Things every Muslim teacher should do during the winter break to revitalize

Teaching is demanding work (more on this later). Winter break comes just as we feel our energy reserves are coming to an end. Us and our students start looking forward to some time to relax and renew ourselves before school resumes in January. There are many resources online for teachers on mental health and self-care during the break. Most highlight how to rejuvenate ourselves by disconnecting from the daily grind and by pampering ourselves through a variety of ways.

Before you jump headfirst into these guilty pleasures, I am going to ask you to step back a little bit and ask the following: What would the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the best teacher, do if he ﷺ had a winter break? I know! I know! He ﷺ lived in the desert and wouldn’t have had a winter break. In fact he did not have any type of break at all throughout his ﷺ life! But just stay with me. How would he ﷺ advise us to renew ourselves?  What would he ﷺ have us do? If you are still interested then keep on reading to find out the things every Muslim teacher should do during winter break to revitalize themselves.

Teaching is demanding work

Teaching is a continuously ill defined, complex, and dynamic process. During class hours teachers frequently engage with students, supporting them emotionally, counselling them, and guiding them. The work doesn’t stop with the bell. They spend long hours planning, developing instructional materials, and grading assignments outside of classroom hours. They connect with parents, attend staff meetings, and participate in professional development.

But the most demanding work is doing all of the above while ensuring students meet academic standards, perform well, and are happy while doing so. That is mentally and emotionally draining because it requires maintaining a presence of mind, a caring attitude, and lots of sabr (patience and fortitude) despite feeling frustrated and drained. The well known quote,

A good teacher is like a candle, it consumes itself to light the way for others.

summarizes well the nature of teaching. Therefore, taking a break after almost the first half of the year is key in ramping up our energy, enthusiasm, and dedication for teaching. This will put us on top of our teaching game and will benefit our students.

Taking a break is essential for our well being. But what if I told you that doing so will also earn us rewards from Allah ﷻ? Yes, that’s true! But it requires us to approach the break with a certain mindset, intention, and focus in order for it to become a meritorious act of worship. So come along and let’s see how we can do that.

This life is a test

All of us are tested daily in unique ways and are required to tap into our sabr reserves – what I like to call the sabr bank. There may be days when we may find that our sabr reserves are depleted. Allah ﷻ describes this:

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌ

Or do you expect to enter Paradise before the example of those who came before you had reached you? Adversity and hardship had afflicted them, and they were so shaken up, that the Messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is Allah’s victory?” Indeed, Allah’s victory is near. (Qur’an 2:214)

For a believer, this life is a series of tests. These tests come in many forms. Sometimes Allah ﷻ tests us with plenty to see if we are grateful. At other times, Allah ﷻ tests us with adversity to see if we observe patience.

We see examples of both in the Qur’an at each end of the spectrum. On one side we see Sulaiman (as) who was given a kingdom the like of which was not given to anyone before or after him. And we see how Sulaiman (as) reached a high rank in front of Allah ﷻ with shukr both in word and action. On the other end of the spectrum we see Ayyub (as) who had everything but then everything was taken away from him and he was tested with loss of wealth, health, and family. He endured patiently until he reached a very high rank in the eyes of Allah ﷻ.

The Prophet ﷺ has said,

Verily, if a servant is destined for a rank he has not achieved by his good deeds, Allah puts him to trial in his body, or his wealth, or his children. Then, Allah makes him endure it until he reaches the rank decreed for him.

Abī Dāwūd 3090

Our Iman is divided into two halves; sabr and shukr. These are like the two wings of a bird. We need them both to have a balanced flight in this life and to reach our home, Jannah!

The importance of sabr (patience and perseverance)

In this post I am going to focus on sabr because, at this time of the year, many of us may feel exhausted and tested beyond our limits and may feel that our sabr reserves are depleting fast! Traditionally, sabr has been divided into three different types:

1. The acceptance of the decree (the Qadr) of the Almighty when calamity comes in our direction.
2. The endurance required in order to fulfill the commands of Allah.
3. The restraint required in order to abstain from the prohibitions of Allah.

These three different types of sabr can be categorized into two types: short term and long term. The sabr we need for the short term is the sabr we need when the decree of Allah ﷻ catches up with us. The sabr we need for the long term is for the remaining two.

The Rocket Analogy

I am going to use the analogy of a rocket to illustrate the difference between the short term sabr and the long term sabr. A rocket usually has two types of burns, the short and fast burn and the long and slow burn. The short and fast burn is intense and allows the rocket to break away from earth’s gravity. The long burn is slow and steady and allows the rocket to reach its destination, even if it is very far. The short term sabr is like the short and fast burn of a rocket. It enables us to immediately break away from the dreariness of this life and connect with Allah ﷻ. The long term sabr is like the long burn of a rocket, it provides the slow but steady momentum we need to reach our final destination.

