THE KHALIFAH DIARIES Be The Best Muslimah For Allah SWT

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Morning habits are amazing! Whether your routine is a little more go-with-the-flow or a strict military-style, you should definitely find your optimum style to master your mornings.

Almost ALL successful people in this world swear by their morning routine. You know why? Because your morning will set the tone for your entire day. Have enough optimized days in a year and you’re well on your way to success!

Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings (i.e., what they do early in the morning).” – [Hasan]

So, no matter where you’re at right now, let’s start changing your life by having an amazing morning routine that will bring out the best Muslimah in you insyaAllah!

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Tip 1 – Spend quality time with Allah

For most of us, our entire day is dedicated to our work, family, friends and everyone besides… ALLAH, our Creator. So, why not set aside your morning as a special time between you and Allah. And this does not have to take hours, wake up 1 hour before Fajr and make Tahajjud, just like Prophet Muhammad SAW did.

“And rise at the last part of the night, offering additional prayers, so your Lord may raise you to a station of praise.” – [Surah Al-Isra 17:79]

He would wake up on the last 3rd of the night and do Qiam – the night prayer. It is your most precious time of the day to let yourself go and connect with Allah on a very deep level. 

When the world is asleep and all the angels are roaming the earth to find the special souls that are yearning for Allah’s love, you are there in sujood prostrating to your One True Master. There is no love GREATER than that SubhanAllah. 🙂

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “(A group of) angels stay with you at night and (another group of) angels by daytime, and both groups gather at the time of the ‘Asr and Fajr prayers. Then those angels who have stayed with you overnight, ascend (to Heaven) and Allah asks them (about you) —- and He knows everything about you. “In what state did you leave My slaves?’ The angels reply, ‘When we left them, they were praying, and when we reached them they were praying.” – [Sahih Bukhari]

This is the time for you to pour out your heart to Him and let nothing distract you.

Do this every day and you will NEVER be far from Allah. InsyaAllah. 

Tips to make the most of this time:

• Don’t open your phone at all
• Tell Allah everything, don’t hold back anything
• Ask for everything you could ever want
• Use any extra time you have before Fajr to read the Quran

“And recite the Qur’an in the early dawn. Verily the recitation of the Qur’an in the early dawn is ever witnessed (17:78).” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “It is witnessed by the angels of the night and the angels of the day.” [Tirmidhi]

Related:

• 11 Effective Ways To Develop Gratitude To Allah

Tip 2 – Sleep early the night before to wake up early

We all have very different schedules and sometimes it can be hard to sleep and wake up early. But it is the best way to fully function the next day. 

“Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.” [Surah An-Nisa, 4:103]

That is why Allah made it MANDATORY or wajib that we wake up and perform our Fajr Salah on time. He wants us to be early risers and take control of the day as soon as possible. But if we sleep in, we are actually not fulfilling what Allah intended for us.

So, make sure to sleep early and wake up early the next day. Do this every day and you’ll see a boost in your productivity insyaAllah. 🙂

Here’s a tip from Yasmin Mogahed:

“If you’re having trouble waking up for Fajr, set your alarm to play Quran. It works!”

Yasmin Mogahed

Related:

• 5 Mindsets To Live A Successful Life

Tip 3 – Drink a glass of water upon waking up

Have a glass of water or your bottle of water ready by your bedside. That way it’s easy for you to reach it first thing in the morning. Remember to cover your glass of water with a lid to prevent syaitan from polluting it. 

Besides refreshing you and waking up your whole body system, it has tons of health benefits including hydrating your skin, strengthening your immune system and a whole lot more!

If you don’t have a favourite water bottle yet, you can get one you love on Amazon:

Tip 4 – Say ‘Alhamdulillah’ first

As soon as you open your eyes in the morning, praise Allah by saying ‘Alhamdulillah – All praises and thanks be to Allah’. The first thing we say is the first thing we think about. So, think about the opportunity and blessing that Allah has given you to wake up for yet another day. He could have left you dead while you were sleeping. 

So, Alhamdulillah for another wonderful day to live! After all, sleeping is actually a sort of death. 

Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “O Allah, in Your Name I die and I live (Allāhumma bismika amūtu wa aḥyā).” And when he would wake, he would say: “Allah praise is due to Allah who revived my soul after causing its death and to Him is the resurrection (Al-ḥamdulillāh, alladhī aḥyā nafsī ba`da mā amātahā wa ilaihin-nushūr).” [Tirmidhi]

Related:

• 11 Effective Ways To Develop Gratitude To Allah

Tip 5 – Shower, brush your teeth and take whudu

“Cleanliness is half of our imaan”. [Sahih Muslim]

So, just as you want your heart to be purified with the remembrance of Allah, clean your body to get rid of filth. 

Related:

• 11 Effective Ways To Develop Gratitude To Allah

Tip 6 – 10-minute tidy up

Again, cleanliness is half of your iman, remember? 🙂 Make the bed, sweep the floor, open the curtains. Do whatever you need to welcome the sunshine into your room. This will signal to your brain that it’s no longer night time therefore you need to get up and get going. 

The tidiness of your space is a reflection of your mind. If your mind is messy and full of clutter, your space will look exactly like it. But decluttering your mind can be more complicated than decluttering your room.

So, start with cleaning your room. Your mind will instantly feel more free and refreshed. 🙂

Tip 7 – Declutter your mind

I like to write love letters to Allah. It’s just journaling but addressed to Allah. Even when I’ve had my ‘morning date’ with Allah, I would still write down what I told Him in my sujood and essentially just dump out all my worries, duas and wishes in my head. 

I would usually find answers and lots of newfound strength at the end of every entry. 🙂 If you need a journal, you can search for one here.

If you need a new notebook, here are some beautiful ones on Amazon:

Tip 8 – Read the Quran

“Call upon Me, I will respond to you. Surely those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell, fully humbled.” [Surah Ghafir, 40:60]

Whether directly or indirectly, the Quran can give you answers to your deepest questions. Sure, you won’t find algebra or physics in the Quran, but if you have any questions regarding the matters of your heart, find it there.

This is how Allah communicates with us – through His divine book. You can start with just setting aside 15-30 mins in the morning. Read the Arabic and the translation. In Malaysia, most Muslims would be reading the Arabic Quran at a relatively young age, but we don’t necessarily read the translation early on. 

So, oddly enough, we can read the Arabic Quran perfectly without understanding its meaning. Although it’s good to be able to read it, it still does not fulfill the purpose of the Quran’s divine messages.

The Quran was sent by Allah as a guide for us to follow and practice in our lives. If we don’t understand it, how are we supposed to practice it? So, make sure to read both the Arabic AND translation. 🙂

That way, Allah’s words can truly reach your heart insyaAllah. 🙂

Related:

• 5 Mindsets To Live A Successful Life

Tip 9 – Do morning stretches or workout

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good.” [Sahih Ibn Majah]

Your body is stiff in the morning. So, if you don’t want to be a stiff zombie the whole day, stretch it out with a routine stretch that you love. You can find tons of these on Pinterest and Youtube. 

When I first started doing this, I didn’t realize how stiff my body was until I was having a hard time doing some of the most simple stretches. As I incorporated this into my morning routine, my body started to feel more flexible and strong.

Some people can do a full-on workout but I’m not at this level. If you are doing regular workouts, kudos to you! If not, some simple stretches will help you go a long way too. 🙂

Tip 10 – Set your intention for the day and make dua

Always remember to rely on Allah when we’re starting something. Without Him, we won’t be able to accomplish anything. When I was younger, I wondered how the non-Muslims could accomplish so much without even acknowledging Allah’s existence. 

Do not be deceived by the prosperity of the disbelievers throughout the land. It is only a brief enjoyment. Then Hell will be their home—what an evil place to rest! [Surah Ali ‘Imran, 3:196-197]

I found the answer in the Quran. Allah gives His provisions or rizq in this world to EVERYONE whether Muslims or non-Muslims because He is just. Whoever works for it, they’ll get it and vice versa. But Allah does not give His love to just anyone. Only the people who rely on Him, remember Him and fully submit to Him will be the people whom He loves ad be granted Paradise. 🙂

So, if you want to be a beloved slave of Allah, make sure you start everything in your life with the intention of pleasing Him alone and no one else. When it comes to your mornings, set your intention to please Allah by starting your day full of energy and productivity to maximise your good deeds throughout the day.

