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rushing in the sun takes its toll very quickly – but if you plan, it works well. This has a nice effect in that it can really boost your productivity, as it encourages the kind of daily review rituals that I talk about in my book. I found myself becoming more conscious of the importance of this – and even doing my daily review before I slept, knowing that as I was digesting food, it was a useful and peaceful time to set myself up for the day that lay ahead when I woke up again”. 3. Eat that frog: “The proactive attention needed to crack the most difficult work we do is often in shorter supply when fasting. So make sure you start your day by doing what Brian Tracy called ‘eating that frog’ (doing the hardest thing first.) This is something that’s good to do every day of the year, as it makes the rest of your day easier and reduces anxiety, but Ramadan has certainly helped me back into the zone with that one”. 4. Be vulnerable: “You’ll feel irritable and grumpy and confused sometimes. Certainly our Western approach to such things is to deny this reality and, well, just leave people feeling that you’re irritated or confused by them! On the occasions this happened to me this week, I just ‘named’ it. ‘Oh sorry, I’ve lost my train of thought. It’s the fasting.’ Or ‘Sorry I snapped, I was thinking about muffins.’ Learning to be vulnerable is the only way of inviting care and empathy into that situation. Pride goes out the window, and it’s freeing that way”. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

CHAPTER NINE Productivity after Death I am writing this chapter after attending a funeral of a young man who passed away from a sudden illness. His death made me question and ponder on what the meaning of life is if we are all going to die eventually? What’s the point of being productive, amassing wealth, and going through all that we go through in life if it’ll all end soon and without warning? I found my answer in the Quran when Allah says: “Exalted is He who holds all control in His hands; who has power over all things; who created death and life to test you [people] and reveal which of you does best - He is the Mighty, the Forgiving”. (67:1-2) Life and death were created to be a test for us. To see how we make the most of our life, and what we do in trials. More importantly, I realised that if it weren’t for death, there would no meaning to life and, because we’re going to die, we need to ensure that our life leaves a meaningful trace. If all we are going to do is go through the motions of life: eat, sleep, get married, have children, work, retire and then die...then it’s true, life doesn’t mean anything. But if we strive to make our life full of meaning and fulfil our purpose, then it all makes sense. I mentioned at the beginning of this book that the definition of Productivity is Focus x Energy x Time, towards maximising reward in the Hereafter. This definition pushes us to ensure that our actions and productivity are geared towards making the most of this life. This brings me to the core message of this chapter: “How can I be productive after I die?” Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “When a person dies, all his deeds cease except for: a righteous child who prays for him, an ongoing charity, useful knowledge that he leaves behind”. Therefore, if you want to continue earning good deeds and maximising your reward in the Hereafter after you die, then you need to invest in these three categories: 1. Invest in your children: Teach them righteousness, good manners, and to lead meaningful, productive lives. Teach them about spiritual, physical and social productivity. Let them realise that they are your main investment and you’d do anything to help them succeed in this life and the Hereafter. 2. Invest in an ongoing charity: Pick a project that will continue to exist after you die, e.g. building a mosque, a school or an orphanage. If that’s too big a project, consider building a well. If that’s too much, try to partner with friends and family and raise funds for one worthy charitable cause that will exist after you die. Create a portfolio of such charities so they continue earning you rewards even when you’re in your grave. 3. Invest in yourself: Learn beneficial knowledge that you can teach and share with others. Start a blog that will outlive you. Write a book. Record beneficial YouTube videos and share online. Leave a legacy behind so that when you die, your words are alive. Through this, you can earn rewards whilst you’re in the earth. I started this project, ProductiveMuslim, as a dream to help me serve the ummah in my capacity as an individual. The journey that this project took me on was beyond my wildest imagination and I truly believe this is just the beginning. But if halfway through this journey I should die, then I pray that whatever book, seminar, blog post, or video I’ve written or delivered becomes a beneficial knowledge that will help me in my grave. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

