I’m sure many of you have had that one Desi aunty tell you how so many ‘goray’ are now adopting certain ways of life that resemble those of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions—or the ones that Islam has already taught us. (Spoiler Alert: she’s right.) There have been countless other Western and religious philosophies that have claimed to be the key to a life of peace and contentment. However, there is only one which takes into account every single aspect of a person’s life—mind, body, soul and even their role in society. Allow me to prove the relevance of the sayings of our Prophet ﷺ by giving you five examples of the timeless wisdom given to him by Allah (S.W.T.) for us to apply in our day-to-day matters, practiced by himself 1400 years ago.
1. Keeping your heart clean
Anas Ibn Malik Radhiallahu’anhu (whom the Prophet ﷺ raised in his own home) is reported to have said that the The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him:
Oh My Son, if you are capable of waking up in the morning, and ending the evening without any hatred in your heart for anyone, then do so. (Narrated in Tirmidhi.)
Making it a point to remove any dirt from your heart like you would from your skin before going to sleep and after waking up guarantees you a heart that is always at peace. This advice is for everyone: for those of us who overthink the smallest of remarks someone passed on us or those who have actually had to deal with major toxicity in their everyday lives. That’s what gives this hadith so much power. It comes from a man who has been persecuted both mentally and physically more than anyone in his life. A man whose own tribe turned against him, whose own blood relatives called him awful names, whose own people slandered him.
Instead of falling into a victim mindset and holding grudges against those people (which any ordinary person rightfully would), he understood that carrying this weight in his heart will only make it heavier and destroy his peace of mind. When those same people accepted Islam and listened to his sermons—instead of having any sort of harsh words directed towards them in efforts to get them to apologize to him—they found nothing but his affection in return. ‘This is from my Sunnah,’ he said. Following this one may be difficult at times but it is ultimately incredibly rewarding.
2. Be a source of ease and comfort for others
In a world where we have now learned to say ‘not my problem’ and move on, we forget that the Prophet ﷺ told us that the Ummah is one body and that we must care for people, even if we don’t know them.
Make things easy for people. (Sahih al Bukhari, 6125)
Whether it is going out of your way to check up on your neighbors, sharing your notes with a classmate that’s been falling behind, asking your parents or siblings if there’s anything you can help them with, or just helping someone carry their things if you see them struggling (some assistance to the art students would be highly appreciated). Be an active part of your community, talk to the people around you and find out what you can do for them. This consciousness and awareness is the way of our Prophet ﷺ and he never let anyone underestimate their role in society, no matter how small it might seem.
Sometimes, reaching out and assisting others is what we ourselves need, since it distracts us from our own problems and worries. Research at the Health Promotion Institute shows that helping others reduces stress levels in a person—since loneliness and depressive feelings are oftentimes related to isolation—and creates a sense of fulfillment and well-being.
3. Eat less, Sleep less, Speak less
The three things he did not like excess of. No, this does not mean you can deprive yourself of sleep and nutrition to the point that it makes you sick. He maintained a moderation in their amounts and instructed us to do so as well.
Eating Less:
It should be enough for the son of Adam to have a few bites to satisfy his hunger. If he wishes more, it should be: one-third for his food, one-third for his drinks and one-third for his breath.
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2380)
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to eat in small portions with water and dates being a main part of his diet. Overeating only causes a person to feel lazier, sleepier, and less productive. And almost everyone of us can recall being forced to finish our food as kids and eat more than what was required even though a small portion of the said food is enough to suffice our hunger and keep us fit. Here, the relevance of this hadith is evident as it conveys ideal dietary habits in clear terms.
Unsurprisingly, science corroborates these eating habits. Over time, scientific research has proven how eating in small portions helps resist many diseases and maintains a person’s health. A study published in the Journal Cell explains how eating less makes you live longer and reduces inflammation. As mentioned in this study: ‘Several interventions have been proposed to rejuvenate cells and organs, delay the onset of age-associated diseases, and extend healthspan and lifespan, among which caloric restriction (CR) has been recognized as one of the most effective interventions.’
Sleeping Less:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would go to sleep after praying Isha; he never liked sleeping before it and staying awake after it (keep in mind he used to pray Isha a bit later than the Adhan) and used to wake up completely fresh, hours before the Fajr Adhan to pray Tahajjud. And of course, we have the mighty Qailulah, one of our favorite Sunnahs (I know it is mine), where he used to nap between a time that scholars now believe are the hours from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm.
This would be the perfect 30 minute energizer for the rest of his day where he had to attend meetings with various chiefs, interact with several people and also give time to his family. And just as expected, neuroscience has revealed that power napping during these hours of the day ‘boosts wakefulness and performance, improves memory, enhances alertness, and recovers certain qualities of lost night sleep.’
