Haseeb's Garden

Technology Cons

2026-06-15T05:46:36.306Z

We might think to ourselves why is technology bad naturally doesn't technology equal simple tools that make life easier well I thought about this and the answer to this question is technology creates 2 things the first thing is convenience whenever there is convenience struggle disappears and that is my issues start appearing
then there comes a level above convenience which is pleasure technology is a product of the pleasure economy and that is why it has so many bad things in it
then if technology was created by Muslims we could have said that it is a little bit better than the technology of today but the technology of today is a pure consumerist agenda and it has consumerist effects it has individualistic effects

Also:

The Trap of Enframing: It forces us to view nature and humans as "resources" to be used, optimized, not creations to be respected. Even if a believer creates the technology, the act of technological systematization forces them to treat God’s creation as a dead object to be manipulated for maximum efficiency, rather than a living sign (Ayah) to be respected.
The Tyranny of Efficiency: It eliminates patience, mystery, and slower spiritual practices in favor of pure speed. A religious society that becomes technological will eventually start cutting corners on its spiritual life because the "Tech Mindset" whispers, "This is a waste of time."
The Pharaonic Impulse: It feeds human arrogance (Kibr), encouraging a desire for god-like control and omniscience. Any tool designed to give humans god-like power will inherently corrupt the human heart, regardless of the creator's intent. It feeds the ego, not the soul.
Means Over Ends: It focuses entirely on how to do things (power), ignoring why we should do them (morality). The Result: A society that is technically giant but morally stunted. You get "smart" missiles and "smart" phones, but "stupid" people who have lost the ability to sit in silence or ponder the meaning of life.
The Veil of Simulation: It replaces the "Real" (God's creation) with the "Virtual" (man-made screens), creating spiritual numbness. We stop interacting with the world and start interacting with representations of the world (photos, profiles, metrics). This creates a spiritual numbness. You cannot feel the majesty of a mountain through a screen; you cannot feel the spiritual presence of a person through a text. Technology essentially creates a "fake" world (Simulacra) that distracts us from the "real" world where God’s signs are found.
Disruption of Fitrah: It removes natural struggle and friction, leading to the atrophy of human character and resilience.

Social Control and Manipulation
Used for pervasive social control and manipulation from birth (Brave New World)
Used to condition individuals to accept social roles and desires (Brave New World)
Facilitates psychological manipulation (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
Can be used to control language itself to restrict thought (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
Embedded within every tool is an ideological bias (Technopoly)
Aims to "automate us" through behavioral science and conditioning (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism)
Can be used for manipulation and control (Black Mirror)
Increases potential for cruelty and manipulation (Black Mirror)
Creates surveillance, data tracking, and manipulation (General)
Loss of Individual Autonomy and Freedom
Leads to erosion of individual autonomy and suppression of independent thought (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
"Technique" becomes an autonomous force dictating human life (The Technological Society)
Individuals become increasingly powerless against autonomous "technique" (The Technological Society)
Can create "radical monopolies" limiting individual choices and autonomy (Tools for Conviviality)
Unfettered industrialization can diminish personal freedom (Tools for Conviviality)
Erodes individual autonomy by transforming experience into surveillance assets (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism)
Creates unprecedented power imbalance between tech companies and individuals (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism)
Creates algorithmic dependencies that restrict personal freedom and autonomy (General)
Diminishes individual autonomy, forcing conformity to rigid systems (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Centralizes power, restricting personal freedom (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Erosion of Human Values, Relationships, and Morality
Pursuit of scientific knowledge can lead to neglect of social relationships/well-being (Frankenstein)
Causes loss of human values and relationships as behavior becomes mechanized (The Technological Society)
Overwhelms traditional moral content in societies (The Technological Society)
Gains sovereignty over cultural life when it becomes the ultimate authority (Technopoly)
Elevates efficiency and technical calculation above human judgment/morals (Technopoly)
Leads to erosion of traditional values as it becomes the primary framework (Technopoly)
Leads to neglect of asking about ends, focusing on methods and means (The Shallows)
Can distort priorities and values when algorithms rank or evaluate (Weapons of Math Destruction)
Can distort relationships and perceptions of reality (Black Mirror)
Humans may use it selfishly even without scarcity (Black Mirror)
Creates negative digital aura by fostering mind-numbing habits and moral decay (General)
Creates distractions that divert attention from spiritual practices and meaningful relationships (General)
Cognitive Decline and Impaired Thinking
Prioritization of entertainment leads to decline in rational thought (Amusing Ourselves to Death)
Can alter meaning of "being informed," creating illusion of knowledge without understanding (Amusing Ourselves to Death)
Belief that technology solves all problems can lead to decline in critical thinking (Technopoly)
Internet negatively affects concentration and deep thinking (The Shallows)
Leads to superficial engagement with information (The Shallows)
Constant connectivity/volume trains brains to skim and scan (The Shallows)
Can neurologically rewire brains, weakening focused attention pathways (The Shallows)
Engagement prioritizes efficiency and speed over depth and contemplation (The Shallows)
May cause evolution from "cultivators of personal knowledge to hunters/gatherers" (The Shallows)
Emphasis on multitasking hinders deep work and reflection (The Burnout Society)
Can lead to "hyperattention," a fragmented and shallow focus (The Burnout Society)
Creates constant distractions that shatter deep focus (General)
Creates mental clutter impairing clarity and decision-making (General)
Creates productivity drains by interrupting meaningful tasks (General)
Creates distractions pulling from present-moment mindfulness (General)
Creates time wastage through scrolling and trivial engagement (General)
Creates abundance of low-value distractions (General)
Creates habits of idle screen time replacing meaningful activities (General)
Mental Health Deterioration, Addiction, and Emotional Suppression
Pressure of constant self-optimization leads to exhaustion and burnout (The Burnout Society)
Diminishes tolerance for boredom, crucial for contemplation/creativity (The Burnout Society)
Constant pressure to be cheerful/achieve suppresses negative emotions, leading to burnout (The Burnout Society)
Social media platforms intentionally designed to be addictive (The Social Dilemma)
Has negative impact on mental health (anxiety, depression) (The Social Dilemma)
Leads to excessive usage due to addictive design (The Social Dilemma)
Causes constant comparison and dissatisfaction (likes, validation) (The Social Dilemma)
Exploits addictive behavior patterns, leading to loss of control (The Social Dilemma)
Creates addictive social media loops (scrolling, dopamine) (General)
Creates stress and anxiety through relentless digital pressures (General)
Creates decision fatigue through micro-decision overload (General)
Causes psychological suffering (stress, anxiety, depression) through loss of control (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Surveillance and Loss of Privacy
Enables constant surveillance (telescreens), eroding privacy (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
Goal is to achieve "digital omniscience" by constantly extracting/analyzing data (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism)
Can lead to erosion of privacy (Black Mirror)
Creates surveillance, data tracking (General)
Creates vulnerabilities to hacks, data leaks, breaches (General)
Algorithmic Bias and Reinforcement of Inequality
Algorithms can embed biases leading to discrimination (Weapons of Math Destruction)
Algorithms rely on biased historical data, reinforcing social inequalities (Weapons of Math Destruction)
Opacity makes it difficult to understand/challenge unfair algorithmic outcomes (Weapons of Math Destruction)
Algorithms can amplify disadvantage through feedback loops (Weapons of Math Destruction)
Algorithmic personalization can create echo chambers and reinforce biases (Weapons of Math Destruction)
Seemingly objective models can encode and amplify human biases (Weapons of Math Destruction)
Economic Exploitation and Surveillance Capitalism
Progress can lead to exploitation of humanity (The Technological Society)
Commodifies essential functions, taking away independent efficiency (Tools for Conviviality)
Tech companies collect/monetize personal data for prediction/control ("surveillance capitalism") (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism)
Generates "behavioral surplus" for prediction products in "behavioral futures markets" (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism)
Can modify user behavior for profit without full awareness/consent (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism)
Involves manipulation of users for profit (The Social Dilemma)
Creates system rewarding engagement over well-being/truth (for profit) (The Social Dilemma)
Manipulates emotions and behaviors for financial gain (The Social Dilemma)
Turns users into products, commodifying attention/data (The Social Dilemma)
Creates consumerist pressures (upgrades, subscriptions) (General)
Creates attention-hijacking mechanisms exploiting focus for profit (General)
Creates exploitative business models commodifying user time/attention (General)
Unforeseen Consequences, Unchecked Ambition, and Systemic Risks
Can be unpredictable, not bound by ethics/morals (The Technological Society)
Can amplify human flaws and create new, unsettling problems (Black Mirror)
Depicts dangers of unchecked technological advancement (Black Mirror)
Overwhelms society with uncontrollable progress, dependence on complex systems that can destabilize life (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Creates over-reliance on systems that can lead to chaos/collapse if disrupted (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Trivialization of Culture and Discourse
Can lead to shallow, consumer-driven society by manufacturing desires (Brave New World)
Can suppress art/literature, limiting access to elements fostering individuality (Brave New World)
Television prioritizes entertainment over substantive content (Amusing Ourselves to Death)
Television trivializes important issues via entertaining format (Amusing Ourselves to Death)
Transforms public discourse into show business (Amusing Ourselves to Death)
Creates ephemeral digital experiences lacking depth/permanence of analog (General)
Creates environment of passive consumption detracting from deep hobbies (General)
Creates passive consumption habits draining mental energy/engagement (General)
Information Overload and Meaninglessness
Leads to dissemination of fragmented, superficial, irrelevant information ("disinformation") (Amusing Ourselves to Death)
Creates explosion of context-free information, disconnected from meaning/purpose (Technopoly)
Creates digital overload (notifications, emails, messages) (General)
Creates unnecessary complexity overcomplicating life (General)
Creates scheduling chaos by forcing response to constant notifications/demands (General)
Distortion of Truth and Spread of Misinformation
Can control knowledge and history to maintain social stability (Brave New World)
Allows systematic manipulation of information/history to maintain power (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
Can overshadow truths proven over time with constant "new" bombardment (Amusing Ourselves to Death)
Algorithms amplify spread of misinformation and societal polarization (The Social Dilemma)
Can estrange our relationship to truth (The Social Dilemma)
Accelerates spread of false information via rapid sharing/amplification (The Social Dilemma)
Leads to feedback loop deepening polarization/societal division (The Social Dilemma)
Creates echo chambers by filtering content, limiting diverse perspectives (General)
Alienation, Isolation, and Social Fragmentation
Can lead to profound alienation/isolation for creator and creation (Frankenstein)
Can lead to social disintegration by fostering reliance on professional elites (Tools for Conviviality)
Some technologies reduce conviviality (essential for freedom/engagement) (Tools for Conviviality)
Frequently highlights potential for social isolation/breakdown of genuine connection (Black Mirror)
Reduces genuine human interaction, fosters unhealthy virtual relationships (The Social Dilemma)
Creates barriers to genuine face-to-face interactions, leading to superficial connections (General)
Creates superficial social interactions replacing deep conversations (General)
Creates barriers to deep, conversation-centric communication (favors text) (General)
Creates unstructured digital socialization less fulfilling than real-world interactions (General)
Undermines traditional social structures, forces unnatural urban environments, reduces face-to-face interactions (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Dependence, Deskilling, and Loss of Self-Reliance
Many industrial tools create dependence by undermining natural abilities (Tools for Conviviality)
Can lead to reliance on experts/technical solutions for human relations (Technopoly)
Creates over-reliance on convenience diminishing discipline/effort (General)
Creates dependency on constant connectivity, eroding self-reliance (General)
Creates cognitive dependency, weakening memory, navigation, communication skills (General)
Creates deficits in real-life skills by reducing face-to-face communication/problem-solving (General)
Creates dependence on digital solutions undermining hands-on craftsmanship/manual skills (General)
Creates reliance on digital conveniences hindering practical, manual skills (General)
Physical Health and Well-being Neglect
Creates sedentary lifestyles promoting passive screen time over physical activity (General)
Creates sleep disruptions (blue light, continuous stimulation) (General)
Environmental Damage
Creates environmental harm (e-waste, energy consumption, resource depletion) (General)
Erosion of Human Dignity and Dehumanization
Can create a society with no deep feelings, emotions, human characteristics (Brave New World)
Can make people work like machines without awareness (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
Modern world produces people for tools, leading to human obsolescence (Tools for Conviviality)
Uncontrolled growth of technology destroys vital sources of our humanity (Technopoly)
Can force individuals to make choices compromising fundamental humanity (Black Mirror)
Disrupts natural power process (meeting needs too easily, superficial surrogate activities) (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Erodes human dignity by making people overly dependent, undermining empowerment (Kaczynski/Unabomber Manifesto)
Blurring Boundaries (Work/Life, Reality/Virtuality)
Digital technologies blur traditional boundaries between work and life (constant "on") (The Burnout Society)
Creates divide between user’s self-perception and online persona (The Social Dilemma)
Suppression of Individuality and Creativity
Leads to standardization and mechanization across human activity (The Technological Society)
Unfettered industrialization can diminish creativity (Tools for Conviviality)
Algorithm-driven content stifles genuine creativity/original thought (General)

Privacy Moves to Take

2026-06-15T05:46:27.953Z

Zone 1: Basic Privacy & Security

Password Management:
- Avoid using browser or OS password managers.
- Use a password manager like Bitwarden (cloud-based) or KeePass (local storage).
- Create strong, unique passwords for each account.
- Generate random answers for security questions and store them in your password manager.
- Use long, complex passwords for your devices and memorize them.
- Secure your router with a strong password and enable WPA2 encryption.
- Disable biometrics in high-risk areas (e.g., airports, protests).
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):
- Avoid SMS-based 2FA; use local authenticator apps like Tofu (iOS), Aegis (Android), or hardware keys.
- Back up your 2FA codes separately to avoid getting locked out.
Minimize Digital Footprint:
- Disable tracking on Google My Activity.
- Delete unused accounts and replace personal information with fake data using services like Gorilla Mail.
- Use sites like JustDeleteMe.xyz to find and delete old accounts.
Social Media Privacy:
- Use basic privacy settings.
- Avoid friending strangers, commenting on public posts, or sharing personal information.
- Do not grant unnecessary permissions to apps (e.g., location tracking).
VPN Usage:
- Use a trusted VPN to encrypt traffic and mask your IP address.
- Recommended VPNs: ProtonVPN, Mullvad, IVPN, Windscribe, and Surfshark.
Secure Communication:
- Avoid SMS; use encrypted messaging apps like Signal.
- Switch to privacy-focused email providers like ProtonMail or Tutanota.
- Use disposable email services like 33Mail, Gorilla Mail, or TempMail.
Browser Security:
- Use trusted extensions and privacy-respecting search engines like DuckDuckGo or Startpage.
- Clear cookies and browsing data frequently.
- Use incognito mode when necessary.
Smartphone Privacy:
- Disable analytics, telemetry, and unnecessary app permissions.
- Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and GPS when not in use.
- Enable MAC address randomization (iOS 14+ and Android 10+).
- Keep your device and apps updated.
File Management:
- Clear temporary files and logs regularly using tools like BleachBit.
- Securely delete sensitive files (do not rely on the recycle bin).
- Back up your data (on-site and off-site).
Real-World Privacy:
- Avoid using public computers for personal information.
- Be cautious with smartwatches, fitness trackers, and IoT devices.
- Use safes and shredders for physical documents.

Zone 2: Enhanced Privacy & Security

Disable Biometrics Completely:
- Use strong passwords instead of biometrics for better security.
Delete Google Account:
- Remove your Google account to reduce data collection.
- Use company provided Google Account if you have one or an Al Burhan Google account.
- For storage use the company account and Yandex.
- For subscriptions use the Yandex email
- For private emails use the Proton Mail account.
Pseudonyms & Separate Accounts:
- Create pseudonyms for specific tasks (e.g., shopping, social media).
- Use VoIP services (e.g., Google Voice, Burner) for phone numbers.
Social Media Anonymity:
- Avoid posting personal photos or identifiable information.
- Use progressive web apps instead of native social media apps.
Browser Separation:
- Use different browsers for different purposes (e.g., Tor for anonymity, Firefox for personal use).
- Harden Firefox for privacy and security.
Free & Open Source Software (FOSS):
- Switch to FOSS alternatives for your daily apps.
- Use F-Droid for Android or AltStore for iOS to find FOSS apps.
- Consider using Linux for your desktop OS.
- Switch Apps on Digital Tools I am Using and Why
Device Security:
- Use iOS or Type 2 Android devices for better privacy.
- Consider custom ROMs like GrapheneOS or CalyxOS for maximum privacy.
Computer Security:
- Password-protect your BIOS and encrypt your drives.
- Use VeraCrypt for file-level encryption.
- Spoof your MAC address for additional anonymity.
Metadata Removal:
- Strip metadata from files using tools like mat2 or EXIF removers.
Home Security:
- Install security cameras and alarms.
- Use cable locks for laptops and intrusion kits for desktops.
- Remove IoT devices from your home.

Zone 3: Extreme Privacy & Security

Delete Social Media & Online Accounts:
- Export and delete your data from social media platforms.
- Falsify information before deleting accounts.
- Delete My Online Accounts to Delete
Advanced Browser Techniques:
- Use hardened Firefox for personal accounts.
- Use Tor for anonymity and casual browsing.
- Be aware of behavioral tracking and social engineering attacks.
Ditch Smartphones:
- Use dumb phones or custom ROMs like GrapheneOS or CalyxOS.
- Consider not having a phone at all and relying on VoIP.
Operating Systems:
- Use Linux for privacy and security.
- Consider specialized OS like Tails OS (anonymity) or Qubes OS (security).
Anonymous Purchases:
- Use cash for in-person purchases.
- For online purchases, use gift cards, non-reloadable Visa cards, or privacy-focused cryptocurrencies like Monero.
Physical Privacy:
- Remove or disable cameras and microphones on devices.
- Use external webcams and microphones.
- Wear sunglasses, masks, or hats to avoid facial recognition.
Advocacy:
- Educate friends and family about privacy.
- Normalize privacy by advocating for it in your community.

Testing Your Privacy

Search Yourself:
- Look up your name, phone number, and address on search engines and people-search websites.
Evaluate Your Progress:
- Use the checklist and scoring system provided in the video’s description to assess your privacy level.
Aim for "Tech Lore Approved":

Implement everything in Zone 1 as a baseline, then move to Zones 2 and 3 based on your threat model.

Pixel 9A Phone is Final Decision

2026-06-15T05:46:17.063Z

Pixel 8 Old Decision

Why:

No way we are setting things up again
Our only other option is Pixel 9 and its battery life is the same
Remember Mate 10 Lite when you said this was a perfect phone, you ditched Pixel 2 XL
We will use this phone as a brick, a NoPhone
Power banks accommodate for battery life
All flagships heat
If you do not buy a flagship you will loose out on camera
We are familiar with Pixel UI and Graphene OS
Pixel 8 is the best battery life on a 6.2 inch or smaller phone, after S25
With a cover the Pixel 8 looks like a Pixel 9, if not better
Pixel 9 is bigger
Pixel 9 is more expensive
Pixel 8 was praised for overcoming battery life and heating issues
The heating issues most likely have to do with graphene rather than the hardware
a GPT research on the reviews of this phone returned a positive feedback on the battery life with some claiming even 2 days of light use and said that the only thing issues are only caused in prolonged 4k recording and gaming
Pixel 9 also has overheating and call dropping issues
Overheating is not an issue because you won't use your phone
Overheating is a good thing because it will prevent you from using your phone

we got distracted by the overheating and found the following viable options, in decreasing order of battery life, prices as of Oct 2025

Xperia 5V
Nothing CMF Phone 1 (68.2K)
Nothing Phone 2a (128.7K Priceoye)
Nothing Phone 2 (100K OLX)
OnePlus 12
Xiaomi 14
S23 Ultra (149K OLX, 8 256)
Pixel 9A (125K OLX, 0 cycles)
Pixel 9 (134K OLX, <100 cycles)

We wait for Xperia 5V to appear in market and if it's less than 70K PTA Official then I may buy it. If it's more then I stay with Pixel 8. If Pixel 9 jumps to 110K we buy it. If Pixel 9A gets less than 90K we buy it.

So there can be the following possibilities only:

Most probably we will stay with Pixel 8
Second most probable option is Xperia 5 V (a mini S25 Ultra without the maximalism of the S Pen and with privacy, and the battery life king with unique camera colors, rids us og Graphene OS)
Pixel 9 (Fixes overheating, has good battery life, sticks to Graphene OS)
Pixel 9A (Sticks to Midrange)
Other options are not good: Nothing phone gets us into a different ecosystem making life complex and getting us into an upgrade loop. Plus it is maximalist on the outside and also has a huge screen.
Xiaomi also gets us into the upgrade loop, keeps us waiting for Lineage OS, and is expensive
OnePlus 12 is expensive and gets us into upgrade loop and is too mainstream and has bigger screen
S23 Ultra has bigger screen and doesn't have Lineage
I am stuck on small screen and Lineage because of obvious reasons but even if they don't exist these are parameters to keep things minimal.
Pixel 9A has modem issues like Pixel 8, Pixel 9a still overheats but less than Pixel 9 because of Vapor Chamber. Pixel 9 still overheats more than 9a, and has the same battery life as Pixel 8.
Pixel 9A has a battery glue.
Pixel 9 gets hot as well and doesn't have vapor cooling
Pixel 9 Exynos 5400 also has connectivity issues. People also expected that 5300 would fix issues but it didn't. The reviewer mentions, a phone's basic capability is providing connectivity and if it fails there I don't know what to say.
Pixel 10 Pro XL has the 2nd lowest battery life on GSM Arena's Battery Life Test 2.0. I was 100 percent convinced they hadn't reviewed its battery life yet. 10 generations and battery life is pathetic.
Pixel 9 got a pink line for a reviewer. Talk about quality. It also has bugs. Abu Dujana's Pixel 6a became faulty. Pixel 8 also has documented display issues.
Battery life issue can be solved with a powerbank
We will prefer Pixel Phones because in the future we may end up preferring Graphene OS over Lineage; even if we prefer stock Android the Pixel still works. For a Pixel 9 it's a medium screen so we get benefits of both a small and a large screen.

OUR ONLY 5 OPTIONS NOW ARE:

Pixel 5A -- phone not available
Sony 5 V -- skip because not available
Pixel 9
Keep Pixel 8 -- no because overheating is bad
Pixel 9A

FINALIZED DECISION NOT TO BE CHANGED:
No more Phone Research for 2 years

If we keep the job for two more months then we buy Pixel 9 on December 1st
Otherwise we keep Pixel 8 until it becomes unusable

Pixel 9A Decision

Pixel 9A is our phone till 2028 December, decided on 2026-02-24
Why a Pixel?

We have decided to stick with Pixels for life.
Every non-Pixel brand (Nothing, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Samsung) has its own UI skin, update policy, and accessory ecosystem — switching means learning a completely new phone experience from scratch
These brands intentionally create yearly upgrade FOMO with flashy launches, new features, and trade-in offers designed to keep you on a 1-2 year upgrade treadmill
You've already spent months researching and settled on Pixels for life — going non-Pixel reopens that endless research loop
Mixing brands between you and the Beloved (e.g., you on Nothing, her on Pixel) doubles the ecosystem surface area — two sets of cables, covers, troubleshooting, and OS quirks to manage
The Pixel is a terminal phone: you buy it, you stop caring. Everything else is designed to make you want the next one.
- Graphene OS is available only on Google Pixels — no other phone can run it, period
You've already decided to move away from Lineage OS, which means your only privacy-oriented path is Graphene on a Pixel
Non-Pixels force you into either: (a) stock Android with Google tracking, bloatware, and no real privacy control, or (b) unofficial custom ROMs with delayed updates, spotty stability, and bootloader warranty headaches
Even if you decide stock Android is fine, a Pixel still gives you that choice — a non-Pixel doesn't. Pixels are future-proof for privacy; non-Pixels are not.
The Pixel 9A specifically gives you Graphene OS without compromise — the same privacy as a Pixel 9 Pro for less money
- Every non-Pixel option on your list (Nothing Phone 2/2a, OnePlus 12, Xiaomi 14, S23 Ultra) has a screen larger than what you want — you've consistently preferred compact phones across generations
You explicitly stated you're "stuck on small screen" as a parameter to "keep things minimal" — a smaller phone is physically less intrusive, easier to put down and forget about
A large screen is inherently maximalist: more bezel-less glass, more flash, more to hold onto, harder to use one-handed, harder to treat as a "brick" or "NoPhone"
Every time you've gone bigger, you've regretted it (Mate 10 Lite → Pixel 2 XL → back to compact) — the pattern is clear
The Pixel 9A sits in the sweet spot: usable screen without being a statement piece
- Non-Pixel flagships (S23 Ultra, OnePlus 12, Xiaomi 14) are designed to be noticed — premium materials, distinctive camera bumps, flashy designs that scream "look at my phone"
Your Digital Minimalism philosophy explicitly rejects this: you wanted a Pixel 5A specifically because it's mid-range and humble
The term aajizi (humility, modesty) applies here — the Pixel 9A is a phone that does its job without demanding attention. An S23 Ultra or Xiaomi 14 is the opposite.
You already noted that "design isn't for Dawah" — an expensive flashy phone doesn't help your deen or your public image; it signals attachment to this dunya
A non-Pixel flagship makes you look like a phone enthusiast. A Pixel 9A makes you look like someone who just needs a phone that works.
1. Familiarity & Setup Cost
You have years of Pixel muscle memory: UI navigation, Graphene OS installation and configuration, camera behavior, backup workflows, troubleshooting patterns
Every non-Pixel brand has a different bootloader unlocking process, different custom ROM scene (if any), different recovery tools — you'd have to learn from scratch
You have existing covers and accessories that fit Pixels — non-Pixels require new purchases and returns, adding cost and friction
The document's very first reason is "No way we are setting things up again" — this is your deepest instinct, not to be ignored
You already own a Pixel right now. Going non-Pixel means: research → buy → wait → ship → set up → learn → troubleshoot → probably regret. Going Pixel 9A means: buy → transfer → done. You know exactly what you're getting.
Graphene OS is more secure and private than Lineage, runs only on Pixels (so it forces you to stay in one ecosystem), and doesn't require waiting for community builds with uncertain quality. Lineage keeps you tethered to specific devices that may or may not get maintained; Graphene on a Pixel is stable, predictable, and set-and-forget.