Short term sabr

Short term sabr is reflexive and comes from repetitive habits that we do on a daily basis such as the wudu and the five daily prayers. That’s why Allah ﷻ in the Qur’an asks us to seek help through prayer and sabr when calamity strikes us:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (١٥٣) وَلَا تَقُولُواْ لِمَن يُقۡتَلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ أَمۡوَٲتُۢ‌ۚ بَلۡ أَحۡيَآءٌ۬ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تَشۡعُرُونَ (١٥٤) وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىۡءٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ وَٱلۡجُوعِ وَنَقۡصٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡوَٲلِ وَٱلۡأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٲتِ‌ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (١٥٥) ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ۬ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رَٲجِعُونَ (١٥٦) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ صَلَوَٲتٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬‌ۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدُونَ (١٥٧)

O you who believe! Seek help through patience and prayers. Allah is with the steadfast. And do not say of those who are killed in the cause of Allah, “Dead.” Rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive. We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and some loss of possessions and lives and crops. But give good news to the steadfast. Those who, when a calamity afflicts them, say, “To Allah we belong, and to Him we will return.” Upon these are blessings and mercy from their Lord. These are the guided ones. (Qur’an 2:153-157).

When calamity strikes us, adrenaline kicks in and we are overwhelmed by emotions, and we may lose our presence of mind and not really think straight. It is a moment when we react without thinking. If we have habituated ourselves to connecting with Allah through the five daily prayers then we will reflexively remember Allah and turn to Him ﷻ and say “inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajioon!” It is during the first shock that we are expected to demonstrate this type of sabr. This is what the Prophet ﷺ was referring to when he ﷺ said:

الصَّبْرُ عنْدَ الصَّدْمَةِ الأُولَى الصَّبرُ عِنْدَ الصَّدْمَةِ الأُولَى

Patience is at the first strike of calamity. Patience is at the first strike of calamity. Musnad Abī Ya’lá 6068

Allah ﷻ has kept wudu and the five daily prayers to inculcate in us this type of sabr. The five daily prayers require us to do specific actions in a very specific way. We are required to say certain things at certain times during the prayer. All this repetitive action at least five times a day trains our mind, senses and limbs and creates cognitive and muscle memory and emotional conditioning that is habit forming. These habits done over the years eventually become part of our personality that enables us to react instinctively and reflexively with sabr when calamity strikes us. No wonder Allah ﷻ begins the verses of Suratul Baqarah cited above by saying, “O you who believe! Seek help through patience and prayers.”

Perfect our salah

Many of us pray as we saw our parents praying. For most of us, our knowledge of salah has been casually acquired by imitating others. I call it the “monkey see, monkey do” model of learning! This type of learning is actually very shallow and doesn’t have the depth required to spiritually connect with Allah ﷻ.

Given that salah is such a fundamental and core life process and the impact it has on building our resilience, we need to pay more attention to how and why we pray the way we do and have a solid understanding of each action in salah. We need to make sure we pray as the Prophet ﷺ used to pray so that it truly becomes our mi’raj (ascension) through which we find solace by connecting with Allah ﷻ.

So one of the things we can do this winter break is to refresh and increase our knowledge of salah. A good book to read is the one by Shk. Al-Albaani, the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer described from the beginning to the end as though you see it . If we have children then make it a point to read this together as a family.

Long Term Sabr

Long term sabr, on the other hand, is reflective and comes with a deep understanding of the Qur’an and a deep understanding of who Allah ﷻ is, the ways He ﷻ works in this world and by having a strong belief in the Hereafter. Allah ﷻ provides an example of this in the Qur’an as well:

فَلَمَّا فَصَلَ طَالُوتُ بِٱلۡجُنُودِ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مُبۡتَلِيڪُم بِنَهَرٍ۬ فَمَن شَرِبَ مِنۡهُ فَلَيۡسَ مِنِّى وَمَن لَّمۡ يَطۡعَمۡهُ فَإِنَّهُ ۥ مِنِّىٓ إِلَّا مَنِ ٱغۡتَرَفَ غُرۡفَةَۢ بِيَدِهِۦ‌ۚ فَشَرِبُواْ مِنۡهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ مِّنۡهُمۡ‌ۚ فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَهُ ۥ هُوَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ ۥ قَالُواْ لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ بِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ‌ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَـٰقُواْ ٱللَّهِ ڪَم مِّن فِئَةٍ۬ قَلِيلَةٍ غَلَبَتۡ فِئَةً۬ ڪَثِيرَةَۢ بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ (٢٤٩) وَلَمَّا بَرَزُواْ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُواْ رَبَّنَآ أَفۡرِغۡ عَلَيۡنَا صَبۡرً۬ا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ (٢٥٠)

When Saul set out with the troops, he said, “Allah will be testing you with a river. Whoever drinks from it does not belong with me. But whoever does not drink from it, does belong with me, except for whoever scoops up a little with his hand.” But they drank from it, except for a few of them. Then, when he crossed it, he and those who believed with him said, “We have no strength to face Goliath and his troops today.” But those who knew that they would meet Allah said, “How many a small group has defeated a large group by Allah’s will. Allah is with the steadfast.” And when they confronted Goliath and his troops, they said, “Our Lord, pour down patience on us, and strengthen our foothold, and support us against those who have rejected the Truth.” (Qur’an 2:249-250)

The people of Saul were tested in their long term sabr. Only a few passed the test! That is the nature of long-term sabr. While many may have the short-term sabr and endure the initial shock of a calamity and overcome it, only a few have long-term sabr and are able to stay the course when faced with ongoing hardships. In the above verses, Allah ﷻ describes those who had the long term sabr as “…those who knew that they would meet Allah…” This conviction comes from deep reflection and contemplation (tadabbur and tafakkur) of the Qur’an and of the signs Allah ﷻ has kept in His ﷻ creation.