(Tumiran, Mohd Amzari, et al. “The Concept of Qailulah (Midday Napping) from Neuroscientific and Islamic Perspectives.” Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 57, no. 4, 2018, pp. 1363-1375)
Of course, we’re not expected to immediately implement his entire routine. The reason I included most of it in here is because each and every bit of it is gold, so if we take even only a few habits of his and make them a part of our routine, in an effort to become like him ﷺ, we’ll see for ourselves how transformative they are.
Speaking Less:
Ever wonder, things would’ve been so much easier if I’d just learn when to stop talking? Because our dear Prophet ﷺ already showed us why his words always had value, why his words were never the cause of any harm and why they never got him entangled in a situation he would later regret. We’ve all been there: going a bit too far for the sake of trying to make everybody laugh but it actually turning out to be harsher than you thought and hurting someone you care about. Start to talk without a plan, ending up saying something you didn’t mean to or being horribly misunderstood. Getting carried away in a conversation and forgetting that the one you just roasted is your mother (never ends up pretty).
In a world where now it is constantly affirmed to ‘speak your mind!’, he showed us the importance of knowing whether or not saying something is actually even necessary. He would listen to his companions’ stories and smile at them; the Sahabah say that he was known for observing long periods of silence, contributing mostly just with his presence. His wife, A’isha Radhiallahu’anha said that when the Prophet ﷺ spoke, “We could count his words.” He was always to the point, his sentences short and concise.
Sometimes, we go home thinking we had a great time talking to some friends, but there’s an emptiness in our heart which makes us feel sad and we can’t find out why (this is for all the people I’ve caught liking a meme that says ‘me after having fun with my friends all day’ with a sad picture of Cillian Murphy).
Well, here you go:
Ibn ‘Umar narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Indeed excessive talking without remembrance of Allah hardens the heart.
This does not mean that every conversation of ours needs to include something about religion. The Sahaba say that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ “would talk about what we would talk about.” He did not encourage advising people on religious matters continuously, because he knew people can become exhausted from constant preaching and that isn’t effective. However, he says that the only excessive conversation that doesn’t deaden a person’s heart is when he is remembering his Creator; these conversations actually enrich our hearts.
This hadith also conveys that when a person talks too much while forgetting Allah’s presence, he tends to be less mindful of his speech. Certain details can slip our tongue (which weren’t supposed to) or certain tones may be inadvertently adopted which later make us regret. That is why we must maintain in our minds a constant, silent consciousness of Allah’s presence. We’ll start to notice the softness in our tone, the effectiveness of our words and the value of everything we say growing stronger.
4. Stay physically fit
Our Prophet ﷺ was a man so physically fit that even to the date of his death, his stomach never extended beyond his chest. One of his very famous Ahadith:
The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, while there is good in both. (Sahih Muslim, 2664)
He meant this in terms of faith as well as physical strength. There are three main physical exercises he encouraged everyone to practice, as stated in a hadith narrated by Hazrat Umar Radhiallahu’anhu:
Teach your children swimming, archery and horse-back riding.
Archery was one of his favorite sports; it increases precision and focus while swimming and horse-back riding increase confidence, discipline and nurture leadership qualities.
Once a very famous wrestler of the Arab world, Rukaana, was invited to accept Islam by Rasulallah ﷺ. He answered, “If you defeat me in wrestling, I shall accept it.” To which he ﷺ agreed and was able to defeat Rukaana by throwing him to the ground with only one move. (That too, twice).
5. Having the Abundance Mindset
A person is only stingy when he lives in a lack mindset. A companion of the Prophet ﷺ once gifted a beautiful garment to him. When another companion saw him wearing that, he asked if he could have it. The Prophet ﷺ gave it to him without any hesitation and went home to change into his old clothes, even though he only had a few. The Sahaba were angry at that man because they knew that the Prophet ﷺ would never refuse despite the fact that he had less clothes. He would give and never stop giving, because he believed in the Barakah that Allah would bless his life with.
He never believed giving meant that something would be snatched away from him, or there wouldn’t be enough left for him. He never feared that someone else would take the spotlight away from him in a gathering. He would ask his wives if there was any food, and if there wasn’t, he would happily fast. All because of the belief that Allah would provide and what’s meant for him will come to him. And time and time again, it did. This is the billion dollar mindset we all need to excel in our lives.
So folks, I hope— if you’ve made it this far— that this little glimpse into our Prophet’s ﷺ simple yet beautiful lifestyle inspires you enough to make at least one of these habits slowly your own. He never encouraged taking on multitudes of difficult tasks all at once and told the companions that burdening oneself will only result in not being able to carry on with any of those things. Growth is gradual. And the nature of his Sunnah is such that it rewards you in all aspects, so it’s a win-win-win-win… (you get what I mean). Such is his timeless wisdom that 1400 years later, he is now considered the most influential, inspiring, mentally and physically strong leader to exist. He is the only role model for mankind, and we are his Ummah, so we better start acting like it!
By Noor Fatima Shahjahan
Writer (Team 2023-2024)
Note: the views expressed in the article solely belong to the writer and do not reflect TLC.