Rain: The Bads and The Goods. // 🌧

Untuk pertama kalinya lagi setelah beberapa-sekian-abad gue ngga ngepost, gue akan mulai ngepost lagi dengan membahas tentang hujan.

Ngga akan pernah abis gue bikin post-an tentang hujan, karna ngga akan pernah ngerti juga gue sama musim hujan ini. Untuk beberapa banyak orang menganggap hujan itu sebagian dari berkah, which is true. Bahkan ada yang bilang waktu terbaik untuk berdoa adalah ketika hujan turun, makanya waktu hujan alangkah baiknya jika kita berdoa sebanyak-banyaknya; bahkan gue sampe membuat catatan demikian..

"Ketika hujan turun, berdoalah.."

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of 'rain'. Bukannya ngga bersyukur atas hujan ini apa gimana, tapi emang hujan ini bisa dibilang musim / cuaca yang paling "musuhan" sama gue. Entah karna sistem imun gue yang terlalu lemah atau gimana, tapi emang-selalu-pasti-dan-sudah-ditetapkan kalo setiap musim hujan gue selalu flu atau pilek atau jadi 'bocah ingusan'. Lebih tepatnya flu. Flu. Flu..

Memang sudah menjadi penyakit menahun.. Nggadeng itu lebay, lebih tepatnya memang sudah menjadi penyakit musiman. Bukan, bukan "musiman" dengan artian kata "mengikuti trend" tapi emang musiman yang berarti "langganan tiap musim".

Contohnya ya kayak sekarang ini nih. Bulan Oktober - November - Desember emang udah dinobatkan sebagai bulan dimana hujan lagi "rajin-rajinnya" turun membasahi bumi. Lebih spesifiknya sih membasahi Indonesia. Dan bahkan mungkin bisa sampe bulan Januari dan Februari, kaya yang udah-udah..

Di bulan-bulan itu juga udah menjadi langganan gue yang mulai breath heavily (re: nafas tetep pake idung tapi terhalang oleh ingus). Suka sedih emang kalo ngeliat sistem imun gue yang teramat-sangat lemah dan bermusuhan dengan musim hujan ini. Udah susah nafas, berisik pulak harus nyedot-nyedot ingus mulu. Belum lagi kalo udah ditambah sama batuk berdahak, beeeeuh rasanya pengen dicopot aja ini kerongkongannya. Nyiksa lahir dan batin. //rada lebay tapi emang bener//

Bukan cuma karna sakit aja alesan gue bermusuhan sama musim hujan ini, entah kenapa masih ada beberapa hal lainnya dimana hal-hal itu membuat gue semakin males kemana-mana kalo udah musim hujan kaya sekarang ini.

● Pertama, gue adalah makhluk-pembenci-air kedua setelah kucing. Atau mungkin ke-sekian-berapalah setelah makhluk-makhluk pembenci air lainnya yang tercatat dalam catatan orang-orang yang mau mencatat siapa aja makhluk pembenci air di dunia ini.... Intinya gue termasuk dalam golongan makhluk-makhluk tersebut dimana air adalah musuh mereka. //kecuali air buat minum//.
"Terus lo mandi gimana?" jika pertanyaan itu yang muncul di benak kalian pertama kali setelah membaca pernyataan gue tersebut, berarti kalian termasuk golongan orang-orang normal. Dan menyebalkan. Bilang gue jorok, tapi emang pada kenyataannya gue bukan orang yang gemar mandi. GUE-TETEP-MANDI-OKEY. Tetep. Tenang aja. Cuma disini gue-males-banget kalo harus kena air. Kalo ngga ada planning kemana-mana pada hari tertentu, jujur aja gue ngga akan mau repot-repot menapakkan kaki di kamar mandi bila hanya untuk kepentingan mandi. Big-NO. Sekian. :-)

● Kedua, mengingat gue termasuk dalam golongan makhluk pembenci air, ada kalanya gue ngga mau kena hujan sa-ma-se-ka-li kalo tujuan yang akan gue tuju pada saat itu bukanlah rumah gue. Gue ngga pernah suka feel dimana ketika hujan yang turun cuma gerimis-gerimis ucul dengan udara lembab yang "khas"-nya banget itu deh. Entah gue ngga pernah suka aja sama suasana lembab kaya gitu, ditambah kalo tangan (atau seluruh badan) gue habis kena basah karna air hujan terus udah gitu jadi lengket lengket gimana gidu gara-gara udaranya begitu. Aduh udah deh, udah pasti banget gue bakalan ngerasa ngga nyaman sa-ma-se-ka-li. Pasti bakalan jadi risih sendiri entah kenapa. Kecuali kalo habis basah gitu gue langsung ketemu kipas angin / AC, itu masih gapapa banget. Emang pasti banget bakalan masuk angin, tapi bagi gue lebih baik begitu daripada begini... apasih. Intinya ya gitu, mendingan gue kering gara-gara kipas angin / AC daripada harus kena angin/udara/cuaca/suasana atau apalah namanya yang lembab gitu.

● Ketiga, Jakarta adalah tempat dimana bahkan ketika hujan ngga turun aja macetnya udah bikin pengen sholat taubat nasuha. Entah kutukan apa yang menimpa daerah ini, tapi gue ngga pernah ngerti sama sekali kenapa kalo habis hujan itu jalanan malah makin tambah parah macetnya? Karna banjir? Mungkin.. Tapi ternyata bukan itu faktor utamanya. Bahkan ketika ngga banjir-pun jalanan-jalanan ini masih tetep macet ngga karuan ketika dan atau sehabis hujan. That's totally-and-absolutely sucks.

