This document discusses the importance of maintaining balance in life as a Muslim between various obligations like family, work, health, spirituality, and finances. It provides guidelines on allocating appropriate time and resources to each of these areas based on their relative importance and priorities in Islam. Maintaining this balance is crucial to being a properly practicing Muslim, avoiding extremes, and reaching one's full potential. The lifestyle of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH and the Sahabah provide the ideal models of achieving an optimally balanced way of living.

1. How to ease the struggle

2. Promise of Allah for
Good and Pure Life
"Whoever works righteousness, man or
woman, and has faith, verily, to them will
We give a new Life, a life that is good and
pure, and We will bestow on such their
reward according to the best of their
actions.“ Nahal,16:97

3. Way to reach Jannah
 "Do good deeds
 properly,
 sincerely and
 moderately. . . Always adopt a middle, moderate,
regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of
paradise)"
- Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470

4. What is balance between Islamic
work and family?
It means to create harmony- a
state in which nothing is out of
proportion or unduly emphasized
at the expense of the other.

5. Its advantages?
 Enhanced productivity and commitment to Islam,
family and society.
 Less conflict between various roles within life- i.e.
being a parent or a spouse.
 Better relationships with, colleagues, friends & family.
 Ability to feel more confident about life and be
happier

6. Life is a juggling act.
Bryan Dyson, a former CEO of Coca Cola
Health
Friends
Family
ICNA
work Spirit
Personal Excellence

7. Challenge of Balancing Life
ISLAMIC FAMILY
WORK

8. Islam is balanced way of life
 Islam is a system of life (Deen) that is optimally
balanced in its design by Allah SWT based on His
ultimate knowledge and absolute wisdom.1
And the Firmament has He raised high and
He has set up the balance (of Justice) .In
order that ye may not transgress (due)
balance. So establish weight with justice and
fall not short in the balance. Rahman,55:7-9

9. Balance is shining feature of
Muslim Ummah
 Allah (SWT) has mentioned balance, moderation and
equilibrium as the distinguishing feature of the
Muslim Ummah
Thus have We made of you an Ummah
justly balanced that ye might be witnesses
over the nations and the Apostle a witness
over yourselves… Baqarah,2:143

10. Individual Muslims must be
balanced
 Islam expects its followers at a minimum, to be
balanced, moderate and fair in everything they do; and
to strive towards excellence in goodness, as their
target.
 “Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course,
whereby you will reach your target (of paradise)"
(Bukhari)

11. Maintain balance as a Muslim
 Can be viewed from two perspectives:
1. Balance in views, attitudes
and focus
2. Balance in assigning time
and resources

12. 1- Balance in views
 Many Muslims regard Islam as a religion (a set of
religious rituals
 They think balance is to be struck between Dunya
(worldly matters) and “Deen”(misunderstood as
“merely” religion)
 To give enough time to religious rituals in a way that
their worldly pursuits are not negatively affected.
 This leads to a lifestyle where they worship their
“Dunya” (worldly matters and expediencies) and only a
little time here and/or a little money there are given to
the acts of worship.

13. 2-Balance in assigning time and
resources
 Deen encompasses every part and aspect of Dunya
 It is a matter of assigning appropriate time and
resources to all components of Deen according to the
importance and priorities that Allah (SWT) has
assigned to them
 Prophet (SAW) demonstrated this balance through his
practice, and the Sahabah observed them in their lives

14. Factors determining allocation of
time and resources
Is this an ideal Islamic society?
Are Muslims living as minority?
What stage is the Islamic Movement at ?
Is the person a leader or a worker?
Is it normal situation or emergency?

15. 5 Areas of Islamic Obligation
Family
Islamic
Health
work
Relation
Finances
with Allah

16. Time and resources to be given to
5 obligations:
 1-Islamic work responsibilities are met on a timely
basis in such a way that the Islamic movement is able
to progress towards its goals according to its strategy
and plan.
 2-A strong personal relationship with Allah is
maintained and efforts to attain personal excellence in
Islamic knowledge and Ibadah are consistently
pursued;

17. 5 Areas of Islamic Obligations
 3- Family’s basic physical and psychological needs,
according to the Ma ‘roof of the society, are adequately
met and children’s training and coaching needs are not
neglected
 4- The person’s own physical health (through
adequate food, rest and exercise) is maintained.
 5- Reasonable, lawful money/resources are earned
to finance all of the above.

18. Exceptions to this model
 This model is ordinarily applicable to Muslims in
normal circumstances.
 It is neither applicable to all Muslims nor to all
situations.
 A leader will need to spend much more time on the
first two items on a consistent basis
 Depending on the stage of Islamic work, everyone may
have to suffer and endure extra hardships and sacrifice
of personal well-being and physical health

19. Where do we find a model of
balance?
 This balancing is not an easy task.
 1- Seerah: We find ideal level of moderation and
balance in the life of the Prophet (SAW).
 2-Lifestyle of the Sahabah is another model.
Prophet said: “The best society is my society; then the
generation succeeding them and then the generation
succeeding them.”

