Elevate Your Day: Three Habits for a Productive Muslim Morning Routine

It’s no secret that successful people tend to share one thing - a productive and early morning routine. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, "O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings". While the internet is flooded with routine inspiration, these can seem busy and unattainable when we start off, so IHSAN Careers has simplified it down. The following are 3 simple habits easy to implement, to start your morning with Ihsan and obtain barakah and success in your day.

1. Making and renewing intentions

Often we regret that all our time at work is stopping us from doing other acts of worship and gaining reward. We can forget that Islam encourages us to work, to earn a livelihood and to deliver our work with ihsan. The Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet PBUH of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor." What we tend to neglect is our intentions.

At the beginning of each workday clarify your intentions; intend to:

• please Allah - for example by only gaining a halal income, by carrying out your work well, honestly and in a halal manner, and by bringing benefit to society through your work

• be rewarded in the hereafter - for example, being honest in your dealings in order to be rewarded in the next life, rather than rewarded in this one; as you intend for the hereafter, let Allah take care of your dunya

And say bismillahir rahmaanir rahim (in the name of Allah, the most Compassionate, the most Merciful) as you start your day.

Carry this out throughout your day to renew your intentions.

2. Salat-Al Duha

The Duha prayer is a sunnah prayer you can pray from after the sun has risen and before the sun is at its peak (typically 15-20 minutes before duhr time). Typically for many of us this is a time before we start work. This is an opportunity to gain incredible goodness-

“In the morning every single joint of yours must pay a sadaqah (charity). Every SubhanAllah is a sadaqah, every Alhamdulillah is a sadaqah, every La Ilaha Illa Allah is a sadaqah, every Allahu Akbar is a sadaqah, every commanding good is a sadaqah, and every forbidding evil is a sadaqah, and all this is accomplished through two rak’ats one can pray in Duha.” [Muslim]

Take just a few minutes out of your morning to pray two- or four- rakats for incredible benefit, and make it a daily habit to start your day off in the best way.

3. Making dhikr

‘Remember Allah often that you may succeed’ Quran 62:10

An often neglected but vitally beneficial habit is to make dhikr - and it is perfect as we can make this in any state (with or without wudhu) while lying down, cleaning, working, etc so long as we do so with focus and intention.

Read your morning adhkar, and make dhikr wherever you can - below are a few to start off.

أَصْبَحْتُ أُثْنِيْ عَلَيْكَ حَمْدًا ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَّا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ

Aṣbaḥtu uthnī ʿalayka ḥamdā, wa ash-hadu al-lā ilāha illāl- Allāh

I have entered the morning praising You, and I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship but Allah.

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سُبْحـانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْـدِهِ عَدَدَ خَلْـقِه ، وَرِضـا نَفْسِـه ، وَزِنَـةَ عَـرْشِـه ، وَمِـدادَ كَلِمـاتِـه

Subhaanallaahi wa bihamdihi: ‘Adada khalqihi wa ridhaa nafsihi, wa zinata ‘arshihi wa midaada kalimaatihi.

Glory is to Allaah and praise is to Him, by the multitude of his creation, by His Pleasure, by the weight of His Throne, and by the extent of His Words

(Recite 3 times in Arabic)

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حَسْبِيَ اللّٰهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ، عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ، وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ

Ḥasbiya-Allāhu lā ilāha illā Huwa, ʿalayhi tawakkaltu, wa Huwa Rabbu-l-ʿArshi-l-ʿaẓīm.

Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god worthy of worship except Him. I have placed my trust in Him only and He is the Lord of the Magnificent Throne.

(Read 7 times in Arabic)

Conclusion: Creating an Effective Morning Routine

Mornings are a blessed time of day and the best work is often done in the early hours. The best deeds are also those that are consistent. Take advantage of the three easy habits everyday, as we build up steps to curating an effective and productive day.

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