Are you busy?

Assalaamu Alaikum!

How has the past month been for you?

Have you been busy?

I have noticed that the word “busy” comes up so often in conversations. I have caught myself asking people whether they are busy before continuing with a conversation. It’s something I have been trying to change. And whenever I get phone calls, I get ready to answer this question too, as many of them start with them asking me whether I am busy.

Busy has become the default setting

The default answer people would give to the question, “How are you?” has become “busy.” While some people find life's busyness overwhelming, others embrace it with pride. Some conversations sound like a competition over who receives the “busiest person” award.

Many of us wake up feeling we are already behind in a race, one we never signed up to run. We rush from task to task, skip meals or multitask through them, and by the end of the day, we wonder where our time went. Our brains are too exhausted to give time to anything at night, so we do what is easiest: scroll on our phones until we fall asleep or until the phone falls and hits us in the face.

When we look at the situation from an Islamic lens, this constant state of busyness isn’t only a lifestyle issue but a spiritual one as well. When life becomes a blur and is lived on autopilot mode, the heart starts to become distant from its Creator. Worship becomes a chore, and connecting with Allah is an afterthought, not the basis of our day.

Although this default setting feels like something too strong to overcome, it can be done; all you need is a stronger intention to live your life with purpose and presence.

The illusion of busyness

The problem is not having too many responsibilities; the problem is allowing them to consume our lives. Being in a constant state of busyness numbs us, leaving us with little to no room to reflect and ponder. When we choose to slow down, we begin to notice how much of our busyness was self-created.

There was a time when my mind would become too exhausted to focus on anything by the end of the day, which meant I was unable to do many of the things I wanted to do in the spare time I had, mostly during the night. I kept telling myself that maybe work is too busy and I just had too many responsibilities. After analyzing my habits, I came to the conclusion that work and responsibilities weren’t the only factors, but I also wasn’t giving my brain any rest throughout the day. I kept switching back and forth with different apps and conversations; my brain had to cope with so much context switching that it had started to cause mental fatigue. Small changes to how I use my devices and do my work made a tremendous difference to how much clarity and focus I was left with at the end of the day.

Responsibilities do make us busy. But an honest look at our days may show us that so much of our “busyness” was not because of meaningful responsibilities but because of distractions, habits, and unnecessary commitments that drain our time and focus. Tracking our time shows we have more free time than we think, but it's being stolen and fragmented.

The gift of undivided attention

When was the last time you gave someone your full, undistracted, and undivided presence? Or when was the last time you received it from someone?

In today’s world, presence has become the rarest form of gift we can offer to someone or even to ourselves.

One of the remarkable things about our beloved Prophet ﷺ was that even though he was living a life full of responsibilities, he never failed to give people his full attention. When he would speak to someone, he would turn his entire body towards that person, and he would listen to them without interruption. He made people feel honored, which made people love to spend time with him. He made people feel seen and heard.

Offering undivided attention to people is a subtle but powerful way of telling them that they matter. Constantly looking at the phone when we are with people indicates that they are less important than whatever it is we are doing on our phones. The person in front of us must be the most important for us at that moment.

Presence is also necessary in acts of ibadah. When we are fully present in salah, it provides us a different kind of peace. When we listen to the Quran without distractions, the meaning becomes deeper. When we listen to our spouses, friends, and family without rushing, love grows. When we sit without the pull of distractions and focus on our breath, our lives, and our blessings, we reconnect with Allah.

Choosing purpose over hustle

We live in an age that glorifies hustle. Some “successful” CEOs boast about their 18-hour workdays and sleeping in the office. They are constantly producing and striving to achieve the next milestone. For such people, constant activity is what makes life meaningful, which makes sense because this world is all they are after.

But we are here for a bigger purpose, and this world is not our final home.

The Qur’an reminds us, “And I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”

Hustle culture tells us that our worth comes from what we accomplish; Islam teaches us that our worth is tied to consciousness of Allah and the sincerity of our efforts. It is our intention that brings impact, not the hours we put in.

When life starts to become overwhelmed with hustle, take some time to pause and ask yourself

• Is this going to bring me closer to Allah or distract me?

• Am I seeking His pleasure or people’s approval?

• Am I giving the rights (haqq) to the people in my life?

Choosing purpose over hustle might mean prioritizing your soul over having a full schedule. It could also mean saying “no” more often to devote time to things that matter to you. It could also mean living life a little differently than most people in the society.

It’s not too late to stop being busy and live a more intentional life. Shall we start?

If you liked reading this, please share it with someone so they can benefit as well.

Until next time,

Samar