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AFTERWORD Towards the end of writing this book, I had a beautiful discussion with one of my mentors. I was telling him what I want to achieve in life, my dreams and aspirations as well as all the challenges. He smiled quietly while he listened, and then he told me this story: When he turned 50 years old, he was home alone (all his family members were abroad) and he started reflecting on his life. He remembered how 20 to 30 years prior, he had big dreams and wanted to change the world. Yet at 50 years old, although he was successful, he felt that he fell short from his big dreams. In that moment of negativity, he got into his car and drove to the Prophet’s mosque in Medina. He parked his car beneath the mosque and went to do ziyarah (visit the Prophet Muhammad’s (s) grave). He prayed in the rawdah area and sat in the masjid contemplating on his seemingly “failed” life. His sheikh called him, and happened to be in Medina as well, so they met in the mosque and he started telling his sheikh what was on his mind. The sheikh reminded him of a story: A poor man once passed by the house of Abdullah Ibn Umar (the son of Umar bin al-Khattab) and Abdullah told his son, “Give him one dinar”. The son replied “May Allah accept it from you!” The father said: “If I knew Allah accepted one sajdah or one sadaqah from me, I would not have missed death more! Didn’t you know who Allah accepts from? “God only accepts the sacrifice of those who are mindful of Him”. [5:27] The sheikh continued, “You see, it doesn’t matter what you do or achieve in life. What matters more is if Allah accepts it or not”. My mentor was rejuvenated, thanked the sheikh and they departed. So he told me, “I know you have aspirations and want to achieve in life, and that’s good and you should continue working hard and doing your best. However, sometimes life won’t treat you the way you want it to treat you, or go according to your plan. You should accept Allah’s decree and be fruitful and productive where you are. And what’s more important than being productive and achieving big dreams and aspirations is Allah accepting your achievements and putting it on your scales on the Day of Judgement”. This is something to ponder as we work tirelessly to lead productive lives. It’s not our hard work and achievements that matter, but our sincerity and whether Allah accepts it from us. This is not a call to relax, it’s actually a call to work even harder, in hope that perhaps one productive deed you do is accepted by Allah and makes all your productivity worthwhile. Finally, I pray that this book benefitted you in some way, and I kindly ask that if you learnt something useful from it, then don’t let the knowledge stop here: apply it to your life, and share it with your family and friends. Let us live truly productive lives inshaAllah! ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

