Are you looking for ways to balance your Deen and studying?
If there is the chance that you are that sort of dynamic individual, your morning will most likely starts with Fajr Salat. After Fajr, the time has come to begin your day in anticipation of classes at school/college or University.
The lessons/lectures are held till mid afternoon (Dhuhr to Asar time), or even till late night (Maghrib time) depending on the season. Add to that the peak time rush hour traffic, and what you have is a depleted understudy who can only think of long stretches of rest.
To what extent can an individual balance his/her free time to participate in socialising with the community, grow additional curricular exercises, complete assignments by the required deadline, get ready for exams, increase their ibadah, have khushoo in prayers, spend time with loved ones, and maybe participate in a part-time job?
Here are 7 tips for that will help you balance your study schedule
1. Understand Your Intentions
We learn from the famous ahadith that:
“Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended…”
So what Islamic practices do you follow throughout the day? Remember each step you take towards the Masjid will expiate your minor sins and another step will raise your status. Every morsel you feed your companion or family will surely be rewarded.
Your initial step is to avoid losing hope, in light of the fact that falling into the snare of misery, and feeling overpowered really decreases your energy. Keep your niyyah (intentions) clean, and increase your concentration by recollecting the reasons why you chose to or our studying. Just say Bismillah and continue with great tawakkul.
2. Make Plenty of Dua
The most powerful weapon we have been given will always play a key part in our everyday life. You can ask Allah to grant you the ability to complete your studies and proposed tasks to the best of your ability, help you manage your time wisely and bless you for your efforts.
3. Set Your Priorities
This task will always occur no matter what you do, as it will always be by far, the most important aspect of organising yourself.
The average Muslim youth will have to most likely balance these activities:
- Obligatory prayers and fasts
- Community service
- Studies (both common and Islamic)
- Extra-curricular activities
- Part-time employment
A student will normally divide their day into various slots for their required tasks and activities. They will allocate time for each task accordingly. However there is the common scenario of not having enough hours in the day to complete a certain task, or potentially an irreconcilable circumstance emerges. This is the specific reason why you need to prioritise your tasks.
Remember your deen comes as a priority over everything, so if you fall into into a dilemma when there are more than 2 actitvities at hand, such as your prayers and studies. Then, one thing is certain that the prayers will come first and then you can continue with your studies. You may feel there is not enough time to complete both, but Allah swt has made everything easy for us and you can just complete the fardh of the prayers if you are struggling for time.
In contrast, the studies need to come before any part-time jobs of extra-curriculum activities. Job opportunities will always come and go but you may not get another chance to re-sit your exams.
Your studies are also important if you want to get somewhere in life and are aiming to have a good job at the end of it to earn a decent living. In addition this will enable you to donate more to charity, influence your peers positively and develop your own charitable projects. Even save up for the long term and future investments (marriage, Hajj etc.)
Prepare your list of priorities based on the answers of the above two questions.
Cut down on activities which are not a priority, for example, spending too much time on social media & playing games. It is quite remarkable that these not really significant activities occupy the majority of our time. Why? because we lose focus on the overall objective.
Prior to taking up any assignments, ask yourself:
a. Is it significant/compulsory?
b. Can it be done at a later time?
It’s something that most people fall into but DO NOT wait for the last minute to complete tasks. The quality of work will diminish and this usually occurs when you let everything pile up thinking that there is still plenty of time left.
4. Do Not Procrastinate
Try not to hang tight for the latest possible time. A period conflict for the most part happens when you let your work pile up. Do not say that I will do it a bit later after I finish so and so. Remember what your overall objective is and get onto the task as soon as possible.
In the event that you have exams one week from now, begin planning now, so that on the off chance that you have an exciting challenge/venture occurring in the meantime as your tests, you can undoubtedly take an interest without worrying over your test arrangement.
Similarly, if you intend to develop a particular skill or hobby, do it during your holidays –enough time before the stressful exam times come into action.
5. Control the amount of Projects you’re enticed With
Taking on less projects means you have full control over your commitment.
If you have bitten off more than you can chew, this can have an impact on your overall health and other duties. Go back to your priority list and adjust the workload accordingly. Perhaps take off some projects and continue them at a later stage.
Look into finding some help or resources about time management. Perhaps you can get friends or family to help you with some projects if you have committed and are unable to re-prioritise some of them.
6. Comprehend Yourself
Understanding your limits is vital. Do not think you can on 12 projects/tasks in 24 hours. Many projects require a lot of time and effort in order complete. You need to plan, create a strategy and then execute the plan, and in addition leave time to fix any issues that may arise along the way. So plan wisely and leave enough time for any other activities that you have planned.
Do not go beyond your capabilities as that can sometimes have an impact on the overall quality of the work.
7. Track your progress
It is common practice that we tend to not track our progress on any tasks/projects we undertake. But once we do start using a method to keep up with our progress we appreciate the importance of it. A planner, list or log (of tasks, schedules and anything else) will help you:
- Avoid missing deadlines or appointments
- Take on tasks that you can physically manage in your capacity
- Avoid any clashes
- Prepare in advance for a successful outcome