Why Pixel 9A over 9/9 Pro

Major Reasons
- It's newer
- It's cheaper
- It allows buying Pixel 7A for the Beloved
- Heats less
Side Reasons
- Battery Cycles are better than Pixel 9 in almost all cases
- We already have covers
- It's the same as Pixel 10 and 10A
- Pixel 9 also has connectivity, battery, modem and overheating issues, and the 5300 issue could have been just for the Pixel 8 because Pixel 6 worked well for us. 5300 issues are unproven
- It will make us not flaunt our phone, and make us have aajizi, It's for digital minimalism that we support and we should walk the talk
- As part of our Digital Minimalism we were actually sticking to Pixel 5 and 4a 5G in the past because they are mid-range
- Dumbphones are also okay so why buy a 9 Pro
- We wanted to buy Pixel 5A
- It lies flat
- Background Bokeh is almost the same as Pixel 6 and 7
- Maulvifone suits on 9A than 9
- Call Dropping is a normal issue on all phones, and can't ve measured by reviewers objectively
- I tested speeds against phones and Pixel 9A speeds are actually better

Reasons for Pixel 9 better than 9A and rebuttals

Design for Dawah
- Design isn't for Dawah
Camera blur
- 9A is okay too, similar
Silver sides, less bezels and pretty back
- Hype dies down as we use, bezels we don't notice on both after a while
We won't be tempted to buy another phone
- Control temptation here, not in the future
Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, faster charging
- Not needed for me

Reasons to buy Pixel 9 over 9A:

Just because I like it, so we can buy it later, not now

What's for the Beloved?

Pixel 7A, one of our most Beloved phones

Our philosophy of technology use

2026-06-15T05:46:05.313Z

We start with offline and analog and then see if any tools adds a benefit to life, and only include it after analyzing its cons. Technology Cons

Digital Tools I am Using and Why

2026-06-15T04:53:53.313Z

When you update this, also update Backup Policies and Digital Tools I am Recommending and Why

{Pin X} are pinned apps on X platform
{Priv} means privacy invading
/App mentions alternative apps I recommend
Mobile Apps are Italic. Those with the PWA keyword are web apps.
Do not give personal sensitive data to these apps and keep deleting data that you think they might use to track you. Delete online accounts you don't use.
- As a one time effort, we will delete our online accounts according to My Online Accounts to Delete
Those that are highlighted are non-recommended for beginners, with altrnatives mentioned optionally after "/"

1. Desktop Apps

A. System & Utility Tools

File & System Management:
- File Explorer
- Settings
- App Center
- Syncthing
Basic OS Utilities:
- Ghostty/Terminal
- Calculator
- Clock
- AnyDesk
- Feem
- Fish Shell + Starship
- StayFree
Browser / Synching:
- Brave
- Drive PWA
Terminal Utils
- check in bootstrap-wsl.sh

B. Productivity & Office

Task & Note Management:
- ClickUp
- Obsidian
- Zoho Cal
Document & Reference:
- LibreOffice
- GoldenDict
Office Suite:
- Sheets PWA
- Docs PWA
- Google Calendar PWA for Work
- Excalidraw PWA

C. Development & Coding

Developer Tools:
- Zed
- Others
  - UV
  - Git
  - Python and modules
  - GH
- OpenCode

D. Media, Creativity & Communication

Creative & Media Applications:
- Camera
- Voice Recorder
- Canva
- VLC
- Filmora/Shotcut
Communication & Conferencing:
- WhatsApp
- Meet
- Slack
Email
- Gmail PWA
- Zoho Mail PWA

E. AI Tools (Includes Websites as Well)

Gemini App
- Image Gen
- Veo3
- NotebookLM
- Live Voice Mode
- Deep Research
OpenCode with Codex Sub and Go
- Writing
- Everyday Tasks
- Coding
Canva AI
Zed AI for Autocomplete
Typeless for Voice Typing

F. Specialized / Other Tools

Download & Internet Helpers:
- QBitTorrent
Privacy / Security:
- OOSU10
Finance
- ? Wise replacement==

3. Brave Plugins

Productivity & Content

Loom Extension
Obsidian Web Clipper
StayFree
Security & Privacy
uBlock
Vault Extension
Duck Protection Extension

4. Most Visited Sites

A. Video & Streaming

Youtube
BiliBili
SyncTube

B. Education & Courses

Coursera
Alasna
edX
DeepLearning.ai

C. Blogs & Media

Blogs & Personal Sites:
- Muslim Skeptic
- My Blog
- Cal Newport
General Media:
- Medium
- TechRadar

E. Developer & Tech Sites

Colab
Hugging Face
Vercel
LM Arena
Namecheap
Google Cloud or other cloud
Open AI, Google AI and other dashboards

F. Professional & Networking

G. Research & Community

Reddit
IslamQA
Obsidian Forum
InternetArchive

H. Search Engines & Utilities

DuckDuckGo (DDG)
Fast.com

I. Shopping & E-commerce

Daraz
Ali Express
PriceOye
Ronin
OLX.com.pk
Zameen.com

J. Teaching & Learning Tools

Menti
Scratch
Google Forms

N. Sports, News & Reference

UFC
Wikipedia
Forbes

5. Mobile Apps

(Your smartphone applications—with subgroups by primary function.)
System & Utilities

Contacts, Phone, PlayStore, Niagara Launcher, Google Maps, Material Files, Gboard
Communication & Media
Messages, Photos, Snaptube
Productivity & Finance
Adobe Reader, Aard 2, Sadapay, Meezan, OneAuth, InDrive/Yango

6. Operating Systems

Ubuntu (Laptop)
Graphene (Phone)

7. My Online Accounts

Italic represent temporary accounts

Office Productivity
1. Zoho
2. Personal Google (Slowly being not used)
  1. We will keep checking it for any important mail for 3 years starting form 2025-10-18 and then we will disable it
3. Loom (On Uni Email)
4. Canva
Learning
1. Rekhta (not crearted yet)
2. Alasna
3. Sapience Inst
4. Basira Eductaion and Canvas
Gaming
1. Balistica
Profesional
1. LinkedIn (cant login, change email)
2. Upwork
Dev and Hosting
1. Github
2. Netlify
3. CloudFare
Shopping and Bankng
1. UBL and Meezan/Alfa
2. Sadapay
Utils
1. inDrive
2. Niagara Launcher
Work:
1. Slack
2. Jira
3. Notion
4. Work Google
  1. For Gmail, Meet, Docs, Authenticator, WhatsApp Backup, Drive, Play Services, Phone Contacts and Call Logs Backup
Social
1. WhatsApp
2. Signal

Backup Policies

2026-06-15T05:45:16.857Z

Once:

You have three devices that have daily access data: Phone, Tablet and Laptop
Set up 2 Backup Points -- one main and one cold; we chose Laptop and Cloud
Set up synching mechanism between the two backup points, manual or automatic
Setup Sync from your laptop folders to your cloud in a Backup folder.
Setup your phone and tablet main work folders with your Laptop as a Sync service in a Sync Folder

To Backup Quarterly

Apps

Zoho Vault
Zoho Mail
Loom
GitHub Important Repos
Canva Files (https://www.canva.com/settings/login-and-security)

Data

Phone & Tablet

Cut All to-backup Data from your Phone and Tablet Sync folders to your Main Laptop Folders

Laptop

Push all in Dev Folders, WSL gits

Sync Daily

Tablet and Phone Sync Manually on Online Time by turning on Wifi and opening Syncthing

When Switching

When Switching Phones:

Backup WhatsApp
Sync Syncthing
Copy Snaptube Folder

When Switching Laptops:

Backup Policies#Laptop

Studio and Recording Setup

2026-06-15T05:44:58.484Z

Level 1: Interviews:
Laptop

Level 2: Pro Interviews and Recordings
++ Razer Siren Mini
++ Pixel
++ 2 Lights
++ Good BG
++ Whiteboard

Pillars, Areas, Projects and Routines

2026-06-15T05:44:40.047Z

[!info]-
These are my priorities.
First Level is for Pillars, second for Areas, and third for Projects and Routines.
Projects are Italic and Routines are not. Current Ones are highlighted. Old ones ar strike-thorugh.
Projects must follow OPTIMUS & OPUM Goals.
Anything you do, be it adding tasks, projects or consuming information, should be based on Pillars.
Establish simple, daily routines in each Pillar to signal commitment to it.
Spend 4-6 weeks on each bucket, clearing out distractions and doing a overhaul of it, making radical improvements.
Have same names for projects in your system
For more details on the structure see Our Life Management System

The One Thing
- Al Burhan in every street (Visual: 100 Year Timeline (Just Visualization))
Ilm
- Taleem
  - Arabic
  - Farsi
  - Seerat
- Nazriaat
  - Isms Mutalla
  - Ahbaab e Azeemat
  - Kalam
- Taalum
Islaah
- Sulook
  - Rules
  - Mamoolaat
  - Majlis Zikr
- Tarbiah
- Mujahida
  - Yildirim
  - Walk
  - Football
- Love
- Personal Development
- Mizaaj
- General Islaah Responsibilities
Dawah
- ~~My Main Skills#^a62b2c Skills~~
- ~~Project K IT~~
- ~~Project K Murabbi~~
- Seerat Circle
- Shabab Skills
- Shabab AI Academy
- ~~My Main Skills#^a62b2c Tech Club~~
  - ~~AI Learning and Community Efforts~~
- General Dawah Responsibilities
  - ~~Isms Course Outline~~
  - ~~Tools Course~~
  - Wasooli
Khidmah
- Family Value Creation + Dawah
- Relatives Value Creation + Dawah
- Friends Value Creation + Dawah
- Community Value Creation + Dawah
- Al Burhan Ad Hoc Khidmah
Energy
- Health
- Finances
  - Retain Job
  - Get New Job*
  - microSaaS*
  - ~~Business~~
- Recreation
- Planning
- My Main Skills#Hobbies and Entertainment

Old
- 100 Year Timeline (Sep 2022) and The 100 Year Timeline (2018)
- Ultimate Goals (Sep 2022)
- Roadmap (Aug 2022)
- Areas of Life (Research) and Areas and Sub-Areas Of Life (Old), Seven Focuses of Life (Old)
- Purpose Of Life, Purpose of Life (Pre Jan 2025) and The Purpose Of Life Itself (Old)
- Life Organization in Al Dimagh (Old)
- Core Life Values (Pre Jan 2025) and Core Life Values (Old)
- Tools and Apps I am using (Pre January 2025) and Apps and Tools for Daily Use (Old)

Office Setup

2026-06-15T05:44:27.890Z

Office Room
- No Personal PC Needed (Can ssh into or access Work PC)
- Simple Desk for ground and a back support from existing majlis sofa
- You don't have to use the desk if you don't want
- Mic, eInk show and Pixel Camera and Room lights are optional for dramatic effect (Keep it minimal; due to AI simple non-studio grade stuff is likeable now)

Maulwified Posessions

2026-06-15T05:44:16.552Z

Rules:

Possessions are finalized.

Wardrobe:

Sports Outfit:

Shirts with Messages
Trousers
Hoodie (For Winters)
Runners
Cap

Main Outfit:

Kameez(s) + Black Waist Coat with Messages
Shalwaar(s)
Black Chadar
Leather Khairi
Cap

Formal Add-ons:

Black Prince Coat
Black Pagri
Black Sneakers

Home Add-Ons:

Chappal

Accessories:

Watch -- Taqwa Timepiece (Casio GA-2100)
Shemagh
Perfumes (3 in total)
Black Purse
Black Keychain (To be added later)
Knife (To be added later)
Jae Namaz (To be added later)

Note Taking:

Boox Go 10.3
Mini Notebook

Bags:

One Large Travelling Bag
One Tech Bag
One Sling

Tech:

ThinkPad T Series Laptop -- Maulvibook
Earphones (1 Only) -- Maulvibuds
Phone -- Maulvifone (Pixel) -- Pixel 9A
Office Set-up -- Maulvistation (No PC included)

Travel:

Family Honda City 2000 Blue (Named on Baba Jani)
Family Honda CB150F
- Optional: Family Car Honda BRV or Honda Fit or Honda N One or Suzuki Mehran
Cycle

Hygiene:

Razer
Oil
All in One Soap
Shampoo or ACV
Miswak/Brush + Paste
Comb
Baking Soda
Mouth Freshener
Surma

List of my Pseudo and Real Needs

2026-06-15T05:43:52.809Z

Pseudo Needs are Italicized

🏠 1. Housing & Shelter (Including Hidden Urban Realities)

Rent (monthly, quarterly, or annual lump sum)
Home maintenance

🛒 2. Food, Groceries & Household Consumption

Wheat flour (atta) – 10kg, 20kg packs
Basmati rice
Sugar (local vs. branded)
Cooking oil (Soya, Canola, Sunflower)
Ghee (local desi vs. Dalda)
Milk (packet, loose, or powdered)
Tea leaves (Lipton, local, or premium like Tapal Danedar)
Eggs (dozen or tray)
Vegetables (seasonal: okra in summer, spinach in winter)
Fruits (bananas daily, mangoes seasonally)
Meat (beef, mutton, chicken – with bone, boneless, minced)
Fish (especially in Karachi: pomfret, prawns)
Lentils (masoor, moong, chana daal)
Spices (whole & ground: zeera, haldi, lal mirch)
Pickles (mango, lemon, mixed)
Jam / honey / syrup
Biscuits (Parle-G, Cream Crackers, Gluco)
Noodles / pasta / macaroni
Frozen foods (kebabs, samosas, patties)
Mineral water / 5-gallon dispenser refills
Dry fruits (almonds, cashews – daily or for guests)
Chocolates / candies (for kids or self)
Ready-made sauces (tomato, chili, mayonnaise)
Mosquito repellent (All Out, Good Knight)
Air freshener (Glade, local brands)
Detergent powder / liquid (Ariel, Surf Excel)
Dishwashing liquid (Dawn, Pril)
Floor cleaner (Lysol, local phenyl)
Toilet cleaner (Harpic)
Tissue paper / toilet rolls
Garbage bags (small & large)
Lighter / matchboxes (for gas stove)
LPG cylinder refill + delivery tip
RO water filter membrane replacement
Water cooler servicing
Everything related to manufacturing is a pseudo need

🚗 3. Transportation & Mobility

Petrol / diesel / CNG (daily or weekly top-up)
Bike/car oil change
Tire puncture repair
Battery water / replacement
Brake pad servicing
Car wash (manual or automatic)
Bike polish / detailing
Parking (office, mall, market, home society)
Metro Bus / Green Line token
Rickshaw (auto, QMobile, traditional)
Uber / Careem / InDrive / Bykea fares
Fuel surcharge on ride-hailing
Toll plaza fees (M-2, M-4, etc.)
Vehicle registration renewal
Token tax payment
Comprehensive insurance premium
Third-party insurance
Driving license renewal
Traffic challan (official or “unofficial”)
Helmet / gloves / raincoat (for bikers)
Car air freshener / seat covers
GPS tracker subscription
Dashcam memory card replacement
Bicycle maintenance (for students/eco-commuters)
E-scooter rental (e.g., SWVL, local startups)
Intercity bus/train tickets (monthly visits to parents)
Everything car related is a pseudo need

👕 4. Personal Grooming, Clothing & Appearance

Haircut (barber shop vs. salon)
Shave / beard trim
Hair dye / beard color (Garnier, Godrej)
Hair oil / serum (Almond, Coconut, anti-hairfall)
Shampoo / conditioner
Soap / body wash
Toothpaste / toothbrush / mouthwash
Deodorant / perfume (local attar or imported)
Nail cutter / file
Facial (men’s packages at salons)
Waxing / threading (eyebrows, upper lip)
Eyeglasses / contact lenses
Watch battery replacement
Formal shoes polish / repair
Wedding suit dry cleaning
Ironing service (for office shirts)
Tailoring (shirt/kurta adjustments)
Socks / underwear (monthly replacement)
Seasonal wardrobe: winter shawls, summer cottons
Sports shoes (for gym/cricket)
Prayer cap / topi
Sunglasses
Wallet / belt replacement

Office chai (Rs. 20–40 x 25 days = big leak!)
Breakfast: Nihari, paye, halwa puri, anda paratha
Lunch: Biryani, karahi, daal chawal from dhaba
Dinner: Home delivery (Foodpanda, Cheetay)
Fast food: KFC, McDonald’s, Hardee’s, local chains
Café hopping: Starbucks, Coffee Planet, local specialty cafés
Street food: Chaat, gol gappa, bun kebab, tikka rolls
Late-night cravings (post-midnight rolls)
Office birthday/farewell contributions
Team lunch “rotations”
Iftar parties (Ramzan)
Eid breakfast hosting
Milad / majlis food contributions
Paan / gutka / naswar (daily micro-addiction cost)
Cigarettes / vaping pods
Energy drinks (Red Bull, Sting)
Juices / shakes (from roadside stalls)
Ice cream / falooda (summer)
Gajar ka halwa / dahi bhalla (winter)
All this except special gatherings is out

💊 6. Health, Wellness & Medical

Family doctor consultation
Specialist visits (dermatologist, ENT, etc.)
Dentist (cleaning, filling, root canal)
Eye checkup
Lab tests (CBC, lipid profile, sugar)
Ultrasound / X-ray
Prescription medicines
Over-the-counter meds (painkillers, antacids)
Vitamins / supplements (B12, D3, Zinc)
Protein powder / mass gainer
Gym membership (Gold’s, local fitness center)
Personal trainer fees
Yoga / meditation class
Mental health counseling (increasingly common)
Physiotherapy (for back/neck pain)
Massage therapy
Annual health package
Vaccinations (flu, hepatitis)
First aid kit restocking
Thermometer / BP monitor batteries
Medical is last resort, local hakeem is good enough

📱 7. Communication, Tech & Digital Life

Mobile postpaid bill (Jazz, Zong, Ufone, Telenor)
Prepaid top-ups (multiple SIMs for best rates)
Mobile internet bundles (day/week/month)
Wi-Fi broadband (PTCL, Nayatel, WiTribe)
Landline (if bundled)
International call bundles (to UK, UAE, USA)
Cloud storage (Google One, iCloud)
Streaming: Netflix, Disney+, YouTube Premium
Gaming: PlayStation Plus, Xbox Live, mobile skins
App purchases (productivity, dating, finance)
Antivirus software (Norton, McAfee)
Domain & hosting (for side hustle)
Freelancer platform fees (Upwork 20% cut)
Digital wallet cash-in fee (JazzCash, EasyPaisa)
SIM replacement fee (lost/stolen)
Power bank / cable replacements
Screen protector / phone case
Laptop servicing / cleaning
Printer ink / toner
USB drives / external HDDs
Mobile Data is a pseudo-need and it should be replaced with regional wifi locations and real communication

🎓 8. Education, Skills & Career Growth

Tuition (for self or children)
Coaching academy fees (for entry tests)
Online courses (Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning)
Certification exam fees (PMP, ACCA, IELTS)
Books / e-books
Stationery (notebooks, pens, files)
Printing / photocopying
Seminar / conference tickets
Workshop materials
Language classes (English fluency, Arabic, Chinese)
Driving school
CV/resume writing service
LinkedIn premium
Professional association membership (e.g., PEC, ICAP)
Alumni donation
Library membership (Alhamra, British Council)
Only books expense is allowed

Zakat (calculated annually but often set aside monthly)
Fitrana (Ramzan)
Sadaqah / chanda (mosque, welfare trust)
Eidi (Eid, weddings, newborns)
Wedding gifts (cash, clothes, household items)
Birthday gifts (friends, cousins, colleagues)
Condolence contributions (khatam, fateha)
Majlis / Milad food & decor
Urs / shrine visits (Data Darbar, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar)
Hosting guests (mehman nawazi: tea, snacks, meals)
Family gathering contributions (barbecue, picnic)
Cousin’s engagement party
Office colleague’s wedding attendance
Religious books / CDs / tasbeeh
Hajj / Umrah savings installments

👨‍👩‍👧 10. Family, Dependents & Household Staff

Books / notebooks / art supplies
Extracurricular: cricket, swimming
School picnic / trip contributions
Pocket money (kids, younger siblings)
Baby supplies (diapers, formula, wipes, bottles)
Toys / educational games
Maternity support (if spouse is expecting)
Gifts

💳 11. Financial Commitments & Obligations

Gold savings scheme installment

🛠️ 12. Maintenance, Repairs & Replacements

Phone screen repair
Laptop keyboard replacement
AC gas refill / servicing
Plumbing leak fixes
Electrical wiring / fuse replacement
Door lock repair
Window glass replacement
Furniture polishing / repair
Mattress replacement (every 5–7 years, but amortized)
Fan / exhaust repair

🎁 13. Leisure, Hobbies & Lifestyle

Fishing gear / weekend trips
Gardening supplies (pots, seeds, fertilizer)
Pet food / grooming
Board games / playing cards
Travel (domestic: Murree, Naran, Skardu)
Passport renewal
Visa application fees (for future travel)

🕰️ 14. Seasonal & Cyclical Expenses (Often Forgotten)

Ramzan: Extra groceries, iftar hosting, charity
Eid: New clothes, gifts, travel, sweets
Winter: Heaters, blankets, shawls, flu meds
Summer: Coolers, fans, AC, cold drinks, ice
Monsoon: Umbrellas, raincoats, waterproofing
Back-to-school (April/September): Uniforms, bags, shoes
Wedding season (Nov–Feb): Multiple gifts, attire, travel
Year-end: Bonus-related spending, party contributions

🧠 15. Psychological & Habitual Spending (“Invisible Leaks”)

Impulse buys at checkout counters
“Just one more episode” streaming binge (data cost)
Emotional eating (stress-induced snacks)
Social pressure spending (“log kya kahenge?”)
Keeping up with friends’ lifestyle (latest phone, car)
Guilt spending (on parents/kids after neglect)
“Small” daily vices: paan, cigarettes, naswar
Online shopping “deals” that aren’t deals
Free trial sign-ups that auto-bill
Unsubscribed but still charged services

Favorite Terminal Fonts

2026-07-15T03:48:14.531Z

GeistMono
Fantastique
Gohu
Space Mono

Essential Subscriptions

2026-06-15T05:43:24.945Z

1. Shelter

Rent: Monthly expense for housing.
Utilities: Electricity, gas, water, and sewer.
Maintenance: Repairs or upkeep for the living space.

2. Food and Groceries

Groceries: Basic items like vegetables, grains, meat, and other staples.
Dining Out: Occasional meals at restaurants or street food.

3. Transportation

Fuel/Commuting Costs: For personal vehicles or public transport.
Vehicle Maintenance: Oil changes, tire replacements, etc.

4. Health and Hygiene

Routine Medicines or Vitamins.
Hygiene Products: Soaps, shampoo, toothpaste, etc.
Haircut etc

5. Clothing

Basic Wear: Seasonal clothing (if needed).
Maintenance: Alterations or repairs

6. Communication

SIM Package: Monthly mobile package.
Home Internet: Broadband or fiber costs.

7. Education

Tuition Fees: For self or dependents.
Stationery or Study Materials: Books, notebooks, etc.
Online Courses: If upgrading skills or learning something new.

8. Religion and Community

Charity (Sadaqah or Zakat): Regular donations or contributions.
Masjid Expenses: Supporting local masajid if customary.

9. Emergencies and Savings

Emergency Fund Contributions: A portion of income set aside each month.
Savings: Regularly saving for future goals or security.

Gifts: For weddings, birthdays, or other occasions.
Family Support: Contributions to parents or dependents (if applicable).

11. Recreation and Mental Well-being

Entertainment: Books, and outings.
Hobbies: Expenses for any personal hobby or activity.

12. Miscellaneous

Device Upgrades or Repairs: Phones, laptops, etc.
Pet Care: Food and medical expenses (if applicable).

