slow down and recharge

with these 3 daily habits from the sunnah

if i was asked to describe the prophet’s ﷺ daily rhythm in three words, it would be:

slow. mindful. purposeful.

we recently completed the book “a day in the life of Muhammad ﷺ” at our community book club — and what a day October was.

if you need any convincing to read the book, click here.

reading through those chapters,

following the prophet ﷺ through his day, felt so.. ‘light’.

despite his full schedule,

his ﷺ day felt so unhurried.

he ﷺ was fully present in every moment.

and every action, every task, had a soul.

such a contrast to the glorified frenzy that is the hallmark our lives today.

the rush. the chaos.

the going with every flow.

the emptiness of our packed schedule. the drain.

o, the sheer exhaustion of just making it through the day.

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FINDING THE CALM

what would it feel like to live unhurriedly — or at least, slow down every now and again, to find some calm for the chaos?

what would the prophet ﷺ do daily, amidst his packed schedule, to slow down and recharge?

what made his day feel so unhurried, despite a running list of to-dos, and impromptu engagements?

what helped him recharge in order to remain present, fully immersed in each commitment?

DAILY HABITS FOR SLOW LIVING

Sunnah Edition

a few things stood out as we shadowed the prophet ﷺ for a day.

and as someone who is keen on slowing down and living more unhurriedly, I found these three daily habits from the sunnah of the prophet ﷺ most interesting:

1. the mid afternoon nap

   the prophet ﷺ used to take a nap at mid day and he instructed his companions ر to do the same.

   he said:

   “take a midday nap, for Satan does not sleep in the midday.” [at-Tabarānī]

   this nap, referred to as Qaylūlah became a habit of not just the prophet ﷺ, but it was adopted by his companions ر too.

   Anas ر said that:

   “they used to gather and then take a midday nap.” [adab al-Mufrad]

   if you’ve ever heard about the power nap, and what it does for energy and focus, this is a one-up.

2. dhikr time-outs

   the prophet ﷺ would take specific times out for Dhikr during his day.

   after each Salah, he ﷺ would sit in Dhikr.

   in the morning and in the evening, he ﷺ would take time out for Dhikr.

   before bed, he ﷺ would take time out for specific adhkār.

   and the first thing he ﷺ would do upon waking was Dhikr.

   he had sufficient time slots through out the day, between tasks and daily activities to sit in remembrance of Allaah.

   a slowing down that refuels the mind, body and soul.

   “indeed, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.”

   

3. nature walks

   the prophet ﷺ used to take strolls in the some gardens and orchards in Madinah, particularly in the late mornings.

   it is reported that he ﷺ used to frequently visit bairaha, the garden of Abu Talha ر which was close to masjid-an-nabawī (the prophet’s mosque).

   “..he would visit, sit in the shade of its trees and drink from its sweet water..” [sahīh Muslim]

   at other times he would go to orchards owned by the Ansār — almost like an escape.

   Abu Hurayrah ر narrated:

   “we were seated around Allah’s messenger, and with us were Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and others. the Prophet left us and went away. his absence was long, and we feared that something unpleasant might have happened to him. we were really worried, so we rose. I was the first to worry. I, therefore, went out looking for the Prophet. I reached an orchard belonging to the Ansar.

   I went around it, trying to find its door, but there was none. there was a little stream going into the garden from a well outside. I drew myself together so that I could go in through that opening, just like a fox would do. I went in and found Allah’s messenger there. he said: “Abu Hurayrah!” I said: “yes, messenger of Allah. he gave me his shoes and said: “take my shoes and go out. whoever you meet outside this orchard who declares that ‘there is no deity other than Allah’, firmly believing in it, then give him the happy news that he will be in paradise.” [Muslim]

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   MAKING IT WORK

   these habits are intended to help you (us) slow down, recharge

   and find some calm for your daily storms.

   some order for your daily chaos.

   as is very on brand for the prophet ﷺ, these habits are simple, uncomplicated.

   still, here are some points of emphasis for making it work:

   • slow habits are built over time.

     start with what you can today, and add on later. pick one. or half. let it stick, then increase your commitment over time.

     building slow habits should not be overwhelming.

   • it’s not all or none

     if you can’t take a nap, lie down and close your eyes.

     rest. make it your quiet time.

     if you can’t find a garden or an orchard. step outside.

     ‘touch grass’..

     or snow.

     or sand — as the case maybe.

   • they are not just slow habits, they are sunnah habits. with the right intention, you kill two birds with a one stone.

     so, as you wind down this week and reset for the next,

     dear sister in striving, I hope you make time to slow down,

     recenter and recharge.

     and let me know, which slow habit will make your week a little less chaotic and a little more unhurried?

     your sister in striving,

     on the road to Ihsan,

     Fatimah Umm Bunny

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