#302: Advice on how to balance between Teaching Sessions and ‘Ibādāt?
*QUESTION*
*HOW DO I BALANCE BETWEEN MY TEACHING SESSIONS AND MY ‘IBĀDĀT?*
“As-Salaamu Alaykum. I am a student in one of these high institutions and I have a post in MSSN which has to do with Da’awah. So, I deliver Nasīhah after Subhi in the Male or Female Masjid through out the week. And after. Maghrib I teach in the Madrasah in male mosque till Ishā. After Ishā I do the same in the female side till around 10pm. I come back weak and tired so I sleep…._
_As a result, I became unable to do other acts of worship like Qiyam layl, completing the Qur’an within 20 days… Which I used to do before._
_So now I want you to please guide on how to manage my time and reconcile between these two acts of worship which is “teaching and Ibādah” which one should I give preference over. Jazākumullahu Khayran._
_Note; the time between Subhi to Maghrib- I go to lectures, and do practical. So its hard for me rest by then.”_
*ANSWER*
Alhamdulillah.
What I see, and Allāh knows best, is that from what you have described, neither of both should be given preference over the other.
So often times do we small students of Knowledge use the statement of Imām Ash-Shāfi’ī like As-Suyūtī said:
طلب العلم خير من صلاة نافلة
لقد غذى الله برزق كافلة
But when we look at our realities we would realise that our knowledge seeking/teaching is not as thorough as it is supposed, to warrant jeopardizing the ‘Ibādāt. This is general.
But from what you have described, I think you have to strike a balance. Those hours you spend teaching are too much. You need to reduce them. You shouldn’t teach sisters till 10pm in the night. Neither should you occupy both your after-maghrib and after-isha with teaching.
My advice to you is to divide the week into days with the brothers, and then days with the sisters, and then choose one hour after Ishā, or between Maghrib and Ishā. This means that if you are choosing after maghrib, whosoever you are taking, you will stop at Ishā time and do your own affairs after Ishā. With that it will be a balance for your own affairs.
Likewise, I don’t think closing your day’s activities at 10pm should mean that you are not able to observe Qiyāmu Al-Layl. This is because 12pm to 4am is enough time for you to sleep (that is if you exercise, which I expect that you do). And 4am to Subh time is a time for you to speak to your Lord.
Also, Qur’ān recitation can be done 2 arbā’a after every Salāt, two before sleep, which is 12 arbā’ in a day and equivalent to 3 ahzāb. This is completion in 20 days. This isn’t bad for someone who is having very tight schedules.
This is just about weighing all the options. But like I said, reduce the hours.
Lastly, I used to tell brothers that delivering ta’alīmāt does not take your time, it should add value to it and make your timing more efficient.
Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran
2nd Al muharram 1439AH
📚 *IslamNode*