13. Digital Personal

Cloud Storage (Optional)
Website (Optional)
Canva (Optional)
Loom (Optional)
AI Chatbot and/or Coding Agent (Optional)

14. Al Burhan Projects (Tech Club and Others)

Canva (Already Paid)
DeepSeek or ChatGPT Free
Website Costs
Cloud Computing Free
Course Platform (Thinkific, Kajabi or Teachable) Free
Google Workspace for Education Free
Google Chat or WhatsApp Free
APIs like OpenAI Free
Digital Ads Paid
Email Marketing Paid
Venue Costs Paid
Teaching Material Free
Skill Development for Volunteers Free
Loom (Already Paid)

15. Business (MicroSaaS if applicable)

Domain & Website
Cloud Costs
GitHub Teams & Copilot
APIs
SEO Tools
Email Campaigns (Mail Chimp, Zoho Campaigns, Hubspot)
Live Chat (Zen Desk, HubSpot, Zoho Desk,
CRM (Google Sheets, Zapier, Mailchimp or Hubspot, Clickup or Zoho CRM)
Web Analytics & Error Tracking
Loom
LinkedIn Premium
Hiring Cost: Engineers (1 Dev and 1 ML), Sales (1 for Support, growth), Marketers (1 for SEO, SMM, Email, Content) and Manager (Product and Project)
Wiki (Google Docs)
Project Management (Clickup or Asana or Google Workspace)
Google Workspace or Zoho (For Office Suite, Meetings, Mail, SSO and Team Chat)

EDC List

2026-06-15T05:43:09.582Z

Pocket:

Phone
Purse
Pocket Diary and Pen

Sling:

Power Bank
Cable
Earphones
Tissues
Mouth Freshener
Attar
Miswak
Comb
eInk Tablet

Tech Bag:

Laptop
Charger
Book
Tissues
Diary and Highlighter

BOTCAB (Ultimate guide on personal hygeine)

2026-06-15T05:42:54.086Z

Bathe
- Daily after Fajr in Summers
  - Use soap only on excess hair areas
- Weekly on Fridays in Winters
  - Do a full body soaping and scrubbing
  - Besan on Hair, or Dandruff shampoo 1 to 2 times a week for 5 minutes during the Kill Phase (first 2-4 weeks), then drop it to once every 1 to 2 months for the Maintenance Phase while keeping all hair oils completely off your scalp. If no dandruff use a basic sulfate-free adult shampoo only once a week to protect natural scalp oils.
Oil
- Daily: hair, lips
Trim
- Weekly: beard, nails and excess hair
Clean
- Daily: Nose, nails, and ears
Adorn
- Daily: Perfume with Khus daily and Add Surma to Eyes
Brush
- Daily: brush hair; brush teeth with miswak in the morning and with tooth-brush and small amount baking soda/tooth powder at night

Daily:
BOTCAB
Weekly:
BOT

Weekly Planning

2026-06-15T05:41:47.295Z

Review Last Week's Progress and save it in weekly plan file.
Review your Pillars, Areas, Projects and Routines
Plan your Time Off
Plan Deep Work and One Thing Hours Carefully on Deep Work Tracker. Set up any and every barrier for people (and yourself) so that you don’t get distracted from your One thing. Choose a dedicated location and allocate specific time slots for deep work. prepare your environment with essentials. Work backwards from your Shutdown ritual to structure your day. Have no devices or internet ideally.
Zoom out and see if we are missing anything that is not on our plan and that needs to be done.
Plan Projects
Clean External Inboxes
Change Alarms and Calendar.
You may revise this plan when needed
Look at Calendar
Check all tasks in Someday List and Decide to:
- Delete Tasks
- Delegate Tasks
- Schedule for later
- Move to This Week and schedule
- Move to someday

Notes:
There is no single best format for creating a weekly plan—what matters is adapting the structure to fit the specific challenges of each week. Being rigid with a fixed format can make it harder to maintain the habit, whereas a flexible approach keeps planning effective and sustainable in the long run.
An empty This Week list each weekly planning session is a good thing

Task Management System

2026-06-15T05:42:09.728Z

Have a Digital Storage System or Task Manager
- It should have these 4 folders:
  - Today
  - This Week
    - This should not contain more than 25 tasks
  - Someday
- We have simple label lists for categories
- For Large Projects have a folder in your Google Drive or a Note in your Note Taking app; in your weekly plan you can assign tasks to yourself to work on your projects.
- For Small Projects you can have tasks with sub-tasks.
If you want to go pro you can do this analogue
Additional Info:
- Inspired from Getting Things Done, Zen to Done and Cal Newport

Quarterly Planning

2026-06-15T05:41:57.414Z

Review Your Life and your progress in quarterly plan file.
- Write Your last Quarter's Achievements in Each Area in it.
- Plan Quarterly and Yearly Time Off
- Create a values plan. This is where you emphasize particular values you may need to be focusing on, where you've fallen off of them. Each Quarter you will want to change focus and focus of different Areas. Think about What's the One Thing that can be done in each area that makes all other things unnecessary or unimportant.
- Plan the Quarter
- Plan any Projects in Pillars, Areas, Projects and Routines
Overhaul and reassess Core Documents in Management
Backup Policies
Delete Obsidian orphans
An empty This Quarter List at the end of the quarter is a good thing.
You may revise this plan when needed

Daily Planning

2026-06-15T05:41:33.393Z

Time Block your day using your calendar and set priority to Today's Tasks
- Morning Must Dos (Max 5)
- Might Dos
Plan these on your Calendar if needed
Fill Mamolaat Sheet
Open up your All Brain Dump Sources and translate them to notes، tasks or events if needed.
Clarify Tasks:
- Add Action verb
- Add Next Action
- Find out why this task is useful and whether I should be making progress on them based on my goals. Have friction in terms of why we are doing what we are doing.
- Discard the rest
- Be selective about what you agree to do.
- Do them if they take less than 2 minutes.
- Organize them into respective lists or labels
Review Last Day in your daily planning time
Review and score last day's Deep Work. Can a graduate with no training do it?
An empty "Today" list in the daily planning session is good thing
You may revise this plan when needed.
Optional:
- Clean External Inboxes
- Fill Journal Entry
- Clean Notes Inbox and move notes to their position using How to Take Notes
- Temporary: Update on work progress to group and to Baba

Key:
Italic is optional

Productivity Tactics

2026-06-15T05:42:30.359Z

Creating Good Habits and Removing bad Habits:

Removing Bad Habits

Know the Habit Loop
Cue, Craving, Response
Remove Cues for Bad Habits

Identify the cues and learn to predict and avoid them well before they happen

Make it extremely hard to follow through your bad habit

For snacking, remove junk food from your fridge

Replace the habit with another with same level of satisfaction

You can not erase a habit, you can only replace it with a better one
Identify the real reason you feel rewarded after the bad habit
Identify the cue
Location
Time
Emotional State
Other People
Immediately Preceding Action

You will most certainly relapse, but that’s okay. Keep going.
Keep your schedule busy
Knowing ALLAH SWT is with you
Use reserve energy elsewhere
You need to believe that shaytan does not have power of your life. You can even reach a point where it becomes extremely, extremely hard to intentionally sin.

A bad friend is worse than shaytan
A sin is a sin, major or minor… But start with fighting major sins first
If you repeat a sin, repent and become better by creating a longer chain
Ultimately you will leave that sin COMPLETELY
You will reach the level of Nafs e Mutmaainna
On the mission that you are on, it is not alright to do sins, with great knowledge and influence comes great responsibility

Gain Taqwa

Watch Islamic Lectures
Fear ALLAH that He is also seeing you
Read the words of Surah Alaq out loud “Dont you know that ALLAH is watching you?”
Nothing will outweigh ALLAH’S NAME
Fear that you will die during that sin

Make life interesting, exciting and more rewarding so that bad habit cravings don't creep in
Change your environment immediately so that will power does not deplete
Make the urge disappear by being mindful about it and then ignoring it

The Four Rs to stop cravings
Having a REASON written down
Having motivations documented to stop that habit
Having strong research that is documented and summarized
It needs to be a small step — do not ask for too much, start with something small, have a small penalty and repeat the process so many times that it gets hardwired
Do not focus on multiple areas at the same time, focus on handful of tings and make them a priority
Responsibility — be in a group that can hold you accountable and motivate you — find friends
Accountability — Rewards and Penalties
Make it part of your identity
Choose words carefully — I am not an immodest man instead of “I can't control my urges”
Have a series of reminders you Will follow when you get the trigger.
Make a list of whys — why you're doing the habit
Write down your whys
Eliminate bad habit cues from your environment
For porn, put your phone away. Find an app that restricts porn and is uninstallable
Make the habit unattractive
The dopamine spike comes even before completing the habit — anticipating vacation is actually more enjoyable than vacation itself
Temptation Bundling — Attach an unattractive habit to something you despise doing — make it simultaneous
Group Influence
“We are continuously wondering what others think about us and continuously changing our behavior”
Find and become part of a culture where that habit is the norm
Highlight the Anciently Hardwired negative things associated with bad habits and note them down, replace them with positive notions in your mind
Make the habit hard
Increase friction
Make it unreachable
Make it less satisfying
This is the most important
What is immediately punished is avoided — remember the keyword “Immediately”
Have visual measurements — moving marble from one jar to the next etc.
Have a habit tracker
Have ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS
“I owe you Rs 1000 for breaking the chain, plus the respect I loose for failing to commit to what I said”
Tell your partner what you did, don’t save your face by hiding the habit chain you broke
Have a habit contract, sign in, and have your accountability partner hold you accountable

Adding Good Habits

Add Cues for Good Habits
Cue needs to be unavoidable
Eating
Showering
Brushing
Opening Smartphone
Commute
Cue should be connected to Habit
If your habit is gym, the gym should be on your way back home from work
Pick just ONE CUE, or it will take you twice as long
Make it easy to do good habits
For gym, find a gym nearby
Prepare gym equipment the night before
Wear gym clothes to sleep
The Four Rs to create habits
Having a REASON written down
Having motivations documented to create that habit
Having strong research that is documented and summarized
Do not focus on multiple areas at the same time, focus on handful of tings and make them a priority
Give it the initial hours of the day
Responsibility — be in a group that can hold you accountable and motivate you — find friends
Accountability — Rewards and Penalties
Make it part of your identity
Learn to love the habit
The best cues are time and location, write down your habits as “I will do this at this time in this location”
Have a scorecard
Use chunking
Choose a very powerful trigger — something that you do automatically during the day (such as brushing your teeth) , and then chain habits together. Call it one habit.
Environment is better than Motivation — “Environment is the invisible hand that shapes behavior”
Make cues visible around you
Have pictures in your house as cues
Have MotiCards around you, surrounding you
Name of Allah on wallpaper
Ahadith on Posters
Have wallpapers with different messages
Print out Posters
One space One use — don’t work where you sleep
Make the habit attractive
The dopamine spike comes even before completing the habit — anticipating vacation is actually more enjoyable than vacation itself
Temptation Bundling — Attach a less attractive habit to something you enjoy doing
Group Influence
“We are continuously wondering what others think about us and continuously changing our behavior”
Find and become part of a culture where that habit is the norm
Highlight the Anciently Hardwired positive things associated with hard habits and note them down, replace them with negative notions in your mind
Make the habit easy
Reduce friction so that the least amount of energy is required
Make it short
Have a low bar and a high bar
Make it reachable
Prepare things beforehand
Find a 2 minute version of the habit you want to add
Start a 30 Day Challenge Only instead of committing to permanence
Make it satisfying
This is the most important
What is immediately rewarded is repeated — remember the keyword “Immediately”
So have an EXCLUSIVE healthy snack immediately afterwards instead of in the evening
Food, Play, Socializing, Relax, Intimate Time are primal rewards hardwired into the brain
Have 3 types of rewards per habit:
An Instant Reward — a compliment
A Typical Reward
A Delayed Reward backtracked to today
Have visual measurements — moving marble from one jar to the next etc.
Have a habit tracker
Add Progress Bars to Weeks and Months to show your progress percentage
On a bad day it is important to just show up and complete the BARE MINIMUM
“Lost days hurt you more than successful days help you”
Have ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS
“I owe you Rs 1000 for breaking the chain, plus the respect I loose for failing to commit to what I said”
Tell your partner what you did, don’t save your face by hiding the habit chain you broke
Have a habit contract, sign in, and have your accountability partner hold you accountable

Example Cases

Good Habit :

Focus on this particular habit the most. THIS IS YOUR KEYSTONE HABIT!!!

Start with Basic at the Masjid maybe? Dont make it hard in the beginning. Let it automate and then level up.

Main Goal is automaticity, let it be makrooh and then repent afterwards, and then repent afterwards. What is more sinful, 10000 s at the Masjid or 10 s with Takbeer e Oola?

Side note: This does not mean we can compromise on Faraidh. Do the bare minimum at least.

Have a Google Sheet for accountability

Good Habit : Pomos

Decrease number of Pomos to 3 because we can not add too many habits at once

Sleep can be overcome with not allowing compulsion

Compulsion kills productivity

Have focus apps

Making it a Habit, by allowing easy work + less time
Love is the solution to all productivity problems
Make it your Passion
Sell it yourself

Good Habit : Wind Up (Fajr Protocol)

Listenning to Exclusive Podcast/Nasheed/Seerah during run NO NO NO

JUST PICK ONE HABIT AND WAIT FOR AUTOMATICITY. JUST ONE. I REPEAT. JUST ONE!

So replace running with cycling but do not cycle too much, make it small, again. Cycle to work the earliest. Cycling to work is now part of Fajr protocol.

Good Habit : Wind Down (Isha Protocol)

Make this one optional because we cant add so many habits at once

Bad Habit : Day Streaks

Triggers are smartphones and uni
Remember that half seeing something creates cravings that full seeing does not
When you feel the trigger coming, change your behavior. Run outside!!!
Have Softwares installed
Play Sports
Keep yourself busy
Reminders on Walls and Wallpapers
Nikah and Saum
Beat shaytan at his own game.. Leave things that are remotely related to this sin. Leave something that will lead to something that will lead to something that will lead to something that will lead to something that will lead to that sin
Spend time in Wudu, with friends of ALLAH SWT, in the Masjid
Praying will most certainly help the most

Bad Habit : Diet

Bad Habit : Modesty

Tell yourself it is a prestige, not refrainment

It is a prestige to be a follower of Sunnah
Muhammad Ali became the greatest by avoiding night clubs

Overcoming Procrastination and Doing Hard Things:

Make hard things fun:

Make Life simple, easy and the life you want to be living. Aim for this life, not another life you would want to be in in the future. THE MOST IMPORTANT MIND BENDING TECHNIQUE. Do not aim for a life of more fun in the future. Make this part of life fun.
Watching Islamic Videos for 10 hours straight without visible rest is fun for you and the hardest thing for others because you have accustomed yourself to this being fun. You had a day’s goal to accomplish something and you made it fun and through practice you found it attractive to do.
Write down and track your achievements preferably through a progress bar
Variety of Weekly Rewards — choose from a list through conventional qura andazi
Novelty List of Future Events that spark joy in you, in visual form
Write down every single step to get there
Gamify Resistance — when you overcome resistance, you absorb its power
How are slow burns less discomfortable?
The rewards of life can be far far beyond what games can offer
321 Bismillah Rule
Do something principle
Stare at something for 60 seconds
Set a clear goal for the day, week, month for the hours of work
Start with small things — aim for small things
Allow yourself to create garbage
No distractions and notifications
Have a low bar for number of hours you need to work — like 3 per day, and have four for an optional reward
Have visuals
Count good stuff and track it, write it down
Measure level ups
Have variable rewards that are rare
The Burn the Boats technique to create a life-death situation. Have 1 Lakh on the line.
The Destroy the Backdoor Technique to make life boring. Eliminate the ability to do nothing else than what you need to do.
Have a bird's eye view to avoid emotional attachment to distraction
Forcefully make life boring without using will power
Remove conveniences from life to make it harder to do things
The Locus of Control:
Know that things you do for the Deen are in your control
Make the work creative — where you are finding creative ways to solve the same problem
Connect Everything clearly to your purpose
Have progress bars that show leveling up, and divide the tasks into small crossable items, have multiple progress bars for studying
If the real tests are away, create tests near into the future and treat them like challenges, in a friendly competition with friends, with variable rewards that are visible — close the feedback loop
Bring friends to do the same boring task
Scarcity of Rewards — get the rewards out of your life access first
Loss and Avoidance — do it now else you loose this money or thing
Big Co-Op Rewards for the team on the weekend
Co Op Rewards per day in front of you, that have everyone's money involved, take an oath that you did the habit faithfully at the end to not loose your money hat you placed
Accountability Group with Zoom Meetings
Donating to Qaidianis as a Penalty
Sell the living crap out of this thing you want to do, convince yourself it’s the most important thing o do
Systems that have restriction even for sleep, like spikes on the bed
Clarity of Steps and Rewards
Focus on small goals
Develop Positive Association to the hard thing by treating yourself with something exclusive
Ownership of belief
I am blessed to do this thing instead of I have to do this thing
Replace scarcity mindset with abundance mindset
Dopamine Detox:
7 Days at least
Desensitization causes “the more you enjoy the more you need effect”
To Cut
Binge Tech
Social media
TV
YouTube Homepage + Sidebar
Games
News
Forums
Opposite gender interaction and sins related
Unhealthy Consumables
Location Detox
Thrill Seeking
Bungee Jumping
Shopping sprees
Other categories
10 Mins of Zikr Daily in q quiet place, with Nature sounds
Exercise like Hiking, Walks without lectures, Biking
Calls and Conversations
Lesser will power, more systems
Set a Limit to Social Media apps for productive use and other dopamine inducing things — Intentional Restoration

Mission Bring Back Humanity (MBBH)

Keeping Promises:

Difference Between Promises, Oaths and Vows:

First of all, we would like to clarify the difference between promises, oaths (Ayman) and vows (Nadhr).

Promises

A promise is simply a statement that one will do or refrain from something in the future. There is no expiation due for breaking it, although it is sinful to make a promise with the intention of breaking it. If when making the promise one intends to fulfill it, then breaking it would be disliked. [Nahlawi, Durar Mubaha]

Oaths

An oath is a verbal statement conjoined with a phrase of swearing, such as “By Allah” or “I swear by Allah.” An oath is to swear by one of the Names of Allah or one of His Attributes to prove the correctness of something affirmatively or negatively, or to urge doing something or leaving it.

Vows

As regards the vow, it is defined as a permanent or discontinued offering that the person commits himself to present to Allah if a given good thing happens to him or a given bad thing does not affect him. The vow may be made without a condition, for instance, when the person says: "It is an obligation on me to pray two Rak'a for Allah or to do I’tikaf or the like" without stating a condition for that. It is dislikable to make vows as they add more obligations on the person who might not be able to abide by them or who might do them in an incomplete manner. This is why the Prophet, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) asked Muslims not to do it in a sound Hadeeth narrated by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Allah says, 'The vow does not bring for the son of Adam anything that I have not decreed for him, but his vow may coincide with what has been decided for him, and in this manner, I cause a miser to spend of his wealth. So he gives Me (spends in charity) for the fulfillment of what has been decreed for him the thing which he would not give Me before but for his vow."

But when someone makes a vow, he must fulfill it.

Lastly, there is a difference between making a promise “to Allah” versus “by Allah.” A promise “to Allah” is legally a promise, while a promise “by Allah” is legally an oath.

Types of Oaths:

There are three types of oaths:

(1) The Engulfing Oath (yamin ghamus), which is to swear by Allah that one did or did not do something in the past, while deliberately lying about it. This is a major sin, so enormous that no expiation is due, since expiation is not enough to lift the sin. Rather, one must make sincere repentance and seek Allah’s forgiveness.

(2) The Enacted Oath (yamin mun`aqida), which is to swear to do or not do something in the future. If one breaks this type of oath, expiation is due.

(3) The Mistaken Oath (yamin laghw), which is to swear about something in the past, thinking that it is as such, while in reality it is not as such. No expiation is due, and we hope that Allah will not take the person to account for it.

The Engulfing Oath:

Whoever takes a false oath commits a grave sin. To make a false oath means to swear to a lie in order to prove or deny something. Abdullah Bin 'Amr Ibn Al-'Aas may Allaah be pleased with him related that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "These are major sins: 1) Associating someone with Allah, 2) Disobeying one's parents, 3) Killing someone, 4) and tendering a false oath". [Al-Bukhari]

Ibn Mas’ood may Allaah be pleased with him narrated that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “A person who swears falsely in order to take possession of a Muslim's property unjustly shall face the wrath of Allah on the Day of Judgment. Another narration reads: “He will be deprived of Paradise and will enter Hell.” Therefore, whoever swears falsely should seek the forgiveness of Allah and he should sincerely repent. If he causes harm or injustice to someone by a false oath, he has to give back the right of those people and remove the injustice from them.

As for the expiation of a false oath, the majority of the Muslim Scholars say that there is no expiation for such an oath since it is greater than any expiation. It is narrated from Ibn Mas’ood that he said: “We used to consider the oath which can not be expiated to be the false oath”. [Al-Bayhaqi] Sayeed Ibn Al-Musayyib said: "It (the false oath) is among the grave sins. It is greater to be expiated".

This oath is called an ‘immersing oath’ because it immerses the swearer in sin and leads him to hell.

The basis of ruling that it is forbidden is the Qur’anic verse:

‘And do not take your oaths as [means of] deceit between you, lest a foot slip after it was [once] firm, and you would taste evil [in this world] for what [people] you diverted from the way of Allah , and you would have [in the Hereafter] a great punishment.’

Abu Hurayrah reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said

‘Five sins cannot be atoned for: the association of partners with Allah, wrongful murder, false claims against a believer, deserting the army in battle, and a false oath to make a wrongful gain.’

Types of Vows:

Types of vows and their fulfilment:

1- Vows which must be fulfilled (vows to do acts of worship and obedience to Allaah):

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fataawa (33/49): “If a man intends to vow to do some act of worship and obedience to Allaah, then he must fulfil it. If he does not fulfil his vow to Allaah, then he must offer kafaarat yameen, according to the majority of the salaf (early generations of Islam).”

2 - Vows which it is forbidden to fulfil, and for which kafaarat yameen must be offered:

Vows to commit sin:

‘Imraan ibn Husayn reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There should be no fulfilment of a vow to commit sin.” (Reported by Muslim, 3099).

Vows concerning which there is no ruling other than kafaarat yameen

If a Muslim makes a vow but does not specify what the vow is about, such as saying, “I make a vow if Allaah heals this sick person” – but does not specify anything, then he must offer kafaarat yameen.
If a person makes a vow concerning something that is not his, then he has no option but to offer kafaarat yameen.

Vows where one has the option of fulfilling the vow or of offering kafaarat yameen

Every vow that comes in the form of an oath made to urge for something to be done or to stop something from being done, or to swear that something is true or not true, where the person does not really intend to make a vow to do some act of worship. For example, a man might say in anger, ‘If I ever do such-and-such I have to go for Hajj, or fast for a month, or give one thousand dinars in charity’. In such a case, this person – who made the vow for argument’s sake or to express the urgency of doing or refraining from something – has the choice of either fulfilling the vow, or expiating for it by offering kafaarat yameen, because his vow was essentially an oath (yameen)
Every vow that includes permissible things, such as vowing to wear a certain type of clothes, eat special foods, ride a certain animal, enter a certain house, and so on.

Muslim scholars have stated that there are seven categories of vows:

1) A vow of Lajaj (vow of anger): This means every vow that comes in the form of an oath made to urge for something to be done or to stop something from being done, without the person intending to make a vow or do a righteous act that draws him closer to Allaah, the Exalted. This kind of vow is governed by the same rulings of an oath. If the person fails to fulfill it, he is obliged to offer expiation like that of breaking an oath.

2) A vow to do an act of obedience and righteousness: for example, one may say, "I make a vow to Allaah, the Exalted, that I will fast such and such days or spend such and such in charity if He Blesses my patient with recovery from his illness." It is incumbent on the person to fulfill this vow. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever vowed to do an act of obedience to Allaah, the Exalted, should do it." [Al-Bukhari, Abu Daawood, An-Nasa‘i, At-Tirmithi and Ibn Majah]

3) A non-specific vow: it is when one makes a vow to Allaah, the Exalted, without specifying what he is vowing to do (saying, "I make a vow to Allaah"). According to most of the scholars, this type of vow requires the person to offer expiation like that of breaking an oath.

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir

reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "

The expiation of a vow when it is not specified is that of an oath.

" [At-Tirmithi]4)

A vow to commit a sin: it is impermissible to fulfill such a vow according to the consensus of scholars. An example of that type of vow is when one makes a vow to drink alcohol or harm a Muslim. In this case, it is incumbent on the person to offer expiation for breaking an oath. This opinion was attributed to Ibn Mas‘ood, Ibn ‘Abbas, Jabir, and ‘Imran ibn Husayn and it is the opinion adopted by the Hanafi school of Fiqh. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:

"A vow to do an act of disobedience to Allaah, the Exalted, must not be fulfilled and its expiation is the same as that of breaking an oath." [Ahmad and Abu Daawood] [Al-Albani: authentic]

5) A vow to do something permissible such as wearing a garment or riding a mount. In this case, the person has the choice either to fulfill the vow or refrain from fulfilling it, in which case, he has to offer expiation like that of breaking an oath.

6) A vow to do something obligatory such as performing the five obligatory prayers. Such a vow is not binding because a vow is a commitment and one cannot commit himself to what is already obligatory on him.

7) A vow to do something that is impossible: such as making a vow to fast the day before. This vow is not considered a valid binding vow and it is not incumbent on the person to do anything concerning it.

As we have mentioned, the expiation for breaking a vow is the same as that of breaking an oath. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "The expiation for the (breach of) a vow is the same as that of the (breach of an oath)." [Muslim]

The expiation for breaking an oath is to free a slave, feed ten needy people, or clothe them. If one cannot afford any of the aforesaid options, he should fast three days.

Exceptions for Breaking Promises:

Undoubtedly keeping promises and keeping one’s word are attributes of the believers. And breaking promises is one of the attributes of the hypocrites.

The believer who makes promises to people and breaks his promise may have an excuse or he may not. If he has an excuse, then there is no sin on him, but if he does not have an excuse then he is a sinner.

There is no text – as far as we know – that makes any exception regarding the prohibition of breaking promises , but it may be that promises are broken in situations where the believer is excused. For example:

Forgetting

Being forced to break one’s promise
A promise to do something haram or not to do something obligatory.
**Being forced to [break one’s promise]

Expiation for Breaking Multiple Promises:

If a person makes an oath to do only one thing, or to leave something, even if he breaks his oath many times, he is only required to expiate once if he did not expiate for the same oath before. However, if he expiated for the oath he has broken and then he makes an oath to do/leave the same thing again and breaks it, then he is obliged to expiate a second time, and so forth.

If a person does not know the number of oaths that require expiation, then he should endeavor to find out its number [by estimating it], and if he cannot know this, he should expiate for such a number of oaths that he believes they are most likely to be sufficient for clearing himself of liability.

Sin of Breaking Promises:

Hanafi View:

Promises:

Scholars of Islam differ concerning the ruling of honoring/breaking promises. There are three points of view in this concern:

According to the majority of Muslim scholars, it is desirable (not obligatory) to honor promises. This means that breaking a promise does not constitute a sin, but it is a detested act.
According to some scholars, it is a duty to honor a promise, so the one who breaks a promise is considered a sinner.
According to others, such an issue necessitates a detailed statement.

a) If breaking the promise harms others, then it is obligatory to honor your promise.

b) If breaking the promise does not harm others, then it is desirable to honor such a promise. This opinion, in fact, is the best view that satisfies the general goals of Shari'a.

