Free Time Not Wasted Time: The Dawah-Minded Muslim's Guide to Purposeful Living

Prioritise Your Free Time Before Your Busyness

Got a bit of free time on your hands?

Wondering if you could be doing something more meaningful with it? You might be thinking, "Man, there's so much I could do, but where do I even start?"

Well, that's what you are here to figure out today: How to ensure your personal growth in your free time.

I am sure you have seen so many disturbing issues around the world scrolling through your feed, feeling like a tiny fish in a big ol' ocean. It's overwhelming, right?

One day it's a sick child whose life depends on a huge sum of medical bills for survival. Another it's a whole community ravaged either by natural disaster, avoidable war, or some greedy politician's lack of sense of responsibility. All these push you to the point of emotional breakdown.

But hey, take a breather. It's okay to feel that way. We're all in this together.

But here's the kicker: What if I told you that your free time could actually make a difference in people's lives? Yeah, you heard me. Your spare moments could be the key to unlocking positive change in so many people's lives.

Sounds wild. Doesn't it?

Well, buckle up, because we're about to dive in and discover just how impactful your free time can truly be. This is because when the Prophet (s.a.w) advises you to take care of your free time before your busyness, you know it is important.

So, let's begin.

To make great use of your free time, I propose you consider doing the following:

Build Projects for Your Personal Growth in Your Free Time

Making a lasting impact in the world is not an instant thing.

Most of the time, it is a result of a long unintentional, and sometimes intentional series of activities you carried out at low and high-pressure times at some points in your life. These past activities prepare you with the skills and experiences that make things you do seem like you have been planning them long ago.

You can be 100% intentional about the kinds of impact you want to have.

To do that consider always cultivating pet projects that directly address societal challenges. Whether it's combating poverty, promoting education, or enhancing community well-being, these projects become your contribution to the ummah. The small-scale projects you create in your leisure time, which may seem a waste of time, often become meaningful when you least expect them. This is how you ensure your own personal growth in your free time while contributing to other people’s life.

Avoid the mistake of underestimating the power of your individual efforts.

Every project, regardless of its scale, contributes to the larger narrative of positive transformation. So, always have a clear objective, aligning it with both your passion and the needs of your community. Regularly assess the impact and adjust your approach accordingly.

Projects, when fuelled by a sincere desire to please Allah, not only serve the community but also elevate your spiritual journey. The act of creation, innovation, and problem-solving takes on a profound spiritual dimension when done for the betterment of others. Your initiatives are a form of worship, a tangible way to express your dedication to Allah and His creation.

Every project of yours becomes an opportunity to earn His pleasure.

Projects can range from small-scale local initiatives to broader, global endeavours. The key is to embark on endeavours that align with your skills, passions, and the pressing needs of your community. By consistently working on these projects during your free time, you actively contribute to the welfare of society, fulfilling your duty as a conscious Muslim committed to the greater good.

Remember, the project you are working on and the intention behind it—doing it sincerely for Allah's sake, is very important.

Contribute to Your Community

Your free time is a treasure trove of opportunities to contribute to your community.

From developing products to offering services or volunteering, every effort directed towards the growth and development of humanity is considered an act of worship. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of contributing positively to society, stating that even removing harmful objects from the road is an act of charity. He also taught us that the best among mankind is the most useful to them.

You see why you have to channel your skills, expertise, and compassion into actions that make a positive impact?

Whether it's creating a platform for skill-sharing or organizing community events, your contributions oil the growth and continuous existence of Islamic brotherhood. Please don't look down on the power of your unique skills. Your expertise, no matter how niche, can contribute significantly to the well-being of your community.

When your contribution is powered by a genuine desire to please Allah, it transforms your routine actions into acts of ibadah. The essence lies not only in the magnitude of your contributions but in the sincerity of your intentions. Make your free time a busy time in the service of others, and witness the spiritual fulfilment that comes with embodying the values of compassion and selflessness.

Regularly assess the needs of your community and tailor your contributions accordingly. Keep your intentions pure, seeking Allah's pleasure above all.

Meet with Great Minds in Your Community

Meetings, if well-managed, serve as a powerful tool to bring together great minds dedicated to solving community problems.

Historical instances highlight the effectiveness of collective efforts, such as the consultative approach taken by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) when making community decisions. He brought together great minds from the Ansars and Muhajirun to build a solid and successful Ummah in Madinah.

You don't need to be part of a formal organization to organize a meeting. Seek out individuals with intellectual and financial capacities who share your vision for positive change. You only need to present a convincing case to get them on board your mission. However, don't limit your collaborations to those within your immediate circle only. It pays to actively seek out diverse perspectives.

