...will you tap into this abundant source?
lead a productive lifestyle.
productivemuslim.com | p. 9
Practical tips to get started:
Learn
Read our article V =
Barakah - to learn about how to
increase barakah in your life.
SPIRITUAL
seek
connectivity
c onnecti ity
BARAKAH
Practice
Attempt to tap into at least THREE sources of barakah every
single day and make them part of your daily habit. & i n eve
every
ev
ve y
ve
moment
m
moome
ment
e t
g e s o yo u r w h
r frid ole
y ou fa
m
n
co
ily
phi
can
Remind
the infogra
b e n e f i t f ro m t h e
rem
TI
nd
i
O er!
PR
productivemuslim.com | p. 10
your
essential
Quality #3 HEART
WITH
abundant
POSITIVITY
Imagine a ZERO negativity life.
No complaints. No blaming. No excuses.
How will you feel? I bet youll feel super positive! Are you choosing a life of abundant positivity?
This is exactly how Allah wants you to lead your life no matter what the Be honest. How much negativity truly seeps into your life?
circumstances. He brought us Islam, which is an extremely POSITIVE religion and
way of life. It doesnt dwell in sadness, depression, or negativity. It provides guidance Maybe you are constantly complaining about yourself, your family, your neighbours,
to rise above adversity to become stronger and happier. your community, and the Ummah2
dont go a certain way and how everything is somehow messed up.
Just reading the verses of the Quran and the biography of the Prophet Muhammad
sallAllahu alayhi wasallam
#
%
#
Regardless of how small that morsel of negative thought is, it will have a big impact
productive life! on your behaviour, productivity, results, and life.
An example from the life of Prophet # $ %&
Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wasallam is
when he was digging the trench in the $ 1# 2
%
# $ 1# 2
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the Quran and the seerah of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wasallam, and so
were marching towards his city. He was giving he or she recognises the seed of a negative thought and chooses to replace it with
glad tidings to his companions that theyll be abundant positivity.
victorious in Yemen, Syria and Persia. This is such
a powerful example of positivity from a man in the When you adopt the abundant positivity of a ProductiveMuslim, you will pursue a
midst of being attacked! limitless life; seeking ways to become a positive force on Earth as Allahs khalifah
\
productivemuslim.com | p. 12
Practical tips to get started:
yo
your
you
HEART PRO TIP: Remember,
_
is always easier when
ask
yourself, Can I do something about it? If the answer is no,
WITH
TH
H you seek spiritual
connectivity and
then accept it with patience and dont complain. If the answer
abundant
ab
bund
unda
ant
nt barakah, because with
Allah, you are stronger
than you can imagine!
is yes, pick yourself up, dont complain, and do what you need
to do make the change happen.
productivemuslim.com | p. 13
PLAN your
day,
y
essential
Quality #4 week,
month,,
life
!
in detail
One of the powers of the human imagination is his/her Its precisely this planning that leads you to experience spontaneity; because if you
ability to plan; to imagine what steps he/she can do in the didnt plan, youll simply be sitting back, watching TV, stumbling through life, and
#
#
0
dunya and akhirah.
future in order to achieve higher goals.
Another argument I often hear is, What about people around me?! I cant plan for
This power is immensely useful and when used correctly can be the key to ones
them too! Ill be a control freak!
success in dunya and akhirah.
Here I argue that planning is not the same as controlling. Planning means you have
As a ProductiveMuslim, you need to be on top of your planning and self-organisation.
in mind what needs to be done by when. Of course you should discuss the relevant
Your days, weeks, months, and years should be thought through and planned in
plans with your family, co-workers, boss, and community and not force your ideas
detail.
upon those around you. But nevertheless, its no excuse for not planning.
You plan whilst admitting that everything is in Allahs command and nothing would
0
#
%
happen without His permission. Yet instead of just sitting back and letting life plan
or what the plans are for the day, week, and months ahead, because they know that
for you, you actively plan for yourself.
youre a good planner.
One might argue, Wheres the spontaneity? I like to see where life takes me and I
dont want to be rigid in my life.
This is the point; planning doesnt mean you lead a rigid life.
productivemuslim.com | p. 15
What should I plan for?
