This document provides tips on achieving balance and reducing stress in one's life from an Islamic perspective. It discusses the importance of balancing one's time between various obligations like family, health, spirituality, work, and finances. Maintaining proper balance is crucial for enhanced productivity, happiness and strong relationships. The document offers advice from the Quran, hadith and examples from the Prophet's life on achieving balance. It also defines stress, lists its symptoms and effects, and suggests Islamic remedies like keeping a positive attitude, relaxation, exercise, good diet and making dua to Allah to help manage stress.

1. How to ease the struggle
By: Saadia Z. Yunus
(with assistance from Dr. Mohammad Yunus)

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. Why is it important to balance our
time and ease our stress?
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. 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
1

7. 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

8. 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)

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

10. 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.

11. 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

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

13. Challenge of Balancing Life
ISLAMIC
WORK
FAMILY

14. 5 Areas of Islamic Obligation
Family
Islamic
work
Finances
Health
Relation
with Allah

15. 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;

16. 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.

17. 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.”

18. Examples of
an unbalanced life?
 ???
 Spending hours on the phone
 Rushing to get things done
 Projects are turned in late
 Relationships are ignored/lacking
 Procrastination
 Lack of organization/cleanliness
 STRESS!

19. 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.

20. Focusing on Family Time
 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
 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.

21. Example of Ibrahim (AS)
 At no time did Ibrahim give up or sacrifice his relationship with
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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.

22. Strong family is vital for joyous
existence
 Raising a family is Islamic work.
 Maintaining the spirit of love and peace at home is
very rigorous, nafs-reducing, intensive Islamic
training.
 Children learn by imitation, so they need to see their
parents in action.
 A strong marriage is essential to good health, longevity
and a joyous and meaningful existence. ***

23. - 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.
 Date nights/days!

24. 11 Tips on Time Management
1) Realize that time management is a myth.
There are always only 24 hours in a day. Time doesn't change. All we can actually
manage is ourselves and what we do with the time that we have.
2) Find out where you're wasting time.
Many of us are prey to time-wasters that steal time we could be using much more
productively. 'Net surfing, reading email, or making personal calls
3) Create time management goals.
Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing your behaviors,
not changing time. Eliminate your personal time-wasters. For one week, for
example, set a goal that you're not going to take personal phone calls while
you're working
4) Implement a time management plan.
So you need to not only set your specific goals, but track them over time to see
whether or not you're accomplishing them.

25. Tips continued…
5) Use time management tools.
Physically managing your time is to know where it's going now and planning how
you're going to spend your time in the future; Examples?
6) Prioritize ruthlessly.
If you have 20 tasks for a given day, how many of them do you truly need to
accomplish? Deadlines!
7) Learn to delegate and/or outsource.
For effective time management, you need to let other people carry some of the
load
8) Establish routines and stick to them as much as possible.
While crises will arise, you'll be much more productive if you can follow routines
most of the time
9) Get in the habit of setting time limits for tasks.
Reading and answering email can consume your whole day if you let it. Instead,
set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it.

26. Tips continued…
10) Be sure your systems are organized.
Are you wasting a lot of time looking for files on your
computer or phone numbers or things?
11) Don't waste time waiting.
From shura meetings to doctor appointments, it's
impossible to avoid waiting for someone or something.
Always take something to do with you. Technology
makes it easy to work wherever you are
You can be in control and accomplish what you want to
accomplish - once you've come to grips with the time
management myth and taken control of your time.

27. What is Stress?
 Stress is a part of life, a normal response to demands
either emotional, intellectual, or physical
 It can be positive if it keeps us alert, motivated, and
ready to avoid danger
 It can be negative if it becomes chronic, increasing the
risk of diseases like depression, heart disease and a
variety of other problems
 Managing stress is the key to health, happiness, and
productivity

28. Warning Signs of Stress
 Dizziness or a general feeling of "being out of it"
 General aches and pains
 Grinding teeth, clenched jaw
 Headaches
 Indigestion or acid reflux symptoms
 Increase in or loss of appetite
 Muscle tension in neck, face or shoulders
 Problems sleeping
 Racing heart
 Cold and sweaty palms
 Tiredness, exhaustion
 Trembling/shaking
 Weight gain or loss
 Upset stomach, diarrhea
 Sexual difficulties
 Irritability, impatience, forgetfulness

29. What’s causing your stress?
 When you find yourself feeling the bad effects of stress, you need
to take action immediately. The sooner you begin the process of
treatment, the easier it will be and the quicker you find relief and
be back to your normal state
 1--Identify the cause of the stress
 Known source (deadline in ICNA work, a pile of unpaid bills, or a
relationship/friendship that is not working out)
 Unknown source?
 If you can identify the source of your stress, remove yourself
from it or address the situation
 If you are unable to determine the source of your stress, you need
to seek outside help
 Family, friends, or an ICNA sister
 Doctor or a mental health counselor
 Therapist, counselor

30. Tips for Reducing Stress
 Keep a positive attitude. “Which of the Favors of your Lord
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
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will you deny?”
Accept that there are events that you cannot control
Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings,
opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive,
or passive
Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation,
yoga, or tai-chi. Breathing! SALAH!
Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it
is fit (during conference calls)
Eat healthy, well-balanced meals
Learn to manage your time more effectively. ***

31. Tips continued…
 Set limits appropriately and say no to requests that would
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create excessive stress in your life
Make time for hobbies and interests
Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover
from stressful events
Don't rely on medication or food to reduce stress. Ease up
on caffeine, too (Chai! Coffee!)
Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you
love
Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental health
professional trained in stress management or biofeedback
techniques to learn more healthy ways of dealing with the
stress in your life

32. Advice from Prophet Muhammad
(s) when you are stressed:
 In hadith #599 narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas in Sunan
Abu Dawood, The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If
anyone continually asks pardon, Allah will appoint for him
a way out of every distress, and a relief from every anxiety,
and will provide for him from where he did not reckon.
 Anas said that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was
faced with a serious difficulty, he would always supplicate,
“Ya Hayyu, ya Qayyumu, bi-rahmatika astaghithu (O the
Living, O the Eternal, I seek help in Your grace).
Source: Tirmidhi

33. Qur’anic remedy
 SABR and SALAH!

34. - Continuously make Dua to help
with stress and time management.
Allah is the best of Helpers.

35. To Download useful
presentations, please visit:
WWW.Slideshare.Net/DrYunus