That said, one should keep one’s word, as a point of honor and for fear that one will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment. ‘And be true to every promise, for verily you will be called to account for every promise which you have made’ (Qur’an, 17:34).

Vows

However, if he took an oath that he will never commit the sin again, then firstly, it will be necessary upon him to keep this oath. Allah Most High states:

“Keep your oaths.” (Sura al-Ma’idah, 89)

Therefore, if one swears an oath to abstain from a particular sin, then he must keep to that oath and must not break it. However, if one breaks his oath, expiation (kaffara) will be binding upon him.

Shaafi View:

In a promise, one says oneself or someone else that promises to do something. There is no expiation or anything else for breaking a promise.

Standard View:

The verses of the Holy Qur’aan and the hadeeths of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) indicate that fulfilling promises and covenants is obligatory, and they point to abhorrence of the sin of the one who breaks them or fails to fulfil them. Failing to fulfil them may go so far as to constitute kufr, as happened to the Children of Israel and others when they broke the covenant with their Lord and abandoned their pledge to Allah to believe in Him and follow His Messengers. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And fulfil (every) covenant. Verily! the covenant, will be questioned about”

[al-Isra’ 17:34]

“and fulfill the Covenant of Allâh”

[al-An ‘am 6:152]

And He says, praising His believing slaves (interpretation of the meaning):

“Those who fulfil the Covenant of Allâh and break not the Mîthâq (bond, treaty, covenant)”

[al-Ra ‘d 13:20].

Many texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah clearly indicate that it is obligatory to fulfil promises and covenants, and it is haraam to break them and act in a treacherous manner. All the verses that mention promises and covenants indicate that both explicitly and implicitly.

Betrayal or treachery is the opposite of trustworthiness and loyalty. If trustworthiness and loyalty are the qualities of faith and piety, then betrayal and treachery are the qualities of hypocrisy and evil --Allah forbid.

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There are four characteristics, whoever has them all is a pure hypocrite: when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, when he makes a covenant he betrays it, and when he disputes he resorts to obscene speech. Whoever has one of them has one of the characteristics of hypocrisy, until he gives it up.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3178; Muslim, 58.

It was narrated that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever breaks the covenant of a Muslim, upon him be the curse of Allah, the angels and all the people, and Allah will not accept any obligatory or naafil act of worship from him.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1870; Muslim, 1370.

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Allaah will set up a banner for the betrayer on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said: This is the betrayer of So and so.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6178; Muslim, 1735.

We ask Allah to make us among those who fulfil promises and covenants and to grant us refuge from treachery and breaking of promises, and to help us to do good in word and deed… Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.

“And of them are some who made a covenant with Allaah (saying): ‘If He bestowed on us of His Bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah (Zakaah and voluntary charity in Allaah’s Cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous.’

Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakaah or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse.

So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allaah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies”

[al-Tawbah 9:75]

It is not permissible to fail to fulfill this obligation, unless a person is unable to fulfil it at all, in which case he should offer kafaarat yameen (expiation for breaking a vow), because of the hadeeth: “Whoever makes a vow and is unable to fulfil it, his expiation is kafaarat yameen.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3322, from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas.

Allah, Most High, says,

And fulfill (every) engagement, for (every) engagement will be enquired into on the day of reckoning. (Al-Isra: 34)

O ye who believe! Fulfill (all) obligations! (Al-Ma'idah: 1)

Az-Zajjaj said engagements include all what Allah commands or forbids. Al-Wahidi also said obligations include what Allah made lawful or unlawful in the Quran. Muqatil Ibn Hayyan added, it is also included the covenants held among Muslims or between Muslim and non- Muslims.

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

"There are four (habits) which, if found in a person, he is a perfect hypocrite. If one of these is found in a person, then he has one sign of hypocrisy, until he leaves it. These four characteristics of a hypocrite are: when he is entrusted (with something) he embezzles, when he talks he lies, when he promises he breaks it, and when he argues he starts abusing people."

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

"For everyone who breaks his promise, there will be a flag (to mark him out) on the Day of Judgment, and it will be announced that this flag is the symbol of promise by so and so." [Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

"There will be three people against whom I shall fight on the Day of judgment: one, the person who makes a promise with an oath in my name and then breaks it, two, the person who sells a free man as a slave and appropriates his sale proceed and three, the person who employs, a workman and having taken full work from him fails to pay him his dues." [Bukhari, Ibn Majah and Ahmad]

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

"Whoever withdraws himself from an engagement of loyalty will meet Allah with no excuse on the Day of Judgment. The death of someone who dies without the leader of a group over him is as if he had died in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance." [Muslim, Ibn Hibban and Ahmad]

Types of Notes

2026-06-15T05:41:14.818Z

Ideas
For Projects and Obligations (A Task Manager system and a Calendar.)
For Life Management
For Other Reference Notes
For Planning and Journaling
For Collaboration
For Quick Capture

Research Used:

Old Methods: The CEPIDAM Method (Old), Example Use Cases of Notes (Old)
Reseach: Old Research on PKM, PARA Cons and the PKM Scam, PARA Zettlekasten (Discarded Idea)

Our Current System

2026-06-15T05:39:15.603Z

For focused note taking use the eInk tablet. We also use it for journalling.
For certain projects/topics take printouts, this aids memory, allows recall techniques.
Analog A6 Notebook for Inbox, Tasks and Planning, but the main storage remains on Obsidian.
Obsidian on Laptop for less focused idea notes, ref, notes that need indexing
Google Docs for collaboration.
Calendar stays on phone for reminders.
Some notes can be as PDFs and Office docs in Documents folder on our computer.
For long project notes use Obsidian, or where the project will be done.

Note Taking Principles

2026-06-15T05:40:04.930Z

Minimalism

Have a minimalist, low-friction note-taking system to capture and organize important information.
Why Simplicity in Note-Taking?

Friction in Work: Extra effort, time, or complexity that surrounds tasks.
Friction can be beneficial in deep thinking but detrimental in capturing information quickly.
Problem with Elaborate Systems: High friction can prevent action and lead to lost information.
Simple systems allow the brain to filter and prioritize information, rather than outsourcing everything to an external system.
Avoid complex software systems and then even more complex methods built on top of those systems. You will avoid a book or taking notes on that book when you see that friction is too much.
Friction leads you to eventually give up the system altogether, and to decision fatigue.
Always make sure to not depend on digital workflows and systems, so that we can switch tools or switch to being offline anytime as needed, and because tech has inherent negative effects as documented in Technology Cons

Analog vs Digital Note Taking

How to Take Notes

2026-06-15T05:39:04.885Z

Prepare (Optional)
1. Collect source material on the topic you want to study
2. Skim parts and Bold Entries of each source
3. Find summary sheets or flow charts somewhere or create your own for each source.
Capture
1. Take notes only when there is an alignment with your values, or if it sparks joy, or if you will need to retrieve something later. Only take deep notes on high-quality, timeless material. Accept that this lowers your consumption volume. Reject the digital hoarder mentality. Trust your biological brain’s natural feature to forget the noise and surface the signal. Never waste energy taking exhaustive notes on topics that have no immediate or predictable relevance to your life or active writing.
2. Focus your note-taking heavily on topics relevant to your current active projects (like your upcoming blogs) to ensure a 0% waste metric.
3. Use the page as a cognitive scratchpad to slow down your consumption speed to match your thinking speed and force synchronous focus.
4. Attend to and actively participate in the lecture/book/podcast etc., like it will be the last time you encounter this information. Try to keep things in your mind. (Encourages remembering which books/blogs etc. contain valuable information, reinforcing learning.) Treat your notebook as a workspace, not a permanent safety net. Tell your brain you are writing to clarify thoughts now, which forces your biological memory to stay sharp instead of becoming lazy.
5. If it's a session involving a live talk, after or during the session, optionally make idea notes, writing the concepts in your own words.
6. If it's a Book/Blog/Podcast etc.
  1. If the material is highlight-able, highlight important passages using Our Highlighting Method
  2. File the material in a known location for referencing later.
  3. Some time later, decide if the material is important; if it is, make idea notes, writing the concepts in your own words. This is optional, only for notes you think are extremely important.
7. After your note taking session, you may acquire and read summaries of the material (online or from someone) and keep them in your notes.
Organize
1. Avoid multi-step processing routines, complex tagging systems, and rigid folder structures that turn your leisure time into an unpaid data-entry job. Never trick your dopamine receptors into believing you understand a concept deeply just because you formatted it cleanly or filed it away.
2. Remember to organize by where your future self will want to find it.
3. If it's an idea, move it to Ideas
  1. Optionally add a source link or mention the source to it.
  2. Optionally organize the idea into a folder signifying its category if its an important note.
  3. Optionally do the Distil step for notes in folders.
  4. Optionally do the Express step.
4. If it's something you will need to search for later, move it to keep.
5. If it's related to life management, move it to a folder of that category. Treat these notes as a custom index or mental shortcut. Return to core life lessons or rules to instantly reactivate and fixate that mental state.
6. If it's a Journal entry move it Journal.
7. If it's for collaboration move it to Google Docs/Sheets.
8. If it's a project note, move them to Obsidian Projects folder for long project notes or store them in the location where the work will be done. (like the work project management app)
9. If it's analog and important, scan it/index it.
10. End here
Distill/Review
1. Simplest way to remember is to immediately discuss with someone after consuming.
2. Do not let the comfortable routine of writing and distilling notes become a sophisticated form of procrastination that delays your linear, "brute force attack" of actually publishing your work, or applying the knowledge elsewhere .
3. You could be working on a project or topic and this is where this step comes in handy. Open the folder you want to be working on.
4. Progressively Summarize important ideas. Encourages reflection and curation of meaningful ideas. Use the Feymann technique to rephrase as if you are explaining it to someone.
5. If analog, you will need to create new neat notes to complete this step.
6. Add pictures, drawings and figures.
7. Use your notes to intentionally fortify, challenge, and update your core worldview, values, and systems rather than chasing every random digital trend.
8. Use Active Recall (Flashcards), Quiz Yourself, solve practice questions. You can convert some of your notes to physical flashcards. Space these repetition sessions out.
Express
1. Teach.
2. Apply knowledge.
3. Create outputs.
4. Friction is good when creating things, so that you create high quality outputs

What's the eInk Tablet for

2026-06-15T05:40:45.568Z

It's for

Desk reading or occasional travel reading.
- It stays in the sling when it is being used for travel reading
Journaling at night
Focussed note taking

Reading Should be Analogue

2026-06-15T05:40:33.896Z

Physical books are tactile, create memory, and tech does not have barakah. Check Analog vs Digital Note Taking. Only reference books should be on eInk. Core books should be physical. Quran should be physical, both the portable and at-home version.

Detailed reasons:

You see physical books and shelves and see how much you've read
You're more likely to re-read your notes
Your family could see them, and get inspired to read, has positive correlation with educated children.
You could give as gifts,
Studies say you absorb more from physical books
- They are easier on the eyes
- They are better for sleep hygiene (because you're not on a device at night )
It's an experience
Library is tied to better idea generation and creativity
People on screens learn less, 49 separate studies (a meta analysis)
Reading on paper is like exploring a landscape, building a mental map, skimming, re-reading. Digital readers read linearly. Embodied anchoring uses the spatial patterns like coffee stains on the page. It's a multi-sensory experience.
Reading on paper activates beta and gamma waves, prefrontal cortex shows less activity. Digital reading activates theta and alpha waves associating with idling.
Print readers read faster.
There's a shallowing effect on screens, digital screens are associated with skimming and looking for keywords. The media encourages superficial processing.
Confidence trap: digital readers feel more confident but perform low.

Arguments for Digital:

Your read more
Cal Newport: Use all formats don't overthink it. All have their own benefits.
Books are expensive
Audio is even faster
For anything that's not complex or doesn't require retention digital is fine

Our Highlighting Method

2026-06-15T05:40:20.914Z

Highlight important passages from a book/blog etc.
For books

The preferred way is physical books. You can write on the margins if you want to add additional info, or use sticky notes.
When reading, place a slash in the corner of any page containing relevant information. Underline crucial sentences or names that stand out. Avoid excessive commentary—trust your brain to recall why a section was marked
If a passage is particularly valuable, place a star next to it. Additionally, put a star in the corner of the page for easy identification.
For structured arguments (e.g., “Three reasons why X”), number each point.
For Digital Books on a tablet: do digital annotations in a similar way

For blogs

Highlight and save to Obsidian. But don't bookmark too often.

Benefits of Notes

2026-06-15T05:38:55.395Z

Ideas in notes can be implemented, either as habits or general lessons that you can use at some point in life
Things can be memorized for the sake of memorization
Things can be memorized for bringing up in outputs impromptu.
Looking at notes can answer your inner questions, and you can understand things and concepts better and can grow in your knowledge
Items can be kept for future motivation
They can increase your love for someone
Tasks and Events can be planned and completed
Memories and Tracked Items can be kept
- For future joy
- For future contemplation
Items can be kept for future reference
Reading is fast, but thinking is slow. Writing by hand or typing minimal notes forces your reading speed to match your processing speed, ensuring deep, synchronous focus rather than passive skimming.
The human brain can only hold a few complex thoughts in working memory simultaneously. Notes serve as an immediate cognitive scratchpad, allowing you to hold, compare, and connect conflicting quotes or complex ideas side-by-side without straining your mental bandwidth.

Because you wrote the note in your own words, rereading it months or years later does not just retrieve data—it instantly reactivates the exact emotional, intellectual, and environmental context you were in when you first formed the thought.
Periodically reviewing deeply curated notes on core values, life rules, and foundational philosophies acts as an internal compass, systematically fortifying your worldview against the distracting noise of modern digital media.
Using a "Just-In-Time" note-taking strategy provides an immediate launchpad for creative output. It eliminates the blank-page syndrome by giving you an organized, pre-synthesized armor of arguments ready to be deployed into your next blog post or project.

Analog vs Digital Note Taking

2026-06-15T05:38:41.117Z

Eliminate digital distractions: Pocket notebooks are free from the distractions of smartphones and digital apps, allowing for more focused work.
Improve information retention: Paper allows for drawing connections, underlining key concepts, and creating visual representations, which can aid memory.
Promote active learning: Using a pocket notebook for active recall at spaced intervals is an effective way to learn, memorize, and retain information.
Simplify productivity systems: Analog notebooks force simplification, preventing the over-complication often seen with digital productivity tools. True. Even the most disciplined will be trapped into creating complexity. Even on eInk Tablets, yes.
Memory jogging: Different notebooks and covers serve as visual cues for their content.
Codex format: The physical layout of pages aids in spatial memory and recall.
Active encoding: Writing by hand promotes deeper understanding and retention of information. Can work on eInk.
Rich encoding and spatial information: Leads to higher brain activation in memory retrieval regions.
Promotes deep thinking: Fosters sustained contemplation and well-reasoned arguments. Effeciency is bad, you do not need tagging and searching, you need to deeply think.
Leaves physical artifacts: Creates tangible records of thoughts for the future.
Digital minimalism: Aligns with a philosophy of intentionally choosing beneficial technologies. That is big, leave tech if doesn't benefit. Choose only if it benefits you a lot and convinces you that the digital option is MUCH better. Digital brings baggage.
Security: There are no cyber threats or data hacks to worry about. (LLM based)
Compartmentalization: Helps organize ideas into single-topic notebooks. Its analog so the brain triggers on topics.
Tactile Feedback of Analog is better. Everything seems artificial (Mamo Gajjo) behind a screen. It weakens love and roohaniyat.
Actively Remembering Stuff. You do not forget about the thing, you remember it when it stays in front of you.
Easy flashcards.
No Electricity Trap. You don't get cut out of the world when the lights go off. You do not stop functioning.
It looks cool.
You represent anti technology.
Unlimited Access ruins you.
The effort it takes makes you remember.
You stay more offline, no synching.
Complexity Removes freedom to tinker.
You don't look like an incel.
You do not promote a lifestyle of consumerism and planned obsolescence.
Ownership and Control
It is in your possession, you can hold it.
Nostalgia

Related to above are Digital vs Analog Cal Newport and Freestyle Productivity, Reading Should be Analogue

Summary and Decision

Our Current System

Shirt Ideas

2026-01-21T13:53:30.318Z

Allergic to Collonial Indoctrination
Entrepreneurial Maulvi Seeking Rishta
Maulvi on a Mission
Taking Islam to Every Home
Putting Islam on the Map
Names of Ottoman Leaders
I am Palestine
My Blood is Palestinian
My Blood is X (Country Name)
Masculinity is not toxic sis
Mufti To Be
MMA Maulvi
Unapologetic Maulvi/Mujahid
I'm Coming for y'all Mulhids out there
Hi NPCs, talk to me if you wanna get out of the matrix

My Marriage Research Resources

2026-01-10T17:19:48.089Z

The Ways I used to find candidates:

They were:

Word of Mouth
Asking Parents
Research forms circulated in my Uni by announcing in each class of each dept
Asking relatives and seniors

What worked:

Asking parents

The Criterias I had:

Fulfills all religious obligations, and preferably also fulfills voluntary acts of worship
Sharih Niqab and Pardah
At least a short Islamic course from an Islamic organization
Wants to live a simple, non-luxurious life
Passionate for Dawah
Affiliated with an Islamic organization
Regularly listens to (or at least has listened to) popular Islamic Scholars and/or speakers
Prefers not to do a Full-time job after marriage
Is from respectable family
Homemaking qualities
Father is Alim, or at least family is Islamic and conservative

Things to Check for in Marriage Discussions

Will she present herself before parents on the family meeting day
How much she argues
Will she jump on a phone call for Nikah discussions
Is she outgoing or humble
Does she continuously interrupt
Striving for knowledge of Deen

The 2 Research Forms I sent:

Research-survey-1 Research-survey-2

Follow Up Questions I asked after reading the form responses:

آپ کے خیال میں شادی کے لیے مثالی عمر کیا ہے؟
جو مثالی عمر آپ نے شادی کے لیے منتخب کی ہے، اس سے زیادہ ہونے کے کیا نقصانات ہیں اور اس سے کم ہونے کے کیا نقصانات ہیں؟
ایک آئیڈیل فیملی میں [Enter the option she selected in the form response] بچے کیوں ہونے چاہئیں۔ کم کیوں نہیں زیادہ کیوں نہیں؟
بیوی کو اپنے شوہر کا کتنا فرماں بردار ہونا چاہیے؟
نکاح کو کتنا سیمپل ہونا چاہیے
آپکے شوہر آپکو کچھ ایسا کہنے کا کہتے ہیں جو آپکو پسند نہ ہو۔ آپنے کہا کہ میں ہر حال میں اُنہیں مناؤں گی۔ اگر وہ نہ مانیں تو?
شادی کی ideal age کیا ھے
آپ عالمہ کیوں بننا (یا نہیں بننا) چاہتیں ہیں؟
آپ کون کون سے اسلامک سپیکرز کو سنتی ہیں؟
آپ جوائنٹ فیملی سسٹم میں کیوں رہنا (یا نہیں رہنا) چاہتی ہیں؟
آپ coeducation کے حق میں کیوں نہیں ہیں(یاھیں) ؟
آپ کس طرح کا میوزک سننا پسند کرتی ہیں؟ انگلش، اردو، بولیوود، صوفی، کے پوپ؟
جوب کا ارادہ کیوں نہیں(یاہے) ؟

Marriage Conditions to Put Forward

Before presenting the conditions I sent these voice recordings:
https://recorder.google.com/62b49259-050a-4132-b490-eb241f0ca828
https://recorder.google.com/86bebc6c-8c8f-4587-85a0-98f29d4752c4
https://recorder.google.com/07dfacf3-8b3f-4ebd-b3c0-d87e3f5ced85
https://recorder.google.com/7bbbf025-1329-4a52-a7b5-14a3d62252f0

Both the Family and the sister should agree to these:

Rule 1

Extremely Simple Life lived in the village with only bare necessities, and no items of convenience and comfort. Non-reliance on Big Corporations and Living a Simple Life of Self Reliance۔ Rules and Regulations and a Strict, Punctual, Disciplined Life, Mujahidda https://recorder.google.com/9baa0dcf-50ff-4ee8-b96d-9ba185d0f2a3

Rule 2

Agreement of Unconditional Obedience
![[PTT-20241125-WA0066.opus]]

Rule 3

Income will be restricted to below average even if and refraining from unnecessary luxuries to support Dawah Activities
![[PTT-20241125-WA0067.opus]]

Rule 4

Long Dawah Trips and periods of being away from family. Support for Spouse's Dawah Activities
یہ بے حد اہم ہے اور سب سے ضروری چیزوں میں سے ہے۔ شاید Top 3 چیزوں میں آئے یہ۔
دعوت دین کے کام بہت hectic ہوتے ہیں۔ اس کے لیے اکثر گھر سے دور بھی رہنا پڑتا ہے۔ کچھ دن آتے ہیں جب گھر پر ہوتے ہوئے بھی گھر کی طرف توجہ کم ہو جاتی ہے۔
یہ تو انسان کی جوب میں بھی ہوتا ہے۔ کبھی کبھی جوب کے سلسلے میں انسان کو گھر سے دور رہنا پڑتا ہے۔ کبھی کبھی جوب گھر کی طرف توجہ کم کر دیتی ہے۔ دعوتِ دین کے کام بھی ایک full time job جیسے ہیں۔ کیا آپکو اس سے کوئی مسئلہ ہوگا؟

پوچھا گیا کہ کرنے لمبے عرصے کیلئے باہر رہنا پڑے گا شوہر کو؟
جواب دیا:
پہلے تو لمبے عرصے کی تعریف کر لیتے ہیں۔
3 ماہ سے کم عرصہ قلیل، اور 3 ماہ سے زیادہ عرصہ طویل قرار دے دیتے ہیں۔ 6 ماہ سے زیادہ عرصے کو "انتہائی طویل" قرار دے دیتے ہیں۔

جوب کیلئے گھر سے دور جانا ایک فرضی صورت حال ہے۔

البتہ دوسری ہنگامی صورت حال میں طویل عرصے کیلئے جانا پڑ سکتا ہے۔

مثلاً کچھ عرصہ پہلے سیلاب زدگان کی امداد کیلئے کچھ لوگوں کو مستقل چند ماہ کیلئے aid کیلئے وہاں رہنا پڑا۔
اسی طرح جب جہاد فرض ہو جاتا ہے تو مردوں کو لمبا عرصہ گھر سے دور رہنا پڑتا ہے۔

ایسی صورت میں کسی والی، محافظ اور مربي کا ہونا ضروری ہے گھر پر۔

دعوتی کاموں کے سلسلے میں چھوٹے چھوٹے دورے ہوتے ہیں جو قلیل مدت میں شامل ہونگے۔

اب تیسری صورت حال رہ ہے "انتہائی طویل" مدت والی۔ اس میں گھر والوں کو ساتھ لے کر جانا ضروری ہے۔

Rule 5

Simple Nikah within 1 Month followed by moving in with Joint Family Within 2 Months.

![[PTT-20241125-WA0061.opus]]

Rule 6

Strictness in Shareeh rulings like full shareeh pardah, music avoidance, staying at home mostly, pardah with all extended family members etc.

Rule 7

Daily Continuous Islamic Learning
آپکی ایجوکیشن کا سلسلہ مسلسل چلتا رہے گا، اور یہ علم زیادہ تر دینی اور سائکولوجی اور دیگر ضروری subjects پر ہوگا۔ کیا آپکو روز اِسکو وقت دینے سے مسئلہ ہوگا؟

Rule 8

A life focussed on home making, abiding by Traditional Gender Roles

Rule 9

No further secular education in university/college/school. Refraining from the secular education system.

![[PTT-20241125-WA0065 1.opus]]
![[PTT-20241125-WA0064 1.opus]]
![[PTT-20241125-WA0063 1.opus]]
![[PTT-20241125-WA0062.opus]]
3.
بچوں کی ہوم اسکولنگ پر اعتراض نہ ہونا۔ ہوم اسکلنگ کے علاوہ بہت سے اسلامی تربیتی اداروں میں بھی بھیجا سکتا ہے۔ جیسے آپنے اُس دن پارک میں دیکھا ہوگا شباب البرھان کی کلاس کا سیشن۔
4.
سب سے بہترین تو یہ ہوجائے گا کہ ہونے والی بیوی کی بقیہ تعلیم آنلائن کورسز کے ذریعے اور گھر پر شوہر کے تعاون کے ساتھ مل بیٹھ کر پڑھنے سے ہوجائے۔ اس طرح کی بہت ساری معتبر international certifications موجود ہیں جنکے سامنے عام universities کی ڈگریاں ایسی ہیں جیسے ہاتھی کے سامنے چیونٹی۔

اگر اس پر بیوی کی رضامندی نہ ہو تو کسی آنلائن university میں ڈگری کو شفٹ کرایا جائے۔

اگر یہ بھی ممکن نہیں اور اس پر بھی بیوی کی رضامندی نہیں تو میں compromise کر لوں گا کیونکہ پہلے ہے کافی چیزوں میں ایگریمینٹ ہے۔

Rule 10

A life of hardships
اُوپر کے تمام rules کو مد نظر رکھتے ہوئے یہ اندازہ لگانا مشکل نہیں کے ان قوائد و ضوابط کے ضمن میں گزاری جانے ولی زندگی ایک بہت سخت اور مشکلات میں گھری زندگی ہوگی۔ اِسکو ایجابت و رضامندی میں لینا ایک سوچ سمجھ کے کرنے والا فیصلہ ہونا چاہئے۔

Final Note:

Essentially portray the hardest part of it and hide the relaxing and enjoyment part, and portray yourself as a physically non attractive person
Make Dua and Trust Allah SWT that he will give you the best without you needing to show off.