Daily
Planning
This is where TIME TO SPEND: `&q
the new week and decide what youd like to achieve. Have clear
projects in mind that youd like to tackle in the coming week and
FOR EXAMPLE: Someone might identify M.I.T.s that will move you forward in your projects.
plan to memorise the Quran
# `
\
plans for it, signs up at a Quran Monthly Planning
school, and does his best to
" _
\
*
memorise. But halfway through, Major events happening in the next Habits or routines you want to
he passes away. Those who are month (e.g. travel, big projects) & achieve in the next month
anti-life planning would say:
'
"
#
:&;&<( ( $
:&;&<( ( $
was going to die and never achieve his goal.
\ 0
3 *
#
%
life can become if you plan for it.
productivemuslim.com | p. 16
Planning is a powerful tool of the human imagination that
cannot be underestimated. Start planning today.
Practical tips to get started:
The Daily Taskinator to help you plan your days and ensure
that you dont miss an important task in the four spheres
of your life (Islam, Family, Work, Personal)
PLAN your
The Weekly Taskinator to help you plan your week and
know what big project youll work on each day of the week.
day,
day,
y
The Monthly Habitator to help you start good habits and
#
q
wee
week,
ek
month,
mont th,,
The Ultimate ProductiveMuslim Goal Planner to help
you plan your life and link your goals to the akhirah.
life
li
i e
Review your plans daily, weekly, monthly, annually, and stay
%
in detail !
Follow through your plans and dont just let them sit there
and collect dust.
productivemuslim.com | p. 17
rise
EARLY
essential
Quality #5 &
seize
the
BARAKAH
Which of these two mornings
sound better?
Morning A Morning B
3 V 3 /q
missed Fajr. You and/
miss Tahajjud
jj and then read a good book
or yyour kids are late e for or plan
p your day while waiting '
4
work/school. You for the
t Fajr prayer. After praying an unsuccessful person.
skip breakfast,
ast, Fajr,
Fajrr you recite the morning
forget exercise,
se, supplications,
sup read the Quran, Theres something powerful in early rising and making the most of the early
and get stuck in exercise
ex and shower. Then you hours before the day starts.
the worst rush hour
th ur enjoy
en a relaxed breakfast with
_|
_ your
you spouse and children before Perhaps the secret is in the hadith of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi
work, your e-mail is
work 4
wasallam, which says The early hours are blessed for my nation.
_
@
boss wants your
bos morning
mor commute. You reach work Its barakah$ &
weekly report in
we early,
ear plan your work day, and
|
3
Barakah is the secret sauce of a ProductiveMuslim that I mentioned earlier.
before
b checking your e-mail and Early rising is a huge source of barakah.
meeting people.
productivemuslim.com | p. 19
If you want to become a ProductiveMuslim, I highly recommend that you join this early morning
club. It is an exclusive club for those who want to be successful and never want to be rushed in the
mornings again.
Do you think its not practical? Do you believe its impossible for you to join this club, and still be
active and productive for the rest of the day?
Allow me to invite you to join my course, The ProductiveMuslim Guide to NEVER MISS FAJR Again.
Its available at ProductiveMuslim Academy, and youll learn practical tips to join the early rising club
and plan a powerful and productive morning routine.
productivemuslim.com | p. 20
Practical tips to get started:
EARLY
EA RLY
Y
&
seize
sse
eizze
e
Read the following three articles articles on waking
up for Fajr, which are extremely practical and apply to all time
zones:
th
the ;!(Fajr
BARAKAH
C#( JK(Fajr
How I Consistently Wake Up (By Allahs Permission)
VX =Fajr Adhan
productivemuslim.com | p. 21
essential
e
es e
Quality
Qualit
Qu alil y #6 AIM
IM
M ffor
physical
vitality
iit lit
I hate it when I feel sluggish, inactive, and basically a Taking care of your machine
couch potato. And I love it when I feel lively, physically
active, strong and healthy. Z(
Over the years, Ive learnt that those positive/negative optimum level.
conditions dont come by themselves. They are directly
related to my eating habits and activity levels. There The better we maintain them by fuelling them with the
are no easy answers. right energies and exercise, the better they function to
give us amazing results.
Im not going to give you a lecture about the importance
of skipping the greasy burgers, crispy fried samosas, or Have you noticed how top successful CEOs are
sugar-loaded soda. Nor will I give you a sermon on the normally in such good shape? Do you think thats just
virtues of exercise and living an active life. a coincidence?
