I just want to comment in, sometimes when we are faced with so many calamities and world events that are not going the way we expect them to go and it just depresses you doesn't it? You think...what's the point?! What's the point with productivity? What's the point in all these? It's all messed up, right?? And you almost trap yourself into this depression and trap yourself into this laziness and say...
"I'll just do my prayer, give my charity and just focus on what I do and forget the rest. What's the point?!"
That is not a productive muslim speaking. That is a defeated muslim speaking.
I want us today to reflect on one of the hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w which he says:
"If The Day of Judgement erupts, and you are holding a small palm tree in your hands,
and you can't (do anything at that time) except to get up and plant it, then do so".
What does this hadeeth tell you?
If The Day of Judgement erupts, the sun and the moon are colliding, the seas exploding, the mountains are disappearing,
and the Prophet s.a.w said, if the day just erupts, and you have a palm tree in your hand, and even if you have to get up and plant it, THEN DO SO.
What can we derive from this hadeeth? Some practical lessons:-
1) Keep up productivity to the last minutes
Keep being productive. Planting a tree is a productive activity and it's a beneficial activity. Keep up being productive.
2) After your obligations, be productive in deeds that bring benefit to others
If you think of this hadeeth, Prophet Muhammad's s.a.w. saying, "If The Day of Judgement erupts..." If I ask you today, if The Day of Judgement erupts today, what would you want to do? Most of you will be like..."aahh I'll go pray!" or "I'll go give sadaqah" or "I'll do a good deed that is related to my self to save my self!".
But Prophet Muhammad's s.a.w saying, if the Judgement Day is erupting, then plant a tree! Who will benefit from that tree? The tree will benefit from who? The tree will benefit other! Even if the whole world collapse, but to plant a tree is an activity that benefits others because a tree will bring shades, it brings food to the birds, the people and the animals, so it's an activity that benefits others.
Therefore the productivity here, after you fulfill your obligations, you've prayed your prayers, you've done your fasting, then you look to being productive in helping others. That's more beneficial than you focusing on yourself, performing your 'ibadah without helping others.
3) Engage in useful activities even if the world is falling apart
Eventhough there will be perhaps no benefit of that tree because the Day of Judgement is erupting when you plant it, but DO ENGAGE IN USEFUL ACTIVITY. Help yourself!
You know there is earthquakes here, and there is floods there, there is war going on everywhere, it doesn't mean that you should just stop, and give up, and say there's no point! There is a point; ENGAGE YOURSELF IN USEFUL ACTIVITY.
And do you know what the result would be?
You will be the spark of hope for those around you.
If you give up, if you say "what's the point?", those around you will be contagious to your disease.
And they'll say "what's the point??".
But if you have hope, if you are productive, if you say "You know, I'll stand up, I'll engage myself in useful activity, I'll do my best to keep up productivity, and I'll do my best to benefit others"...
then I'll guarantee you that you will be the spark of hope to many people around you and you'll be the spark of hope when there is no hope around.
So have that spark of hope. Engage in useful activity. Connect to Allah s.w.t. and remember you are doing this for Allah s.w.t and you will be a spark of hope insyaAllah.
Source: ProductiveMuslim.com