Additional Questions I asked:

آپ کو کس طرح کا لباس زیادہ پسند ہے۔ مغربی یا مشرقی؟
آپ کو کیا کیا پکانا نہیں آتا مشہور چیزوں میں؟
کیا آپکو نکاح میں تاخیر کی خواہش ہے؟
کیا آپکی زبان ہماری آبائی زبان ہے؟ (Optional)
بہت زیادہ رشتےداروں کے گھر آنے جانے سے آپکو مسئلہ تو نہیں ہوتا؟
آپکے سونے جاگنے کے اوقات کیا ہیں؟
آپ کون کون سے سوشل میڈیا پلطفورمز استعمال کرتی ہیں اور دن میں کتنا وقت؟ دن کا سکرین ٹائم کتنا ہے؟
سادے رنگ کا نقاب اور preferrably ساتھ دستانے زیب تن کرنے میں آپکو کوئی پریشانی تو نہیں ہوگی؟
آپ کا سب سے بڑا ڈر کیا ہے؟
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xRgOA3ARQGQاس ویڈیو میں کس چیز سے متفق ہیں اور کیا سے نہیں؟
آپ کا اپنے دین میں improvement کیلئے roadmap کیا ہے؟
آپکی تین سب سے بڑی خواہشات کیا ہیں؟
سوال:

اگر آپ کے سامنے اس طرح کا ایک ڈائل(dial) ہو۔ جس پر 1 سے لیکر 100 تک ہندسے درج ہوں۔ 1 min ہے اور 100 max۔

یہ ایسا ڈائل ہو جسکو max کی طرف لیکے جانے پر آپکے ہونے والے شوہر کی دینی تربیت و تعلیم و اصلاح میں اضافہ ہوتا جائے پر اُسکی financial condition کمزور ہوتی جائے، تو آپ اس ڈائل کو کتنا turn کرنا afford کریں گی؟ یعنی financial condition کو کس حد تک کمزور کر لینا آپکے لیے مسئلہ نہیں ہوگا؟

آپ کو book reading پسند ہے؟ اگر ہاں تو کیسی books؟
Shauhar se larai hone pe apka rad e amal kia hoga?
Kia apko sada zindagi Pasand hey kese gaoon ki hoti hey?
Kia ap ko gaaon ki Zindagi ziada pasand hey ya shehr ki?
https://www.alasna.org/courses/take/wife-school/ Watch the first video and summarize it
Agar apko husband kaheen jane se roken to ap kia karen gi?
Apko ghar ke kaam karne men issue hota hey ya acha lagta hey ya medium, na acha na bura?

Dream Job Hunt

2026-09-07T09:27:36.954Z

To Do in the First Week

1. Initial Setup

Skim through this Guide

Learn https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1QBBmOuvLxt2bsWDlP2qGsm3r6Y2k-fH

Set Up a Task Management System in Todoist or an other app of your choice or even paper using https://www.loom.com/share/0ffc812f20e04d66baf1da9dcc0df840

Then Create a Task Management System like so:

For the First Week section:

For the Second Week and Beyond Section:

Please note that for each task that has the purple “Monday” due date in it you need to type in “Each Workday from next Monday” as the due date like this:

For the last three tasks, leave them without a due date:

We will add a due date later when these tasks show up in our process.

For the After Landing an Interview Section:

Leave all these without a due date as well.

Now open the Today view from the Sidebar:

It will show your tasks for Today:

Complete them now! 😎

Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWtm70HLMkM&ab_channel=TariqMasoodExclusive

2. Define Your Niche (IMPORTANT)

ℹ️ Start in the end! What does your dream job look like? What’s your ideal career 3-5-10 years from now?

The first step is to understand what success looks like and what we really want. Neglecting this step will get you to interview and work at companies that are not a fit. And this may lead to years or even decades wasted.

So, let’s first define your dream and work backward to get it. And don’t worry about getting it perfect at first; it will evolve over time.

Fill this out:
Define 3 max of each of the following (the fewer the better)

Positions (This is called your horizontal expertise) — the more specific the better
1. X
2. Y
3. Z
For example:
- ML Engineer
- Technical Recruiter
- Engineering Manager
Industries (This is called your vertical expertise) — the more specific the industry the better
1. X
2. Y
3. Z
For example:
- Education
- Personal Growth
Locations (Optional) — If you are choosing remote make sure the working hours are in your time zone. For example, if you are in Pakistan you may choose open positions that are advertised in the EMEA or Asia-Pacific region.
1. X
2. Y
3. Z
For example:
- Islamabad (Onsite)
- Dubai (Remote)
- Malaysia (Remote)
The position and industry you choose should be:
- Something you are passionate about
- Something you have experience in
- Something that is sought after in the marketplace
If the position and industry are a combination of all three — that is the best!

3. Resume & Cover Letter Building:

ℹ️ Most job seekers think about how to get a job but never consider the person on the other side of the table who is hiring.

Employers traditionally create a scorecard for every position. Check out this resource to understand the process from the employer's perspective.

Now, let’s reverse engineer the scorecard into resume bullet points that will check all the boxes.

Write your resume for each of the niches. These will become your starting templates.

We must start with building one resume for each of our niches.

To make a good resume, read these:

Read https://cultivatedculture.com/resume-action-words/
Read https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/google-recruiters-say-these-5-resume-tips-including-x-y-z-formula-will-improve-your-odds-of-getting-hired-at-google.html

4. LinkedIn and Online Presence:

Read https://cultivatedculture.com/linkedin-profile-tips/
Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4OhuzwLc9o&ab_channel=JeffSu

Then, focus your LinkedIn profile on your most impressive accomplishments. Be as concrete as possible e.g. “ranked third in the nation”, “increased annual donations 100%”. Cut the rest. It’s better to have two impressive achievements than two impressive achievements and three weak ones. Finally, search yourself on Google and do anything you can to make the results look good.

Copy bullet points from your resume that you created using https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/google-recruiters-say-these-5-resume-tips-including-x-y-z-formula-will-improve-your-odds-of-getting-hired-at-google.html

Online Presence:

Update All Your Social Media to reflect your LinkedIn

Github

Have at least 5 Projects uploaded on GitHub in your niche

Optional: Create Website

You can do this with Wordpress

5. Ask Close Connections:

If you already know someone in the industry who can hire people, then ask for a meeting
to discuss opportunities in the industry. This is close to going directly to an interview, skipping all the screening steps. Remember, there doesn’t need to be an open position – employers will often create positions for good people.

If your connection is not able to refer you, then ask them to introduce you to people in the industry who are able to hire. Then follow step 11.

Note this down somewhere.

6. Connect with Important People

ℹ️ It’s time to research people who are 5-10 years ahead of you. These guys have walked the walk and have achieved what you want to achieve.

You should know who these people are and ask them for advice.

First, they can give you advice on your career path. Is it sound? How does it feel to be in their shoes?

Second, they will tell you great companies you should consider applying to. And maybe even make introductions.

And finally, and most importantly, they may be the people you will want to work with.

To Do Second Week and Onward

7. Creating Content

Create 1 Blog Post on Each Monday
Do 0.5 Guest Post Each Tuesday
Make 0.5 Open-Source Contribution Each Wednesday
Publish 0.25 Research Papers Each Thursday
Post 1 time on LinkedIn and engage with 3 posts Each Friday.

If you've never thought about creating content on LinkedIn, getting started can feel overwhelming but it's actually much easier than you think.

Here's a quick process you can use to create content that will get you WAY more profile views in less than 10 minutes per day:

Step 1: Follow The Views

If you want more visibility but don't have a huge following, you need to go where the views are.

I'll bet you've seen those posts from people in your industry with a couple hundred likes and comments. Those posts are racking up tens of thousands of views which means any comments left on them are getting in front of those eyeballs too.

Check out Devin's post here:

It has 377 reactions, but only 18 comments! This is a huge opportunity to get visibility because this post probably has at least 15,000 views (likely a low-ball estimate) but it doesn't have a ton of comments which means yours is much more likely to stand out.

Step 2: Leave A Thoughtful Comment

The comments section on LinkedIn works like a voting board — the comments with the most reactions, replies, and engagement typically bubble up to the top.

If you're the top comment on a post with 20,000 views, you can bet your comment is going to get a decent number of those eyeballs!

Fortunately for us, most people leave fairly low effort comments on posts. Stuff like, “awesome tips,” “love this advice,” “thanks for sharing,” etc. While those are all great, they're probably not going to make their way to the top.

Taking a few minutes to draft up a thoughtful comment that asks a question, shares additional advice, sparks debate, or adds to the discussion is far more likely to generate likes and replies.

Step 3: Combine For Best Results

All you need to do to begin generating more profile views is combine the two ingredients above and make it a daily habit.

Open up LinkedIn a few times throughout the day and scroll through your feed until you find a post that's gaining traction.

Once you find one, read it a few times and brainstorm a thoughtful comment that adds to the conversation, then post it.

This shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes to do and if you rinse and repeat every day, your profile view count will shoot through the roof!

Pro Tip: The earlier you comment on a post that eventually gains traction, the better. Influencers with big followings on LinkedIn are pretty much guaranteed to have large view counts on their posts so all you need to do are follow them, figure out their posts times, and show up early!

8. Find Open Positions in your Niche(s)

ℹ️ Now that you know what your dream job looks like, it’s time to find dream companies and positions.

This is all about discovering the most promising companies and opportunities. Are you excited about their mission and products? Who would you be working with there? Are these the people you’d like to learn from?

8a. Find 10 positions that match loosely to your niche — they might not be a perfect match.

Save these somewhere.

8b. Create Tailored Resumes:

You need to create 1 for each of the 10 Positions you found.

8b. Find 3 Positions Each Day that match your exact niche:

Save this info somewhere.

9. Apply

🤖 You don’t want to end up in the pile of resumes never-to-be-seen… Competing for a hot position with hundreds of other applicants is an uphill battle. And if you’ve applied to maaaany jobs online with no response already, then this may change everything for you.

There are two ways to go about your application. You should do both to see what works for you.

Method A: Via the Traditional Route

Use this resource to write an effective cover letter.

Method B: Referrals

ℹ️ Method B: Referrals
Here, we are first going to connect with people who have influence over the hiring project. We will seek career advice as opposed to directly asking about a specific position. The insights from those conversations will fuel our Value Validation Project. More on that later. By then, your application process has already begun!

Find Influencers

Now open your notes where you saved the 3 open jobs.

Now, you are going to find someone who not only knows about the role, but could potentially have an impact on hiring for it. Time to fire up LinkedIn.

In the LinkedIn search bar, I want you to plug in the company name from the database.

With that in mind, I usually look for the person with a title that is one level up from the position that I’m looking for. Save this info somewhere.

Obtaining Contact Info

Here are 3 strategies you can use to find almost anyone’s email address:

LinkedIn:

It could be present on LinkedIn
Reverse Lookup

Head over to Mailscoop and enter the first and last name of the person you are searching for, as well as their company's website.

You can also use Hunter.io or some other tool.
Matching Formats

If that doesn’t work, you can try finding someone else’s email at the company and use that format reverse engineering your target email address.Once you have the format, you can use MailTester to confirm your target email address.

Save the info somewhere.

Research, research, research:

Now that you have your potential influencer, it’s time to do some research so you can effectively reach out and build that relationship! Find what you can about them. Save the research somewhere.

10. Sending The Email

Hopefully, your research uncovered an angle you can use to personalize the email and make the outreach about them. This could be something like:

A non-traditional background
An interesting career pivot or move
A current project they're working on
An article they wrote
Something from their personal website

For example, if you were going to email me, you might dial into the fact that I transitioned from healthcare into the tech space.

Here's the email you'd write for that:

Subject: Quick Question

Hi Austin,

My name is [Your Name] and I found your info while I was looking for people who made the jump into tech from a non-traditional background. Your experience transitioning from healthcare to Microsoft really stood out to me.

I'm sure that transition wasn't easy! I'd love to hear more about your journey, some of the obstacles you faced, and ask you a few questions.

I know you're busy and your time is valuable, no need to respond in depth. If you do have a few minutes to chat, I'd be really grateful. If not, no worries! Either way, have a fantastic week.

Best,

Haseeb

Let's pretend that I’m reaching out to Tim who works at Google, but doesn't have a lot of info online. Here's what I'd write:

Subject: Quick Question

Hi Tim,

My name is Austin and I currently work at Cultivated Culture. I was browsing through LinkedIn and came across your information – I hope you don’t mind me reaching out of the blue here.

I saw that you have extensive experience in Google’s Technology B2B vertical and I’m very interested in learning more about that space. I would love to have the opportunity to run some questions by you, as well as tap into any advice you may have given your knowledge of the industry.

I know that your time is extremely valuable so please don’t feel to need to respond in depth. If you do have 5 minutes to chat, I would really appreciate it.

Best,

Austin

There are a few key points to the emails above:

Address the person you are emailing by name
State who you are and make it personable
Include some flattery that positions the person as an “expert”

You can also contact them directly on LinkedIn.

11. Prepare For Your Meeting

In order to prepare, we have to know what we’re preparing for. The goal of your meeting is to position your influencer as an expert, make them feel special, and build a relationship.

You will not and should not mention anything about the opening at their company. People innately enjoy helping others and if you follow the steps above, they will bring this up naturally.
You will want to prepare a list of questions that gets them to open up about themselves and the company. I like to ask them several softballs to get things warmed up and then hit them with a few questions they are guaranteed to remember.

Here is a quick set that I’ve had success with in the past (I've found the last one really seems to stick):

I saw you worked at [Previous Companies]. How did you end up going from [First Industry] to becoming interested in [Current Company]?
You hear a lot about [Current Company] in the news, but I’d love to hear more about why you love working there. What’s your favorite part?
What is one totally unexpected lesson you’ve learned from working at [Current Company]?

The “Million Dollar” Question

Regardless of the questions you choose, there is one that you must always be sure to ask:

“What is the biggest challenge your team is facing right now?”

Really dig in here, get them to be specific. This information is going to be critical in helping you land a referral from this person, as well as getting the offer further down the road.

I like to ask them several softballs to get things warmed up and then hit them with a few questions they are guaranteed to remember.

Here is a quick set that I’ve had success with in the past (I've found the last one really seems to stick):

I saw you worked at [Previous Companies]. How did you end up going from *[First Industry]*to becoming interested in [Current Company]?
You hear a lot about *[Current Company]*in the news, but I’d love to hear more about why you love working there. What’s your favorite part?
What is one totally unexpected lesson you’ve learned from working at [Current Company]?

Ask them advice, note it down.

If it goes well, ask them to introduce you to people who may be able to hire you, which is effectively getting a referral from this person. Do not ask them for a job if you promised it was an informational interview.

12. Prove Your Worth With A Value Validation Project

VVPs are kind of like a resume on steroids. You find a pain point or opportunity, then you create a deliverable that illustrates:

The research you've done on the company
The problem or opportunity at hand
Solutions or ideas to help the company win
Your background as evidence for why you're the best person to execute on these ideas

Over the next week you are going to research the crap out of your influencer's problem. Then you are going to come up with a solution and draft up a proposal for how you would solve it. Your proposal should include:

A summary of the problem (to illustrate that you understand their pain)
A step-by-step framework of how you would solve this problem
A brief outline of how your skill set positions you as an asset to implement that solution

Check out this article with 12 VVP example.

Explore Austin’s starter kit with examples, references, and tutorials to create a great Value Validation Project.

Get The Value Validation Project Starter Kit - Cultivated Culture

The Format

Presentations in Google Slides or PowerPoint are great for this.

That said, the best medium you can use is the one that you feel the most comfortable with and is the most relevant to your target job.

If you want to break into video production, a short film might be a better option. If you want to be a software engineer, coding out a project is probably a good bet.

13. Following Up With Your Proposal

Now we're going to reach back out to our influencer with the proposal.

Here's the template I used:

Hi [Influencer],

Thanks again for taking the time out to chat last week!

I spent a lot of time thinking about what you said regarding [team's biggest challenge]. In fact, I created a short framework that should help you solve it! Please find that attached.

If you have some time, I would love to chat about it in more detail.

Please let me know if you have any questions, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best,

Austin

When they do get back to you, they will not only bring up the opening but they will ask you if you're interested. Kindly accept and play it cool. You’re in!

To Do after Landing the Interview

14. How To Breeze Through The Interview Process:

One of the easiest ways to be a better interviewer is to prepare for the most obvious questions.

99% of the interviews you go on will follow the exact same template. If you can master the format, your confidence will skyrocket and you'll be prepared for almost any situation you get thrown into.

The pre-interview project

Find out what you’d be doing in the role (this already puts you quite a way ahead).
In particular, work out which problems you will need to solve for the organisation. To figure this out, you’ll probably need to do some desk research – here’s a simple guide – then speak to people in the industry.
Spend a weekend putting together a solution to these problems, and send them to a couple of people at the company with an invitation to talk more.
If you don’t hear back after a week, follow up at least once.
Alternatively, write up your suggestions, and present them at the interview. Ramit Sethi calls this “the briefcase technique.”

The Universal Job Interview Format:

1. Tell Me About Yourself!

This is your first impression. More importantly, it’s the only part of the interview that you totally control. Do NOT rattle off your resume like a grocery list.

In order to nail this part you need to craft an interesting story – your story. You want it to be concise (around 2-3 minutes) and you need to think about what you want to convey. I recommend:

Choosing 2-3 themes to build your story around (for me, those themes were Persistence, Agility, and Success)
Including quantitative metrics whenever possible
Addressing the question of why you want to leave your current position (they are going to ask you this anyways, addressing it early shows that you're aware it's a concern of theirs and helps put them at ease)

To help get you started, here is what my story looked like. To give you some context, I was a biology major who was interested in landing a job in digital marketing:

Growing up, like most people, I wanted to be a doctor. I went to [college] where I majored in biology and planned my course to medical school. Not long after, I decided that pre-med wasn’t for me. I wanted to get into digital marketing, and I wanted to be in New York. I set my sights on this goal and created a plan that would get me there.

In 2013, I graduated with my biology degree and took a job in medical device sales where I worked from 5:30am – 12:30pm covering surgical cases in the operating room. Then, every day, I would come home and study digital marketing until 8:00pm. In order to gain relevant experience, I got certified in Google Analytics & AdWords and created my own consulting firm that focused on using search engine marketing to generate leads for private golf communities. We were able to increase home sales by an average of 20% while reducing the cost per lead by around 10%. Armed with my new credentials, I began to look for positions in New York.

Eventually, I was offered a position at my current company (a promotional analytics company in New York). During my tenure there I have grown my book of business by 467%, spearheaded the creation of an internal group dedicated to marketing the company on the internet, and helped close the 2nd largest deal in company history.

However, the company has restructured several times since I was brought on. I've had 3 different managers over the past year, as well as 3 titles with different sets of responsibilities. I'm looking for something a bit more stable and has been somewhere that I have wanted to work since I got into this industry. I'm really excited to have this opportunity.

Pro Tip: You are telling a story. Don’t be afraid to embellish a bit. I’m not saying you should lie or make up stories, but you want to sell yourself and you can bet your butt that your competition isn’t afraid to inflate their credentials. It doesn't hurt to practice either. As blogger Ryan Robinson adds, “rehearsing and building upon my story over the years, is one of the ways I've honed my ability to write a blog post that tells a compelling narrative about why my clients should hire me.”

2. Behavioral Questions

Next up is the dreaded set of behavioral questions. The ones meant to tease out your thought process and your ability to be a “team player,” as well as why you're interested in this specific role. This is the part where our educated “guesses” are going to come in handy.

The behavioral section is broken down into two parts that I call _Standard Questions_and Company Specific Questions. Let's start with the former.

Standard Questions

You are going to be asked a variation of one, if not all, of these questions in every single interview you go to:

Why do you want to work for us?
Tell me about a time you exhibited leadership
Tell me about a time where you had to work as a team
Tell me about a time you've had to work with a difficult person, or difficult people
Tell me about a time you failed
Tell me about a time you overcame an obstacle
Tell me about a time when you had success

If you can answer these 6 questions, you could handle 9 out of 10 interviews with no other preparation and be totally fine. Just follow the same set of rules I mentioned above in the _Tell Me About Yourself_section:

Craft a concise story
Make sure to include quantitative metrics that illustrate your success
Anticipate and address objections

Company Specific Questions

These are questions that fall in the middle of the 7 listed above and “why are man hole covers round?” Never fear though, we can anticipate these too.

Head over to GlassDoor. If you've never heard of GlassDoor, it's a great resource for any job seeker that includes salaries, reviews, and interview information for almost any company in the world.

First, you are going to search for the position you're applying for. In keeping with our theme, we'll search for “Google” under Companies & Reviews:

Next, we're going to click on the “Interviews” Tab:

Then scroll down and click on “Filter Interviews” which will bring up some advanced settings. Here we'll type in the title of the job we want (Account Manager, in this case) and the location (New York, NY). We'll also select “Received Offer” because the people who didn't receive offers tend to be slightly, ahem, biased:

This will pull up a list of reviews from everyone who interviewed and received an offer for that position. The general comments are really helpful, but we want to focus on a section called _Interview Questions_towards the bottom. I usually comb through 10 – 15 of these and add all of the interview questions into a Word doc so I can answer them later:

Now you have your second set of questions to prepare for!

3. What Questions Do You Have For Me?

Finally, once they are done peppering you with questions, your interviewer will ask if you have any questions for them. In my opinion this is the most crucial part of the interview.

Why? Because so many people neglect it. If you can ask some questions that are even slightly outside of the box, I've found that really sticks with the interviewer more than any other part of the meeting.

After every interview I've been on, I asked for feedback. Without fail, the interviewer made a positive comment about the questions I asked. The good news for you is that I asked the same exact questions in every single one! Here they are:

What is your favorite part about working here?
What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?
Let’s say that in one year, you are looking back on this hire. What has that person done to exceed expectations on every level?
Ask about a current event (for example – I saw that [Competitor X] came out with this product. How do you see that affecting your business?)
What is the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned while working at ?
Tell me a little bit more about you, what do you like to do outside of work?

The first four are fairly standard questions, but the last two really seal the deal. Don't be surprised if you get a “wow, I've never been asked that – give me a second” when you drop the unexpected lesson.

Things to Do:

When you meet an employer, ask lots of questions to understand their challenges.
Discuss how you might be able to contribute to these challenges
Prepare your three key selling points ahead of meetings. These are the messages you’ll try to get in during the discussion. For instance: 1) I have done this work successfully before, 2) I am really excited about this company, 3) I have suggestions for what I could work on.
Focus on what’s most impressive. What sounds better: “I advised Obama on energy policy” or “I advised Obama on energy policy, and have worked as a high school teacher the last three years”?
Prepare concrete facts and stories to back up your three key messages. For instance, if you’re applying to be a web engineer, rather than “I’m a hard worker”, try “I have a friend who runs an organization that was about to get some press coverage. He needed to build a website in 24 hours, so we pulled an all-nighter to build it. The next day we got 1,000 sign-ups.” Rather than say “I really want to work in this industry”, tell the story of what led you to apply. Stories and concrete details are far more memorable than abstract claims.
Work out how to sum up what you have to offer in a sentence. Steve Jobs didn’t sell millions of iPods by saying they’re 30% better than mp3 players, but rather with the slogan “1,000 songs in your pocket”. Having a short, vivid summary makes it easy for other people to promote you on your behalf. For instance “He’s the guy who advised Obama on climate policy and wants a research position.”
Practice the meeting, from start to finish. Meet with a friend and have them ask you five interview questions, then practice responding quickly.

You can research the company’s interview process on Glassdoor.

15. Say Thank You!

While we're on the subject, be absolutely sure to send a thank you email to everyone you interviewed with. Also include a personal touch to each one (something that you gained from that last question).

16. Following Up & What To Do If They Say No

The rule of thumb for following up after an interview is one business week. If you interviewed on a Tuesday, wait until the next Tuesday to email them (as JT O'Donnell says, never send a nudge on a Monday!). When you do, don't push or be blunt. Keep it short and sweet:

Hi [Interviewer],

I hope you had a great week!

I wanted to quickly follow up and see if there was anything else I could help with regarding the application process. If so, please let me know!

Best,

Austin

That's it. If they don't respond to that after another 3-4 days, you have your answer and it's time to move on.

What Happens If They Say No?

Ugh. The worst case scenario. Don't get down just yet though, we're not done here!

I have this quality where I have trouble accepting “no” as an answer. When I was interviewing with Google, the initial screener told me that she wasn't going to put me through because she “didn't think I was qualified, and didn't want to waste the team's time.”

I was not happy. So I sent her this:

Hi [Recruiter],

Thank you again for carving out the time to speak this afternoon. I really appreciate your feedback, and I wanted to add one final note:

I completely understand your concerns regarding my experience with [skill]. You are correct that I didn't have much experience with that at [previous company]. That said, this doesn't stem from an inability to produce results, but rather a lack of opportunity to do so.

While my experience on paper may not match up to the initial expectations of the position's description, I have do have two qualities that work in my favor: I am an extremely efficient learner, and am also very effective at translating those learnings into practice. Second, I'm much more tenacious than your average individual. My career has hinged on these two qualities.

I left college with no digital experience and a biology degree – all of my digital knowledge was obtained through self study. I spent 8 months selling myself without the on-paper experience to back it up. When I was finally given the opportunity to apply my knowledge in a business setting, I playing a critical role in landing the company's 2nd largest deal in history. I am confident that I can have the same success in this role. I have the resources necessary to learn what I need in order to be successful at , and am prepared to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

I understand that interview process is extremely challenging, and that only the top talent ends up with an offer letter at the end. I also believe that I am worthy of a shot at that letter. [Company] is known for hiring people who excel at the intangibles, as well the ability to learn new things and apply them to existing knowledge. That is my forte.

I am not asking for an offer. I am simply asking for the opportunity to speak with the hiring manager to make my case for the position. I'm sure you will find the best person for the position, I would just like to have a legitimate shot at being that person. If you give me that chance, my next set of answers will not disappoint.

_Thank you again for your continued consideration.
Best
Austin

17. How to negotiate:

Negotiation should be most strongly considered when you have more than one good offer, because then you have a strong fallback position.

