The term laziness or “Kasal” in Arabic only appeared twice in the Qur’an, describing the hypocrites and their state of prayer. Laziness is associated with salah because salah is the most difficult of the daily obligations that a Muslim must complete since it has to be done every day, 5 times a day, without fail. An interesting point to make here is that whoever is lazy in their salah will be lazy in other acts of worship and whoever is not lazy in their salah, he/she won’t be lazy in other aspects of his/her life. Allah says:
وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْأَرُونَ
“And whatever of blessings you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help.” (Surah An-Nahl 16:53)
Laziness is a state of passivity and of letting things stay as they are. Islam is a religion that calls for activity and action and fights against laziness and procrastination. Laziness is one of the diseases that Islam abhors and the Prophet of Islam sought Allah’s protection and refuge against. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said,
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from helplessness, laziness, cowardice, niggardliness, and burden of debts and domineering men.”
The busyness of life and attachment to worldly things causes a lack of motivation to do good. Why should one pray, read Qurʾān, or learn more about God? Blessings of God, we can never thank God enough but He is still forgiving. Your blessings are immeasurable. Think of these basic blessings that you might possess: life, family, health, eyesight, hearing, a roof over your head, all the limbs of your body, food for the day.
How to stop being lazy & get motivated:
- Rub your hands to open up your drowsy eyes
- Tell yourself you’ll work on the dreaded task
- You’re in even more debt, count your sins
- Finding a partner to hold you accountable
- Remember, nothing changes until you do
- Truly appreciate and enjoy your lazy time
- Be consistent and check your progress
- Think of and meditate on hard work
- Start with just a small step forward
- Make sure you’re not overwhelmed
- Think of and list all the successes
- Thinking about the consequences
- Think and free to negative habits
- Regards a task as an exercise
- Take care of your eating habit
- Exercise for beating laziness
- Cycle fully focused work
- Figure out the real issue
- Think and shake yourself
- Rest, sleep and exercise
- Reframe your thinking
- Think about benefits
- Check your motivation
- Look for alternatives
- Ask for help or support
- Adjust your sleep habit
- Doing one thing at a time
- Look at your surroundings
- Find a dream to work upon
- Setting Your Mind Straight
- Leave yourself an easy task
- Focus on the actual problem
- Learn from successful people
- Find your passion for the work
- Believe in the “Do it now” attitude
- List upsides for renewed motivation
- Don’t check your phone after waking up
- Procrastinating starts with avoiding to think
- Write down the problems you’re putting off facing
- Look into the mirror. Say to your self You are the best
Laziness is not a natural state. Start this by developing your Personal Mission Statement. Ask yourself what you want to be written about you in your obituary when you die. What are you here on this Earth for? What are you here to give the world and humanity? Pray to Allah (SWT) for guidance and to show you where you are going. Then, map out your path to achieve these goals; keep them in mind when you begin questioning why you are doing this instead of that. Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“And those who shall strive for Our Sake, We shall surely guide them unto Our ways.” (Surah Al-`Ankabut: 29:69)
Laziness is a disease of the heart that can paralyze the potential of a person. This exercise will lead to a feeling of debt to God and a need to thank Him. We strive to attain a perfect balance of enjoying the best of both worlds. We also balance hope and fear while keeping a positive outlook on life. Motivation is a concept applied across all ages and all environments; from homes to classrooms, from offices to public life. It allows those in authority to exercise expectations without force and for those under authority to concede without much effort.
Motivation in the Life of a Muslim in the Holy Quran:
- “He threw it, and behold! It was a snake, active in motion.” (Surah Ta-Ha, 20)
- “That there is no drowsiness and no sleep that comes to Him.” (Quran 2:255)
- “Our Lord, bring us in the (present) life a fair (reward), and in the Hereafter a fair (reward), and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” (Quran 2:201)
- “Have you ever considered that if all the water you have, sink in the ground, who is it, that will bring you the clear-flowing water?” (Quran 67:30)
- “And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily! Man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer and ingrate.” (Quran 14:34)
- “And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.” (Quran 51:56)
While combating laziness, the first thing to do is to recognize that like all negative habits we have formed, it is a habit that we have acquired through consistent practice. We persist in it because we find comfort and gain pleasure in it. So we cannot be expected to get rid of it entirely unless and until we learn to link this habit with ugliness, pain, and suffering rather than glamorizing it. Allah says:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“If you should love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, for Allah is forgiving and merciful.” (Surah Ali Imran 3:31)
God had many reasons and opportunities to expose you. Some of the sins you do could have destroyed your family life, caused you to lose your job, ruined your reputation, or even landed you in prison. Yet, God has concealed your sins from the eyes of others even when you commit them in public. He is constantly forgiving and overlooking and humans are constantly sinning and forgetting. Allah says:
وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“Even if you counted all of God’s blessings, you would not be able to. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful.” (Sura An-Nahl 16:18)
However, this does not always go on forever. There comes a point for some people where God eventually exposes them. God conceals our sins to motivate us to learn a lesson and return to Him. If that does not work He at times exposes our actions to others to make us realize what we were doing and return to Him. Allah says:
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ
“Every soul (will) taste [the] death, and only you will be paid in full of your reward (on the) Day (of) [the] Resurrection. Then whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted (to) Paradise surely he is successful. And not (is) the life (of) the world except enjoyment (of) delusion.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:185)
Counting your blessings and sins is a means that can help inspire you to come back to God and thank Him for all He has given you. If you feel empty and spiritually lazy, take a moment and reflect on your debt toward God pick up the Qurʾān and read it. It is the direct word of God and it will soften your heart. Allah says:
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“Whoever does righteous deeds whether male or female while he (is) a believer, then surely We will give him l a life good, and We will pay them their reward to (the) best of what they used (to) do.” (Surah An-Nahl 16:97)
Keeping the remainder of the bounties that await the good-doer and inevitable transition of death at the forefront of our lives entices us to cultivate good manners, to be remembered as a good person, and to leave something that benefits those that come after us. Thus, the Islamic guidance for motivation is not just to serve human beings at an individual level, but rather mankind as a whole. Allah says:
وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
“And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrongdoing, not He (would) have left upon it any moving creature, but He defers them for a term appointed. Then when comes their terms, not they (will) remain behind an hour and not they can advance (it).” (Surah An-Nahl 16:61)
Laziness is truly a disease and we need to make a serious effort to fight it. It is the source of our weakness and defeat. So, what are you waiting for? It is time to challenge ourselves, improve our lifestyle and beat laziness and procrastination in sha Allah.