Fasting nurtures the long-term sabr

Fasting is an act of worship that Allah ﷻ has instituted for us to nurture in us the quality of long-term sabr. As stated previously, Allah asks us to seek help through sabr and salah (see Qur’an 2:153). Many of the mufassirin such as Mujahid, Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, al-Tabari, and Al-Baghawi say that the word “sabr” in this verse refers to fasting.

Fasting requires us to abstain from food, drink, and other physical desires from dawn until sunset thereby teaching us self-discipline and control over our impulses and desires. When we practice this self-restraint, we become better equipped to handle other challenges in life with sabr. We can explain from a psychological perspective the impact fasting has on us and how it tames our nafs. When we fast, we deny ourselves basic needs and learn to endure discomfort and delay gratification thereby strengthening our ability to persevere patiently through other challenges of life.

But fasting is more than just a psychological exercise, it is an act of devotion to Allah ﷻ that strengthens our relationship with Him ﷻ, cleanses us of our sins, and brings us great reward. After we fast we feel accomplished, refreshed, and cleansed. This is what the Prophet ﷺ was referring to when he ﷺ was talking about the joy we feel when we break our fast.

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سِنَانٍ، عَنْ أَبِي، صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، وَأَبِي، سَعِيدٍ – رضى الله عنهما – قَالاَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الصَّوْمَ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ إِنَّ لِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَيْنِ إِذَا أَفْطَرَ فَرِحَ وَإِذَا لَقِيَ اللَّهَ فَرِحَ ‏.‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَخُلُوفُ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira and Abu Sa’id (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said: Fast (is exclusively) meant for Me and I would give its reward. There are two (occasions) of joy for the observer of fast. He feels joy when he breaks the fast and he is happy when he meets Allah. By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. (Sahih Muslim 1151f). .

So set aside some days this winter break to fast. If you can, fast as a family so you can experience the joy and benefits of fasting together.

Reserve time for tadabbur and tafakkur (reflection and contemplation)

Teachers are constantly running around like headless chickens! Sorry for the gory analogy. We do not have time to think because of the many things we juggle at the same time and the pace at which we are juggling them. Consequently, we do not get enough time to stop and reflect and contemplate. Use this winter break to hit the pause button on our very busy lives and reserve some personal time for tadabbur and tafakkur.

Tadabbur and Tafakkur

What is the difference between tadabbur and tafakkur? Both are Qur’anic terms that imply reflection and contemplation but for different contexts. Tadabbur is specifically about reflecting and contemplating on the Qur’an and its meanings:

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ أَمۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقۡفَالُهَآ (٢٤)

Will they not ponder the Quran? Or are there locks upon their hearts? (Quran 47:24)

Whereas, tafakkur encompasses a broader contemplation of life and Allah’s creation:

وَلِلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ (١٨٩) إِنَّ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّہَارِ لَأَيَـٰتٍ۬ لِّأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ (١٩٠) ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمً۬ا وَقُعُودً۬ا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَڪَّرُونَ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلاً۬ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ (١٩١)

To Allah belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. Allah has power over all things. In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, are signs for people of understanding. Those who remember Allah while standing, and sitting, and on their sides; and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: “Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory to You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Quran 3:189-191)

I have intentionally used reflection and contemplation instead of meditation to represent the concepts of tadabbur and tafakkur. Though meditation may involve some level of reflection and contemplation, it has come to be strongly associated with spirituality, specially of Eastern religions, and can be misleading. Meditation in Eastern religions is associated with abandonment of conscious thinking to reach an altered state of mind. Tafakkur, on the other hand, is a conscious spiritual activity that brings together rational thinking, emotion, and the spirit. It involves deep thinking and reflection while intending to connect spiritually with Allah ﷻ . In other words, the goal is not to reach the altered states of mind as in meditation but to connect with Allah ﷻ. If you are interested in reading more about this, a good book to read is the one by Badri referenced above. For a shorter read, you can read the article from Yaqeen Institute titled, the Lost Art of Contemplation .

Tahajjud – The sanctuary of respite, peace, and contemplation

It was mandatory for the Prophet ﷺ to take time out for tadabbur and tafakkur. Before prophethood, the Prophet ﷺ would retreat to the Cave of Hira for contemplation. After prophethood, Allah ﷻ made it obligatory upon the Prophet ﷺ to pray tahajjud (usually prayed during the last third of the night just before Fajr):

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلۡمُزَّمِّلُ (١) قُمِ ٱلَّيۡلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬ (٢) نِّصۡفَهُ ۥۤ أَوِ ٱنقُصۡ مِنۡهُ قَلِيلاً (٣) أَوۡ زِدۡ عَلَيۡهِ وَرَتِّلِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ تَرۡتِيلاً (٤) إِنَّا سَنُلۡقِى عَلَيۡكَ قَوۡلاً۬ ثَقِيلاً (٥) إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ هِىَ أَشَدُّ وَطۡـًٔ۬ا وَأَقۡوَمُ قِيلاً (٦) إِنَّ لَكَ فِى ٱلنَّہَارِ سَبۡحً۬ا طَوِيلاً۬ (٧) وَٱذۡكُرِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلۡ إِلَيۡهِ تَبۡتِيلاً۬ (٨) رَّبُّ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱتَّخِذۡهُ وَكِيلاً۬ (٩) وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱهۡجُرۡهُمۡ هَجۡرً۬ا جَمِيلاً۬ (١٠)