That way, when you’ve reached the end of the year, you would have a streak of great days being utilised to please Allah. insyaAllah. 🙂

Tip 11 – Eat a healthy breakfast

This is my favourite part of the morning because I love eating haha. 😀

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “Whoever takes seven ‘Ajwa dates in the morning will not be affected by magic or poison on that day.” [Sahih Bukhari]

Rasulullah SAW loved dates and honey, so if you have these, try incorporating them into your breakfast every day with the intention of following the Sunnah. They are very rich in nutrients, and will give you the most energy. If you don’t have these, you can still opt for other healthy breakfasts with lots of fruits and vegetables.

Find simple but delicious breakfast recipes that you can make easily in the morning. I’ve tried some really complicated ones and couldn’t stick with them after a while. The simple ones really work best for me. 

The most important thing is you stay consistent with it. As you maintain your healthy breakfast over time, you will feel more energized throughout the day and your mind will be more focused on all the tasks at hand.

Tip 12 – Set goals for the day and make dua to accomplish them

When you want to achieve something, you need to ask for ease from Allah first because He is The One who can help you accomplish your goals. This can come in many forms.

For example:

• When you have an interview, Allah can soften and ease your interviewer’s heart to notice the best in you.
• When you need to write assignments, Allah can give you clarity in your writing so that you reduce mistakes.
• When you are driving and there’s potential for an accident, Allah can protect you and prevent that from happening.

Behind every event that happens in the day, Allah is The One who governs everything. When we do our best and put our trust in Him, He will give us the best outcome of the day for us insyaAllah. 🙂

So, set your goals and start accomplishing them!

What are the things you’d like to accomplish? How might this day be different from yesterday?  How would you treat others and want to be treated? 

Some people have a to-do list or a planner to help them stay organized throughout the day. This is helpful too. If you don’t have one, you can get them here.

Tip 13 – Listen to inspiring and motivational podcasts

Our mood and energy can differ every morning, some days are great, some are low. If you need a little boost in the morning, you can get it from inspiring Muslim podcasters on Spotify. They’re amazing Alhamdulillah.

Here are some great podcasts you can listen to.

• Mindful Muslimah Speaks – Mindful Muslimah
• Naptime is sacred – Fousia Abdullahi
• Zaytuna Ramadan Podcast – Zaytuna College

Tip 14 – Be in nature

Being in nature is very relaxing and refreshing at the same time, especially in the morning. It instantly heightens your senses and wakes you up in the most gentle way. There’s a reason Allah made the trees green.

Researches have found that nature’s green colour is very beneficial for vitality and mental health. One Harvard study found that women who lived in green spaces have a lower mortality rate by 12% compared to those who live outside of green spaces – meaning, you live longer.

“There are countless signs on earth for those with sure faith, as there are within yourselves. Can you not see?” [Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:20-21]

So, if you have a garden or a balcony with plants, be sure to spend more time there because nature can heal you. 🙂

Before covid got worse, my husband and I use to walk around the block in our neighborhood every other morning. Now that covid in Malaysia is rising, we just spend more time in front of our windows instead of getting outside. 🙂

Which is sad, but it’s ok. Allah knows best.

Conclusion

I hope this list has given you some ideas to create your own morning routine.

Just remember that establishing a great morning routine is always a struggle in the beginning. So, don’t be discouraged if you fall out of your routine sometimes. Find the best activities that you personally love doing in the morning.

You don’t need to compare yourself with anyone. As long as you’re doing your best for Allah, He will accept all your efforts. And that’s all that matters. 🙂

Once you get the right rhythm going, your days will be more fulfilled and productive insyaAllah.

May you achieve all your goals and dreams in this life and akhirah. Ameen 🙂

Any good from this article is from Allah and any evil is from the shaytaan and me. May Allah forgive our shortcomings in practicing His deen.

Wa billahi tawfeeq wa hidayah

(All successes come from Allah and His guidance).