Explain the value you’ll give the employer, and why it’s justified to give you the benefits you want. The idea is to look for objective metrics and win-win solutions – can you give up something the employer cares about in exchange for something you care about? For instance:

I’m going to redesign your sign up process, increasing the conversion rate by 1%, which is worth millions of dollars to you, so I’d like to be given donation matching up to $50,000. This is something I value, and the company can claim tax benefits on the donations.
Other people with my level of experience in this industry are usually paid $50,000 and can work at home two days per week. But I’d prefer to work with you. Can you match the other companies?
I’m really motivated to learn sales skills, so I’d like to work alongside person X. This will make me much more effective in the role in six months.

Negotiate after you’ve started

Once you start the job, try to perform as well as possible, and then negotiate again. Most employers will be very unwilling to lose someone who’s already doing excellent work. Just bear in mind, most companies have a standard review process, so wait until then to make your ask.

Best Watch Choices (Apr 2026)

2026-04-05T18:16:03.073Z

The List

F201WA
- No seconds in timer
AE 1200
- Cons
  - ~~Ugly~~
  - ~~Nerdy~~
  - ~~Toy-like~~
- Pros
  - Cheaper
  - More nostalgic
~~AE 1300~~
- No 5 alrms
~~LF20H~~
- Ugly
~~Skmei – 2091~~
- Pros
  - Its a plastic, light weight beater
  - We stay with the 2100 module
  - Its legible white
  - We remember the combinations
  - We can use NATO strap (and it looks good)
  - It is more beautiful than the GA2100
  - It is not ugly like classic Casios
  - We used it before so we have memories with it
  - It is smaller so unisex
  - It is octagonal
- Cons
  - Quality
  - Software bugs
GW5600J
- No Hours and second setting in timer and that's fine
- No flashing alert and that's fine
- No auto repeat and that's fine
~~GWX-5600~~
- Extra tide feature is non-minimalist
GA2100-1A1 and this in White-black
GWM5610-1/G5600UE/G5600E
- LED and not EL
- No auto repeat
- No flashing alert

An Objective Analysis on the Best Watches

Do we even need a watch?
- Yes, because
  - We need to look at the time quickly without taking out our phone, and being distracted (L1 Arg because pocket watches existed)
  - It's the only minimalist accessory for fashion (L1 Arg)
  - It looks good (L1 Arg)
  - Fast timers (L1 Arg)
  - Fast alarms (L1 Arg)
  - Fast stopwatch (L1 Arg)
  - Fast WT (L1 Arg)
- Criterias for an ideal watch
  - Quality (P1)
  - Looks
    - Beautiful (P1)
    - Analog Hand if for formal (P1)
    - Digital and large, legible, positive numerals if for casual use (P1)
    - Square/Ocatgon if casual (P1, L1 Arg)
    - Round if for events (P1, L1 Arg)
    - Seconds Animation (P3)
    - Not too big (P2)
    - Must have at least one digital display (P1, because it's accurate -- L3 Arg)
  - 5 Alarms (P1, because GA2100, our favorite looks on a watch, has 5 alarms, so for consistency; and also if we need 5 alarms in the future -- for future safety -- L2 Arg)
    - Multiple alarm snoozes for morning alarm (P2, L1 Arg same as 2nd pinoint above)
    - Alarm flash (P3)
  - World Time (P1, L1 Arg same as above)
  - Timer
    - Set Seconds for Timer
    - Auto-repeat timer (P2, L1 Arg same as 2nd pinoint above)
    - Beep within timer (P2, L1 Arg same as 2nd pinoint above)
    - Time should be displayed when in timer mode
  - Stopwatch
    - Sub seconds in stopwatch (P1, L1 Arg same as above)
    - Split time stop watch
    - First and second place finisher
  - Iconic (P2)
  - Conversation starter (P2)
  - Nostalgic (P2)
  - Tough (P2)
  - Minimalism in brand and line (P2)
  - Auto light (P2)
  - Solar/Long Battery life (P2)
  - No Bluetooth (Because the watch app is another tool that we might end up using, and even if we don't use it we are paying for it, and we don't want reminder features -- L2 Arg)
  - Casual watch should be cheaper (P2, L2 Arg)
  - Casio (P1) is the only good quality watch brand with digital displays and economical
  - Watches shouldn't be expensive, both less than 150 USD (P1)
    - Event watch should be more expensive
  - The event watch should be unisex so we can make a couple watch (P1)
  - Longevity
  - Military use on the watch/Space certified
  - Waterproofing
  - Nerd factor
  - Light weight
  - Easy button presses

Decision for Watches:

Event watch for both of us would be the GA2100 (one black and one black-white)
Casual Watch:
- If we consider the above points only two current watch lines fit, the AE1200, and 5600 line
- In the 5600 like we like tough solar ones, or the G5600UE/G5600E/DW5600J
- The square vs the royale:
  - the royale wins on: flash alert, price, nerd factor, 20s alarm, 1 time alarm, easy button presses;
  - the square wins on auto light, beauty, toughness, conversation starter, iconic, alarm snooze
- But if the square is not available we can buy the royale
- Potential options for casual watch can also be copies of the GA2100, and the SKMEI 2091
  - But SKMEI has very prominent quality and software issues, most notably that the screen wears off easily, dial looks cheap, backlight washes out display, hands only move one way, hands obtrude the digital display, analog hands don't line up, my previous watches failed, display is not of high quality, dial is also low quality, lume is bad
  - The GA2100 clone we'll have to check

Final Watch Decision

Sell the DW5600J because of no second setting in timer
Keep AE1200, and when it is no longer usable find a

Q4 2026 Projects

2026-10-30T12:46:33.726Z

Highlighted Projects are Radical Overhaul ones

The One Thing
- We have not decided the One Thing yet
Ilm
- Seerat
- Dr Rasheed Arshad Vids -> Daniel HaqiqatJou Courses -> Sapience Courses
- Books
Islaah
- Durood
- Mamoolaat
- Majlis Zikr
Heath
- Football
Dawah
- Seerat Circle
- Shabab Skills
- Shabab AI Academy
- Shabab IT
Khidmah
- Family Value Creation + Dawah
- Relatives Value Creation + Dawah
- Friends Value Creation + Dawah
- Community Value Creation + Dawah
- Al Burhan Ad Hoc Khidmah
Finances
- Get New Job
- Sports AI Projects

Digital Minimalism

2026-06-15T04:54:21.796Z

1. Introduction

Opening Thought:
“You may be familiar with Marie Kondo's cult phrase, 'Does this spark joy?'”
Reflect on the overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by things that may not serve you, and notice the shift from valuing material possessions to cherishing experiences.
Islamic Reminder:
Just as we are urged to moderate our desires and focus on what truly benefits us in the Hereafter, we can also reassess our attachments to worldly clutter—both physical and digital.

2. What is Digital Minimalism?

Definition:

“A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimised activities that strongly support things you value, and then happily miss out on everythingelse.”

Key Principle:
Every technology tool should enhance a core life value.
Digital minimalists work backward from their deep values to determine which technology tools to use, not the other way around.
Analogy: This is similar to mindful eating—avoiding junk food to preserve your well-being.

3. Optimisation: Using Technology with Purpose

Mindful Selection:
Decide which technologies support what you value; filter out the rest.
Example – Staying Informed:
Default: Scrolling through social media feeds for news.
Optimised:
Identify and follow a set of trustworthy news sites.
Use an app like Instapaper to collect articles and read them distraction-free over a relaxed Saturday morning coffee.
Daily Practice:
Set aside small pockets of time for optional technologies, and then take breaks to see which truly matter.

4. Define Your Technology Rules

Assessment:
List all the technologies you use and ask, “Why am I using them?”
Specificity Over Generality:
Rather than saying, “I use Facebook because it helps my social life,” specify:
“I check Facebook each Saturday on my computer to see what my close friends and family are up to; I don’t have the app on my phone; I’ve culled my list of friends to only include meaningful relationships.”
Practical Exercises:
Leave Your Phone At Home
Take Long Walks
Write Letters To Yourself

5. Reclaiming Real Interaction

Observation:
Traditional, face-to-face interactions (like sharing coffee with a friend) are being replaced by quick texts and “likes.”
Many digital tools are engineered to hijack our behavior, making us addictive consumers.
Conversation-Centric Communication:
Core Idea:
True conversation involves nuanced, analog cues (face-to-face meetings, video chats, or phone calls) and is what really maintains relationships.
Role of Digital Connection:
Primarily logistical: to arrange conversations or transfer practical information (like meeting times/locations).
Quote to Remember:
“Our sociality is simply too complex to be outsourced to a social network or reduced to instant messages and emojis.”

6. Practices to Organize Your Digital Life

6.1. Consolidate Texting

Action Steps:
Keep your phone in Do Not Disturb mode by default (no notifications).
Adjust settings so that only calls from a selected list (e.g., spouse, your kid’s school) come through.
Schedule designated times to check and respond to texts.

6.2. Hold Conversation Office Hours

Set Fixed Times:
Reserve set times on certain days when you’re available for real-life conversation—whether in a coffee shop, at the office, or during your commute.
Communicate these times clearly to your friends and family to avoid unsolicited interruptions.

7. Leisure Lessons for a Richer Life

7.1. Lesson – Prioritize Demanding Activity Over Passive Consumption

Key Insight:
Expending more energy in your leisure time can energize you—a notion reminiscent of the idea that effort invested in meaningful activities yields greater returns.

7.2. Lesson – Use Skills to Produce Valuable Physical Work

Craftsmanship:
Engage in activities where you apply skill to create something valuable.
Analogy: Like the craftsman we are meant to be (reminding us of our innate creative nature), analog forms of craft offer deep satisfaction.

Examples Include:
Board & card games.
Recreational sports leagues.
Volunteer activities.
Group projects or social workouts.
Observation:
Structured activities naturally foster more rewarding and genuine social interactions than fleeting digital connections.

8. Additional Practices for a Digital-Healthy Life

Fix or Build Something Every Week:
Learn a new skill each week for six weeks and apply it to repair, build, or create something. (For quick how-to videos, YouTube is a handy tool!)
Schedule Low-Quality Leisure in Advance:
Allocate specific times for web surfing, social media, or streaming entertainment so that these distractions don’t encroach on time meant for more substantial pursuits.
Join Something:
Become part of groups, associations, lodges, or volunteer organizations to connect with your community.
Delete Social Media From Your Phone:
You need not quit the services entirely—just remove them from your mobile device and access them only through a web browser.
Turn Your Devices Into Single-Purpose Computers:
Block distracting services and apps by default, only enabling them during scheduled, intentional sessions.
Embrace Slow Media:
Focus on high-quality sources.
Avoid breaking news and scrolling through social media feeds.
Rely on a small number of trusted sources that offer varied angles on topics you care about.
Dumb Down Your Smartphone:
As a serious step toward reclaiming your attention, consider buying a feature phone with oversize buttons.
Remember: “Your Time = Their Money.” Regain your autonomy!

9. Quick Reference Guidelines

Use a single messaging app.
Do not adopt a new technology solely because it offers a tiny benefit.
Happily miss out on everything else.
Avoid allowing clutter into your life—it can take away the very essence of your existence.
Thoreau’s Insight:

“The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.”

In other words, the cost is life itself.
Decide not only whether to use a technology but also how to use it.
Cultivate the habit of asking: “What purpose am I taking my phone for?”
“Humans. Deep Down. Are craftsmen.”
Do not install apps that can be used on a laptop.
Allocate periods of time with no screens.
Set aside a weekly period for digital declutter: delete unused apps, documents, and photos.
Remember: “Your time equals their money.”
The digital screen is a major factor shaping our lives.
Observation:
The digital screens given to children can be more addictive than drugs.
Stop using devices during downtime.
Recognize that concentration is a superpower.
Watch entertainment content with others.
Accept that convenience may lessen when you align your life with your values.
Do not adopt a new app or technology solely for a minor improvement; always consider the baggage it brings.
Understand that demanding activities are more restorative than passive consumption.
Real-world structured social interactions are far more enjoyable than digital ones.
Producing valuable work with your hands is more stimulating than passive digital consumption.

10. The 3-Week Detox Program

Week 1: Spend an Hour a Day Without Devices, ALONE

Purpose:
Experience solitude (even if it feels like a deprivation at first).
Decide in advance when and where you will practice this digital fast.

Week 2: Replace Downtime With More Engaging Activities

Options Include:
Real Conversations:
Engage in board games, join a sports league, or have coffee with friends—this is termed “supercharged socializing.”
Note: Social media connections are low bandwidth.
Try spending a weekend in a specific coffee shop and invite your friends to join (hint: maybe somewhere near AL BURHAN).
The structure provided by an activity (like a board game) takes the pressure off spontaneous socializing.
Exercise or Other Demanding Activity
A Creative Hobby:
Consider calligraphy, gardening, or any hands-on craft.

Week 3: Shift From Text to Voice and Face-to-Face Communication

Guidelines:
Don’t text or reply to texts—opt to call or meet instead.
Disable all text-based notifications.
Schedule a single daily time slot for checking texts.
Politely ask your contacts to call you instead.
For conversations that could easily turn into text chains, pick up the phone.
Use your commute as an opportunity to call someone.
Final Thought:
“You could be the one person in their life who actually talks to them on a regular basis, forming a deeper, more nuanced relationship than any number of exclamation points or bitmap emojis.”

11. Additional Tips

Laptop:
Keep it strictly in the office.
Portable Companions:
Always carry a journal and a book.
Communication Windows:
Allow only one designated time to check WhatsApp and email.

Final Reflections in Light of Islamic Values

In our deen, time is sacred, and every moment is an opportunity for dhikr (remembrance of Allah), learning, and nurturing our relationships with family and community. Digital minimalism isn’t just a trendy Western idea—it echoes the timeless wisdom found in Islam: use your resources wisely, avoid excess, and always focus on what will benefit you in this world and the next. By applying these principles, you can reclaim control over your time and attention, ensuring that your digital habits support your higher values rather than detract from them.

What Salary Amount is Adequate

2026-06-15T05:37:26.261Z

1000 USD for 4 hours work
Not accepting more than 4 hrs work

Watch List (Halalflix)

2026-06-15T05:37:09.572Z

This is for self and family

Dramas (one time):
- Rumi
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ufrJgsIS70&list=PLWStxMLF-CUQOjJMQ9Gvl251zWNRhTo8k Yunus Emre (Downloaded)
Documentaries (no additions by research only by news information)
Select comedy dramas
- Fat family (Downloaded)
Funny Shows
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scNmitvYj-w&list=PL8MO4IYyj7jzqvFxbR1snG9C-limcKtuz Khabardaar (Downloaded)
Lectures for Joy
- https://www.youtube.com/@MuftiAdnanKakakhail (Downloaded)
- https://www.youtube.com/@GhazzaliForum (Downloaded)
Blogs:
- https://muslimskeptic.com/
- AI Hero
- LLM Arena
- Future Tools
WhatsApp Channels
- Ustaad Ji
- Shabab
MMA and Boxing
- Islam Makchev, Khazmat
~~Debates and Entertainment (Temporary)~~
- ~~Hamza Tzortsis~~
- ~~Yasir Nadeem Wajidi~~
- ~~Muhammad Hijab~~
- ~~Imran Hussein~~
- ~~Fahad Hussain~~
- ~~Hamzah Tzortsis~~
- ~~Suboor Ahmad~~
- ~~Daniel Haqiqatjou~~
- ~~Blogging Theology~~
- ~~One Nation~~
- ~~Shaoor Media~~
Courses:
- Kalam 3.0
- Alasna
- Sapience
- Revivalists (temp)
- Danial Haqiqatjou Debates (temp)

Sleep Schedule Fix

2026-06-15T05:36:25.268Z

Part 1: How to Sleep Right Now

Brain Dump: Write out any racing thoughts or tomorrow's to-do list on physical paper to clear your mind.
20-Minute Reset: If awake after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Go to a dimly lit room and only return when your eyelids feel heavy after a low stimulus activity, engaging your mind without screens or excitement:
- Read a dull, dense, or dry physical book.
- Listen to a dedicated sleep podcast or a dry topic with zero personal stakes.
- Listen to a familiar podcast or story where you already know what happens next.

Then get back to bed:
- "SILENT" Trick (Cognitive Shuffling): Think of a word like "SILENT." For each letter, visualize objects starting with that letter (e.g., S = Sheep, Shadow, Soup) to scramble analytical thinking.
- Breathing Technique: Do the Physiological Sigh—take two sharp inhales through the nose, followed by one long, slow exhale through the mouth. Repeat 3 to 5 times.

Part 2: How to Fix the Routine

Anchor Wake Time: Set a strict morning wake-up alarm and stick to it, no matter how little sleep you got the night before.
Light as a Switch:
Morning: Get 10–15 minutes of bright sunlight in your eyes immediately upon waking to stop melatonin.
Evening: Dim all overhead lights and eliminate blue screen light after sunset to signal bedtime.
Food Anchor: Delay your first meal until your new, desired morning wake time to biologically signal that the day has started.
Delay, Don't Force (Optional): If your schedule is severely flipped, push your bedtime forward by 1 to 2 hours each day to circle back to normal, rather than forcing it backward.

Marriage Questions and To-Finds

2026-06-15T05:35:57.869Z

Basic Deen Question
Guage if they have an already set perception of deendaari
Guage Haya
Guage Gharelopan
Maslak
Ideal Age for Marriage
Interactions with Non-Mahrams
Extended Family Love
Joint Family Acceptability
Maulvi Hatered
Co-Education
Career Orientedness
Simple Life/Luxury
Music and K-Pop
Mobile Usage
Social Media
Interaction with Non-Mahrams
Cooking and Cleaning, with Husband Help
Obidience
Size of Family Members (How much unity)
Love for Rasool Allah SAWW
Village Living
Pardah
Diseases
Feminist Ideas

Food Gift Guide

2026-06-15T05:35:39.930Z

Stevia Lassi
Salted Lamb
Samosa Chaat
Fried Channay
Beef Pulao
Sajji
Rosh
Dam Pukht
Shinwari
Chicken Pulao
Nalli Biryani
Karahi
Paratha Roll
Kunafa
Cream Chaat

Sundae
Ice Cream
Pizza
Wings
Fries

Current Marriage Criteria

2026-06-15T05:35:10.049Z

In decreasing order of priority:

Age < 18
Beauty
Khandani
Gharailo
Max Education Fsc
Poverty
Not an Alima
Not a female dominant household
Prefers not to do a Full-time job after marriage
Obedience of Elders
Basic Islamic Household

No Devices of Western Propaganda at Home
No Feminist Ideas

No need to score these just use your instinct

Both the Family and the sister should agree to these:

Rule 1

Extremely Simple Life lived in the village with only bare necessities, and no items of convenience and comfort. Non-reliance on Big Corporations and Living a Simple Life of Self Reliance۔ Rules and Regulations and a Strict, Punctual, Disciplined Life, Mujahidda.

Rule 2

Agreement of Unconditional Obedience

Rule 3

Income will be restricted to below average even if and refraining from unnecessary luxuries to support Dawah Activities

Rule 4

Long Dawah Trips and periods of being away from family. Support for Spouse's Dawah Activities

Rule 5

Simple Nikah within 1 Month followed by moving in with Joint Family Within 2 Months.

Rule 6

Strictness in Shareeh rulings like full shareeh pardah, music avoidance, staying at home mostly, pardah with all extended family members etc.

Rule 7

Daily Continuous Islamic Learning
آپکی ایجوکیشن کا سلسلہ مسلسل چلتا رہے گا، اور یہ علم زیادہ تر دینی اور سائکولوجی اور دیگر ضروری subjects پر ہوگا۔ کیا آپکو روز اِسکو وقت دینے سے مسئلہ ہوگا؟

Rule 8

A life focussed on home making, abiding by Traditional Gender Roles

Rule 9

No further secular education in university/college/school. Refraining from the secular education system, both self and children

Final Note:

Essentially portray the hardest part of it and hide the relaxing and enjoyment part, and portray yourself as a physically non attractive person
Make Dua and Trust Allah SWT that he will give you the best without you needing to show off.

Conversation Tips & Systems

2026-06-15T05:34:55.577Z

Post-Interaction Ritual

Immediately after a call, spend 30 seconds updating their [[Person Note]].

Log: New job details, names of family members, specific struggles, upcoming dates (surgery, trips).
Next Time: Review this note before calling to ask specific follow-up questions.

The "Storyworthy" Bank

My life is the content. Stop saying "Not much" when asked what's new.

Capture Strategy:
When something funny, frustrating, or weird happens, log it in [[Daily Note]]

Structure of a Good Micro-Story:

The Hook: "I made a huge mistake..." (Not: "I went shopping.")
The Struggle: "I couldn't find the limes and argued with a machine."
The Resolution: "Turns out, I was scanning a lemon."

Conversation Starters (The Opener)

The "Update" Replacements

"What is the best thing that happened to you this week?"
"What is the most annoying thing you had to deal with today?" (Venting creates bonds).
"Working on any personal projects lately, or just trying to survive?"

For Family (Nostalgia)

"I was just thinking about [Relative/Pet]. Do you have a favorite memory of them?"
"What is one meal you wish you could eat right now?"
"Who do you think I take after more, Mom or Dad?"

For Friends (Fun/Hypothetical)

"If you could teleport anywhere for dinner right now, where would we go?"
"Watched anything lately that was actually good, or is it all trash?"
"Unpopular opinion time: I think [Popular Thing] is overrated. Do you agree?"

Deep / Connection

"What’s a habit you’re trying to break right now?"
"What is the biggest thing giving you stress this week?"
"Do you feel like you have more or less free time compared to last year?"

Keeping the Conversation Going (The Middle)

On Calls / In Person

The FORD Method (Topics that always work):

Family / Friends
Occupation / School
Recreation (Books, Movies, Hobbies)
Dreams / Plans (Travel, Holidays)

Conversation Threading:
Listen for "hooks" (nouns/verbs) to ask follow-up questions.

Statement: "I was tired so I just cooked dinner."
Thread 1 (Emotion): "Why so tired? Busy week?"
Thread 2 (Activity): "I love cooking. What did you make?"

General to Specific:

Instead of: "How is work?"
Ask: "Is your boss still driving you crazy with [Specific Issue]?"

On WhatsApp

Show, Don't Tell:
Send a photo of your environment/food instead of asking "What's up?"

The Double-Text Opener:
Never send just "Hi".

"Hey! 👋 I was just listening to that song you recommended. It's stuck in my head."

Voice Notes:
Use for stories that are too long to type. Bridge the gap between text and call.

Best Gift Ideas

2026-06-15T05:34:41.718Z

Money
Posters Stickers with Dawah Messages
Dry Fruit Mix Packs
Clothes
Attar
- Men: Erba Pura
- Women: Yara

Types of Promises and Intentions

2026-06-15T05:20:50.884Z

Intention made in the mind — INT
1. Can be broken and fulfilled based on preference
Firm Intention made in the mind and said out loud or written down— FRM
1. Can be broken if conditions are not viable but to preserve the value of words it should not be broken. If it is a sin to break, then it is even more important to keep it.
Words said from the mouth or written down with relation to another person — PRM
1. Can not be broken
An Oath — OTH
1. Can not possibly ever be broken
A Vow — VOW
1. Whatever was said in the vow must be done if the conditions of the vow occur

Rules

2026-10-30T13:14:52Z

Status

I make Irada to follow these obligations for this month and the next at last resort pay charity defined below
Running for June-July

How Rules Work

Charity Fund = Al Burhan (PK97MEZN0003040103483355)
Accountability Mentor (AM) = Mustafa Bilal Bhai
Day starts at 0000
Sudden Vacation can be taken in the event of an unforeseen circumstance, and all vacations to be taken with AM Approval
1 P = 40s proper plank without cheating or 500 Rs Charity
The Only Vacation Rules:
- Salah Rules
- Modesty Rules
- Day Streaks
- Mamoolaat Rules

Day Streaks

15 P for breaking, for each 15 mins
First look can't extend 2 seconds

Salah

5 P for missing Jammah, or making Qadha or not following the Alarm protocol or missing Masjid Jamah or missing Witr

Health

5 P for breaking per day
Consume only healthy foods, mentioned in Final Diet Plan
Eating out solo for no valid reason is not allowed
There are 3 1-hour eating/drinking windows in 24 hours, Outside these only things allowed are mentioned in the plan. No eating 2200 to 0300.
Other UCs:
- Someone asking to consume twice without you asking, only if situation is problematic
- Eating out with someone (when excuse is valid), but in Isb shared eat-outs, only 2 meals per week on Sat-Sun can be Level 2 and bellow from Cheat Meals Tier List
- Self eat-out allowed on Friday for 2 consecutive hours
- Non-Isb shared eatouts are also allowed

Prohibitions

5 P a day of being immodest during opposite gender interaction or Mamulat Prohibitions.
Dont count if Day Streaks was broken

Pomos (Paused)

No Pomos on Sat Sun
3 P for Mandatory Pomos
Deep Pomo Checklist is optional.
Mandatory Pomos
- 1st before 1000
- 2nd before 1100
- 3rd before 1500
- 4th before 1600

Mamolaat

3 P per missing a protocol set
To be complete 1.5 hours of alarm.
Mamolaat Set List:
%% - Tahajjud Protocol: Tahajjud
- Fajr Protocol: Fajr + Yaseen
- Mandatory Pomos (Only check if done within time, no set penalty)
- Chasht Protocol: Morning Azkaar + Ishraaq + Chasht + Optional Planning
- Optional Pomos (Only check if done within time, no set penalty)
- Zhuhr Protocol: Zuhr + 1m Dua
- Asr Protocol: Asr + Evening Azkaar (300 of Each)
- Maghrib Protocol: Maghrib + Surah Waqiah + Awabayn
- Isha Protocol: Isha + Mulk + Witr %%

Digital Entertainment

3 P per 15 minutes of Ent or extra phone usage (dont count if Day Streaks was broken)
15 Minutes Phone Limit
- Asr to Maghrib Phone allowed.
- Digital Dumbing Guide (Allowed apps, Batch chats, syncs, online tasks post-Asr, call, outsource internet searches/rides/maps, internet off, BnW, phone in bag, cash)
These don't count as Digital Entertainment: Nasheeds.
Entertainment is only shared, and is allowed.
Temp allowed: Sniper Elite Resistance, songs

Sleep (Paused)

5 P
2200-0300 Apr-Sep
2000-0400 Oct-Mar
Not Sleeping between alarm time and 9 AM

Classes: (Paused)

Attending Majlis Zikr and MMA, while reaching before the predefined time, is necessary
3 P

Unforeseen Circumstances

Unforeseen circumstances (UCs) can forgive penalties

Unpenalized Rules

No lalach
No susti
No greed
No ghussa
Fulfil Mamulat even if penalized
Fullfil additional Mamulat in the app
Fulfill Calendar obligations
Tasks today should be completed

Rules Accountability Prompt

2026-01-15T08:08:23.692Z

You are my Accountability Mentor. Your role is to strictly evaluate any situation I present—especially claims of Unforeseen Circumstances (UCs)—against the specific rules I provide as context in each message.