But if youre seriously committed to becoming a These CEOs know that in order to function at an
ProductiveMuslim, youll need all the help you can get optimal performance, manage billions of dollars, and
from your body. 3
productivemuslim.com | p. 23
Practical tips to get started:
Keep a food diary of what you eat each day and think
carefully about the impact this food has on your physical vitality.
AIM
AIM
M ffor
physical
physi
h ica
Make small changes to your diet/exercise level each week
as advised above.
vitality
i it
it
productivemuslim.com | p. 24
L ISTI
O
essential
e
es e
#7
C
Quality
Qualit
Qu alil y
H
learning
for a
OL
C
IS T I
revelation to Prophet Muhammad
sallAllahu alayhi wasallam.
C`
#
" D
#
3
Iqra is not simply about going to school and getting degrees and PhDs. Its
The last scriptures - the Torah and Bible - have lost their authenticity and mankind $"
6 $
plunged into darkness. [($ ! $
and knowledge.
Then Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wasallam is born, and the anticipation
of the new Prophet is increasing through signs that appear to learned people in the A friend of mine once told me, If you face any challenge in your life, I assure
Arabian lands. When he sallAllahu alayhi wasallam
/
you, someone, somewhere wrote a book about it. This was an eye-opening
revelation descends in cave Hiraa, in the Mountain of Light. understanding for me. You dont have to face challenges alone. You dont have to be
stuck or feel youre not sure what to do. Theres a book
$ `
3
$ out there waiting for you to read it and learn
Subhanahu wa Taaala #
> \
from it that can help you move forward
You know it. It is iqra (read). in your life. And isnt this what life
is all about? Learning and moving
Iqra read! forward and not getting stuck.
We could write pages about the beauty and power of this choice of word. Each night, before you sleep,
ask yourself: What did I learn
First, lets not confuse iqra (read) with simply reading, which is the act of today? (whether from a
"
8
9 book, or a person, or any
other medium). Dont sleep
It encompasses reading the signs of our Lord in His heavens and Earth; reading and when you havent obeyed
\
<
your Lord when He said to
understanding mankind and how to live in a better society. you, Iqra.
productivemuslim.com | p. 26
Practical tips to get started:
0
_
5
#
relationships, how to parent, etc.). If you want halal entertainment, then
L ISTI
3
#
O values.
C
H
ear ng
a ning
llearning
forr a
3
books from Audible.com. Listen to your mentors, teachers, wise men/
women who have a lot of knowledge and experience to share with you.
them.
OL
H
ISTI Think and take note. Dont be a passive learner who simply
reads or listens to whatever comes your way without processing that
information. Think about what youre reading or listening. Think about
how it applies to your daily life, how you can take action with it, and how
you can share it with others. Take note of these important key learnings
and record them in your journal for future reference.
productivemuslim.com | p. 27
essential
e
es e
Quality
Qualit
Qu alil y #8
What comes to mind when you Productivity for the dunya
think of a productive person? and akhirah:
Do you think of a super busy person who barely has time to have fun or sit with his/ $
"
3
*
# $
her family and is always on the run?
Even during rest or play, we can be productive for Allah as long as we are busy with
> 0 0
1# 2
the remembrance of Allah. Spending time with our parents, spouse, and children are
productive. all forms of ibadah when we remember that maintaining good ties with our family is
for the sake of Allah. Even sleep is a form of ibadah when we have the intention of
Being productive doesnt mean all work and no play. Being productive resting for the sake of Allah, so that we may be refreshed to serve Him at our best
! $;\<( ;\<! the next day.
be serious and to keep both in a healthy balance.
Heres a hadith to contemplate upon.
The Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wasallam had a lot to do (he was a Prophet,
an Imam, a father, a husband, and a leader of his people). Yet in his biography we see
numerous examples of him taking time to have fun and enjoy himself. Hed race A companion once came to Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wasallam
" and said, Z $ (
his family. It wasnt always about work, work, work, even though he was THE most ]
^ $
productive man that ever lived! "= $
$ $
Similarly, we should interject our productive lifestyle with moments of pure halal " The Prophet sallAllahu alayhi wasallam replied, By Him in
entertainment and recreation. This could mean having a picnic at the park, going ;
out on a date night with your spouse, taking your kids to the theme park, or simply ( _`
#
"
3
the angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your roads;
reading a good book. z _ {`
time should be devoted (to prayer). He (the Prophet sallAllahu alayhi
And before you think that these moments of wasallam) said this thrice [Muslim].
play are a waste of energy and time; studies
have shown that taking regular breaks
improves productivity and creativity and Moments of entertainment and recreation should be stations for you to rejuvenate,
allows your brain to see new connections refresh, and recharge before plunging back into our spiritual or occupational tasks.
that it wasnt seeing before when it was
too focused on getting things done.
productivemuslim.com | p. 29
Practical tips to get started:
(P.S. This is where early rising comes in handy, the kids are asleep!)
time
tim
TAK
TAKE
A KE
K to
productivemuslim.com | p. 30
essential
Quality #9 always
y
BE OF
SERVICE
When you think of the word service, you might think Our service is our ibadah
of being served at the restaurant, your housekeeper
cleaning your house, or some form of customer service Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) was
with a company. performing itikaaf in the masjid of the Prophet
Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi wasallam when a man
However, rarely do we think of service as an act that
"
we owe those around us. something. Ibn Abbas left the itikaaf to serve the
man. When he was asked, How come you leave your
How many of us think of serving our families, or itikaaf? he replied, For me to go out and serve my
serving our neighbours, or serving the community, brother is better than to perform itikaaf one month
or serving humanity and the Ummah at large? in the masjid of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu alayhi
wasallam.
about our needs and wants and more caring So...whom will you serve today?
and compassionate to the needs and
wants of others.
productivemuslim.com | p. 32
Practical tips to get started:
always
a lwa
way
ays
ys
as removing the garbage can for them on the weekly garbage
collecting days.
BE
EOOF
Be biased towards saying YES when someone
SERVICE asks you for help or advice. Try not to say NO unless
youre absolutely busy or swamped and need some time to
yourself to get something done. And if you say No, explain why
so that they dont feel discouraged coming back to you and asking
you for help in future.
productivemuslim.com | p. 33
#10 HAVE
&
essential
e
es e
Quality
Qualit
Qu alil y commitment
discipline
Weve shared a lot of advice and practical tips with you here and perhaps by now youre concerned
about how well youll implement them and be consistent with them.
My advice for you is to take baby steps with commitment and discipline.
'3
"
1# 2
focus on each one of them for one week at a time.
I know this might sound hard, and perhaps you have tried before and failed
0
"
#
3
sedentary life.
$
0 1# 2
#
3
4
its a process.
productivemuslim.com | p. 35
Practical tips to get started:
HAVE
Sign up to our ProductiveMuslim Academy if
you want to take your productivity up a notch and be ready to
commitment
co mmi me
e t
discipline
disc pline
&
constantly learn how to lead a productive lifestyle.
productivemuslim.com | p. 36
The Ummah is waiting for you. References & Resources
productivemuslim.com | p. 37
About ProductiveMuslim About the Author
productivemuslim.com | p. 38
Acknowledgements
Follow us at:
Facebook
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the ProductiveMuslim
following ProductiveMuslim volunteers for their wonderful support in the ProductiveMuslimah
production of this manifesto:
ProductiveMuslim
team who are Grazie
Tha
nk
you You can also contact us any time via our website at ProductiveMuslim.com
tirelessly working
to help the Ummah
7HHNNU
become productive. rci HGHULP
Me
JazakumAllah khair.
Danke
Gr
Sincerely, Terima
acia
s
kasih
Your brother,
Mohammed Faris
Contact us
1 2 3
essential
10 qualities
pursue
SPIRITUAL
your
seek
EVERYTHING connectivity HEART
EVERY in life BARAKAH WITH
MUSLIM with an
ACTIVE & i n eve
every
y
moment
abundant
POSITIVITY
NEEDS
TO
intention
rebuild
A PLAN your
4
rise
5 6
EARLY
PRODUCTIVE
UMMAH
day,
y
week,
month,,
&
seize
AIM
IM
M ffor
physical
vitality
i
life the
by in detail ! BARAKAH
7 8 9 10
ISTI time
OL TAKE to always
y HAVE
&
C
H
commitment
learning have
!
BE OF
for a SERVICE discipline
OL
H
ISTI