Improving Your Self

chapter5

"Whoever revives my Sunnah then he has loved me. And whoever loved me, he shall be with me in Paradise."

Not only for our personal gain but out of love for our beloved Prophet , we should try to live our life by the sunnah as much as possible. We should be active in learning about the life of the final messenger to mankind . While engaging in knowing about the life of a person, your love and respect for him grow. Similarly, when learning about the Prophet , you will find hundreds of stories, attributes and habits that will be beneficial for your life if implemented, In sha Allah.

In this chapter, we will discuss 12 sunnahs of the Prophet that we must aim to revive, In sha Allah, in hopes of increasing our productivity, and seeking the company of the beloved Prophet in the Hereafter.

1. Sleeping and waking up early

Our sleeping pattern plays a great role in our ability to function effectively during the day. The hours after Fajr are among the most blessed of the day. Starting the day off by praying the morning salah sets you in the right frame of mind to be the best you can be throughout the day. However, in order to rise in the early hours it is imperative to sleep early as your body requires an adequate amount of rest.

Aisha said about the Prophet :"He used to sleep early at night, and get up in its last part to pray, and then return to his bed."

When you have a million things to do, it is easy to fall into a horrible cycle of sleeping late and waking up late. Due to our failure to wake up early, one day extends into the next in order tofinish your list of tasks. Break that cycle today! Wake up early and sleep early to be the strong, successful you that you want to be, In sha Allah.

2. Having a pleasant smile always

Ibn Jaz reports: "I have not seen anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah ."[Tirmidhi]

Smiling has been shown to increase the natural antidepressant hormone, serotonin, causing the one who wears a smile to be happier. We underestimate the power of a smile on both ourselves and those around us. This characteristic is highly contagious and plays a massive role in building relationships with those around you. A positive mind and attitude is irreplaceable in the quest to be productive and achieve your goals in life. Smiling is a simple, inexpensive act that helps lift your mood and make you feel more grateful and content since our Prophet was seen frequently doing it. So, let's follow along this great sunnah.
Consciously take note of your usual facial expression: is your normal expression a happy one or do you always appear sad, exhausted, preoccupied or frustrated?
It will take a bit of regular effort, but you can cut down on the frowning, smile more often and spread joy and peace around you as the Prophet instructed.

3. Using the siwak

Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's Messenger said:"If it were not that it would be difficult on my nation, then I would have ordered them to use the siwak for each prayer." [Tirmidhi]

This hadith indicates the view of the Prophet towards the siwak. Siwak comes from the Salvadora persica tree and has many anti-bacterial qualities, making it a great way to maintain hygiene of the mouth. It can be said, given how often the Prophet would have liked us to use the siwak, that there is a big emphasis on maintaining oral hygiene. It is narrated that the Prophet would use siwak upon waking. The teeth are delicate and when problems occur can cause tremendous amount of pain, so this sunnah introduces preventative measures against a problem that can have you rolled up in bed for days. Siwak is easily purchasable and relatively cheap, making it an easy sunnah to uphold. It keeps the mouth clean and fresh naturally and effortlessly all the time.

Abdur-Rahman bin Abu 'Atiq said: "My father told me: 'I heard 'Aishah say, (narrating) from the Prophet : "Siwak is a means of purification for the mouth and is pleasing to the Lord." [Sunan an-Nasa'i]