Helpful Organizational Tools for Muslims
Helpful Organizational Tools for Muslims
This brief post is intended to highlight organizational tools that may be helpful to Muslims on a practical level. These tools are simple aids but they can do a lot to keep track of one’s deeds (muhasaba) and in seeing one’s progress there is immense motivation to continue and to challenge oneself. Let’s get started…
Daily Goals and Tasks
This Monthly Tracker is helpful for students in keeping track of lessons, reviewing notes, personal struggles, health and fitness goals and other tasks that are repeated on a daily basis. You can download it here, fill in your daily repeated tasks and simply check them off for each day. Try focusing on goals such as praying on time, performing sunnah and nafilat, eating less than usual, safeguarding yourself from certain sins, being generous and caring with others. There is research to suggest after 21 days a repeated observance will become a habit and after 40 days it will become ingrained in one’s behavior.
“Allah loves those deeds that are consistent.” (Hadith)
Keeping track of Qadha (missed) Prayers
At times, when Muslims become more practicing in their religious observance they may realize that they have old prayers to make up that they used to miss at one point in time. This Qadha chart is helpful in keeping track of 1 years worth of 5 daily prayers. This may seem daunting but if one sticks to a schedule they can make short work of this. Please see our answers section if you have any questions regarding the fiqh.
Planning for the Moods of Friends and Family
It can be hard to understand how people work but its important to try our utmost to accommodate people through adab, akhlaq and give them 70 excuses if we find any fault in their behavior. This Mood Planner can help you keep track of what affects the moods of your friends and loved ones and how to cheer them up. One can keep track of sensitivities, likes and dislikes, past experiences, and plan based on their personal idiosyncrasies.
“The most beloved of people according to Allah is he who brings most benefit, and the most beloved of deeds according to Allah the Mighty, the Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim, or relieve him of distress, or pay off his debt or stave away hunger from him…” [Tabarāni]
Keeping track of Worship
Many people nowadays have an iPhone or a related Mac product (you may be using one now!). One great App that is worth getting is QamarDeen. Its free and it keeps track of your the quality of your prayers, charity, fasting and latest Qur’an readings. It’s a great way to assess yourself and challenge yourself to do more.
“Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things hath Power. He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.” (Quran, 67, v. 1-2)
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