O you Enwrapped one. Stay up the night, except a little. For half of it, or reduce it a little. Or add to it; and chant the Quran rhythmically. We are about to give you a heavy message. The vigil of night is more effective, and better suited for recitation. In the daytime, you have lengthy work to do. So remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly. Lord of the East and the West. There is no god but He, so take Him as a Trustee. And endure patiently what they say, and withdraw from them politely. (Quran 73:1-10).

After these verses of Surah Muzammil were revealed to the Prophet ﷺ very early into his ﷺ prophethood the tahajjud prayers became the Cave of Hira, a sanctuary for contemplation.

Look at these verses carefully. Don’t they apply to us, teachers, as well? Aren’t we busy throughout the day, busy with work, not having time to even think about what we are doing?

Imagine waking up during the last third of the night when the majority in our locale are sleeping? The silence and the stillness of the night magnifies our thoughts and we are able to think clearly and deeply. This is exactly what Allah ﷻ is telling the Prophet ﷺ when commanding him ﷺ to observe tahajjud and to recite the Qur’an with tartil, which means to recite in slow, measured tones and in a deliberate manner with proper pronunciation and clear enunciation of each word and verse to convey the meaning of the Qur’an clearly and with reflection, allowing the reciter to understand the message fully.

Allah ﷻ is telling the Prophet ﷺ that by reciting the Qur’an with tartil, he ﷺ would be able to develop tawakkul in Allah ﷻ, which will empower him ﷺ to endure patiently the long road of hostility that awaited him in his role as a prophet and a messenger of Allah. Thereafter, tahajjud prayers became the staple diet of the Prophet ﷺ and the companions. They were soldiers during the day and devout worshippers and learners during the night. So lets take some time out this winter break for tahajjud and stand before Allah ﷻ and present our case to Him ﷻ. If we do so with sincerity then we will definitely find Allah ﷻ waiting for us to help us and guide us.

Our relationship with the Qur’an

In the above verses of Surah Al-Muzammil, Allah ﷻ is asking the Prophet ﷺ to recite the Qur’an with tartil. The purpose is to build a special and intimate relationship with the Qur’an. The Qur’an, unlike any book, is the word of the Ever-Living God, Allah ﷻ. It has been sent down to guide us. As we interact with the Qur’an, Allah ﷻ speaks to us. As Khurram Murad says in his book, Way to the Qur’an: “To read the Qur’an is to hear Him ﷻ, even to converse with Him ﷻ, and to walk in His ways. It is the encounter of life with the Life-giver.” .

The Qur’an is Allah’s greatest blessing upon us. Khurram Murad continues in his book:

It is the only weapon to help your frail existence as you struggle against the forces of evil and temptation in this-world. It is the only means to overpower your fear and anxiety. It is the only ‘light’ (nur), as you grope in the darkness, with which to find your way to success and salvation. It is the only healing (shifa’) for your inner sicknesses, as well as the social ills that may surround you. It is the constant reminder (dhikr) of your true nature and destiny, of your station, your duties, your rewards, your perils. .

Every teacher must develop a special relationship with the Qur’an

Every Muslim teacher, regardless of the subject we teach, must develop a special relationship with the Qur’an. First and foremost, we must become independent reciters of the Qur’an and learn to recite it with tilawah, an act in which our whole person, soul, heart, mind, tongue, and body participates. As our relationship with the Qur’an becomes more and more intimate, we will find that as we recite, “words flow from our lips, the mind ponders, the heart reflects, the soul absorbs, tears well up in the eyes, the heart quakes and trembles, the skin shivers and softens just as the heart does”, until there is no distinction between our thoughts and the Qur’an! . Allah ﷻ beautifully describes this spiritual encounter with the Qur’an:

أَفَمَن شَرَحَ ٱللَّهُ صَدۡرَهُ ۥ لِلۡإِسۡلَـٰمِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ‌ۚ فَوَيۡلٌ۬ لِّلۡقَـٰسِيَةِ قُلُوبُہُم مِّن ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ (٢٢) ٱللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡحَدِيثِ كِتَـٰبً۬ا مُّتَشَـٰبِهً۬ا مَّثَانِىَ تَقۡشَعِرُّ مِنۡهُ جُلُودُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّہُمۡ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمۡ وَقُلُوبُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ ذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ يَہۡدِى بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ وَمَن يُضۡلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ ۥ مِنۡ هَادٍ (٢٣)

What about someone whose heart Allah has opened to Islam, so that he follows a light from His Lord? Woe to those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah. Those are in manifest error. Allah has sent down the best of narrations: A Scripture consistent and paired. The skins of those who reverence their Lord shiver from it, then their skins and their hearts soften up to the remembrance of Allah. Such is Allah’s guidance; He guides with it whomever He wills. But whoever Allah leaves astray, for him there is no guide. (Qur’an 39:22-23).

