As soon as I wake up every morning, my mind starts racing ahead; reminding me of jobs to do. As soon as I complete one task, I am reminded of something else – household chores, emails to send, phone calls to make, online grocery shopping, revising for an upcoming test, taking my vitamins, my ongoing mega task of de-cluttering and of course keeping up with my religious obligations. It is not surprising that at times I feel overwhelmed with my responsibilities, especially when they seem to pile up due to unforeseen delays and poor time management. Even when seemingly ‘resting’, the voice in my head is unstoppable – ‘get up, you’ve got to hang out the washing’. I’m not very good with multi-tasking and can only concentrate on one job at a time. Whatever your role and current situation, I’m sure you have been through days like these. So many of us carry on like robots and literally fall asleep at the end of the day from tiredness.
Proponents of mindfulness, well-being and positive mental health all advocate taking a break, a pause, as being very beneficial in alleviating stress. This could mean a change of scenery or even a quiet moment to yourself. It is interesting that when he heard that his daughter intended to ask for someone to help her in the household chores, the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, instead told her to do dhikr, to say; Alhamdulilah (all praise is for God), Subhaanallah (exhalted is God) and Allahu Akbar (God is greater than all). He prescribed saying the first two phrases 33 and the last one 34 times, so mentioning Allah’s name 100 times and his daughter, Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) was happy with the advice.
You may ask how does this tasbih help someone to get through the day’s tasks? Firstly, as Allah has stated Himself, hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Also, my understanding is that by taking out a few minutes to say these phrases, you are allowing yourself to pause from your chores. Even a short pause in the day helps you to re-energise and refocus. It is recommended to say this dhikr after every mandatory salah. So a believer remains seated for a few moments after the salah before he goes back to what he was doing. Again taking a short break from the mundane tasks ahead.
In particular, the five daily salahs help to punctuate the day and provide the small breaks we need to re-centre and refresh ourselves spiritually and physically. In another hadith, the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him, advised that tranquility and reverence are essential qualities while performing salah, instead of being hasty. Something I am trying to implement at the moment is taking a few seconds pause before moving from one position in salah to the next. I am finding that it helps me to concentrate. In particular, sajdah is a precious gift and imagine, as another hadith has affirmed, your sins falling off your shoulders when you bow and prostrate. The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself”
Look after yourself and ensure you take short breaks during the day, and view salah as the pauses you need to alleviate your energy and mood.
