Do we need a "second brain"? Optimized Muslim Newsletter✅

Mar 04, 2023 3:16 pm

Saturday 04th March 2023/Shaaban 12, 1444 AH

as Salaamu Alaykum

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Qur'an Ayaat

❝And He guides whoever turns to Him.❞ (Quran 42:13)

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَهُمُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ رَبِّ ارْجِعُونِ لَعَلِّي أَعْمَلُ صَالِحًا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ

Until, when death comes to one of them (the disbelievers), he says, "My Lord, send me back, that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind."

Hadith

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance due to Him, He would provide for you just as He provides for the birds. They go out in the morning with empty stomachs and return full.” Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2344

An idea I was thinking about: Do you need a second brain?

An idea that has gained some traction is the notion (pun intended iykyk) that given the access to information and consumption of content, we should use some kind of a system or database to store this information. The system should be easily searchable and thus, over time, you build a repository of information that you have previously come across.

Remember that quote from Imam Hasan Al Basri about remembering death? You could search the Imam's name with "death" and there you have it.

As this is the internet, some people go a bit mad and join courses that teach you "how to build a second brain" for thousands of dollars. I think some people have a tendency to over "optimize" with things like this. With the rise of AI language models like ChatGPT, the main argument for having a "second brain" has lost potency given that AI can now search the entire internet to respond to your prompt.

Having said that, I have had such a system for about 10 years 😂 and its relative value only goes up as time passes. So this is my System:

A note-taking application like Evernote or Notion to store ideas, journalling, projects etc. I also sync my Kindle Highlights with Notion through an application called Readwise and I have notes for the topics I am interested in and learning about. I have a folder for "rebuking atheists and criticisms of Islam" - albeit I don't really make content based on it.

The other way of thinking about this whole idea is much simpler: "The good stuff sticks" - You will remember specific quotes or ideas based on your interests and a variety of other factors (alertness, emotional state etc). In my opinion, this is kind of a cope as it submits to the wishy-washy realm which I rally against normally.

Some Reminders to keep you on 🎯

The soul will never truly be pure & reformed until it is put through calamities»

lbn Taymiya

"Dutifulness to parents is expressed in the Qur’an and Ḥadīth by the Arabic word birr which connotes kindness, compassion, benevolence and almost every aspect of good and generous treatment of others."

Al-Adab Al-Mufrad With Full Commentary by Adil Salahi

Among the infamies of the soul is laziness, It is the offspring of eating one’s fill. When the soul is satiated it becomes strengthened, and when it is strengthened it takes its share. And when it takes its share it overpowers the heart and delivers it to its pleasures

Infamies of the Soul and Their Treatments by Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, Musa Furber

"The limbs work, and the heart remembers"

"The limbs work, and the heart remembers" 10 Practical steps for more barakah:

If you ever visit a traditional souq in a Muslim-majority country, you'll notice something unique about some of the merchants, and shopkeepers:

Their body is busy, and engaging in business, but their tongue (and hearts) are busy remembering Allah SWT through Dhikr, Quran and dua

This embodies a more barakah-centred way of working

You work hard; you put in the effort, you show up, you plan, you move, you study, you get work done, and at the same time…

You remember Allah; you pray, you recite Quran, you give charity, you fast, you do well to your neighbour, parents, family, customers, etc

So, some actions on how to incorporate this into our days:

1) Set mindful and akhirah-based intentions at the start of your day

Having barakah in your day

2) If you're commuting, try to incorporate some adhkar on the way or listen to Qur'an

3)Try to be in a constant state of Wudhu to reduce the influence of Shaytaan upon you

4) Take a mid-morning break with Duha prayer

5) Take a 15-20 mins nap before or after Dhuhur.

6) Embody the Prophetic adab (manners) in your dealings, starting with a smile and fighting your ego.

7) At the end of your day, thank Allah SWT that he enabled you to achieve what you set achieved during the day, and don't stress out about how much work left you to have.

8)On your way back from work, remember Allah and do lots of istighfar and salawaat and once you’re home, try to be fully present with your family and any remaining tasks you have responsibility for

9) Engage in a regular process of Muhasaba at the end of your day to mentally go over any interactions, dealings or things that you said that were unnecessary or unbecoming or hurtful.

10) Set intentions and goals for the next day.

(Thread based on, adapted and edited from a Productive Muslim email)

Interesting links to make you smarter and recommended content🤔

Motivation Chrome Extension: Replaces your 'new-tab' page with a real-time counter showing your current age. My brother once saw this on my laptop and was like "okay then, that's weird" - 😂

Merlin Chrome Extension: Use Merlin extension to get ChatGPT-like responses on all websites with just a Cmd/Ctrl+M click! Powered by OpenAI GPT

Questions to ask ourselves

Will this take me closer or further away from the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa ta ala?

Some quotes from my readings:

Two camps: the distracted, aimlessly scrolling, and the obsessed, researching interests that support their future goals.

“Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) or megalomania is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive craving for admiration, and struggles with empathy.

If I miss one day, I try to get back into it as quickly as possible. Missing one workout happens, but I’m not going to miss two in a row.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Being in a toxic relationship, having anxiety about some other task you’re procrastinating on, or simply knowing you’re going down the wrong road in life can interfere with your motivation...

Ultralearning by Scott H. Young

Angry people seek order in a world that no longer makes sense to them.

The Like Switch by Jack Schafer and Marvin Karlins

“Two kinds of people are good at foreseeing danger: those who have learned at their own expense, and the clever people who learn a great deal at the expense of others.”

Some recent content:

🎥 Daniel Haqiqatjou on Muslim Skeptic's important work