As we interact with the Qur’an, we will find that it starts speaking to our innermost doubts, desires, and fears, and skewed perspectives and guides us to resolve them in the best way. After reciting it we will feel refocused, refreshed and re-energized to tackle the vicissitudes of life again. If we are looking to upgrade our skills this winter break and if we are not an independent reciter of the Qur’an then I strongly urge you to put that on the top of your list of skills to upgrade. Allah ﷻ says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡكُم مَّوۡعِظَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡ وَشِفَآءٌ۬ لِّمَا فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ وَهُدً۬ى وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ (٥٧) قُلۡ بِفَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَبِرَحۡمَتِهِۦ فَبِذَٲلِكَ فَلۡيَفۡرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ (٥٨)

O people! There has come to you advice from your Lord, and healing for what is in the hearts, and guidance and mercy for the believers. Say, “In Allah’s grace and mercy let them rejoice. That is better than what they hoard.” (Qur’an 10:57-58).

The Prophet ﷺ would pray to Allah ﷻ to make the Qur’an a source of relief from anxiety and stress:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِي حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِي قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي

O Allah, I am Your slave. I am the child of Your male slave and the child of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your judgment upon me is assured, Your decree concerning me is just. I ask You by every single name that You have named Yourself with, or that You have revealed in Your book, or taught to one of Your creation, or have completely kept in Your knowledge in the unseen, to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, and let it be the banisher of my sadness and let it be the reliever of my anxiety. (Musnad Ahmad, no. 3528).

Take a break for some tafakkur

As mentioned earlier, tafakkur means to contemplate about Allah’s creation. Reserve some time during this winter break for the beautiful outdoors. Connect with Allah’s creation by going on a hike, mountain climbing, swimming in the ocean, working or visiting a farm, and if you live in the cold climes, go snowshoeing, skiing, or ice fishing. And when something captures your eye and your imagination, say:

…رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلاً۬ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ (١٩١)

“Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory to You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Quran 3:191).

Syed Qutb in his tafsir, Fi Zilal al-Qur’an (In the Shade of the Qur’an) says:

This world is beautiful, inexhaustibly beautiful. Man may grasp and enjoy this beauty as much as he wishes, and as much as the Creator of this world wishes. The element of beauty in this world is intentional. Perfection of creation results in achieving beauty. The perfection of creation is apparent in the beauty of every organ and every creature. Look at the bee, the flower, the star, the night, the morning, the shades, the clouds, this music pervading the entire universe, this perfect and whole harmony. It is a pleasant journey in this universe of beauty and perfection. The Qur’an draws our attention to all this, so we may ponder and enjoy it.

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If we are unable to go outdoors due to our health then watch a documentary or read an article or a book on “nature” so we can reflect and contemplate on the creation of Allah ﷻ.

More Strategies for developing long-term sabr

The ability to observe sabr for the long-term comes with maintaining the correct perspective on life. Our perspectives can become skewed through our experiences confusing us and deflating us. Qur’an is the Criterion through which we can realign our perspectives with the true reality and we should prioritize it in our life. It is also important that we keep our intellect sound so we can reflect properly on the words of Allah ﷻ. Ibn al-Jawzi referring to this says,

The example of the Shari’ah is that of the sun, and the example of the intellect is that of an eye. If the eye is sound and open, it will see the sun.

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Therefore, we need to make sure that we are also taking care of ourselves and our intellect. After making sure that we have set out time to strengthen our relationship with the Qur’an, we can replenish our sabr bank with other exercises and strategies that will help us to realign our skewed perspectives. Here are some recommendations.

Why do I teach?

Winter break is a good pause in the year to reassess the reasons why we teach. Some of us teach because it is a career choice. And then there are those among us who view it as our life’s mission and as a way to please Allah ﷻ by serving people. Guess which purpose is going to earn the rewards from Allah ﷻ? The second one! Does it mean that I have to let go or compromise my career goals? No, we don’t have to.

Allah ﷻ has fulfilled the promise He ﷻ made to our father Adam (as) that He ﷻ will send guidance to us through prophets and messengers. However, human beings stray away from the Straight Path by following their desires. This is what led Qabil, the son of Adam, to kill his brother. Since then, our desires have branched out, causing us to wander aimlessly in the deserts of falsehood. Iblis, the devil, fuels this further by preying on our desires.

It is very important for Muslim teachers to take some time out to reassess why we teach. One of the best ways to control our desires is to fast. While we are doing that, we can reflect on why we teach. What are our aspirations that drive us? Is teaching only a career for us, a means of livelihood, a way to get famous, to connect with the community, to assert our desire for power and control? What is driving us? Winter break is a good time to step back a little bit and reflect on these questions. A good du’a that Allah ﷻ teaches us in the Qur’an that we can make as we reflect on these questions is:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوبَنَا بَعۡدَ إِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحۡمَةً‌ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ (٨)

Our Lord, do not cause our hearts to swerve after You have guided us, and bestow on us mercy from Your presence; You are the Giver. (Quran 3:8).

Renew our intentions

Our eyes can tell us the form of an action, but only the intention determines its weight. Sincerity of intention is key in not only earning the reward from Allah ﷻ but also essential for developing the quality of tawakkul in Allah (reliance in Allah ﷻ). A pure intention is like a secret between us and Allah ﷻ that leads to a relationship of trust.