● Keempat, ketika sudah masuk musim hujan kita "tercinta" ini, kulit gue-pun ikutan berubah seperti kondisi kesehatan gue. Kenapa? Dia berubah menjadi kering keronta nan menjijikan. Tiba-tiba aja gitu jadi ngelupas sana dan sini, terutama dibagian muka and mostly, telapak tangan. Pada bagian ini mungkin kalian udah bisa mengambil kesimpulan kalo "ah, lo mah kekurangan vitamin C itu tandanya!" Ya, ya, kalian ngga salah. Awalnya juga gue mengira begitu. Tapi ternyata tidak begitu. Kalo emang gue kekurangan vitamin C, kenapa cuma pas musim hujan aja hal-hal ini terjadi? Apa karna perubahan musim yang cukup ekstrim? Ngga ekstrim juga sih, karna rata-rata orang di lingkungan gue pada ngga begitu mempermasalahkan kondisi mereka yang masih pada sehat-wal-afiat. Beside, I'm also not a big "fan" of Vitamin C. Why? Karna, entah ini sugesti apa gimana, tapi emang pada dasarnya setiap gue habis minum vitamin C, malah setelahnya gue jadi sakit. Makanya gue rada takut (dan lebih kearah jadi males gitu) kalo udah disuruh minum vitamin. Jadi gimana gue mendapatkan vitamin C? Makan buah, terutama jeruk. Seharusnya hal ini bisa membantu karna lebih alami. Tapi ternyata ngga juga, karna udah pada dasarnya aja tubuh gue ngga bisa berkawan dengan musim ini. Hm.

● Kelima, lumpur dimana-mana. Sudah dapat dipastikan, lumpur dan tanah-tanah basah ada di-ma-na-ma-na. Jujur gue paling "iyuh" kalo udah ngeliat hal-hal kotor dan basah dan becek kaya gitu. Call me "sok" but that's the truth. At least, there must be something that disgust you in this world, and that's what disgust me most. Mungkin lo bakalan bilang "elah lo mandi aja jarang sok-sokan jijik sama hal-hal jorok." Astaga ini beda sama masalah mandi, okey? Beside, kalopun gue ngga mandi juga gue ngga bakal kemana-mana kok. Pasti bakalan stay aja dirumah. Dan kalopun harus keluar rumah juga pasti gue bakalan mandi. So, what's the problem anyway? //mad face//

● Keenam, petir. Simple-nya aja, gue takut sama petir. Takut banget. Entah itu dari bentuknya, maupun dari efek suaranya. Efek suaranya sih yang paling takut. Tapi bentuknya juga... Intinya takut. Udah gitu aja..

Percayalah, gue udah berusaha buat minum segala obat yang menjanjikan "flu reda!" dan atau apalah itu. Tapi emang ngga tau kenapa obat itu ngga membantu sama sekali. Beda banget sama kalo ketika gue sakit pas bukan musim hujan, itu yang namanya minum obat baru sekali alhamdulillah besoknya langsung mendingan banget. Dan gue sudah dapat mengambil kesimpulan kalo "flu hujan" ini ngga akan berakhir kalo musim hujan juga belum berakhir..


Buat sebagian orang, hujan ini adalah waktu yang sangat tepat buat mereka bergalau-ria. Katanya, sambil mandang kearah hujan, kemudian diiringi oleh lagu-lagu sendu yang emang udah ada di playlist dengan judul "Hujan Melagu". //sumpah ini bukan pengalaman pribadi//

"Hujan; setiap tetesnya mengandung kenangan." Petikan kalimat dari salah satu temen gue pas di kampus itu yang masih banget nyantol di otak gue sampe detik ini. Sakit sih, tapi emang bener.. //kalo yang ini baru berdasarkan pengalaman pribadi hm//

Setiap tetes dari hujan itu emang mengandung kenangan, terutama buat mereka yang hatinya sedang/masih rapuh.. //hiks// Kenapa gitu? Perumpamaannya gini, buat kalian para pengendara motor pasti kalian pernah ngerasain dimana pas lagi dijalan itu hujan, terus mau ngga mau itu kaca helm kalian buka dan membuat tiap tetes hujan kena muka kalian. Kadang tetes hujan itu bikin seger, tapi ngga jarang juga tetesan-tetesan itu bikin sakit/pedih kalo "nyerempet" kulit; sama kaya kenangan, kadang bikin seger, bikin seneng, tapi ngga jarang bikin perih di hati. Iya ngga sih?

#FunFactsHujan memiliki kemampuan untuk menghipnotis manusia untuk meresonansikan ingatan masa lalu. Dan tanpa bisa mendapatkan bukti ilmiah, para ilmuan hanya bisa menyimpulkan Di dalam hujan, ada lagu yang hanya bisa didengar oleh mereka yang rindu.

