As the days get longer and the nights get shorter in the northern reaches of the world, it becomes increasingly harder to maintain a regular morning routine. During the winter and early spring, I had gotten in to the habit of staying up after fajr and reading Qur'an, practicing Arabic, or something else benefiting my deen.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said that the time after the Fajr prayer is the most blessed time (sorry can't find the hadeeth at the moment). It also makes sense for those who work a regular 9 to 5 job: when you come home from work at the end of the day, you don't really have the energy or concentration for anything you read or memorize to sink in. Thus, the early morning before work presents the best opportunity.
However, the problem for me (and I'm sure for others who live in similar latitudes) is that 'Isha is at 10pm and Fajr is at 3:30am. I find myself usually getting to bed at around 11pm (on a good night) after getting back from the masjid, which is just a 10 minute walk from my apartment. Usually I get about 3 to 4 hours of sleep, then it's time for Fajr.
When I come back from the masjid after Fajr, I want to be productive, but I just feel so laggy that I plop back into bed, knowing in my mind that 3 or 4 hours of sleep is not going to get me through the day. If I wake up at around 7am, I don't have much time before it's time to get ready and go to work.
Does anybody have any tips or suggestions on how to best manage the early morning in order to get the most out of it?
Jazak Allah khayrn.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said that the time after the Fajr prayer is the most blessed time (sorry can't find the hadeeth at the moment). It also makes sense for those who work a regular 9 to 5 job: when you come home from work at the end of the day, you don't really have the energy or concentration for anything you read or memorize to sink in. Thus, the early morning before work presents the best opportunity.
However, the problem for me (and I'm sure for others who live in similar latitudes) is that 'Isha is at 10pm and Fajr is at 3:30am. I find myself usually getting to bed at around 11pm (on a good night) after getting back from the masjid, which is just a 10 minute walk from my apartment. Usually I get about 3 to 4 hours of sleep, then it's time for Fajr.
When I come back from the masjid after Fajr, I want to be productive, but I just feel so laggy that I plop back into bed, knowing in my mind that 3 or 4 hours of sleep is not going to get me through the day. If I wake up at around 7am, I don't have much time before it's time to get ready and go to work.
Does anybody have any tips or suggestions on how to best manage the early morning in order to get the most out of it?
Jazak Allah khayrn.