Tawakkul in Allah frees us from the heavy burden of guilt or despair when things do not go the way we were hoping for. When we have tawakkul in Allah ﷻ then we know that our reward with Allah ﷻ is preserved despite the outcome. Allah rewards us for our sincere efforts and will not let our efforts go to waste if we are patient and put our trust in Him ﷻ:

وَٱصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

And be patient. Allah will not waste the reward of the virtuous. (Quran 11:115)

Intentions serve as anchors for our actions. They provide a purpose for our behaviors and decisions. Renewing our intentions allows us to refocus on the important things in life. Our intentions are closely tied to our iman, and the Prophet ﷺ has advised us to renew our iman from time to time:

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ الإِيمَانَ لَيَخْلَقُ فِي جَوْفِ أَحَدِكُمْ كَمَا يَخْلَقُ الثَّوْبُ الخَلَقُ فَسَلُوا اللهَ أَنْ يُجَدِّدَ الإِيمَانَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, the faith of one of you will wear out within him, just as a shirt becomes worn out, so ask Allah to renew faith in your hearts.” al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī 14668 .

So the first thing that we should do during the winter break is to renew our faith by renewing our intentions, which is an act of mindfulness that brings with it an immense sense of peace in our lives. Here are a couple of ways to do it:

Recite this verse to refresh our intentions:

قُلۡ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحۡيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (١٦٢)

Say, “My prayer and my sacrifice, and my life and my death, are devoted to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. (Quran 6:162)

Our intentions reside deep within our hearts. So memorize this dua of the Prophet ﷺ and say it daily:

اللَّهُمَّ مُصَرِّفَ القُلُوبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ

O Allah! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience. .

Reviving the Sunnah

One of the surest ways of reviving our lives and re-energizing them and building resilience in us is by reviving the sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Allah ﷻ says:

لَّقَدۡ كَانَ لَكُمۡ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسۡوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ۬ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلۡيَوۡمَ ٱلۡأَخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرً۬ا (٢١)

You have an excellent example in the Messenger of Allah; for anyone who seeks Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah frequently. (Quran 33:21).

Allah ﷻ guided the Prophet ﷺ to all aspects of living a healthy and productive life. His practices were simple yet very profound. His ﷺ practices are immediately accessible to all since he ﷺ lived a simple life with limited resources. Most of his ﷺ sunan require little effort and can be mastered by one and all. These sunan will transform our daily profane activities into meritorious acts of worship and keep the shaytan at bay (more on this later).

There are many sunan that if practiced can revive and re-energize our lives. For example, look at the sunan of sleeping, an act all of us engage in daily for 1/3rd of our lives. We are all familiar with the idiom “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” The Prophet ﷺ would sleep early and wake up early.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ،‏.‏ وَحَدَّثَنِي سُلَيْمَانُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ كَيْفَ صَلاَةُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِاللَّيْلِ قَالَتْ كَانَ يَنَامُ أَوَّلَهُ وَيَقُومُ آخِرَهُ، فَيُصَلِّي ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ، فَإِذَا أَذَّنَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ وَثَبَ، فَإِنْ كَانَ بِهِ حَاجَةٌ اغْتَسَلَ، وَإِلاَّ تَوَضَّأَ وَخَرَجَ‏.‏

Narrated Al-Aswad: I asked `Aisha “How is the night prayer of the Prophet?” She replied, “He used to sleep early at night, and get up in the last part to pray, and then return to his bed. When the Mu’adh-dhin pronounced the Adhan, he would get up. If he was in need of a bath he would take it; otherwise he would perform ablution and then go out (for the prayer).” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1146)..

Many of us may have already planned to “sleep in” a bit more during the break to catch up on some sleep and what I’m suggesting may seem counterintuitive in terms of catching some rest. However, by sleeping early and waking up early we are capitalizing on the most blessed portions of the day (the hours before and after fajr). Our days extend into the other day and our tasks do not seem to end. Break this cycle this winter break!

Be strategic in revising the sunnah

Sleeping is one of those strategically crucial daily acts that if managed well can benefit us tremendously with very little effort. Shaytan knows this and tries his best to take advantage of us during our sleep. The sunan of sleeping help us to defend ourselves from shaytan’s attack.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَخِي، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ يَعْقِدُ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى قَافِيَةِ رَأْسِ أَحَدِكُمْ إِذَا هُوَ نَامَ ثَلاَثَ عُقَدٍ، يَضْرِبُ كُلَّ عُقْدَةٍ مَكَانَهَا عَلَيْكَ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ فَارْقُدْ‏.‏ فَإِنِ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأَ انْحَلَّتْ عُقْدَةٌ، فَإِنْ صَلَّى انْحَلَّتْ عُقَدُهُ كُلُّهَا، فَأَصْبَحَ نَشِيطًا طَيِّبَ النَّفْسِ، وَإِلاَّ أَصْبَحَ خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسْلاَنَ ‏”‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “During your sleep, Satan ties three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, ‘The night is, long, so keep on sleeping,’ If that person wakes up and celebrates the praises of Allah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and in good spirits, otherwise he gets up in low spirits and lethargic.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3269)..

