by The primary reason a Muslim must manage his time is because he wants success in the Hereafter. One who truly believes knows that what’s at stake isn’t just career or money.
The purpose of time management is to effectively channel time into doing things that take us closer to our goals.
For a believer, the ultimate goal is to become the inheritors of Jannatul Firdaus, the highest level of Paradise. All subsequent goals are means that take us closer to that ultimate goal.
Principles of Islamic Management:
- Honesty
- Efficiency
- Patriotism
- Right man in the right place
- Discipline
- Division of labour
- Unity of command and unity of direction
- Centralization and decentralization
- Preference to the organizational interest
- Remuneration
- Economy
- Justice for all
- United efforts
- Dignity of labour
- Exemption
- Accountability
- Tawakkul: The act of relying upon something or someone to place faith or confidence in Allah (usually).
Characteristics of Islamic Management
- Basic foundation of Islamic Management is the Quran and Sunnah.
- Original model of IM is Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his companions.
- Only economic development is not the final target of IM.
- Activities aimed at welfare in the life hereafter.
- Employees should maintain cordial relationship and team spirit.
- Accountability is twofold: i) to immediate boss and ii) Almighty Allah
- Manager considers himself as a vicegerent of Allah.
- Property is thought to be trusted by Allah to the users and the managers.
- Decisions are made through consultation ( Mashwara).
- The manager does not have any greed to misuse the power of the post.
- There must be prevailing peace, development and other benefits.
- IM is applicable to personal, familial and social, economic and political organizations.
- Here hypocrisy, forgery, activities adverse to religion and morality are not tolerated.
- Management is thought to be a universal concept.
- There is freedom of thinking and expression.
- Competition is a common strategy in good deeds.
Goal Setting:
Success and failure are measured by the scale that will weigh our deeds on the Day of Judgment. That measurement will decide whether we reach Paradise or not.
Time Management
Chapter Al-Mu’minun begins by listing the qualities of a true believer. Interestingly, the list begins and ends with salah, with the remaining qualities sandwiched in between. Verse 2 mentions the quality of having khushu’ (humility and submissiveness) in prayer. Verse 9 talks about being “hafidh” of your prayers, which means performing the prayers within their set time limits.
A true believer prays five times every day, no matter where he is or in what condition. Even if he is lying semi-paralyzed in the ICU or is being chased by a bloodthirsty hyena, if he is sane and able to move his head, he has to perform all five prayers within their fixed time limits. They are like pillars around which he should arrange the rest of his life.
Sense of Urgency
We only have a limited amount of time in this world, and, compared to the grand scale of things, this time is really very short.
Allah gives us examples in this chapter of people and even entire nations that were destroyed for their disbelief, arrogance and denial of resurrection.
Avoiding Time-Wasters
Continuing from point 3 above, the believers’ sense of urgency compels them to avoid things that waste time. They are portrayed in this chapter as spending time in things that matter, such as praying and giving charity.
They are also described as staying away from things that take them farther away from their goals, such as committing fornication and engaging in laghw. Laghw refers to acts of shirk, sins, and any action or speech that doesn’t bring any benefit. (Ibn Kathir)