Mungkin ini salah satu alasannya kenapa hujan identik dengan "waktu menggalau" bagi mereka para "penikmat kegalauan". For me? Dealing with influenza yang ngga sembuh-sembuh ini aja udah cukup banget menyiksa raga dan jiwa. Percayalah, jadi "bocah ingusan" sepanjang musim hujan itu sooper-dooper ngga enak. Asin. :-(

//say "hi!" to random-doodle-guy right there!//

Untuk membuat post-an kali ini lebih bermanfaat, gue akan memberikan Fakta-Fakta Menarik Tentang Hujan yang diambil dari beberapa sumber (yang semoga) terpercaya. Check diz out meh..

☞ Dalam satu detik, kira-kira 16 juta ton air menguap dari bumi. Air-air ini yang kemudian dinamakan "hujan" setelah mengalami berbagai-macam proses diatas awan sana dan kemudian turun kembali membasahi bumi.

☞ Butiran air hujan berubah bentuk ratusan kali tiap detik. Jadi dari awal mulai hujan turun sampai nantinya berhenti, bentuk butiran/tetesannya ngga ada yang sama.

☞ Kalau butiran air hujan dibekukan, maka akan membentuk kepingan kristal yang luar biasa indah, tidak seperti air biasa yang dibekukan di freezer/kulkas.

☞ Ketinggian minimum awan hujan adalah 1.200 - 10.000 meter. Efek yang ditimbulkan oleh satu tetes air hujan yang jatuh dari ketinggian tersebut sama dengan benda seberat 1 kg yang jatuh dari ketinggian 15 cm.

☞ Air hujan juga memiliki fungsi untuk membersihkan udara. Biasanya setelah hujan pertama turun, udara akan jadi lebih bersih dan segar. Tidak lagi terasa panas dan gerah.

☞ Air hujan yang turun pertama kali sangat-tidak-baik untuk kesehatan. Jadi kalo kalian pengen main ujan-ujanan, pastiin mainnya 5 menit setelah hujan turun.

☞ Rata-rata kecepatan jatuhnya air hujan hanyalah 8-10 km/jam, hal itu disebabkan oleh titik hujan yang memiliki bentuk khusus yang meningkatkan efek gesekan atmosfer dan membantu hujan turun ke bumi dengan kecepatan yang lebih rendah. Andaikan bentuk titik hujan berbeda, atau andaikan atmosfer tidak memiliki sifat gesekan sehingga menyebabkan kecepatan air hujan beberapa km/jam lebih cepat dari biasanya, bayangin aja kalo bumi akan mengalami kehancuran setiap kali hujan turun..



Beralih ke sisi yang sedikit-lebih religius, sekarang kita akan membahas hujan menurut Islam

Emang udah jelas disebutin dalam Al-Qur'an bahwa hujan memiliki peranan penting bagi semua makhluk hidup. Hujan juga menjadi salah satu "prasyarat" untuk aktivitas kehidupan disuatu tempat.

Di dalam ayat kesebelas Surat Az-Zukhruf, hujan dinyatakan sebagai air yang diturunkan dalam “ukuran tertentu”.
“Dan yang menurunkan air dari langit menurut kadar (yang diperlukan) lalu kami hidupkan dengan air itu negeri yang mati, seperti itulah kamu akan dikeluarkan (dari dalam kubur).” (QS. Az-Zukhruf, (43):11)
“Kadar” yang disebutkan dalam ayat ini merupakan salah satu karakteristik hujan. Secara umum, jumlah hujan yang turun ke bumi selalu sama. Diperkirakan sebanyak 16 ton air di bumi menguap setiap detiknya (seperti yang udah kita bahas diatas). Jumlah ini sama dengan jumlah air yang turun ke bumi setiap detiknya. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa hujan secara terus-menerus bersirkulasi dalam sebuah siklus seimbang menurut “ukuran” tertentu.

Bagaimana hujan terbentuk tetap menjadi misteri dalam kurun waktu yang lama. Hanya setelah ditemukannya radar cuaca, baru deh kita bisa memahami tahapan-tahapan pembentukan hujan. Pembentukan hujan terjadi dalam tiga tahap; Pertama, “bahan mentah” hujan naik ke udara (air laut), kemudian terkumpul menjadi awan, dan akhirnya, tetesan-tetesan hujan pun turun.

Believe it or not, tahapan-tahapan tersebut ternyata secara terperinci sudah tertulis dalam Al-Qur’an sejak berabad-abad tahun lalu sebelum informasi mengenai pembentukan hujan disampaikan:
“Allah, Dialah yang mengirimkan angin, lalu angin itu menggerakkan awan dan Allah membentangkannya di langit menurut yang di kehendaki-Nya, dan menjadikannya bergumpal-gumpal: lalu kamu lihat hujan keluar dari celah-celahnya, maka apabila hujan itu turun mengenai hamba-hambanya yang di kehendakinya, tiba-tiba mereka menjadi gembira.” (QS. Ar-Rum, (40):48)
Sekarang, coba kita liat tiga tahapan yang telah disebutkan dalam Al-Qur'an :

Tahap pertama: "Allah, Dialah yang mengirimkan angin..."


Gelembung-gelembung udara yang tidak terhitung jumlahnya dibentuk oleh buih-buih di lautan yang secara terus-menerus pecah dan mengakibatkan partikel-partikel air tersembur ke udara menuju ke langit. Partikel-partikel ini –yang kaya akan garam– terbawa angin dan bergeser ke atas menuju atmosfer. Partikel-partikel ini (yang juga disebut dengan Aerosol) membentuk awan dengan mengumpulkan uap air (yang naik dari lautan sebagai tetesan-tetesan oleh sebuah proses yang dikenal dengan “JebakanAir”) di sekelilingnya.