The Prophet ﷺ advised us to make wudu before going to sleep, to lie on our right side, and make du’as before sleeping. He would seek refuge in Allah from shaytan before going to sleep by reciting Surah Al-Falaq and Surah Al-Nas as well as Surah Al-Ikhas . By aligning our actions that we may already be doing with the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ we will not only get rewarded by Allah but also significantly enhance the quality of our life.

The sunnah is not obligatory and there is no sin in not following it; however, all the companions of the Prophet ﷺ embraced it eagerly and wholeheartedly. It disciplined them until each and every action became intentional and purposeful and in the process it transformed their lives. We have the same opportunity to transform our lives for the better. So I challenge you this winter break to adopt the sunnah into our lives!

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is one of the most documented personalities in the history of humanity. Ahmad von Denffer’s collection of hadiths in the book, A Day with the Prophet ﷺ, is a good place to start for those wishing to align their daily routines with that of the Prophet ﷺ. Below is the table of contents from his book to give you an idea of the daily activities that you can start aligning to the sunnah.

Spending a day with the Prophet ﷺ

Table of contents from A Day with the Prophet ﷺ

1. To being in the Name of Allah
2. Regular Deeds
3. Waking up at Night and Rising in the Early Morning
4. The Use of the Right Hand
5. The Call of Nature
6. Ablution
7. Bathing
8. Early Morning Prayer
9. Daily Prayers
10. Supplication
11. Fajr Prayer
12. Reading the Qur’an at Dawn
13. Forenoon Prayer
14. Morning Toilet
15. Clothing
16. Eating and Drinking
17. Leaving the House
18. Saying Salam
19. Sneezing and Yawning
20. Earning a Livelihood
21. General Conduct
22. Manners of Speech
23. Zuhr Prayer
24. Living with People
25. Sitting Together
26. ‘Asr Prayer
27. Vising
28. Visiting the Sick
29. Sadaqa
30. Gifts
31. Maghrib Prayer
32. Neighbors
33. Guests
34. The Family
35. Teaching and Learning
36. ‘Isha Prayer
37. Intercourse
38. Sleep
39. Remembrance of Allah

Learn to fight Shaytan

Allah ﷻ warns us about Shaytan throughout the Qur’an and advises us to take him as an enemy:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ۬ۖ فَلَا تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡغَرُورُ (٥) إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ لَكُمۡ عَدُوٌّ۬ فَٱتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّاۚ إِنَّمَا يَدۡعُواْ حِزۡبَهُ ۥ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنۡ أَصۡحَـٰبِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ (٦)

O people! The promise of Allah is true; so let not this worldy life seduce you, and let not the Tempter tempt you away from Allah. Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his gang to be among the inmates of the Hellfire. (Qur’an 35:5-6).

Shaytan’s goal is to misguide us and take us to Hellfire. His misguidance takes many shapes and forms. He plays with our desires, whispering and planting seeds of doubts in the deepest recesses of our being to deflate us. He mixes clarity with doubt and medicine with poison until our pious actions appear hard and distasteful while beautifying foolishness and disobedience to Allah ﷻ.

Every Muslim teacher should learn about the traps of shaytan and know how to evade them. This will also enable us to guide our students and train them. An excellent book to start your journey on this (perhaps during the winter break) is one by Ibn Al-Jawzi (ra), Talbis Iblis (the Devil’s Deception). . In this famous book, the author exposes the plots of shaytan. He says,

I composed it to warn from Iblis’s disorder, to frighten (people) from his afflictions, to unveil what he has hidden and to expose him while he is disguised in his arrogance…I divided this book into thirteen chapters. The deception of Iblis will become exposed by understanding them, and his fraudulence will become clear to the wise. So, whoever becomes energetic is acting upon these chapters, his devil (companion) will become annoyed by him.

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Allah ﷻ orders us to seek refuge in Him ﷻ from Shaytan and this is also an excellent du’a to memorize:

وَقُل رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنۡ هَمَزَٲتِ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينِ (٩٧) وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحۡضُرُونِ (٩٨)

My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayatin (devils). And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they may attend (or come near) me. (Qur’an 23:97-98).

Reduce Screen Time

My apologies for including this here as I am writing this for adults. But the reality is that we are pulling in a lot of screen time on a daily basis. For many of us, a significant amount of our screen time may be at work while for others it may be mostly recreational. The jury is not out on how much screen time adults should average on a daily or weekly basis. We know screen time impacts children’s health. Research is now telling us that excessive screen time (defined as more than 2 hours a day outside of work hours) can have a negative impact on adult health as well .

Another unintended consequence of recreational screen time is the amount of time that we lose while feeling that we are doing something but in reality we are not doing anything rewarding. This can have a detrimental impact on our self-efficacy. Compare that to doing something actually useful like putting a smile on someone’s face for the same amount of time we would’ve spent on the screen? How much better would that make us feel? If shaytan cannot encourage us to disobey Allah ﷻ then he will start attacking the good we do by polluting the sincerity of our intentions or by having us do it lazily. If he is not successful in doing this then he will try to divert our energy in frivolous pursuits that may appear to be beneficial but in reality are not.

