3 Islamic Ways To Organize Your Life

How do I ensure that I remain on course when it comes to self-discovery, because I don't want to discover myself now. I sit, I know these are my weak points, I know these are my strong points and I leave them there. There must be something practical that I will be doing now and then so that I am able to say that 'Look, I am on the right track.'

Number one: as a Muslim, Wa Allah, and especially as a Shi'a, a lover and a follower of Ahl ul-Bayt, you need to have a plan in life. What do I mean by having a plan in life? I know we all have plans when it comes to our businesses. We have plans when it comes to our studies, I know. Do you have a plan about reaching Allah and understanding Ahl ul-Bayt? This one, some scholars mention Al-iqrar wa at-tasmeem. You have to make tasmeem, organize yourself. What time I wake up? What time I recite Qur'an? What time I teach in Madressa? What time I attend Majalis? These are very important brothers, I am not saying it for saying sake. I am telling you because I know where I am coming from.

When I became a lover and follower of Ahl ul-Bayt, it changed my mindset. It made me better person. It changed my thinking. I realized that there is pool of knowledge, oceans of treasures of knowledge in the School of Thought of Ahl ul-Bayt about dunya and akhirah, but we are doing nothing about it. The Du'as of Ahl ul-Bayt alone are oceans to help us leave dunya peacefully and go to akhirah peacefully. Oceans, treasures of knowledge. But what are we doing about it?

Du'a Kumayl, we recite every Thursday. It's a treasure of dunya and akhirah. It's about the mubda and ma'ad, what plan do I have to understand this so that I am able to connect and affiliate myself with Ahl ul-Bayt Isma wa Tahaarah? [Allahuma salli 'ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad].

So, number one, we need a plan. Plan yourself and say 'Look, I know how to recite Qur'an, but I don't understand it properly. Make a plan. You don't want to attend class, you have social media. Instead of using it only for chatting and chatting only, download some good tafsir, good books, read them. You need to have a plan.

I always tell people 'Shabab, when you do your New Year resolution, don't just make resolution I want to get married, I want to do this, La, make resolution also to improve your status with Allah Azza wa Jal. How many books do we read in a month? How many books do we read in a year? This must be in our plan. So Al-iqrar is so important brothers and sisters, so that you are able to know where you are going and where you are coming. But if there is no plan about Allah Tabaraka wa Ta'ala, the whole year will come by, finish, and we willbe sitting the same. You need a plan.

Isn't it, we have inherited a beautiful tradition from Imam Amir ul-Mu'minin, 'alaykum bi taqwa Allah wa nadhmi amrikum.' 'alaykum bi taqwa Allah.' Ya'ni, Imam Amir ul-Mu'minin equate taqwa of Allah and be organized and to be in order. Whatever you do, you have to have order. No, no, no, no, I know. My weak point is what? My Salat is weak. Spend the whole year improving it. Nothing wrong, is excellent, but you need to have a plan. The way you have plan for your dunya have plan for your akhirah. You take it slowly and slowly and slowly. And this I am talking to the youth. It is very important, have a plan. Because Allah Tabarak wa Ta'ala want to see Shab, a youth who is energetic in his love for Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala.

Now, number two, once you have this plan, as always, we have a beautiful tradition from Ahl ul-Bayt. You need 'Hasibu anfusakum qabla antu hasabu.' You need self-judgment. From time to time, judge yourself. And this self-judgment is not only about Allah, even about your dunya. Once in a week, once in a month, every night, when you are about to sleep, you ask yourself today I am woken up 6 o'clock, I've gone out to work, I came back this time, how many people have I wronged? How many good things have I done? What sort of relationship I managed to build with Allah? You have to do self-judgment.

Imam Ja'far mention 'Hasibu anfusakum qabla antu hasabu, wa zeenuha kabla antuzanu.' Judge yourselves before you are judged. You need self-judgment, self-audit. And Du'as of Ahl ul-Bayt, 'Ad'iyah of Du'a of Arafah of Aba 'Abdillah, Du'a Abu Hamza ath-Thumali, it's filled with verses of self-judgment. Ahl ul-Bayt express themselves towards Allah in terms of how one should self-judged himself. And we need that and that will ensure that we are on the right track. We are on the right track, we are going, we are on the right track.

And the third one, which is the last one, is what? In going forward, we have to be very active. We have to pledge to Allah to say from now, 'I am not going to back off, I am going to ensure that I fully represent Ahl ul-Bayt 'alayhimu as-salat wa as-salam.' And once we have that, be rest assured, brothers and sisters, we will reach the peak of everything that we have. Yes, there are so many challenges today in the world. So many challenges. But we should not allow these challenges to stand our way. When there is a will, there is a way as they mention.