Tahap kedua: "...lalu angin itu menggerakkan awan dan Allah membentangkannya di langit menurut yang di kehendaki-Nya, dan menjadikannya bergumpal-gumpal..."

Awan terbentuk dari uap air yang mengembun di sekitar kristal-kristal garam atau partikel-partikel debu di udara. Karena tetesan-tetesan air di sini sangat kecil (dengan diameter antara 0,01-0,02 mm), awan mengapung di udara dan menyebar di angkasa sehingga langit tertutup oleh awan.

Tahap ketiga: "...lalu kamu lihat hujan keluar dari celah-celahnya..."

Partikel-partikel air yang mengelilingi kristal-kristal garam dan partikel-partikel debu mengental dan membentuk tetesan-tetesan hujan. Sehingga, tetesan-tetesan tersebut, yang menjadi lebih berat dari udara, meninggalkan awan dan mulai jatuh ke tanah sebagai hujan.

Setiap tahap dalam pembentukan hujan disampaikan dalam Al-Qur’an. Terlebih lagi, tahapan-tahapan tersebut dijelaskan dalam runtutan yang benar. Seperti halnya fenomena alam lain di dunia, lagi-lagi Al-Qur’an lah yang memberikan informasi yang paling tepat tentang fenomena ini, selain itu, Al-Qur’an telah memberitahukan fakta-fakta ini kepada manusia berabad-abad sebelum sains sanggup mengungkapnya..


Eventho I'm kind of a "summer person", tapi, jatuhnya hujan ke dunia ini juga bukan semata-mata pengganggu bagi manusia, melainkan memberikan banyak manfaat. Karena itulah kita harus selalu mensyukuri nikmat yang telah diberikan Allah. Adapun Kumpulan Hadits Rasulullah tentang hujan ini, diantaranya adalah :

1. Ketika hujan turun, bacalah doa "Allahumma shayyiban naafi’aa."
كَانَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا رَأَى نَاشِئاً فِي أُفُقٍ مِنْ آفَاِق السَمَاءِ، تَرَكَ عَمَلَهُ- وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي صَلَاةٍ- ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ؛ فَإِنْ كَشَفَهُ اللهُ حَمِدَ اللهَ، وَإِنْ مَطَرَتْ قَالَ: “اللَّهُمَّ صَيِّباً نَافِعاً”
“Nabi SAW jika melihat awan yang berkumpul di bagian ufuk langik, maka beliau menghentikan aktifitasnya, bahkan walaupun sedang shalat sunnah. Lalu setelah itu beliau kembali melanjutkan aktifitasnya. Jika awan tersebut berlalu maka beliau mengucapkan hamdalah, dan jika turun hujan maka beliau mengucapkan Allahumma shayyiban naafi’aa.” (HR. Bukhari)
2. Lebih baik bersyukur ketika kita terkena hujan / kehujanan.

عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: ( أصابنا ونحن مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مطر، قال: فحسر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثوبه حتى أصابه من المطر. فقلنا: يا رسول الله لم صنعت هذا؟ قال: لأنه حديث عهد بربه تعالى) رواه مسلم“Kami pernah kehujanan bersama Rasulullah, lalu beliau menyingkap bajunya hingga terguyur hujan. Kemudian kami berkata: Wahai Rasulullah kenapa engkau melakukan hal itu? Rasulullah pun bersabda: Karena hujan ini baru saja diciptakan oleh Allah.” (HR. Imam Muslim)
Maksud hadits tersebut adalah ; Hujan adalah rahmat dari Allah karena dekatnya antara waktu penciptaannya dengan waktu turunnya. Oleh sebab itu Rasulullah SAW mengaharap berkah dari Allah dengan turunnya hujan tersebut. Hal itu sebagaimana dijelaskan oleh para ulama terhadap hadits tersebut di dalam syarah shahih Muslim. Wallahu A‘lam..

3. Dianjurkan untuk berdo’a ketika turunnya hujansebagaimana diriwayatkan bahwa Nabi shallallahu ’alaihi wa sallam bersabda,
اُطْلُبُوا اسْتِجَابَةَ الدُّعَاءِ عِنْدَ ثَلَاثٍ : عِنْدَ الْتِقَاءِ الْجُيُوشِ ، وَإِقَامَةِ الصَّلَاةِ ، وَنُزُولِ الْغَيْثِ
“Carilah doa yang mustajab pada tiga waktu yaitu ketika dua pasukan telah berhadapan, ketika menjelang dilaksanakannya shalat wajib antara adzan dan iqomat, dan ketika hujan turun.” (HR. Muslim)

ثِنْتَانِ مَا تُرَدَّانِ الدُّعَاءُ عِنْدَ النِّدَاءِوَ تَحْتَ المَطَرِ
“Ada dua doa yang tidak akan ditolak oleh Allah yaitu setelah adzan dan ketika turun hujan.” (HR. Hakim)

اللَّهُمّ حَوَالَيْنَا وَلَا عَلَيْنَا,اللَّهُمَّ عَلَى الْآكَامِ وَالْجِبَالِ وَالظِّرَابِ وَبُطُونِ الْأَوْدِيَةِ وَمَنَابِتِ الشَّجَرِ
Doa Rasul ketika hujan turun: “Ya Allah turunkanlah hujan di sekitar kami bukan untuk merusak kami. Ya Allah turunkanlah hujan ke dataran tinggi, bukit, perut lembah dan tempat pepohonan tumbuh.” (HR. Bukhari)


Apapun yang Allah berikan kepada kita, gimanapun juga kita wajib mensyukuri segala kehendaknya. Karna percayalah, apapun itu yang diberikan Allah adalah yang terbaik buat kita. Yang perlu kita lakukan hanyalah bersyukur, bersyukur, dan bersyukur.