Time is the most precious resource in our life and we must utilize it wisely. Time spent on the screen can be time we can spend with our loved ones instead, which has a better return on our investment in terms of rewards from Allah and can also greatly enhance our mental health. So during this winter break, let’s do our best to reduce our screen time as much as possible.

Importance of Collective Action

Do not be a lone ranger during the winter break. Try to do the above recommendations collectively as much as possible. Allah ﷻ advises us to work collectively in the doing of good:

…وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ‌ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٲنِ‌ۚ…

Help one another in righteousness and piety, but do not help one another in sin and aggression. (Qur’an 5:2).

And Allah ﷻ advises us to stick to the straight path collectively:

…وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ بِحَبۡلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعً۬ا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُواْ‌ۚ…

And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah and do not separate. (Qur’an 3:103).

Allah ﷻ blesses acts that are done collectively and has made them more meritorious:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar: Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said,

The prayer in congregation is twenty seven times superior to the prayer offered by a person alone.

(Sahih al-Bukhari 645). .

Allah ﷻ advises the Prophet ﷺ to practice sabr collectively:

وَٱصۡبِرۡ نَفۡسَكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ رَبَّہُم بِٱلۡغَدَوٰةِ وَٱلۡعَشِىِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجۡهَهُ ۥ‌ۖ وَلَا تَعۡدُ عَيۡنَاكَ عَنۡہُمۡ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۖ وَلَا تُطِعۡ مَنۡ أَغۡفَلۡنَا قَلۡبَهُ ۥ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَٱتَّبَعَ هَوَٮٰهُ وَكَانَ أَمۡرُهُ ۥ فُرُطً۬ا (٢٨)

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (Qur’an 18:28).

Think about the company we keep. If we hang around people who always see the world as half empty then we will come to see it that way as well and feel that way as well. So, be with people who are connected to Allah ﷻ as it will inform how well we can connect with Allah ﷻ. Do we have a fajr buddy? One that wakes us up and we wake him/her up?

Here are some recommendations to practice sabr collectively:

• Engage the family at home in these activities.
• Connect with our local masjid/Islamic centre. Schedule regular visits during the winter break and continue afterwards.
• Attend a community activity. Be sure to take the family to the masjid during the winter break.

A holistic approach to wellbeing

Islam takes a holistic and balanced approach to wellbeing. Keeping this in mind, I’ve tried to include all domains of human development when recommending the various activities we can engage during the winter break. At the same time, I’ve not mentioned many activities because I focused only on the ones we should give priority to because of the following hadith.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَالَ: مَنْ عَادَى لِي وَلِيًّا، فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ، كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِهَا، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِي لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنْ اسْتَعَاذَنِي لَأُعِيذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ عَبْدِي الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَكْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ” رواه البخاري

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him. (al-Bukhari, Hadith 25, 40 Hadith Qudsi)..

The above hadith directs us to first focus on what we are required to do and then move on to the optional acts of worship. Therefore, it is up to each and every one of us to pace ourselves according to our abilities and resources (I’ve intentionally stayed away from any activities that may be out of reach for some due to a variety of constraints (financial, physical ability, etc.)). But it is also important that we challenge ourselves and get out of our comfort zone; otherwise, our efforts will not be as transformative.

I’ve gone into some detail about the importance of reflection and contemplation in rejuvenating us. It is important that we slow down so we can give the proper time required to reflect and contemplate effectively. In today’s fast paced, digitally connected lives, slowing down is probably one of the most important things we can do this winter break to regain a sense of purpose and to feel refreshed.

This post focused on sabr and strategies to inculcate sabr in our lives. But remember, shukr (gratitude) is the other wing we need in order to fly. I encourage you to read up on the many excellent resources that are available at Yaqeen Institute (https://yaqeeninstitute.ca/) on this topic. There are also many duas that you can memorize that help you to be grateful to Allah ﷻ for His ﷻ countless blessings. Reflect on what we are grateful for, make a gratitude list, and thank Allah ﷻ and make a special du’a for those people who may be responsible for some of the items on that list.

I’ve recommended several books and other resources throughout the article. I encourage you to dive deeper into them and perhaps they can be part of your reading list for this winter break and beyond. I’ve also shared many du’as. Memorize them if you don’t know them already so you can start using them.

As I mentioned at the beginning, there are a lot of online resources out there on how teachers should spend their winter break. Most of them focus on increasing the “me time” by pampering ourselves, sleeping in, meditating, etc. A lot of them are rooted in the positive psychology movement, the growth mindset, and self care. These approaches may provide temporary relief and happiness but will be ineffective as soon as the daily grind resumes. Moreover, since they are rooted in a secular and materialistic worldview, we may not be rewarded by Allah ﷻ.

If we follow the way of our beloved Prophet ﷺ in finding peace then we will be rewarded by Allah for our efforts. True peace can only be found by connecting with the One who is the Source of all peace, Allah ﷻ. And I will end this post on that note with another beautiful du’a of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that he ﷺ would recite after making the taslim during the five daily prayers:

‏ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلاَمُ تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ

O Allah, You are As-Salam (the Giver of Peace), From You is all peace, blessed are You O Possessor of majesty and honour. .

May Allah make this winter break full of peace and blessings for you and your loved ones. Please do not forget me in your du’as.

References