🔹 Your Core Principles:

You are firm, impartial, and fatherly—never lenient.
- Do not excuse, justify, or soften consequences.
- If a rule was active and broken, a penalty applies—unless a valid UC is proven.
Unforeseen Circumstances (UCs) are exceptional and narrowly defined.
- A UC is only valid if:
  - It was truly unforeseeable, unavoidable, and beyond reasonable control,
  - It is not a result of negligence, poor planning, or self-deception,
  - And—critically—it aligns with the spirit of the rule’s intent
  - Forgetfulness is valid
- When in doubt, reject the UC.
- Ask yourself: “Would a strict, loving father accept this as genuine and non-cheating?” If not, it fails.
- In some situations UC is valid.

🔹 How to Respond:

When I describe a situation, follow this structure:

Ask any clarifying questions until you feel context is enough. If you feel context is enough go ahead.
State clearly whether a violation occurred.
Evaluate the claimed UC (if any):
- Is it genuine, unavoidable, and non-cheating?
- Does it match any explicitly permitted exceptions that you think should be permitted?
Declare the outcome unambiguously:
- ✅ “Valid UC. No penalty.”
- ❌ **“Invalid UC.

Now, I will provide the specific rule(s) and my situation.
Evaluate strictly.

Kaffaras

2026-10-30T13:14:52Z

25 Kaffara Yameens
120K General Sadaqah Charity from three Nazrs
175K Al Burhan Sadaqah from Penalties
Make Up Fasts 9
Zakaat about 2,500,000
Bynolt
Toptal

Paid

Final Diet Plan

2026-10-30T13:14:52Z

May 2026 Onwards Plan

Breakfast: 1 glass of milk with almonds + 2 boiled eggs.
Lunch: 2 fruits
Dinner: Salan/rice, Raita Salaad
Snack: Lemon Water, Green Tea
Stevia only 3 tbspn a day

Old

Post Ramadan 2026 Plan

Low fat low carb
Paratha, Rice once a week
Breakfast: 2 Kababs/2 Eggs, Milk, Badam, Supps
Snack: Lemon Water, Green Tea
Dinner: Salan, 1 measuring cup of fruit (Optional), yogurt (Optional), salad, yakhni (Optional)
Stevia once a week

Ramadan OMAD

Suhoor: Green Tea + Lemon Water (No Stevia)
Evening: Water, Unsweetened Cream Cardamom Coffee, Turkish Raita, Makhni Chapli Kabab, 5 Badam, 2 Boiled Eggs, Lettuce 🥬

Ramadan Plan

Low fat low carb
Paratha, Rice and Chaye once a week
Breakfast: 2 Kababs, 2 Eggs, Chicken, Dalia, Coffee, Lassi
Iftar: Chicken, 1 measuring cup of fruit, yogurt, green tea

Dry Fasting Meal

Meal: 250g Beef + 3 Eggs + 10 Almonds + Yakhni
Supps: 1L Salt Water + Urocit-K/Mag/VitD (Electrolytes/Kidney Support).
Optional: 1 bowl Greek Yogurt nosweet, Non sweet Cream Coffee, 2 cups Cabbage (Probiotics/Fiber).
Rule: 1 stevia per day

Current Keto OMAD

Beef Bone Broth 500ml with 2 eggs, green onions, adrak, lehsun, dhania, pink salt, kali mirch, daar cheeni, elaichi, sirka
Badam
Raita with mooli, piaz, salad patta, kheera, shimla mirch
Lemo pink salt pani (temp; green tea/coffee)
Urocit K, Magnesium Glycanate, SunnyD

Current OMAD Plan (Changed )

The OMAD Meal: 250g meat in 1 tbsp. mustard oil, 2 boiled eggs, 250g salad, 10 almonds, 1 yogurt bowl, within a strict 1-hour window. (If carbs then add 1 roti/rice and 1 fruit)
The 23-Hour Fast: Drink only water, plain green tea, Ispaghol water or Chia seeds water, outside your meal window to keep insulin low and activate fat-burning.
The Exercise: Play badminton (ideally before your meal) to burn maximum fat and preserve muscle, replacing the 30-minute walk on game days.

Post OMAD Plan

Goal: Weight loss, energy boost, and general health.
Exercise: Minimum 30 minutes of walking daily.
Hydration: Drink 8–10 glasses of water daily.
Allowed Drinks in fast: Water, black coffee, green

Eating Window (6 Hours)

Meal 1: Breakfast (Start of Eating Window)

Choose one of the following options:

Bran Bread & Eggs: 2 slices of bran bread + 2 eggs (cooked in 1-2 tsp olive oil) + plenty of vegetables.
Shami Kababs: 2 air-fried chicken shami kababs (preferably homemade).
Keema & Roti: ½ cup chicken keema + ½ regular roti (mixed wheat/jowar flour preferred).
Besan Chilla: Pancake made with 4 tbsp gram flour (besan), 1 egg, vegetables (no potatoes) + ½ cup low-fat yogurt.
Porridge: 4 tbsp oats/barley cooked in water + 1 cup milk + 1 tsp jaggery + nuts/lotus seeds OR 1 apple/peach.
Paratha Option: Small paratha (60g dough) with 1-2 tsp desi ghee/olive oil + 1 egg + vegetables OR 4-5 tbsp curry (avoid potato/lentil curry).
Tea Note: Drink tea 15–20 mins after breakfast. Limit milk quantity; use sweetener if needed.

Snack (Mid-Window)

Timing: Around 3:00 PM (or halfway through your window).
Portion: 1 measuring cup of fruit.
Avoid: Bananas, mangoes, and grapes.

Meal 2: Dinner (End of Eating Window)

Choose one of the following options:

Curry & Roti/Rice: 1 measuring cup curry (meat/chicken/veg, no lentils/potatoes) + Small roti (7-inch/CD size) OR 10 tbsp rice + Salad.
Dal (Lentils) Option: 1 cup cooked dal (light tempering/tarka) + Unlimited raw vegetable salad (No roti or rice allowed with this option).
BBQ/Tikka: 200g BBQ or Tikka pieces + ½ roti + Unlimited salad.
Pasta: A specific weight-loss pasta recipe (as per her guide).
Dessert: You may have 2–3 tbsp of dessert immediately after dinner.

Night Routine (Before Bed)

Timing: Around 8:00 PM (during fasting state).
Supplement: 1 tbsp Psyllium Husk (Ispaghol) mixed in a glass of water.
Follow up: Green tea or black coffee is allowed until sleep.

General Plan for Health

Keep above plan and:

Increase Portion Sizes: Stop eating "diet" portions (like CD-sized roti); switch to standard homemade sizes (e.g., 80g roti) to prevent metabolism slowdown.
Add Healthy Fats: Reintroduce moderate amounts of olive oil, desi ghee, and nuts to support your hormones, skin, and brain health.
Relax Food Restrictions: Occasionally enjoy previously limited foods like bananas, mangoes, or Dal-Chawal to ensure nutrient variety and satisfaction.
Prioritize Protein: Include a solid protein source (meat, eggs, yogurt) in every meal to prevent muscle loss, which can happen with long-term fasting.

Digital Dumbing Guide

2026-10-30T13:14:52Z

Allowed Apps and Use Cases

WA: Personal Chat
WA Calls Screen, Chats Screen, WhatsApp Calls
Dialers
Clock Apps
VLC
Gallery Apps
Voice Recorders
Settings
Calculator Apps
File Managers
PDF Viewers
Keyboards
Note Takers
Authenticators
File Sharing Apps
Dictionaries and Thesaurus
SMS Apps
Translation Tools
Calendars (For notifications)
Tasbih Apps (Only if Tasbeeh not available)
Prayer Apps
Password Managers (Only when strictly required)
Backup and Sync Apps (Set up to sync automatically)
VPNs (Only when required)
Banking Apps (Only when cash option is not available)
Ride Hailing Apps (Only if someone else is not available and only if non-ride option is mandatory)
Camera (Only for select captures)
Obsidian (Viewing mostly)
Maps (if laptop not in easy access)
Meeting Tools (if laptop not in easy access)
Remote Access Apps (if laptop not in easy access)
Brave (if laptop not in easy access)

Digital Dumbing SOPs

Phone stays in a bag, not a pocket.
No Opening of Entertainment feeds.
Keep the screen in Black & White (BnW)
Prefer audio/text over images/videos.
Internet is off by default. Treat the phone like an "Eritrean Internet Cafe" with strictly scheduled online windows.
Use physical cash; use paper notepads for notes; take directions from people, not GPS. Ask people for internet searches or have someone else order your Uber to avoid opening the app yourself.
Treat non-urgent texts like physical mail, to be answered in batches, not immediately. Answer them once a week.
Define "Office Timings" and "Social Timings." Only access the browser during these specific windows.
- Planning time is offline, right before office time. Transfer Calendar and Task items to paper for the day's use.
- Sync apps only once a day during Social time; list and batch personal online tasks to avoid "quick checks" turning into rabbit holes. Check messages only during this time.
- Call instead of texting; tell people you will call them back rather than chatting all day. Call them during that social time.
Stay in the moment; remember that device-free entertainment is always superior.
Don't use the 15 minute detox timer when you don't have to.
Don't use western LLMs for personal chats
Laptop does not leave its dedicated place; keep it at the office or a specific home desk. (paused)
Use Phone Call Feature as a Wired Phone that is placed in a room. (For future)
Have someone call someone for you, save a list of important contacts or memorize them. (For future)
Ask someone to capture videos/pics and WhatsApp or email you. (For future)
Listen to live lectures and live nasheeds and videos on laptop. (For future)
Ride priority: bicycle > walk + bus > walk + hitchhike > motorcycle > ride hailing service. (For future)
Refrain from electricity. (For future)
No VLC in for video (For future)

Cheat Meals Tier List

2026-10-30T13:14:52Z

Level 1: The "Safe Zone" (High Protein / Good Carbs)
Eat these if you must eat out. They won't ruin your diet.

Homemade Salan (Thin/Shorba) – The Gold Standard.
BBQ Meats (Tikka/Seekh) – Eat without Naan.
Grilled Fish / Sajji – Clean protein.
Whole Wheat Roti (Chakki) – Has fiber.
Homemade Salan (Thick/Bhuna) – More oil used.
Homemade Rice (Pulao/Biryani) – Easy to overeat.
Pasta (Red Sauce / Keema) – Avoid if white flour.
Corn on the Cob (Bhutta) – Starchy carb.
Homemade Burger, Shwarma – Shami kebab + standard bun.
Home Fried Fish
Samosa Homemade Qeema Wala
Pokoras Homemade
Level 2: The "Trap Zone" (Empty Carbs & Hidden Fats)
These spike insulin and stall weight loss.
Restaurant Salan (Handi/Creamy) – Loaded with cream/butter.
White Atta Roti / Naan – Sugar spike.
White Rice – Zero fiber.
Pasta (White Sauce/Alfredo) – Pure fat and refined flour.
Nihari / Paya – Thickened with flour + oil.
Pizza (Thin Crust) – Bread and cheese.
Restaurant Fried Fish
Samosa Homemade Aloo Wala
Level 3: The "Damage Zone" (Deep Fried / Trans Fats)
Inflammatory. Will make you feel sluggish.
Restaurant Karahi (Oily) – Swimming in bad oil.
Zinger Burger / Fried Chicken – Breading acts as an oil sponge.
Samosas / Pakoras / Fries – Re-heated carcinogenic oil.
Fried Paratha – Artery clogger.
Biscuits / Rusks / Bakery Items – Sugar + Chemical fats.
Mithai (Gulab Jamun/Jalebi) – Sugar bomb.
Cold Drinks / Sodas – Liquid sugar. The absolute worst.

Water Procurement

2026-06-06T10:25:34.684Z

Water Procurement

Learning Objectives

Resource judgment, observation, problem-solving, teamwork, practical planning, hygiene awareness, prioritization, patience, and understanding how to identify safer water sources.

Activity 1 (Water Source Ranking)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor or Outdoor, Decision-making, Safety awareness, Team strategy
Items Needed	Picture cards or written source cards, paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare 6 to 8 water source cards and place them in mixed order.

Use these source examples:

Clean bottled water
Covered water container
Rainwater caught in a clean bowl
Stream water near animals
Dirty puddle water
Water from a tap with no known issue
Water collected in an open dirty bucket
Water kept in a sealed container

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Teams rank the sources from safest to least safe.
Each team explains its top 3 choices.
Murabbi gives points for correct reasoning.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Best choices are usually sealed, covered, or known clean sources.
Open, dirty, or animal-access water sources are less safe.
Clean appearance does not always mean safe water.
Storage matters as much as the source.

Murabbi Notes

Do not present this as drinking advice for unsafe water in the field. The goal is judgment and recognition, not real purification training.

Activity 2 (Filter Build Demo)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-30 minutes
Prep Time	10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor or Outdoor, Build challenge, Science, Teamwork
Items Needed	Plastic bottle, sand, gravel, cloth, cup, muddy water sample
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Set out the filter materials in advance and prepare a muddy water sample for demonstration only.

Use these build steps:

Cut or open the bottle
Add cloth at the bottom opening
Add sand layer
Add gravel layer
Place bottle over a cup

How to Play

Teams build a simple filter model.
The murabbi pours the muddy water through it.
Teams observe what changes and what does not change.
Teams explain why the filter improved the water appearance.
Murabbi reminds them that filtered water still needs proper safety handling in real life.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to improve their filter by changing the order of layers and explaining why the order matters.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Bigger particles are usually caught first.
Cloth helps slow the flow and catch larger debris.
Sand helps trap smaller particles.
Gravel helps support the layers above it.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the lesson visual and careful. This is a demonstration of filtration ideas, not a promise that the water is safe to drink.

Fire & Shelter

2026-06-06T10:25:23.813Z

Fire & Shelter

Learning Objectives

Shelter building, heat retention, teamwork, resourcefulness, planning, problem-solving, leadership, practical preparation, and staying calm in harsh conditions.

Activity 1 (Shelter Build Challenge)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Outdoor or Indoor, Building, Team strategy, Survival skills
Items Needed	Chairs, sheets, ropes, cloth, tape, cardboard, clips
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Give each team a small set of common materials and a clear building space.

Use these shelter goals:

Make a shelter that blocks wind
Make a shelter that covers the head and shoulders
Make a shelter that keeps one person dry

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Give each team the same materials.
Teams have 10 minutes to build a small shelter.
The shelter must have a front, back, and roof cover.
After building, one teammate explains why the design works.
Murabbi scores stability, use of materials, and teamwork.

Sample Shelter Ideas

Chair frame with a sheet over the top
Two rope lines with cloth draped between them
Cardboard wall and cloth roof for wind cover
Corner shelter using wall support and taped fabric

Murabbi Notes

No sharp tools or real fire. The point is to think like builders: protect from wind, rain, and exposure using simple materials.

Activity 2 (Warmth Test)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor or Outdoor, Problem-solving, Science, Teamwork
Items Needed	Paper, pen, cloth, cardboard, towel, fan or open air
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Create 3 mini models or design sketches of shelter ideas.

Use these design examples:

Low shelter that hugs the ground
Thick wall shelter with layered cloth
Open shelter with lots of gaps

How to Play

Show the teams the shelter designs.
Ask which one would keep heat best and why.
Teams must justify their choice in simple words.
Then test the idea by placing a cloth or paper under a fan or breeze.
Teams compare which design protected the inside area best.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to improve their shelter by adding one heat-saving feature such as a low roof, a tighter wall, or a wind block.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

A low shelter usually holds warmth better than a tall open one.
A shelter with fewer gaps protects better from wind.
Layering materials helps block air.
A strong shelter should be simple, stable, and quick to repair.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the lesson practical and visual. This is about understanding protection and heat retention, not about making a real fire.

Navigators

2026-06-06T10:25:12.355Z

Navigators

Learning Objectives

Leadership, spatial awareness, clear instruction, active listening, trust, teamwork, route memory, calm correction, responsibility, and guiding others with confidence.

Activity 1 (Guide the Team)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Outdoor, Leadership, Navigation, Team strategy
Items Needed	Cones, chairs, tape, blindfolds or eye covers
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Create a short safe path with 4 to 5 turning points. One person is the navigator and the rest are the team.

Use these route examples:

Start, turn left, pass the chair, stop at the cone, return
Start, move straight, step around the marker, turn right, finish
Start, walk to the wall, turn back, stop at the bench, end

How to Play

Pick one navigator for each round.
The rest of the team stands behind the start line.
The navigator gives short directions only: left, right, stop, go, turn back.
The team follows the path together.
If the team gets lost, the navigator must correct them calmly.
Switch the navigator after each round.

Creative Twist

Before the round starts, the navigator must name each landmark with a code name such as base, bridge, shade, or finish.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

A good navigator speaks clearly and uses short commands.
A good team listens first and moves second.
If the path is unclear, the navigator should pause and re-explain rather than shout.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the path simple and safe. This lesson is about guiding others well, not speed alone.

Activity 2 (Landmark Captain)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor or Outdoor, Memory game, Leadership, Communication
Items Needed	3-5 objects or markers, paper, pen
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Place 3 to 5 simple landmarks in a small area.

Use these landmarks:

Tree
Chair
Cone
Wall
Water bottle

How to Play

One player becomes the captain.
The murabbi gives the captain a route using the landmarks.
The captain must repeat the route to the team in the correct order.
The team then walks the route.
The captain earns points if the team arrives correctly.

Sample Route Prompts

Go to the tree, then the cone, then the wall, then return
Start at the chair, move to the water bottle, then the tree, then stop
Go from the wall to the cone, then back to the chair

Murabbi Notes

Rotate captains quickly so everyone gets a turn. This builds leadership and trust without making the game complicated.

Urban Survival

2026-10-30T13:14:52Z

Urban Survival

Learning Objectives

Threat recognition, situational awareness, route choice, calm movement, teamwork, leadership, observation, quick judgment, communication, and staying safe in busy man-made environments.

Activity 1 (Hazard Hunt Walkthrough)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Outdoor, Observation, Movement, Safety awareness
Items Needed	Open area, paper hazard cards, pen, cone or marker
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Place 6 to 8 hazard cards around the space or hold them in the murabbi’s hand.

Use these urban hazard examples:

Broken glass on the ground
Crowded exit with pushing
Wet floor near a doorway
A blocked passage
A loud argument nearby
An unknown person asking to split the group
A parked vehicle blocking visibility
A dark corner with low visibility

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Walk the group through the space slowly.
At each stop, the murabbi shows one hazard.
Teams must say what the threat is and what safe action to take.
Teams earn points for noticing details quickly and answering calmly.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Broken glass on the ground: stop, warn others, avoid stepping there, use another route.
Crowded exit with pushing: slow down, stay together, do not push, wait for space.
Wet floor near a doorway: walk around it, warn others, do not run.
A blocked passage: find another exit, inform the murabbi, do not force the way through.
A loud argument nearby: move away calmly, stay with the group, avoid joining the conflict.
An unknown person asking to split the group: stay together, inform the murabbi, do not separate.
A parked vehicle blocking visibility: stop before the blind spot, look carefully, move with caution.
A dark corner with low visibility: avoid rushing in, stay with the group, use a safer route.

Murabbi Notes

Keep this focused on safety, not fear. The lesson should train shabab to notice danger early and choose the safest route.

Activity 2 (Safe Path Challenge)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor or Outdoor, Route planning, Team strategy, Problem-solving
Items Needed	Cones, chairs, tape, small paper signs
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Create a short path with one safe route and one unsafe route. Mark the unsafe route with signs like wet, blocked, crowded, or dark.

Use these route examples:

Safe route: start, turn left, pass the chair, stop at the cone, finish
Unsafe route: start, go straight into the blocked area, then stop
Safe route: start, move around the wet spot, then go to the exit

How to Play

Teams study the setup for 10 seconds.
One runner chooses the safest path.
The runner returns and explains why the route was safe.
Next teammate repeats the challenge.
Points go to the team with the best decisions and explanations.

Creative Twist

Ask teams to give the safe route a code name such as clean path, quiet lane, or safe line, then announce it before moving.

Murabbi Notes

Use this to teach calm choice-making in crowded streets, schools, markets, and public spaces. Keep it practical and simple.

Emergency Signaling

2026-06-06T10:24:37.140Z

Emergency Signaling

Learning Objectives

Clear communication, signal recognition, teamwork, quick thinking, calm under pressure, pattern memory, problem-solving, leadership, and practical rescue awareness.

Activity 1 (Signal Towers)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Outdoor, Communication, Team strategy, Movement
Items Needed	Cones, sticks, cloth, whistle, stopwatch
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Mark 3 signal stations in an open space. At each station, place a simple object such as a cone, cloth, stick, or chair.

Use these signal rules:

One whistle = stop and listen
Two whistles = move to the next station
Cloth raised high = team is ready
Arm waving = urgent help needed

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
The murabbi gives a signal pattern.
Teams must move to the correct station and perform the right signal.
Example pattern: whistle, whistle, cloth up, move to station 2, wave arm.
Teams score for correct order and calm response.

Sample Signal Patterns

whistle, stop, cloth up, move right
whistle, whistle, crouch, move to station 3
wave arm, hold position, whistle, return to start
cloth up, circle once, stop, call for help

Murabbi Notes

Keep the signals simple and repeat them once before the round starts. The goal is fast recognition, not confusion.

Activity 2 (Rescue Code Relay)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor or Outdoor, Memory game, Communication, Teamwork
Items Needed	Paper, pens, optional whistle or flashlight
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Write 3 short rescue messages on paper or say them aloud.

Use these examples:

We are here, please help
Group is safe, adult needed
One person needs assistance
Stay together at the safe point

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams in a line.
Show the first player a message for 5 seconds.
The player passes the message to the next person by whispering or acting it out.
The final player says the message aloud or writes it down.
Compare the original message with the final message.

Creative Challenge

Make the message into a signal form instead of normal speech:

1 whistle = help
2 whistles = stop
raised hand = stay there
flashing torch = attention

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Good signals are short, repeatable, and easy to see or hear.
Good rescue communication tells others where you are, whether you are safe, and whether help is needed.
A weak signal is unclear, too long, or easy to confuse.

Murabbi Notes

This lesson should feel active and fun. Focus on training shabab to send a clear message quickly, not on making complicated code.

Navigation

2026-06-06T10:23:51.580Z

Learning Objectives

Spatial awareness, route planning, observation, direction reading, teamwork, memory, communication, quick decision-making, leadership, patience, and practical confidence in unfamiliar spaces.

Activity 1 (Landmark Relay)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5-10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Outdoor, Navigation, Team strategy, Movement
Items Needed	4-6 simple landmarks, paper slips, markers or cones
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Choose a simple open area and place 4 to 6 landmarks. Use natural or easy objects such as a tree, bench, cone, wall, door, or water bottle station.

Use these route examples:

Start at the gate, walk to the tree, then to the bench, then back to the gate
Start at the cone, move to the wall, then to the bottle station, then finish at the start point
Start at the door, pass the chair, then stop at the shadow spot, then return

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Show one route to the first runner for 10 seconds.
Hide the route and let the runner repeat it from memory.
The runner returns to the team and tags the next person.
The next person repeats the same route.
Teams get points for accuracy, speed, and teamwork.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the route short and visible. If the group is younger, reduce the route to 3 steps. The goal is direction memory and calm movement, not athletic pressure.

Activity 2 (Build the Map)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-30 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor or Outdoor, Map reading, Creativity, Teamwork
Items Needed	Chalk or tape, paper, pen, optional sticky notes
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Draw a simple map of the space on the floor, board, or paper. Mark a start point, 3 landmarks, and a finish point.

Use these map examples:

Masjid entrance to wudu area to prayer line to exit
Home gate to water point to tree to shelter
School door to class area to bench to assembly point

How to Play

Give each team the same rough layout.
Teams must draw a route using arrows or numbered steps.
One teammate explains the route to the murabbi.
Another teammate walks the route on the floor.
Points are awarded for clear direction and correct order.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to rename the landmarks using simple code words, such as base, bridge, shade, or safe point, then explain the route again.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

A good route should have a clear start, clear turns, and a clear finish.
A strong team uses names, numbers, and short instructions.
If someone gets confused, the team should pause and re-explain instead of rushing.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the energy playful but disciplined. This lesson should train shabab to notice where they are, describe where they are going, and guide others with confidence.

Survival Set 2

2026-06-06T10:23:29.713Z

Survival Set 2

Learning Objectives

Emergency response, basic first aid awareness, calm communication, quick assessment, teamwork, resourcefulness, prioritization, safety discipline, helping others, trust in Allah, and practical readiness.

Activity 1 (First Response Sort)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	5-10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Team strategy, First aid awareness, Problem-solving
Items Needed	Scenario cards, paper, pens, stopwatch
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare 8 to 10 scenario cards, or read the situations aloud.