Gue ngga pernah lagi mengeluh kalo lagi sakit kaya gini, apapun penyakitnya (sebisa mungkin) gue tahan dan mencoba buat ambil hikmahnya aja. Mungkin aja gue sakit tiap musim ujan gini karna emang guenya yang kurang bisa jaga kesehatan. Bisa jadi juga karna aktifitas gue yang padet dan ditambah kondisi badan gue yang lagi kurang fit. Bisa jadi juga ini karna Allah sayang sama gue, makanya Allah ngasih gue sakit kaya gini biar gue bisa lebih banyak istirahat dirumah, dan secara ngga langsung gue juga jadi bisa jaga makan dan jadi lebih bisa care sama diri gue sendiri.

See? Apapun yang Allah berikan sama kita, coba kita ambil aja hikmahnya. Karna apapun itu, selama kita masih dikasih cobaan, itu tandanya Allah masih sayang sama kita.

Apapun itu, jangan lupa mengucap Alhamdulillah.. ♥

۞25 Ways to Get the Most Out of Ramadan۞


❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

A few intoductory and complementary notes:

☀ Ramadan is an auspicious opportunity for believers to renew their commitment to their Creator and the Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. This commitment must be both outward and inward, so that a Muslim not only recites more Qur'an and offers more units of prayer, but that she or he does so with reflection, humility and attentiveness.

☀ Muslims must ensure they are not formalists who concentrate only on the outward. Achieving Allah's acceptance must be a believer's priority and is not easy. "Indeed, Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear him - al muttaqoon]." [Qur'an 5:27]

☀ Ramadan is a wonderful opportunity for accounting of one's sins and making repentance. If one does not repent in Ramadan, when will he or she do so?

☀ Muslims should strive to worship Allah as best as they can from the beginning of the month, for that increases chances of the end of the month being good as well.

☀ Muslims should consider what is it that they truly want to achieve in Ramadan, whether they want to be from the winners or from the losers, and should make sure they do not perform acts of worship simply because it is the surrounding people's custom to do so.

☀ Muslims must be firmly aware that Ramadan is only a means and not an end.

Twenty Five Ways to Get the Most Out of Ramadan
From the book "Khulaasatul Kalaam" by Shaykh Jarullah.

1. Fast Ramadan with belief and truly seeking the reward of Allah the Most High so that He may forgive you your past sins.

2. Beware of breaking your fast during the days of Ramadan without a valid Islamic excuse, for it is from the greatest of sins.

3. Pray Salat ut-Taraweeh and the night prayer during the nights of Ramadan - especially on Layatul-Qadr - based on belief and truly seeking the reward of Allah, so that Allah may forgive you your past sins.

4. Make sure that your food, your drink and your clothing are from halal means, in order that your actions be accepted, and your supplications answered. Beware of refraining from the halal while fasting and breaking your fast with the haram.

5. Give food to some fasting people to gain a reward similar to theirs.

6. Perform your five prayers on time in congregation to gain the reward and Allah's protection.

7. Give a lot of charity for the best charity is that of Ramadan.

8. Beware of spending your time without performing righteous deeds, for you will be responsible and reckoned for it and will be rewarded for all you do during your time.

9. Perform `umrah in Ramadan for `Umrah in Ramadan is equal to Hajj.

10. Seek help for fasting during the day by eating the sahoor meal in the last part of the night before the appearance of Fajr.

11. Hasten breaking your fast after the sun has truly set in order to gain the love of Allah.

12. Perform ghusl before fajr if you need to purify yourself from the state of major impurity so that you are able to do acts of worship in a state of purity and cleanliness.

13. Seize the opportunity of being in Ramadan and spend it with the good that has been revealed in it - by reciting the noble Qur'an and pondering and reflection of its meanings so that it be a proof for you with your Lord and an intercessor for you on the Day of Reckoning.

14. Preserve your tongue from lying, cursing, backbiting and slander for it decreases the reward of fasting.

15. Do not let fasting cause you cross your boundaries by getting upset due to the slightest of reasons. Rather, fating should be a cause of peacefulness and tranquility of your soul.

16. Upon completion of fasting, be in a state of taqwa of Allah the Most High, being aware of Allah watching you in secret and in public, in thankfulness for His favors, and steadfastness upon obedience of Allah by doing all what He has ordered and shunning all that He has prohibited.

17. Increase in remembrance of Allah, seeking of forgiveness, asking for Paradise and protection against the Fire, especially when fasting, while breaking the fast and during suhoor, for these actions are among greatest causes of attaining Allah's forgiveness.

18. Increase in supplication for yourself, your parents, your children and Muslims, for Allah has ordered making of supplications and has guaranteed acceptance.