20. Example of person with
imbalanced life
 Such type of father/spouse habitually gulps down his
dinner and is out the door for the rest of the night.
 He spends long hours away from his family serving on
masjid committees, counseling strangers with their
problems, organizing fund-raising events, and
attending endless meetings.
 When he is home, he talks on the phone for hours, sits
in front of the email, and then collapses, exhausted
into bed.

21. Stranger to one’s spouse and
children
 His wife may feel that it is her duty to willingly do
without marital companionship in order to free her
husband to do the "more important" work of Allah.
 But if the woman cares at all about
her husband, she will eventually feel betrayed and
rejected.
 If years go by and she becomes used to living without
him, such that she no longer needs or wants him, then
he has lost her, and probably his children also.

22. Children need their father
 It is not enough for the father to bring home the
money and then feel he has done his job.
 Sons and daughters need their fathers to spend time
with them.
 Sons who are deprived of their father's companionship
and affection are more likely to become delinquent or
deviant in their teens.

23. Children need their father
 Daughters who fail to receive their father's attention
and praise are more vulnerable to sexual predators as
they unconsciously search for a loving father
replacement.
 A desperate need for love and validation has led many
teens to forbidden and self-destructive behaviors,
 Kids who do sports and have fun with their dads tend
to have fewer social problems such as smoking or
drinking, and they are more likely to have a stable and
fulfilling marriage relationship in later years

24. Wives need loving husbands
 Wives who fail to receive regular doses of loving
attention from their husbands will lack the self-esteem
to effectively train an Islamic family.
 The wife's depression and nervous anxiety from her
husband's prolonged absences can affect her unborn
fetus.
 If she is struggling with her own feelings of
abandonment and rejection, how can she be
everything for her children?

25. Strong family is vital for joyous
existence
 But when a woman feels cherished by her husband and
respected, she receives a tremendous boost of energy
and there is nothing she would not do for him.
 A strong marriage is essential to good health, longevity
and a joyous and meaningful existence.
 It is not appropriate to view our Muslim families as
impediments to our lofty spiritual ambitions, but
rather, they are a trial of our actual, personal
application of Islam.

26. No competition between Islamic
work and family.
 Raising a family is Islamic work.
 Maintaining the spirit of love and peace at home is very
rigorous, nafs-reducing, intensive Islamic training.
 Wives and children need to be included in Islamic work at
home or in the local community.
 Children learn by imitation, so they need to see their
fathers in action.
 When men use the Islamic work to try to avoid marital
conflicts and the strains of child discipline, they avoid
having to develop the patience, compassion and selfless
attitude that children and wives demand.
 This is a grievous setback to their spiritual maturity.

27. Family First Policy
 All Islamic organizations should adopt a "Family First"
policy if they are serious about being vehicles of Islam.
 Lectures and conferences can only give people theoretical
knowledge.
 You may fully understand the status of women in Islam, or
the duties of wives, for example.
 Your trial is to see if you can behave in this manner at
home.
 Each trial that your family presents to you is a means for
inner purification, and serves as the practical training and
test of your faith

28. Example of Ibrahim (AS)
 At no time did Ibrahim give up or sacrifice his relationship with
his sons or his wives in order to follow Allah.
 Nor did he leave his sons' religious education and moral
upbringing to their mothers while he went off to make dawah.
 His sons were a priority in their father's life, and they had a close
relationship.
 When Ibrahim was ready and willing to sacrifice his first-born
son to Allah, it was not because Ismail was a victim of parental
coldness or neglect.
 Rather, he was the recipient of prophetic understanding.
 It was as a result of the strength of this family bond, that father
and son were united in full submission to the command of Allah.

29. Tips on achieving this balance:
1-
 . If you can break down your day and plan your
activities, you will find time that you didn't know
existed.
 Effective time management will give you the feeling
that you have more hours in your day.

30. 2-Multitasking
 Spend time driving to and from work or school,
listening to your Islamic CD’s
 Memorizing Quran? Take pocket Quran with you
wherever you go, be it a doctor's appointment, your
child's skating practice, or even while you are cooking
dinner
 Do reading or writing while waiting for your children
at a scout meeting or some other activity.

31. 3-Delegate
 Delegate! Delegate! Delegate
 Have a talk with the spouse and children. If they are
willing to help in Islamic work, the whole family will
benefit in the long run. It may take some persistence
and a little tenacity, but family can get involved.
 The kids can get a reward at the end of the week for
helping. One can take them out for dinner for helping
out.

32. 4-Hired Help
 If you can afford it, hire a secretarial help or
someone to help with house chores.
 One could hire a high-school or college-aged person to
come in and help.

33. 5-Re-evaluate Your Standards.
 One must re evaluate the standards of living one has
adopted and decide if one really needs to put lot of
time in maintaining it.
 Is it possible to live with less and hence spend more
time with the family rather than long hours at work or
doing multiple jobs.
 Look at the lifestyle of those who have less than you.
 Do not envy the lifestyle of those who have more than
you.

34. 6- Plan Quality Time
 It is best to schedule family time and time with spouse
and kids on daily basis.
 It's important for marriage and children's wellbeing
that time is spent together in unhurried, leisure
activities. They don't have to be all-day events.

35. 7- Dua
And those who pray "Our Lord! grant unto us
wives and offspring who will be the comfort of our
eyes and give us (the grace) to lead the righteous
Furqan,25:74

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