The simple practice that has saved me so many times

Assalaamu’alaykum,

I want to share something with you that I've been doing for years and it's something I've always wanted to find a way to put out into the world.

Whenever I'm feeling stressed, or I've had a conflict with someone, or I'm just feeling overwhelmed and off-centre, what I've always done is step away, grab a piece of paper and a pen and spend just a couple of minutes asking myself a few key questions.

Questions that help me notice what I'm actually feeling, reconnect with my fitrah, my God-consciousness, my soul and then gradually elevate my perspective so that I can self-regulate and get a better handle on myself.

And Alhamdulillah, almost every time, within just a few minutes, I feel so much better. Not because the situation has changed, but because I have.
I'm calmer, more grounded and able to respond instead of react.

For years I've carried the niyyah that this practice could somehow become something other people could use too and Alhamdulillah, Allah answered that duaa through a beautiful opportunity with our good friends at Productive Muslim, who invited us to create the Sabr Notepad.

It was such a wonderful chance to take this exercise I'd been doing privately for years and put it into a proper structured framework, a tear-out notepad you can use on the go, in whatever situation you're in, wherever you are. It only takes a few minutes to work through but it can genuinely shift your entire state and perspective and honestly, save you hours of regret later.

It draws on what we know psychologically about reflection and emotional regulation and more importantly, from a faith perspective, it calls on the tools Allah has already placed within us and that the Prophet ﷺ role-modelled for us, to help us return to a place of clarity and calm.

And when we're in that place, we respond so differently.

Alhamdulillah, I now have a limited number of copies here with me in the UK and I'm happy to organise deliveries for anyone who'd like one.
Please do note that for this batch we are only able to post to UK addresses.

Each pad is £12 plus postage and packaging and if you'd like to order multiple copies, we can offer you a discounted rate.

To place an order, just reply to this email with:

• Your full name
• Your delivery address
• And the number of copies you'd like

We'll come back to you with the total cost including postage along with payment details. Once payment is made, we'll get it posted out to you.

We're taking orders from today until Monday 6th April and will be posting everything out by then, inshaAllah. Stock is limited, so once this batch is gone, it's gone, so do get in touch sooner rather than later if you'd like one.

If you're based outside of the UK, or if you'd simply like to find out more about how the notepad works before ordering, you can visit the Productive Muslim store here: https://productivemuslim.com/sabrnotepad/

We also still have a very small number of Shukr Cards here with us, so if you'd like to order both together, just mention it in your reply and we'll sort that out for you.
You can find out more about the Shukr Cards here: https://productivemuslim.com/shukrcards/

And lastly, we have been really busy behind the scenes putting together something very special and beneficial for you all and I genuinely cannot wait to share it with you. Watch this space, because all will be revealed next week inshaAllah!

Reflection of the Week

Think about a situation you are currently finding difficult to sit with.

Are you responding to it or reacting to it? And if you're honest with yourself, what would responding with sabr actually look like in this situation, not just patience in the sense of staying quiet, but true sabr, the kind that keeps you anchored to Allah even in the middle of the difficulty?

Dua of the Week

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ

Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū istaʿīnū biṣ-ṣabri waṣ-ṣalāh, inna Allāha maʿa aṣ-ṣābirīn

“O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”

(2:153)

Allah's name of the Week

As-Sabur (The Most Patient, The Ever-Enduring)

Ya As-Sabur, when our hearts are tight and our patience feels thin, pour into us the steadiness that only You can give. When we are tempted to react from a place of pain, pull us back to You. Help us to hold our tongues, soften our hearts and trust Your timing even when we cannot see what You are building for us. Make us of those who are truly patient, not just in silence, but in surrender.

Aameen, ya rabbal aalameen.