19. Repent to Allah with a sincere repentance in all times by leaving sins, regretting those that you have done before and firmly deciding not to return to them in the future, for Allah accepts repentance of those who repent.

20. Fast six days of Shawwal, for whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasts all the time.

21. Fast on the Day of `Arafah, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, to attain success by being forgiven your sins of the last year and the coming year.

22. Fast on the day of `Aashuraa', the 10th of Muharram, along with the 9th, to attain success by being forgiven your sins of the past year.

23. Continue being in a state of iman and taqwa and perform righteous actions after the month of Ramadan, until you die. "And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (i.e. death)". [Qur'an 15:99]

24. Ensure that you attain the positive effects of your acts of worship such as prayer, fasting, zakat and hajj, sincere repentance and leaving of customs that are in variance with the Sharee`ah.

25. Invoke a lot of salawat and salam upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, his Companions and all those who follow them until the Day of Judgment.

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O Allah make us and all Muslims of those who fast and stand in prayer during the month of Ramadan based on belief and truly seeking Your reward so that we are forgiven our past and future sins.

O Allah make us of those who fasted the month, attained full reward, witnessed Layatul-Qadr and attained success by permission of the Lord, Blessed and Most High.

O Allah, verily you are Forgiver, like to forgive, so forgive us.

O Lord, accept from us, verily you are the All-Hearing, all-Seeing, O Living, O Independent, O Owner of all majesty and honor.

And may Allah's blessings and peace be upon Muhammad, his family and his Companions. Aamiin..

۞The Missing Soul of Productivity۞


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Over the last 9 years, I’ve dedicated myself to learning the science of productivity. I read over a 100 books and articles on how to lead and live a productive lifestyle, and tried and tested tens of productivity apps, tools, and systems to make my life more efficient. Looking back, it seems that all productivity resources I came across can be categorized in one of three ways:

    1. Hack Your Way to Productivity: These are tips, systems, and apps that make it “automatic” for you to be productive without giving it much thought. They are meant to hack the way your brain works and ‘trick’ you in doing things you’d normally not do if you didn’t have them.
    2. Manage Your Physical Well-Being: These are the tips that focus on improving your health – eating well, sleeping well, and getting enough exercise. The basic premise here is that if you take care of your body, you’d be in a better shape to be productive and deal with life stresses.
    3. Manage Your Environment: This school of thought focuses on how the space around us help us be productive. They look at noise, distractions, colours, furniture, and other factors that might affect our productivity and try to optimize our environment to boost our productivity.

All three categories have merit and are backed by years of research and scientific experiments. Yet the more I read and explored productivity research and all the latest tips, techniques, and apps that promise us to lead efficient and productive lives, I felt that there’s something missing in this discussion that’s fundamentally human but rarely do productivity experts engage in.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about – I’m talking about the soul. That neglected side of our lives that’s always present but we never seem to care about it as much. My contention in this article is that we’re not giving due attention to our soul when discussing the science of productivity.

The soul is the essence of the human being without which he/she loses their value. Think of a person who today is alive and kicking, has a character and personality, and people who love him/her and respect him/her. The moment that person dies, it’s as if it’s not him/her anymore. We rush to bury the person and only keep lingering memories of them in our photos and minds. We even refer to the dead person as “the deceased” and not even by their first name anymore.

Just like we know that our bodies need nourishment, sleep, and exercise, have we ever thought about the needs of our soul? And what would happen to our productivity if we understood the needs of the soul and started tending to them?

But first, let’s deal with the elephant in the room.

Why we don't talk about the soul anymore?

I was inspired by the work done by Professor Malik Badri in his book “Contemplation” where he challenges the way modern psychology (and by extension, social sciences) have discounted the spiritual elements of the human being in the name of science. He argues that in the interest of emancipating Western societies from the grip of religion and in order to mould something as complex and variable as a human being into a scientific cast, modern human sciences tried to “dehumanize” the human by explaining human behaviour in one of three ways:

    1. Behaviorism: Human beings are mere machines that, when exposed to specific stimuli, would react with responses which the researchers could control and predict.
    2. Freudian Analysis: Human behavior is fully determined by one’s unconscious sexual and aggressive impulses
    3. Biological determinism: Any human behavior is fully governed by our inherited genes, nervous system, and inborn biochemistry.

Because of the above categorization, all human sciences –  including productivity – has been drawn from the above sciences. For example, when we speak about “How to arrange our environment to make us more productive”, we are essentially subscribing to Behaviorism. When we talk about the foods and exercises we eat and their effect on the brain and our ability to focus, we’re drawing results from Biological determinism.

I am not saying that these sciences aren’t helpful in explaining some human behavior, yet my contention is that these sciences are not the ONLY way to explain human behavior since the human being is a complex creature that cannot be reduced to a chemical or physical data in a lab experiment. Moreover, modern science may have mastered how the body works, and how our brains function, but they don’t give a satisfying answer to how the soul works and what its needs are that if fulfilled – can help us lead meaningful and productive lives.

Understanding the needs of the soul

It is true, that it is hard to define the soul and it is hard to “touch it” or “feel it” or “smell it” or “taste it” or “see it” But just because it’s hard to define what the soul is – do we deny its entire existence and ignore such a huge important element of our lives that we all intuitively feel exists?