Use these plug-and-play examples:

Nosebleed during class
Minor cut from paper or a small object
Someone twists an ankle while walking
A teammate feels dizzy after running
Someone looks pale and weak
A bottle of water has spilled and the floor is slippery
A person complains of stomach pain
A teammate is upset, panicking, or crying
Someone feels too hot after outdoor activity
A person drops to the ground and needs immediate adult help

How to Play

Split shabab into teams.
Read one scenario card at a time.
Teams have 45-60 seconds to say the first safe response.
Teams must answer in order: what to do first, who to inform, and what not to do.
Murabbi awards points for calmness, correct prioritization, and teamwork.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Nosebleed during class: sit down, lean slightly forward, inform the murabbi, use tissue or cloth, do not tilt the head back.
Minor cut from paper or a small object: wash hands if possible, inform the murabbi, clean the area, apply a bandage if available.
Someone twists an ankle while walking: stop activity, help the person sit, inform the murabbi, avoid forcing them to walk.
A teammate feels dizzy after running: stop immediately, move to shade or a cool area, give water if allowed, call the murabbi.
Someone looks pale and weak: keep them seated, inform the murabbi at once, do not crowd them, wait for adult guidance.
A bottle of water has spilled and the floor is slippery: warn others, stop movement in that area, clean it quickly, prevent falls.
A person complains of stomach pain: inform the murabbi, keep them calm, avoid giving random advice, wait for adult decision.
A teammate is upset, panicking, or crying: speak calmly, keep the group quiet, bring the murabbi, do not tease or overwhelm them.
Someone feels too hot after outdoor activity: move to shade, loosen heavy clothing if needed, rest, give water, inform the murabbi.
A person drops to the ground and needs immediate adult help: call the murabbi immediately, clear space, do not crowd, follow adult instructions.

Murabbi Notes

Keep this lesson simple and calm. The goal is not advanced medical training; it is recognizing danger early, calling for help quickly, and staying organized.

Activity 2 (Emergency Supply Pack)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Sorting game, Resource acquisition, Teamwork
Items Needed	Mixed items, table or floor space, paper labels
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Place mixed items in the middle. Include useful items, unnecessary items, and a few distractors.

Use these examples:

Water bottle
Dates or snack bar
Small torch
Whistle
Bandage
Tissue pack
Notebook and pen
Scarf or cloth
Toy car
Extra shoe
Empty wrapper
Plastic spoon

How to Play

Announce a scenario such as injury, heat, rain, or getting separated.
Teams choose the 5 most useful items for that scenario.
Each team explains why they chose them.
Murabbi compares answers and gives points for practicality.

Scenario Prompts

A short outdoor trip in hot weather
A small injury during group movement
A rainy walk back to the bus
Waiting in a place with no electricity

Sample Sorting Guide

Hot weather: water bottle, snack bar, cloth, torch, whistle
Small injury: bandage, tissue pack, water bottle, notebook and pen
Rainy walk: cloth, torch, whistle, water bottle, extra covering if available
No electricity: torch, whistle, water bottle, snack bar, notebook and pen

Murabbi Notes

This activity should feel practical, not theoretical. Ask shabab to justify choices in simple words: useful now, useful later, or not needed.

Survival Set 1

2026-06-06T10:23:09.000Z

Survival Set 1

Learning Objectives

Emergency awareness, hazard recognition, calm decision-making, teamwork, resourcefulness, communication, quick role assignment, first-response discipline, safety-first habits, patience, trust in Allah, and protecting self and others.

Activity 1 (Immediate Safety Drill)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Team strategy, Safety awareness, Problem-solving
Items Needed	Scenario cards, pens, paper, stopwatch
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare 8 to 12 scenario cards in advance, or read them aloud directly if needed.

Use these plug-and-play examples:

Fire alarm in the building
A teammate is missing after group movement
Heavy rain starts during outdoor activity
Someone gets a minor cut or scrape
The lights go out during an activity
The group is separated from the leader
A bag or personal item is left behind
Someone feels dizzy or tired
The route becomes unfamiliar
A loud sound causes confusion and panic

How to Play

Split shabab into teams.
Read one scenario card at a time.
Teams must decide the first 3 safe actions within 60 seconds.
Each team shares its plan.
Murabbi scores clarity, calmness, and teamwork.
If time allows, ask one team to explain what not to do in that situation.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the discussion practical and age-appropriate. Emphasize calling for adult help, staying calm, moving to a safe place, and checking on others without panic.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Fire alarm in the building: stop activity, line up, move to exit calmly, follow the adult leader, do not grab belongings unless told.
A teammate is missing after group movement: stop the group, inform the murabbi, count the shabab, stay together, do not split up.
Heavy rain starts during outdoor activity: move to shelter, protect equipment, keep the group together, wait for instructions.
Someone gets a minor cut or scrape: inform the murabbi, wash if possible, use first aid, avoid crowding the injured person.
The lights go out during an activity: stay still for a moment, call the murabbi, avoid running, gather the group safely.
The group is separated from the leader: stop moving, stay in a visible place, call the leader, wait with the group.

Activity 2 (Emergency Kit Sort)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	15-20 minutes
Prep Time	10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Sorting game, Safety awareness, Teamwork
Items Needed	Mixed everyday items, paper labels, table space
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Place mixed items on a table. Include a few obvious emergency items and a few distractors so the sorting is meaningful.

Use these examples:

Water bottle
Small torch
Bandage
Whistle
Snack bar or dates
Notebook and pen
Scarf or cloth
Phone charger cable
Toy item
Empty plastic bottle

How to Play

Teams sort items into essential, helpful, and not needed.
Each team explains why.
Award points for correct choices and reasoning.

Sample Sorting Guide

Essential: water bottle, torch, bandage, whistle
Helpful: snack bar, notebook and pen, scarf or cloth
Not needed: toy item, charger cable, empty plastic bottle

Discussion and Reflection

Ask: What matters most in the first minute of an emergency? How does planning reduce fear?

Murabbi Notes

Focus on wise preparation, not panic. Keep the examples simple and realistic.

Second-Order Thinking

2026-06-06T10:38:10.698Z

Second-Order Thinking

Learning Objectives

Thinking beyond the first result, comparing short-term and long-term outcomes, making wiser choices, and understanding tradeoffs and consequences.

Activity 1 (First Effect, Second Effect)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Critical thinking, Discussion, Strategy
Items Needed	Whiteboard or paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Write a decision on the board and ask the team to trace the first effect and the second effect.

Use these decision examples:

Skip planning and start immediately
Spend all the budget on one item
Choose the easiest task first every time
Share information without checking it
Ignore a small problem because it seems harmless

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Give one decision example to each team.
Teams write the first effect and the second effect.
They explain whether the decision is wise or risky.
Murabbi awards points for clear consequence chains.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Skip planning and start immediately: first effect = start faster; second effect = confusion, mistakes, and wasted time.
Spend all the budget on one item: first effect = one strong purchase; second effect = no resources left for other needs.
Choose the easiest task first every time: first effect = quick progress; second effect = hard tasks pile up.
Share information without checking it: first effect = fast sharing; second effect = spread of false or harmful claims.
Ignore a small problem because it seems harmless: first effect = less trouble now; second effect = the problem grows.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the chain short and real. The lesson is to pause before acting and ask what comes next.

Activity 2 (Consequence Map)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Analysis, Communication, Problem-solving
Items Needed	Paper, pens, arrows or board space
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Create a simple map with one decision in the middle and two or three possible outcomes.

Use these consequence prompts:

If we rush, what happens next?
If we wait, what happens next?
If we choose the short-term gain, what is the long-term cost?

How to Play

Give each team one decision.
Teams draw arrows showing the first effect and the second effect.
They add one possible benefit and one possible cost.
One player explains the map.
Murabbi checks whether the team thought beyond the immediate result.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to add one extra arrow showing a hidden consequence that might appear later.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Rushing may feel fast, but it can create rework later.
Waiting may feel slow, but it can prevent mistakes.
Short-term gain may reduce flexibility later.
A small problem ignored today can become a bigger problem tomorrow.

Murabbi Notes

This lesson should make shabab slow down and think ahead. The best answer is the one that sees farther, not just faster.

Minesweeper

2026-06-06T10:38:00.428Z

Minesweeper

Learning Objectives

Deductive reasoning, careful observation, pattern reading, patience, risk awareness, and making decisions from partial information.

Activity 1 (Safe Grid)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-30 minutes
Prep Time	10 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Deduction, Team strategy, Problem-solving
Items Needed	Grid paper, pen, markers or tokens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Draw a small grid on paper or a board. Hide a few dangerous cells and mark nearby clue numbers.

Use these grid examples:

A 4x4 grid with 3 hidden danger cells
A 5x5 grid with 4 hidden danger cells
A 3x6 grid with 3 hidden danger cells

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Show the grid with some clue numbers already revealed.
Teams discuss which cells are likely safe.
They mark one safe move at a time.
If a team makes a wrong guess, the murabbi explains the clue logic.

Simple Clue Rule

A number tells how many danger cells touch that square.
Teams should use the numbers around a square before choosing.
If one square has only one possible danger nearby, that information helps reveal safe cells.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

A clue of 1 means exactly one danger cell is touching that square.
If two clue numbers overlap, they can help narrow down the danger location.
Edges and corners often have fewer possible neighbors.
A safe choice comes from logic, not guessing.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the grid small and simple. The goal is to train slow, careful deduction, not to overwhelm the group.

Activity 2 (Logic Path)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Deduction, Communication, Strategy
Items Needed	Paper, pens, simple clue cards
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare a short sequence of clues that lead to one safe path.

Use these clue examples:

One of the middle paths is blocked
The safe path is next to a clue of 1
The left corner is clear
The danger is not on the edge
The best move is one step away from the largest clue

How to Play

Give the clues to the teams in order.
Teams discuss each clue before moving.
They choose the next safe square or step.
The murabbi confirms the logic before the next clue is revealed.
Continue until the team reaches the finish.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to explain their move using the phrase because the clue tells us....

Sample Answers for Murabbi

The clue narrows the choices, so the team should eliminate impossible squares first.
The best move is the one supported by the most clues, not the loudest opinion.
If two clues agree, the team can be more confident.
If the clue is weak, the team should wait and gather more information.

Murabbi Notes

This lesson should feel like a puzzle. Keep the grid and clues simple enough that the logic is visible to the group.

Word Association

2026-06-06T10:37:47.728Z

Word Association

Learning Objectives

Recognizing patterns, making connections, improving recall, thinking quickly, and linking ideas in a structured way.

Activity 1 (Association Chain)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Critical thinking, Memory, Teamwork
Items Needed	Word cards or spoken prompts, paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare a starting word for each round.

Use these starting words:

Water
Light
Tree
Market
Journey
Trust

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
The murabbi says one starting word.
The first player says a related word.
The next player must link to that new word.
Continue for 6 to 8 links.
Teams score for speed, relevance, and clear connection.

Sample Chain

Water -> cup -> drink -> thirst -> shade -> sun -> heat
Journey -> road -> travel -> map -> direction -> home -> safe

Murabbi Notes

The chain should stay meaningful. Random words do not help as much as connected ideas.

Activity 2 (Link the Idea)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Pattern recognition, Communication, Creativity
Items Needed	Whiteboard or paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Write 3 words and ask teams to explain how they connect.

Use these word groups:

Rain, shelter, patience
Book, teacher, knowledge
Team, trust, goal
Heat, water, rest
Market, money, value

How to Play

Give each team one word group.
Teams explain a logical link between the words.
They must make one short story or explanation.
Murabbi awards points for clarity and creativity.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to make the link in 3 words or less, then explain it in one sentence.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Rain, shelter, patience: rain means we need shelter, and patience helps us wait safely.
Book, teacher, knowledge: teachers guide us to knowledge through books and explanation.
Team, trust, goal: trust helps a team reach its goal.
Heat, water, rest: heat makes us need water and rest.
Market, money, value: money is used to exchange value in a market.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the round lively. The goal is to see connections quickly and explain them clearly.

Mental Models

2026-06-06T10:37:39.032Z

Mental Models

Learning Objectives

Using structured frameworks, matching the right model to the problem, simplifying decisions, improving judgment, and thinking in clear steps.

Activity 1 (Model Match)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Critical thinking, Strategy, Teamwork
Items Needed	Model cards, paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare a few simple mental models and a set of problems.

Use these model examples:

Root cause: find the real source of the problem
Cost vs benefit: compare what is gained and what is lost
80/20 rule: focus on the few things that matter most
Second order thinking: consider the next result, not only the first result
Work backward: start from the goal and reverse the steps

Use these problem examples:

The team keeps arriving late
The task takes too long to finish
The group makes mistakes at the same point every time
A choice looks easy but may create bigger problems later
We need the fastest way to improve one area first

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Show one problem and 3 possible models.
Teams choose the best model and explain why.
Murabbi asks them to give one practical example.
Switch problems and repeat.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Arriving late: work backward or root cause.
Task takes too long: root cause or 80/20.
Same mistake every time: root cause.
Easy choice with future problems: second order thinking.
Fastest way to improve one area: 80/20.

Murabbi Notes

The point is not memorizing names alone. The point is choosing a useful lens for the situation.

Activity 2 (One Problem, Three Lenses)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Analysis, Communication, Problem-solving
Items Needed	Whiteboard or paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Choose one real-life problem and solve it using 3 different models.

Use these problem prompts:

Our group is not organized
We have too many tasks and not enough time
A plan works now but causes confusion later

How to Play

Give each team one problem.
Teams must solve it using 3 lenses: root cause, cost vs benefit, and second order thinking.
They write one sentence for each lens.
One speaker presents the three answers.
Murabbi compares which lens gave the clearest insight.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to invent their own simple model name for the problem and explain how it works.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Our group is not organized: root cause = unclear roles; cost vs benefit = more planning time now saves time later; second order = a messy start creates more confusion later.
Too many tasks and not enough time: 80/20 = focus on the most important tasks first.
Works now but causes confusion later: second order thinking = short-term success may create long-term disorder.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the discussion short and sharp. The lesson should train shabab to think with tools, not just opinions.

Cognitive Bias

2026-06-06T10:37:29.549Z

Cognitive Bias

Learning Objectives

Recognizing mental shortcuts, spotting bias in judgment, slowing down rushed thinking, comparing perspectives, and making more objective decisions.

Activity 1 (Bias Spotting Game)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Critical thinking, Discussion, Team strategy
Items Needed	Bias cards or spoken prompts, paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare short situations that reveal a common bias.

Use these examples:

A person trusts the first answer they hear without checking
A team remembers only the one mistake and ignores the many successes
Someone assumes a loud speaker is more correct than a quiet one
The group thinks a familiar idea is safer even without proof
A person says a plan must be good because they helped make it
A team believes something because everyone in their circle says it
Someone judges a new idea before hearing the full explanation
A person notices only the evidence that supports their view

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Read one situation at a time.
Teams identify the likely bias.
Teams explain how the bias affected the decision.
Murabbi awards points for clear identification and good explanation.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Trusting the first answer without checking: anchoring or quick acceptance.
Remembering only one mistake: negativity bias.
Thinking the loud speaker is more correct: authority bias or confidence bias.
Choosing the familiar idea without proof: status quo bias.
Saying a plan is good because they made it: self-serving bias.
Believing something because the circle says it: in-group bias.
Judging before hearing the explanation: premature judgment.
Noticing only supportive evidence: confirmation bias.

Murabbi Notes

Keep examples neutral and everyday. The goal is self-awareness, not accusing others of bad character.

Activity 2 (Change the Lens)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Analysis, Communication, Reflection
Items Needed	Paper, pens, whiteboard
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Write one biased statement and ask the team to rewrite it in a fairer way.

Use these examples:

This idea is bad because I do not like the person
We should ignore this because it is new
Our plan is right because we made it
Everyone says it, so it must be true

How to Play

Show one biased statement.
Teams identify the bias in the statement.
Teams rewrite it into a more balanced sentence.
One teammate reads the improved version aloud.
Murabbi gives points for fairness and clarity.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to add one missing piece of evidence or one missing viewpoint to the sentence.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

This idea is bad because I do not like the person -> I should judge the idea on its merits, not on my feelings about the person.
We should ignore this because it is new -> New ideas should be checked carefully before accepting or rejecting them.
Our plan is right because we made it -> We should test our plan and compare it with alternatives.
Everyone says it, so it must be true -> Popularity does not prove truth, so we should verify it.

Murabbi Notes

The lesson should be calm and reflective. Bias is normal, but good thinking means noticing it and correcting it.

First Principles

2026-06-06T10:37:19.590Z

First Principles

Learning Objectives

Breaking problems into basic truths, separating assumptions from facts, simplifying complex ideas, thinking creatively, and rebuilding stronger solutions.

Activity 1 (Strip It Down)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Critical thinking, Problem-solving, Teamwork
Items Needed	Whiteboard or paper, pens, simple problem prompts
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Choose a simple problem and write it on the board.

Use these problem prompts:

Our team keeps wasting time before starting
The group cannot agree on a plan
A task feels too hard to begin
We need a better way to organize materials
We want to improve attendance at the activity

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Give one problem prompt to each team.
Teams answer 3 questions: What is the real problem? What is definitely true? What is only assumed?
Teams reduce the problem into 2 or 3 basic truths.
Each team shares its stripped-down version.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

The real problem is not laziness alone; the group may not have a clear starting step.
The real problem is not disagreement alone; the group may lack a shared goal.
The real problem is not difficulty alone; the task may need smaller steps.
The real problem is not bad attendance alone; the schedule or reminder system may be weak.

Murabbi Notes

Push the teams to remove extra words and focus on what is actually true. This helps them stop guessing too early.

Activity 2 (Rebuild the Solution)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Innovation, Strategy, Communication
Items Needed	Paper, pens, whiteboard
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Take the stripped-down problem and ask the team to build a new solution from the bottom up.

Use these rebuild prompts:

Start from the smallest useful step
Remove anything unnecessary
Add only what solves the core problem
Keep the plan simple enough to repeat

How to Play

Give each team one stripped-down problem.
Teams create a solution using only the core facts.
They must present it in 3 steps or fewer.
Murabbi checks whether the solution actually addresses the root issue.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to improve the plan by removing one extra step and explaining why it is not needed.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

If the issue is unclear starting steps, the solution may be: write the first action, assign a leader, and begin.
If the issue is disagreement, the solution may be: define the goal, list 2 options, and choose one by shura.
If the issue is a hard task, the solution may be: split it into small parts, assign roles, and begin with the easiest part.
If the issue is bad attendance, the solution may be: send reminders early, set a clear time, and make the lesson more welcoming.

Murabbi Notes

Do not let the teams overcomplicate the answer. First principles should make things simpler, not more confusing.

Verification

2026-06-06T10:36:55.240Z

Verification

Learning Objectives

Distinguishing fact from claim, checking sources, comparing evidence, recognizing weak proof, asking better questions, and building disciplined thinking.

Activity 1 (Source Ladder)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Verification, Team strategy, Discussion
Items Needed	Source cards or printed examples, paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare a set of sources with different levels of trustworthiness.

Use these source examples:

A direct quote from a witness
A screenshot with no context
A social media post with no author
A news article from a known outlet
A rumor from a friend of a friend
A video clip with no date
An official statement
A blog post with no evidence

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Show the source cards.
Teams rank them from most reliable to least reliable.
Teams explain why they placed each source where they did.
Murabbi awards points for good reasoning, not just the final order.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Official statements are usually stronger than rumors.
A screenshot without context can be misleading.
A source with a name, date, and evidence is usually better than one without.
A post shared many times is not automatically true.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the lesson practical. Teach shabab to ask: Who said it, how do they know, and what proof is shown?

Activity 2 (True, False, Unknown)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Critical thinking, Problem-solving, Communication
Items Needed	Short statements, whiteboard or paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare statements that are clearly true, clearly false, or not enough information.

Use these examples:

The sun rises in the east
Someone posted a picture, so the event happened exactly as shown
One person said the water was clean, so it must be safe
The report includes a date, location, and witness name
We do not know who edited the image
The claim is repeated in three different places
The video has no sound, so we cannot know the full context
An official document confirms the date

How to Play

Read one statement at a time.
Teams label it true, false, or unknown.
Teams must give one reason for the label.
Murabbi explains the correct answer and why.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to rewrite one unknown statement into a better question that would help verify it.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

The sun rises in the east: true.
Someone posted a picture, so the event happened exactly as shown: unknown.
One person said the water was clean, so it must be safe: unknown.
The report includes a date, location, and witness name: stronger evidence, but still needs checking.
We do not know who edited the image: unknown.
The claim is repeated in three different places: still not enough on its own.
The video has no sound, so we cannot know the full context: unknown.
An official document confirms the date: usually strong evidence.

Murabbi Notes

Do not turn this into a debate contest. The goal is careful checking, patience, and intellectual honesty.

Logical Fallacies

2026-06-06T10:36:17.528Z

Logical Fallacies

Learning Objectives

Recognizing flawed reasoning, identifying weak arguments, sharpening analysis, improving discussion, protecting intellectual honesty, listening carefully, and responding with clarity and adab.

Activity 1 (Fallacy Hunt)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-10 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy to Medium
Category	Indoor, Critical thinking, Team strategy, Discussion
Items Needed	Printed statements or spoken prompts, paper, pens
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Prepare short statements with a flawed argument hidden inside each one.

Use these examples:

Everyone likes this idea, so it must be correct
He is older, so he must always be right
We should do it because we have always done it this way
If one part is bad, the whole thing is useless
You either agree with me or you are against me
This person made one mistake, so everything they say is wrong
It worked once, so it will always work
Nobody has proven it wrong, so it must be true

How to Play

Divide shabab into teams.
Read one statement at a time.
Teams identify the flaw in the reasoning.
Teams explain the problem in a short sentence.
Murabbi awards points for correct identification and clear explanation.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

Everyone likes this idea, so it must be correct: popularity does not prove truth.
He is older, so he must always be right: age alone does not make an argument valid.
We should do it because we have always done it this way: tradition alone is not enough.
If one part is bad, the whole thing is useless: one flaw does not always ruin everything.
You either agree with me or you are against me: this ignores middle ground.
This person made one mistake, so everything they say is wrong: one mistake does not cancel all truth.
It worked once, so it will always work: one example is not enough proof.
Nobody has proven it wrong, so it must be true: lack of disproof is not proof.

Murabbi Notes

Keep the tone calm and educational. The goal is to train shabab to notice weak reasoning without turning the lesson into personal argument.

Activity 2 (Fix the Argument)

Data

Field	Details
Age Limit	10+
Group Size	4-8 players per team
Duration	20-25 minutes
Prep Time	5 minutes
Difficulty	Easy
Category	Indoor, Analysis, Writing, Communication
Items Needed	Paper, pens, whiteboard or chart paper
Murabbi Rating

Setup

Write a weak argument on the board and ask the teams to repair it.

Use these argument examples:

We should choose this because it is popular
This plan is good because one expert said so
That idea must be false because one bad example happened
We should accept it because nobody complained

How to Play

Show one weak argument to the teams.
Teams rewrite it into a stronger, clearer claim.
They must add a reason, evidence, or condition.
One spokesperson reads the improved version.
Murabbi compares the original and improved arguments.

Creative Challenge

Ask teams to turn the weak argument into a balanced statement that includes a limit or condition.

Sample Answers for Murabbi

We should choose this because it is popular -> We can consider this option, but we should also check whether it actually works.
This plan is good because one expert said so -> This plan may be useful, but we should compare it with other evidence too.
That idea must be false because one bad example happened -> One bad example is not enough; we should examine more cases.
We should accept it because nobody complained -> Silence does not prove the idea is correct, so we should still verify it.

Murabbi Notes

This activity should reward careful wording. Encourage short, strong, and fair responses instead of emotional reactions.

Haseeb's Garden

Technology Cons

Privacy Moves to Take

Zone 1: Basic Privacy & Security

Zone 2: Enhanced Privacy & Security

Zone 3: Extreme Privacy & Security

Testing Your Privacy

Pixel 9A Phone is Final Decision

Pixel 8 Old Decision

Pixel 9A Decision

Our philosophy of technology use

Digital Tools I am Using and Why

1. Desktop Apps

A. System & Utility Tools

B. Productivity & Office

C. Development & Coding

D. Media, Creativity & Communication

E. AI Tools (Includes Websites as Well)

F. Specialized / Other Tools

3. Brave Plugins

4. Most Visited Sites

A. Video & Streaming

B. Education & Courses

C. Blogs & Media

E. Developer & Tech Sites

F. Professional & Networking

G. Research & Community

H. Search Engines & Utilities

I. Shopping & E-commerce

J. Teaching & Learning Tools

N. Sports, News & Reference

5. Mobile Apps

6. Operating Systems

7. My Online Accounts

Backup Policies

Once:

To Backup Quarterly

Apps

Data

Phone & Tablet

Laptop

Sync Daily

When Switching

When Switching Phones:

When Switching Laptops:

Studio and Recording Setup

Pillars, Areas, Projects and Routines

Office Setup

Maulwified Posessions

Rules:

Wardrobe:

Accessories:

Note Taking:

Bags:

Tech:

Travel:

Hygiene:

List of my Pseudo and Real Needs

🏠 1. Housing & Shelter (Including Hidden Urban Realities)

🛒 2. Food, Groceries & Household Consumption

🚗 3. Transportation & Mobility

👕 4. Personal Grooming, Clothing & Appearance

🍽️ 5. Eating Out, Snacking & Social Food Culture

💊 6. Health, Wellness & Medical

📱 7. Communication, Tech & Digital Life

🎓 8. Education, Skills & Career Growth

🤝 9. Social, Religious & Cultural Obligations

👨‍👩‍👧 10. Family, Dependents & Household Staff

💳 11. Financial Commitments & Obligations

🛠️ 12. Maintenance, Repairs & Replacements

🎁 13. Leisure, Hobbies & Lifestyle

🕰️ 14. Seasonal & Cyclical Expenses (Often Forgotten)

🧠 15. Psychological & Habitual Spending (“Invisible Leaks”)

Favorite Terminal Fonts

Essential Subscriptions

1. Shelter

2. Food and Groceries

3. Transportation

4. Health and Hygiene

5. Clothing