Whether it's a one-on-one discussion or a group meeting, the synergy of minds can spark innovative solutions.

Identify a pressing issue in your community—maybe an issue like child poverty—and gather individuals passionate about addressing it. Your free time becomes a catalyst for communal progress as you harness collective intelligence and resources.

You need clearly defined objectives for your meetings to encourage open dialogue, and ensure that each participant feels valued and heard. Without a meaningful agenda, you will be wasting other people's time, and losing the chance to get them to want to meet with you again.

Your problem-solving meetings can become acts of service to Allah, too, when driven by a sincere intention.

Meetings are certainly a means of fostering unity and tangible positive outcomes. It helps you bring brilliant minds together to dissect social problems and bring solutions to those problems. It also helps you practice the Islamic principle of shura, mutual consultation.

Working together, inspired by faith, amplifies the impact of your efforts.

Travel the World to Widen Your Perspective

Amidst your commitment to dawah, use your free time to embark on journeys that extend beyond geographical boundaries.

Travel becomes a profound avenue for personal growth and understanding. Exposing yourself to diverse cultures will enhance your creativity, and problem-solving abilities, and give you a broader worldview. Immerse yourself in different lifestyles, absorb wisdom from various corners of the globe, and understand the challenges faced by people worldwide.

As you traverse different landscapes, learn new skills, and familiarize yourself with various worldviews, you gain a holistic perspective on the challenges of life. This knowledge empowers you to compare and contrast diverse solutions, enabling a more nuanced understanding of the issues you aim to tackle through your dawah efforts. And you get to understand the message of the Quran even more deeply. The world is a vast classroom waiting to be explored. Don't limit your perspective to your immediate surroundings.

Travel is a transformative experience that enhances your ability to contribute meaningfully to the ummah. Engage with local communities, attend cultural events, and be open to learning from every experience as long as they do not contradict the teachings of Islam.

Document your insights, as these observations will enrich your understanding of global challenges, and will help others who lack the opportunity to travel to learn from your experiences.

Be Intentional About the Legacy You Want to Leave Behind

How you spend your free time informs the quality of your legacy.

As an individual, your best work results from the things you do when you are not busy working. aka preparation. For example, your preparation for an exam takes place during your free period at home, and not necessarily during a class. Free time helps you deliver quality legacies.

Take a moment to reflect on the impact you wish to leave on this world. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized the importance of leaving behind a good legacy, stating, "When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him."

Craft a legacy aligned with your values, and consider how you want to be remembered. Your free moments are opportunities to lay the groundwork for a legacy that extends far beyond your time on Earth. Every decision you make shapes the narrative of your legacy because it influences your actions on the fate of future generations.

Whether through your projects, contributions, or collaborative efforts, every action contributes to the narrative of your legacy. Be intentional about the values you instil in others and the positive changes you inspire. Regularly assess your actions in alignment with your desired legacy.

Involve yourself in activities that reflect your values and contribute positively to the lives of those around you.

Develop a Campaign for Every Problem You Want to Solve

Turn your free time into a constant campaign for positive change.

Avoid being among those who merely complain about societal problems, yet do nothing meaningful to address them. History is a witness to numerous campaigns led by Muslims, such as charity initiatives and community development projects, that have had a transformative impact on the lives of many people. I am sure you have witnessed many of these. I am saying this to encourage you to channel your energy into developing and implementing problem-solving campaigns. Take proactive steps to address social issues within your community and beyond.

Developing a campaign involves strategic planning, mobilizing resources, and rallying like-minded individuals. When you actively work to solve problems rather than merely identifying them, you become a catalyst for transformative change. Don't succumb to inaction or assume someone else will take the lead. Your unique skills and perspective make your involvement crucial.

You need to embrace the role of a problem solver, consistently initiating campaigns that align with your dawah-minded goals.

Your commitment to addressing social challenges reflects a genuine dedication to changing the world for the sake of Allah, reinforcing the principle that actions speak louder than words. Clearly define the problem are solving, set achievable goals, and engage your community in your campaigns. Regularly evaluate the impact of your campaign and adapt your strategies to maximize effectiveness.

To be frank, as a dawah-minded Muslim, you must develop your own theory of change that must include a curriculum for achieving the change you want to create and a consistent campaign for implementing the curriculum.

This is how you turn your free time into sincere service to Allah and lay the foundation of your legacy, your sadaqatun jariyyah.

May Allah guide us all to do the right things all the time.

Teslim Adeyemo

The Muslimchangemaker

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In the meantime:

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