In Islam, we are taught that the Soul is the matter of the Unseen and we would not really understand the soul:

And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, “The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little.” [Quran: Chapter 17, Verse 85]

However, we are taught to recognize its needs and desires and to feed the needs of the soul regularly. Just like the body and brain needs food, water, and a distraction-free environment to get its best work done.. the soul has needs as well and if we don’t fulfill its needs we risk leading meaningless, purposeless lives.

So what are the needs of the soul and how can these needs boost our productivity?

Essentially, there are four main needs of the soul that we can draw from an Islamic perspective:

    ★ A clear/well-defined purpose that gives meaning to everything we do: You’ve probably heard about the importance of finding meaning at work and how it makes us more productive. But even though finding meaning at a micro-level and our day-to-day work is powerful, we need to go a step further and find an all-encompassing meaning and purpose that integrates our entire lives together and not just meaning and purpose at work. What’s the point of only having meaning and purpose at work when our family lives or personal lives don’t have a clear meaning?  The link to productivity is that meaning and purpose drive our intrinsic motivation. A study by Yale’s Amy Wrzesniewski and her team concluded that “Helping people focus on the meaning and impact of their work, rather than on, say, the financial returns it will bring, may be the best way to improve not only the quality of their work but also – counterintuitive though it may seem – their financial success”. Our souls yearn for meaning, an all-encompassing meaning that covers all areas of our lives. In Islam, this all-encompassing purpose is worshipping Allah (swt), not only in terms of rituals but in everything we do, we are supposed to be conscious of Allah (swt) from the moment of waking until we sleep. Allah says in the Quran: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”  If we feed our soul with meaning and purpose, it’s amazing what it gives back in terms of motivation, sacrifice, and hard work for the meanings we truly believe in.

    ★ A belief system that helps us interpret the world: Secularists and people who don’t believe in faith, will cringe at the notion of a belief system when discussing productivity. However, whether we like it or not, as human beings, we are deeply spiritual beings that have a continuous longing to be connected with an inner experience or our Creator. Religions or a belief system provides the necessary nourishment to the person’s soul and helps the person tap into their spiritual being more regularly. Moreover, a belief system provides the soul with a unique set of lens to help it deal with life events such as death or illness and improves relationships with people around him/her. On the contrary, not having a belief system makes one feel confused, lost, and not able to comprehend how to react when “bad things happen”. Another powerful positive reason for religions in general is that they provide a community and a personal identity for the person following the religion thus making the person feel more valued and grounded in values and principles that adds to their positive mindset and thus their productivity. As a final Divine message for mankind, Islam provides that coherent and complete belief system that helps a person connect to Allah (swt) and understand the world around him/her from the perspective of the Quranic message and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This by itself is a blessing that helps us lead productive lives if we truly internalize its meanings and outcomes.

    ★ Spiritual/meditative rituals that are done on a daily basis: Rituals ensure that our soul get a daily healthy dose of feeding just like our bodies get a healthy meal every few hours. That’s why in Islam, we’re required to pray 5 times a day, as a way to continuously feed our souls as well as remember Allah often throughout the day. It’s been proven that rituals and meditative practices have immense benefit to our productivity – even though at the outset, they seem like a “waste of time”. Studies have shown that meditators for example report having less headaches, chronic digestive disorders, chest pains, and other psychophysiological symptoms after engaging in their meditative practices. All of these positive symptoms, help boost our productivity. Moreover, for us as Muslims, these useful activities are religious duties, and even though we enjoy their positive psychological and physiological benefits in this world, their true benefit will be the pleasure of Allah in the Hereafter.

    ★ Ethics and values that help us make better soul-driven decisions: With a large purpose, a belief system that helps you fulfill that purpose, rituals that remind you of your purpose consistently, you can live an ethical lifestyle with values and principles you believe in. Moreover, by being reminded of these ethics and values through the stories of the Prophet or great companions or scholars of the past, the soul is always reminded of living a higher, more disciplined life, and avoid the downward spiral of living a hedonistic “dog-eats-dog” life. I argue that “The pursuit of productivity without a clear set of guidelines or ethical values can destroy the human being – either literally through physical illness and fatigue or mentally and emotionally through depression, stress and anxiety. Islam comes values and guidelines that are not imposed by an external force, but self-applied out of a person’s own will and submission to Allah”  Imagine if you don’t have an ethical system to lean on? how would you make decisions that make you feel comfortable that you did the “right things in life”?

I urge us all – as modern global Muslims – to start thinking about this topic more often, to have more discussions about it in our workplaces and schools, and come up with meaningful ways as individuals and organizations to boost our productivity by feeding our souls.


Do you think we are doing enough to promote the needs of our soul in today’s society?

Lastly, next time, before you feed your brain with the latest hack, or feed your body with the next fortified energy bar, ask yourself: What does my soul need? How can I feed it to boost my productivity?
xx, Z.


۞7 Spiritual Productivity Habits۞


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1. Recite one hour of Qur'an.
Not necessarily one juz or one surah!

2. Supplications before sleep.
For beautiful sleep and ease in waking up for Fajr inshaAllah.

3. Dhikr after salah.
Use pocketbooks or mobile apps (takes only 5-7 minutes!).

4. Sunnah prayer.
(Extra points!++) Before and/or after obligatory prayer.

5. Duha prayer.
Reward is similar to giving charity in behalf of every bone in your body! (After sunrise.. till before the sun reaches its zenith.)