ENDNOTES 1. Tabaka, Marla. “Increasing Productivity with Gratitude”. Inc.com. Inc.com, 22 Sept. 2009. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.inc.com/marla- tabaka/2009/09/increasing_productivity_with_g.html>. 2. “Connect with Others”. Mental Health America. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.liveyourlifewell.org/go/live-your-life-well/others>. 3. Konrath, Sara, Sara Konrath Ph.D. “The Caring Cure: Can Helping Others Help Yourself?” Psychology Today. 29 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-empathy-gap/201308/the-caring-cure-can-helping-oters-help-yourself> 4. Ayad, Amira, and Jamila Hakam. Healing Body & Soul: Your Guide to Holistic Wellbeing following Islamic Teachings. Riyadh: International Islamic House, 2008. 443-44. Print. 5. Walker, Mindy Berry. “Which Sleep Position Is Healthiest?” CNN. Cable News Network, 19 Apr. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/19/healthiest.sleep.position/>. 6. Pikul, Corrie. “7 Scientifically Proven Ways To Have A Happier Morning”. Huffington Post. 7 Mar. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/07/happier-morning_n_4892107>. 7. “The Miswak”. This Is a Toothbrush. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.thisisatoothbrush.com/miswak/#miswak1>. 8. Ghilan, Mohamed. “How the Quran Shapes the Brain”. Web. 12 Jan 2012. <http://mohamedghilan.com/2012/01/12/how-the-quran-shapes-the- brain/> 9. Ghilan, Mohamed. “How the Quran Shapes the Brain”. Web. 12 Jan 2012. <http://mohamedghilan.com/2012/01/12/how-the-quran-shapes-the- brain/> 10. Beekun, Rafik. “Before Any Major Decision, Pray Salat-ul-Istikhara”. The Islamic Workplace. 25 Dec. 2006. Web. 8 Jan. 2016. <http://islamicpostonline.com/article/brain_research_quranic_memorization_key_muslim_scientific_discoveries-545>. 11. Bin ‘Ayyash, Abu Bakr. “Great Muslim Quotes » Time Management”. Great Muslim Quotes » Time Management. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://greatmuslimquotes.com/category/time-management/feed/>. 12. Weil, Andrew, M.D. “The Power of Sleep”. Time Inc Specials. The Science of Sleep July 2015. The 9 New Sleep Rules, Sarah Begley, Time Inc Specials, The Science of Sleep, July 2017 13. Reynolds, Gretchen. “How Exercise Can Help Us Sleep Better”. Well How Exercise Can Help Us Sleep Better Comments. N.p., 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/how-exercise-can-help-us-sleep-better/?_r=0> 14. Begley, Sarah. “The 9 New Sleep Rules”. Time Inc Specials. The Science of Sleep. July 2015. 15. McLaughlin, August. “The Effects of Eating Late at Night”. LIVESTRONG.COM, 04 Feb. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/320492-the-effects-of-eating-late-at-night/#ixzz2ijb2iV4P>. 16. Sutherland, Stephani. “Bright Screens Could Delay Bedtime”. Scientific American. 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bright-screens-could-delay-bedtime> 17. Sutherland, Stephani. “Bright Screens Could Delay Bedtime”. Scientific American. 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bright-screens-could-delay-bedtime> 18. “Napping”. Benefits & Tips. The National Sleep Foundation. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/napping>. 19. “Islam & Health”. Muslim Health Network. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.muslimhealthnetwork.org/islamandhealth.shtml>. 20. Heber, David, M.D. UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. UCLA Health. Web. <http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm? id=502andaction=detailandref=134> 21. Khawand, Pierre. “Eat Well to Work Well”. Less Is More Blog. 09 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.people- onthego.com/blog/bid/70529/Eat-well-to-work-well-Good-nutrition-and-productivity-go-hand-in-hand-an-interview-with-Deanna-Moncrief>. 22. Melnick, Meredith. “Michael Mosley: ‘The Fast Diet’ Author On Self-Experimentation, Fasting And Coming To America”. The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/michael-mosley-the-fast-diet- intermittent-fasting-uk-pbs_n_2977893.html>. 23. Myriam. “How to Keep Your Energy Levels High All Day”. ProductiveMuslimcom. 06 Mar. 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://productivemuslim.com/fitness-series-nutrition-hacks-to-keep-energy-levels-high-all-day/>. 24. Runyon, Chuck, Brian Zehetner, and Rebecca A. DeRossett. Working out Sucks!: (and Why It Doesn’t Have To). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Life Long, 2012. Print. 25. Runyon, Chuck, Brian Zehetner, and Rebecca A. DeRossett. Working out Sucks!: (and Why It Doesn’t Have To). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Life Long, 2012. Print. 26. Doland, Erin. “Scientists Find Physical Clutter Negatively Affects Your Ability to Focus, Process Information”. Unclutterer. 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://unclutterer.com/2011/03/29/scientists-find-physical-clutter-negatively-affects-your-ability-to-focus-process-information/>. 27. Al-Fattäh, Abū Ghuddah ‘Abd. The Value of Time. 19. Swansea: Awakening Publications, 2007. Print. 28. Gilkey, Charlie. “How Heat Mapping Your Productivity Can Make You More Productive”. Productive Flourishing. 21 Mar. 2008. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.productiveflourishing.com/how-heatmapping-your-productivity-can-make-you-more-productive/>. 29. Ibn Al-Jawzi. “Disciplining The Soul”. Daar as-Sunnah Publishers. Birmingham. 2011. Great Muslim Quotes » Poetry. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

<http://greatmuslimquotes.com/category/poetry/feed/>. 30. Seah, Dave. “The Task Order Up!” Dave Seah. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://davidseah.com/node/the-task-order-up/>.] 31. “Productivity in Ramadan: 2011 Survey Based Report” DinarStandard. 23 Aug. 2011. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://www.dinarstandard.com/productivity-in-ramadan-2011-survey-based-report-2/.>. 32. Allcott, Graham. “[Productivity Ninja] Fasting Experiment: Ramadan Day 3”. ProductiveMuslimcom. 13 July 2013. Web. 10 Jan. 2016. <http://productivemuslim.com/productivity-ninja-fasting-experiment-ramadan-day-3/>. ******ebook converter DEMO Watermarks*******

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