By Mohamed Faris
Close your eyes and imagine for a moment that you’re zooming into the humble dwelling of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It’s almost time for Fajr (Dawn) prayer, and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is either awake praying/remembering God or taking a brief nap after a long night in prayers.
He wakes up at dawn (i.e., before sunrise) for the morning prayers. And every successful person will tell you that the secret to productivity and success is to wake up early. In fact, one of Prophet Muhammad’s famous saying is “The early hours are blessed for my nation” [Tirmidhi] meaning there are blessing and goodness in these early hours.He’s mindful & present during these first few moments of waking up, conscious of his first few actions by cleansing his mouth, expressing gratitude to God, intently listening to the call to prayer. Compare this with our addiction to checking our phones as soon as we wake up and the impact it has on our focus and mindset.
He begins his day with gratitude, recognizing what a gift it is to be alive for another day and reminding himself (and us) that there’s life after death which gives him drive and purpose to live the best version of himself that day.He’s present in every step (entering the mosque with his right foot, leave with his left, entering his home with his right) and blesses every transitions with a supplication or prayer (there are numerous recorded supplications of the Prophet for practically every transition/action a person might go through in a day, from supplications to entering/ leaving home, to supplications for putting on clothes/taking off clothes, to even supplications before entering/leaving the bathroom).
These supplications serve the purpose of keeping someone spiritually conscious and aware throughout his/her daily activities.His first primary “task” is the morning prayers and staying focused on remembering his purpose of life. What is our first major “task”? Responding to emails? Rushing to get kids to school because we woke up late?He nurtured his relationships before sunrise, asking about his family/companions, engaging with them in meaningful conversations (and not act too busy to be involved in their lives).He was easy going – if there’s food, he’d have breakfast. If there’s no food, he will fast.
Compare this with the obsession most of us have for our morning cup of coffee or some particular breakfast item that “we can’t start our day without!”The Prophetic Day
After he visits his family, he would go back to the masjid (mosque) and pray two rak’ahs (units of prayer), then he would sit in the masjid (mosque), and the companions would gather around him.
This was a known time for everyone in Madinah to come and see the Prophet (peace be upon him) if they wanted to spend time with him, ask him anything or needed anything from him.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) would spend this time teaching and share from the knowledge that Allah has given him as well as take care of the political and social affairs of his community.
This was the time that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would also receive delegations from nearby and far lands. Either newly converted tribes to his faith, or friendly tribes that did not embrace his faith but nevertheless came to pay their respects. He would greet his guests, honor them and ask about their news and how he can help them.
At these gatherings, the Prophet (peace be upon him) never had a particular seat or clearly marked symbol, to the point that when strangers would come to the gathering, they would have to ask who among them is the Prophet! (Only later in his life, did the Companions insist on making a special raised area for him and the Prophet agreed).
Sometimes food would be given as a gift at this gathering, and the Prophet and everyone around him would eat together communally. Even if the food is little, there’d be enough for everybody, a sign the companions took to be the barakah (blessing) of having the Prophet amongst them.
During these morning hours between sunrise and just before noon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would also go to visit some of his relatives and companions. He will visit his daughter Fatimah (may Allāh be pleased with her) and spend time with his grandsons playing with them and be their playful granddad, or he will visit his friends who were sick, or lost a loved one.
Also, during these hours he would walk through the Madinah market, greeting the passersby with his beautiful smile, talking with young children and asking about them, and if a person stops him (whether male or female, young or old), he would stop and listen to them and see how he can help them. Sometimes he would walk alone, other times with his Companions.
Before Noon, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would go to his house, and as soon as he enters, he would first use the siwak, say salam to his family and pray some rak’ahs (units) of an optional (forenoon) prayer called Duha. Then sometimes if there’s food he eats, and if there isn’t he would continue his fast if he started fasting that morning.
Usually, at this time, the women of Madinah would come and visit the Prophet (peace be upon him) and ask questions about faith and rituals which they might be embarrassed to ask in a crowded mosque.
This is the time when he would also be helping his family, serving them, repairing his shoes and clothes, milking the sheep or goat, and supporting himself and his family with daily chores. He would also spend quality time with his family, talking, smiling and laughing with them.
Sometimes while at home, his close Companions would visit him at this hour such as Abu Bakr (may Allāh be pleased with him), Umar (may Allāh be pleased with him) and Uthman (may Allāh be pleased with him).
Then he would take a nap until close to the Dhuhr (Noon) prayer.
When Dhuhr (Noon) time comes, and Bilal (may Allāh be pleased with him) calls for prayer, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would wake up from his nap if he’s still asleep, and would perform wudhu (ablution) then pray in his home four units of prayers before the main Dhuhr (Noon) prayer. He’d wait for the salah (prayer) in his house, then he’d come out to the Masjid (Mosque), and Bilal (may Allāh be pleased with him) would call for the prayer to start.
After the Dhuhr (Noon) prayer, he would sometimes use this opportunity to address his congregation about an important spiritual or social matter. Afterward, he would return home and pray two units of voluntary prayers after the noon prayer then he’d go out with his Companions to fulfill specific duties needed in the city, or he’d stay in the mosque until Asr (Afternoon) prayer.
Once he returns from the masjid (mosque) after Asr (afternoon), he would spend quality time with his entire family in a relaxed, joyful atmosphere; he would ask his family questions, or they’d ask him questions, and the Prophetic house would learn and grow in understanding of the Divine revelation.
‘He was easy going – if there’s food, he’d have breakfast. If there’s no food, he will fast. Compare this with the obsession most of us have for our morning cup of coffee or some special breakfast item that “We can’t start our day without!’
This part of the Prophet’s day might seem all over the place, and hard to draw specific routines that we can implement in our lives but consider the following:
He had designated “office hours” in the morning where people knew where to find him, and they could ask their questions. If you’re a leader and executive, being available and present for your team is extremely important.He napped! The most influential man in history, the man whose task was to save humanity, and the man who has over a billion followers today, took time to nap. Let this sink in for a bit. Don’t tell me you’re too busy or important to nap.His day was interjected with prayers and more prayers. Barely a few hours pass in his day before you see him praying. As if he’s recharging his batteries and taking a “break” from the world with prayers.He went out to see his family and community and didn’t expect people to visit him. This was the leader of his community, the most beloved and respected person in town. You probably expect people to come and visit him all the time. Yet he took time out of his day to go in the market, visit the sick, spend time with the poor. A powerful lesson in servant leadership.Whenever he was home. He spends quality time with his family. One of most powerful testimonies to his character was that we never hear any family member, or friend, or community member complaining to the Prophet saying “You’re always busy! You never give me enough time”. How many of us can honestly say they haven’t heard that complaint in their life at least once?
Narrated Al-Aswad that he asked `Aisha (wife of the Prophet) “What did the Prophet (ﷺ) use to do in his house?” She replied, “He used to keep himself busy serving his family and when it was the time for prayer he would go for it.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]
Source: The productive muslim
Mohammed Faris is an international coach, author, and speaker who helps individuals and teams live the best versions of themselves – spiritually, physically, and socially. He’s the founder of The Productive Muslim Company and author of “The Productive Muslim: Where Faith Meets Productivity.