6. Night prayer.
Attend taraweeh each and every night - no excuse!

7. Morning / Evening dhikr.
Before sunset & before sunrise; the sunnah is to recite these dua's.
✿ Stress relievers.
✿ Energy boosters.
✿ Blesses the day or evening.

Let's make this Ramadan to the fullest, Dorkies! xx, Z.

۞Healthy Fasting During Ramadan۞


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Don't break your fast with a feast or you may put on weight instead of losing it.

If you are not careful, food eaten during the pre-dawn and dusk meals can cause some weight gain.

Dr Razeen Mahroof, an anesthetist from Oxford says, feasting during the non-fasting hours can be unhealthy. He recommends approaching the fast with discipline, or an opportunity to lose weight and be healthier could be wasted.
 
"The underlying message behind Ramadan is self-discipline and self-control," he says. "This shouldn’t fall apart at the end of the day".

A balanced diet
Those observing the fast should have at least two meals a day – the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) and a meal at dusk (Iftar).

Dr Mahroof says your food intake should be simple and not differ too much from your normal diet. It should contain foods from all the major food groups:

✿ Fruit and vegetables
✿ Bread, cereals and potatoes
✿ Meat, fish or alternatives
✿ Milk and dairy foods
✿ Foods containing fat and sugar

Complex carbohydrates are foods that help release energy slowly during the long hours of fasting. They are found in foods such as barley, wheat, oats, millet, semolina, beans, lentils, wholemeal flour and basmati rice.

Fibre-rich foods are also digested slowly and include bran, cereals, whole wheat, grains and seeds, potatoes with the skin on, vegetables such as green beans, and almost all fruit, including apricots, prunes and figs.

Foods to avoid are the fast-burning, heavily processed foods that contain refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour), as well as fatty food (such as cakes, biscuits, chocolates and sweets such as Indian mithai).

It's also worth avoiding caffeine-based drinks such as tea, coffee and cola. Caffeine is a diuretic and stimulates faster water loss through urination.

Wholesome Foods
Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, should be a wholesome, moderate meal that is filling and provides enough energy for many hours.

“Suhoor should be light and include slow digesting food like pitta bread, salad, cereal (especially oats) or toast, so that you have a constant release of energy,” Dr Mahroof says.

“It’s important to have some fluids with vitamins, such as fruit juice or fruit. Some people have isotonic drinks (such as Lucozade) to replace any lost salts.”

It's customary for Muslims to break the fast (Iftar) with some dates, in accordance with the Prophetic traditions.

Dates will provide a burst of energy. Fruit juices will also have a similar, revitalizing effect. Start by drinking plenty of water, which helps re-hydration and reduces the chances of overindulgence. Avoid the rich, special dishes that traditionally celebrate the fast.

Foods To Avoid
✿ Deep-fried foods – such as pakoras, samosas and fried dumplings.
✿ High-sugar and high-fat foods – including sweets such as gulab jamun, rasgulla and balushahi.
✿ High-fat cooked foods – such as parathas, oily curries and greasy pastries.

Healthy Alternatives
✿ Baked samosas and boiled dumplings.
✿ Chapattis made without oil.
✿ Baked or grilled meat and chicken.
✿ Homemade pastry using just a single layer.
✿ Milk-based sweets and puddings, such as rasmalai and barfee.

Cook Methods To Avoids
✿ Deep frying.
✿ Frying.
✿ Excessive use of oil.

Healthy Cooking Methods
✿ Shallow frying (usually there is little difference in taste).
✿ Grilling or baking is healthier and helps retain the taste and original flavour of the food, especially with chicken and fish.

Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning While Cooking
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that has no smell or taste and which, when breathed in, can make you unwell and can kill. Cooking for large numbers of people using oversized pots on gas stoves has been shown to cause the build-up of carbon monoxide in some homes, particularly those that aren't well ventilated.

Therefore, if you are planning to cater for large numbers of people at your home – for example, at a pre- or post-Ramadan gathering – it's important that you don't use oversized pots on your gas stove and don't place foil around the burners.

Healthy Meal
These healthy meal ideas will give you a varied and balanced diet during Ramadan. They include ingredients from the five major food groups.

The meal plan has been written by medical experts in consultation with Islamic scholars.

Fluids (water and juices) and dates should be added to each Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and Iftar (dinner – the meal that ends the day's fast). The fast is broken with dates, followed by dinner.

Suhoor: a bowl of porridge with milk, one slice of toast and a handful of unsalted nuts.
Iftar: pitta bread with chicken, salad and hummus, and one or two pieces of baklava.

Suhoor: wheat-based cereal with milk, a plain scone or crumpet, and an apple or banana.
Iftar: chicken with boiled rice, vegetable curry and mixed salad, followed by fruit salad with single cream.

Suhoor: a bowl of shredded wheat or muesli and a pear or orange.
Iftar: baked fish with roasted vegetables, or fish curry with rice followed by sweet vermicelli or one piece of jalebi (an Indian sweet).

Suhoor: cheese, then one teaspoon of jam with crackers or toast, and a handful of dried fruits.
Iftar: pasta cooked with vegetables and chicken or fish, and a slice of plain cake with custard.

Stay healthy during Ramadan, Dorkies! xx, Z.