This post is a step by step guide to support you in creating a magical morning routine after fajr. An inspiring and powerful morning routine that makes you feel your happiest, grounds your energy and sets you up for a productive and passionate day.  Your entire morning routine will be centred around what time you pray fajr and if you choose to pray tahajjud. This post is pretty lengthy, so grab yourself a cup of organic green tea in your Royal Albert’s tea cup and let’s begin! 😉

Step 1: Decide On Your Routine

Depending on where you live/ your lifestyle/ your family and household responsibilities, your morning routine will be either of the 4.

1) Fajr + Morning Routine

Best for: when fajr is amongst ‘usual’ waking hours and you’re able to continue your morning with strength and energy without the need to nap.

2) Fajr + Quick routine (10 – 15min)* + Sleep + Wake up/ Morning routine

Best for: when fair is slightly earlier in the morning, outside your ‘usual’ waking hours. You might need a quick nap to feel rejuvenated and rested, after which you’d wake up and continue with your routine.

3) Tahajjud + Fajr  + Morning Routine

Best for: during winter when the days are much shorter and you can pray tahajjud at 6am! Even if tahajjud is much earlier, this routine depends entirely on your emotional wellbeing and physical health. Are you bursting with love and brimming with energy even after being awake from 4:30am? If that’s you and you don’t need much rest, go for it!

4) Tahajjud + Fajr + Quick routine (10 – 15min)* + Sleep + Wake up/ Morning routine

Best for: during the summer days/longer days where tahajjud can be at 3:15am. In this routine you still utilise the blessed moments after fajr but you catch up on some sleep and wake up at your usual hours.

*The Prophet (peace be upon Him) would pray to Allah:”O Allah, bless my nation in their early mornings.” (Sunan Ibn Majah). Hence why after fajr commit to spending a few minutes starting on your morning routine. Even if you’re yawning with sleepy, tired eyes, commit to nurturing your mind and soul in those 10/15 minutes.

Which routine resonates with you? Which routine will support you in becoming the happiest and glowing version of yourself? Be compassionately realistic here – if your a new mama/ working late/ weak health/ low energy, waking up for tahajjud everyday may not be achievable. Step 1 is to decide on which routine will work for you.  

Step 2: What Would You Love To Do?

What would you love to do every morning? What makes you feel your happiest? My morning routine which you can read here, came naturally from a place of love and joy. I never set out to drink green tea with apple cider vinegar every morning or quickly jot down my tasks in a daily planner but I loved and enjoyed doing these things so much, that I naturally found myself in a rhythm that works for me.

What would you love to do every morning? (We’ll look at how realistic they are in the next step but for now stay open)

Examples:

• A heartfelt dua to Allah at tahajjud time
• 10 minutes reading Quran
• 5 – 10 minutes of journaling
• 5 minutes of jotting down your tasks for the day
• 20 minutes HIIT workouts/ Yoga
• Dry Body Brushing
• Studying/ Personal Development
• Delicious healthy breakfast (i.e. organic eggs + mashed avocado + sauerkraut)
• Meditating/ Yoga/ Pilates/ Stretching
• Deep breathing
• Positive Affirmations

Step 3: What Are Your Essentials?

What are your absolute essentials? What’s realistic for you? This all depends on your lifestyle/ household/ family arrangements. Choose your top 3 activities that you want to incorporate into your morning routine. For example it could be a heartfelt dua at tahajjud time + writing in your planner + deep slow breathing.

Step 4: Choose A Time Frame

Allocate a time frame for each task. This depends on how much time you have available in the morning. The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said: “Take up good deeds only as much as you are able, for the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah). A few minutes each morning nourishing yourself is far much better than a mighty hour which you rarely follow through. Do your best and do all you can. For example: heartfelt dua at tahajjud time (10 minutes) + writing in your planner (5 minutes) + deep slow breathing (5 minutes on the way to school drop off).

Step 5: Test It Out!

Play around with it. You might choose to read one day and journal the next day. You might choose to pray tahajjud on the weekends and thus have a slightly different routine for those days. Find out what works best for you.

A few other important considerations:

– Health:

Are you nourishing your body with wholesome, delicious and nutritious meals?  Do you have the vitality and energy to wake up early without letting it affect your mood? If you’re mindlessly snacking all day, eating meals with refined oils, white flour, white grains, packaged foods –  it’s going to affect the way you feel when your alarm goes off at 4:30am. Are you physically nourished and busting with energy to be able to wake up early, feel positive and still be the best wife + mama + entrepreneur for the rest of the day?

– Is Your Heart In It?

I’ve seen fragile women in their 80’s who can barely walk, wake up for fajr everyday. I know how it feels to wake up for prayer with only 2 hours of poor quality sleep with a throbbing ache right in middle of your head. When it comes to waking up early for tahajjud/fajr and your morning routine, the most important question to ask yourself is “do you really want it?” I can guarantee you one thing. When you truly want something and you make a sincere intention to Allah… Your heart and commitment will override everything else. Your heart and commitment will override everything else.

– Don’t Squeeze Everything Into Your Morning

As I write this post, I would love to schedule in a 20 min HIIT workout as part of my morning routine. Except that physically and mentally, I don’t have the capacity to be doing tuck jumps, mountain climbers or high knees early in the morning – not to forget that I have sleeping neighbours who wouldn’t be very happy either! 😉 Instead I plan my workouts later during the day where I have enough energy and time flexibility. One of the key takeaways from this post is finding out what works for you. It’s not about creating this perfect insta -worthy life but doing what makes you feel your happiest and lightest first thing in the morning.

There you have it! 5 steps to creating a magical morning routine after fajr. I would love to hear your thoughts. What does you dream morning routine look like? Comment and list it below with your reflections  – it’s so exciting!

P.s. If you would love to work 1-1 with me to create your happiest life, achieve your wildest dreams and live a life bursting with gratitude to Allah – day in, day out (not just when you’re on holiday!) book a free 20 minute coaching session with me here. I can’t wait to speak to you x