⏳Imam Ghazali on Time Management, AI Bot on Islam🤔, The Zeigarnik Effect & more - Newsletter

Dec 11, 2022 2:47 pm

Sunday 11 December December 2022

as Salaamu Alaykum

My intention with these newsletters is to synthesise beneficial information for you in sha Allah. (Today's is good one - I think 🤔)

Alhamdulilah, the Optimized Muslim project is growing across all social media platforms. I'm actually quite surprised. I aimed high initially, but that was in 2017 and I was thinking of a 20-year time horizon. Over the last 6 months, I realised that I should shorten the timeline. On that note:

Qur'an Ayah

أُولَٰئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَهَا سَابِقُونَ

It is they who hasten to every good work and these who are foremost in them.

(Sūratul Mu’minūn, No.23, Āyat 61)

May Allah SWT reward all of you that have supported this project. The newsletter subscribers are the strongest followers.

If you like this Newsletter, you will like xychrosdaily who I've partnered with this week. It is similar to this but also includes World and geopolitical news. Check it out https://www.xychrosdaily.com/subscribe

Ahadith

The Prophet ﷺ said: “And know that what has befallen you was not going to miss you, and that which missed you was not meant to befall you.”

Sunan Abi Dawūd 4700. Graded sahīh.”

Abū Hurayra reported: “I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, ‘Man follows his friend’s religion, you should be careful who you take for friends.’” Sunan Abī Dawūd 4833.

Reminders📿🤲

Ibn al-Jawzi said: “Understand that life has occasions. One time it is poverty, and another time it is wealth. Once it is honour, and another it is humiliation. Happy is he who remains grounded in each situation.”

This is a key mindset frame. I used to have "This is the dunya, anyway" as my WhatsApp status for years. Does it show I'm a bit of a weird guy? Yes😂. But it is also a deep reminder.

"The pain which we may suffer in this world, however severe, yet does not weigh the amount of an atom in comparison with the pains and torment of the other world. This world is a fading shadow, but the future world is abiding and eternal. " Imam Ghazali The Alchemy of Happiness

Imam Al Ghazali on Time management⏳

“Your time should not be without any structure, such that you occupy yourself arbitrarily with whatever comes along.

Rather, you must take account of yourself and order your worship during the day and the night, assigning to each period of time an activity that must not be neglected nor replaced by another activity.

By this ordering of time, the blessing in time will show itself. A person who leaves himself without a plan as animals do, not knowing what he is to do at any given moment, will spend most of his time fruitlessly.

Your time is your life, and your life is your capital: by it you make your trade, and by it you will reach the eternal bounties in the proximity of Allah.

Every single breath of yours is a priceless jewel, because it is irreplaceable; once it is gone, there is no return for it.

So do not be like fools who rejoice each day as their wealth increases while their lives decrease. What good is there in wealth that increases while one’s lifespan decreases?

Do not rejoice except in an increase of knowledge or an increase of good works.

Truly they are your two friends who will accompany you in your grave, when your spouse, your wealth, your children, and your friends will remain behind.”

— Imam al-Ghazali

Dealing with Anxiety Recommended content

Breathwork is a remarkable way of centering yourself and reconnecting to your body instead of being stuck up in your head neurotically and inhibited from being, speaking and doing more fully.

Video by Firas Zahabi https://youtu.be/E9rsWvZaukE

Unrelated but worrying:

Sperm quality is on the decline. Environmental toxins are one of the key reasons: Journal Article

Productivity Hack: The Zeigarnik Effect

"Our brains are goal-focused, so we have better recall of unfinished tasks than finished ones.

This is the reason that TV series finish episodes on cliff-hangers.

You can exploit this by taking your breaks halfway through tasks.

If you write, end the day mid-sentence so that when you return you'll find it easier to get rolling again." Modern Wisdom Newsletter

AI ChatBot on Islam

Interesting Twitter Thread by SH Mu'aawiya Tucker: Thread

Controlling social media use

I've recently started using an App blocker again to control social media use. If you have a page, it's easy to justify posting as it is linked with growing the project. However, using an app that restricts access to certain times, not only makes your use more focused but I feel like it saves mental processing power. Because you know you cannot access Instagram, for example, it just helps declutter your mind for focused work.

I've been using the "post and run" protocol when it comes to Social media 😂. It's working great so far. Don't let the matrixed social media neuroscientists win!

One question to ask ourselves

How can I best interpret a negative experience so that it is a means of eustress?

I want to hear from like-minded people, please feel free to reply.

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