It is a tendency to get “lazy” during times of vacation, especially summertime! We have to make sure that we do not let our laziness get the best of u, as Islam has taught us to be active humans, who are constantly growing, especially in character. Here are some suggested summertime activities to help keep ourselves on our toes, our mind working, and our time to be used wisely.
Ah…summer! A time to relax, get away from the textbooks, and sit idly watching the clouds pass by…or not!
It is a tendency to get “lazy” during times of vacation, especially summertime! We have to make sure that we do not let our laziness get the best of u, as Islam has taught us to be active humans, who are constantly growing, especially in character. Here are some suggested summertime activities to help keep ourselves on our toes, our mind working, and our time to be used wisely.
Start a book club. Pick up books of interest with your usual friends to help build spirituality. Usually we do not find time during the school season to read an extra book, or take time out once a week to discuss and read books to do with our religion. So what is the excuse now? For those not in classes, or taking fewer classes, take the time to build your Islamic knowledge with friends, as this will help motivate each other and can make it fun by doing it together. The turnout does not have to be 25 plus youth, even if it is your three best friends, it should be fine!
Travel. Map a route. Get your things, and go! Traveling does not mean you have to travel on a plane or go out of the country, or even your state! Take a long drive, camp out, or take a day-trip to a nearby area of your city. States usually have a parks and recreation department which mails maps for free to your house and also booklets which describe different parks, nature trails, or natural wonder sites which you can visit. These are great family trips, bonding times, or even community events. Give it a try!
Plan a community day-conference. This is a great idea to help educate the community on various topics. It can even be a series. Topics can be social issues, Islamic knowledge, or a mixture of everything, politics, common questions and possible solutions, or even “how-to” forums to help others get something done. One-day forums require good planning, and a lot of effort to make sure it is successful. This helps one to keep their mind busy on thinking of the information that will be given, as well as the different details in order to present a good conference.
Volunteer. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen, library, or even start your own project! Volunteering is an easy and very worthwhile way of spending free time. Giving back to your community, as well as promoting a positive image of Muslims is a great way to use your time. Helping others without expecting anything back is something that will benefit us in ways we would never think. Meeting new people of all backgrounds and religion and the ability to share your views and Islam’s will in turn make you a more proud Muslim and eager to learn more, as the questions will come your way! Not only this, when you volunteer, you will feel good about yourself for helping, and again, your time will not be wasted or go unnoticed. Take a trip to a local soup kitchen and try it out for a day, or even starting your own “feed the homeless” project, as many communities have begun. It’s an amazing thing to do!
Learn a new language. Take some time out to pick a language you have always wanted to learn, speak, write, or read, and do it. Self-study, or even listening to tapes, watching videos, or getting a tutor are a few ways to do so. Many Muslims who do not speak, read, or write Arabic are eager to do so. Summer is the time to do it! Arabic is often offered in most universities and community colleges. Take the class and get the A. The benefit of this would be being able to know the language of our Holy Qur’an, and if one learns to speak and understand it, one would be able to read the Qur’an and understand as they read to the best of their ability. Definitely worth the effort.
So whatever the area of interest may be, give it a shot. Sitting around on the couch with nothing to do but eat out with friends, or going to the mall everyday will kill your brain cells – and your wallet.
