Minimalism in Islam

Islam promotes moderation and shuns extravagance or extremism in any avenue of life. It encourages people to fulfill their basic needs moderately, without wasting any resources.

In Islam, there is a constant reminder of death and the afterlife. We are told to 'Be in this life like a stranger or a traveller'

Unfortunately,in this day and age of materialism and consumerism, it's easy to end up accumulating lots of stuff that we don't need which end up cluttering up our homes.

Fortunately, there's a good deal of people out there who have started websites and blogs about "minimalist living". They're not Muslims either, they're just people who prefer the simplicity of a nice clean home with the philosophy that less stuff is more living. Lucky for us though, we can use their tips to help us live like travellers.

The misconception of minimalism to most people is that you have a bare  home with no tv, and no possessions whatsoever.

This isn't true.

I consider myself a minimalist.

Here's my example of minimalism in my life : A minimalist wardrobe.

(1) Picking out 30pcs of my 'best' clothing

Right now, I have 30 pcs of clothing lined up in my closet. Most of these pcs are 'multifunctionial'. Think 1 blouse, 3 different looks. I try to dress my best at all times.

(2) Getting ready in the morning becomes easy as pie

The upside is that it's much faster to get dressed in the morning when you can clearly see all your favourite clothing hanging in the closet. Plus,
I have less laundry to deal with.

(3) Quality over quantity

Think quality over quantity. It's very easy to find 30 pcs of clothing that you feel comfortable and confident in.

(4) My clothing is displayed nicely

They can actually breathe.
I have reduced my scarves to 15 pcs. They are all laid out nicely as if they were showcased in a clothing store.

(5) Shopping under the bed

Having only 30 pcs of clothing in my closet doesn't mean that I don't own anymore clothing. I do.

I keep the excess clothing and scarves in storage casings underneath my bed and when I start getting bored of my 30pc wardrobe, I 'shop' under the bed first, haha, before I hit the stores.

Usually, if you really look into your closet, you'll find that sometimes when you think you want to go shopping for a pair of white pants, for instant, it's actually already there in your closet.

Want proof? I bet you have 5 different scarves in the same colour and you always end up wearing only one of them anyway? 😄

Embracing minimalism or choosing to live simply has changed my life drastically and positively in so many ways. I'm still learning. I think a true Muslim woman minimalist would be those women wearing black abayas every day throughout the year. I'm not there yet. 😂

In the end, we'll all leave our worldly possessions. This world is temporary. I choose to seek experiences and relationships instead of material things. May Allah guide me to do good deeds with the rizq (sustenance) that I'm blessed with. Amin.

How to Organize Toys

Organizing tips: Toys

- I keep toys that my girl frequently plays with in places where she can reach on her own.
She only gets to put her toys in 3 compartments out of the 9 compartment shelf where her selected beloved toys are placed.

- To avoid mess, I keep toys in sets in containers ; ie cooking set, doctor set, play dough set; in places where my daughter can see them but can't reach them. These containers can be found at Daiso for only RM5 😉

- When my daughter requests for the doctor set, I bring it down for her to play with. She knows she has to tidy them up and put those toys back into the container before she plays with another set of toys such as the cooking set.

- I keep reward toys higher; ie paint, jigsaw puzzles, stamp and roll.
I give my daughter reward toys when she uses the potty because we are potty training her. Every time she uses the potty instead of wetting her pants, she gets to paint, or build a sandcastle, or solve a jigsaw she absolutely love. Reward!

TIRED of doing the dishes?

TIRED of doing the dishes? Where I live, we're not privileged to own dishwashers.

TIRED of doing the dishes?

Try this.

‪#‎Tip‬ 1 - Every member of the family each gets to choose 3 of their favourite plates, 3 mugs or tumbler, and 2 bowls. You'll instantly see that your sink will never again overflow! The rest of your tableware you may want to either store away in a hard to reach place like a tall cabinet, sell, or give away to charity.

Personally, I find that living with less stuff gives me more time to do the things I love rather than spending it on routine work such as washing and cleaning, and I still am able to keep a neat and tidy home.

In fact, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) lived a simple life with very minimal items in his home.

In the picture below, that is the amount of daily tableware I have in my home and it just gets rotated.

I do have fancy tableware in 2 sets for guests and it's stored away nicely.

#Tip 2 - I only keep fancy tableware enough for 12 guests at one time because that's how many people that my small apartment can accommodate comfortably. Any more guests, and I revert to using disposable cups and plates.

Think about it. You always reach for your favourite mug anyway. We all have our favorites. Favourite tumbler, favourite plate, favourite bowl.

I promise you, when you reduce the tableware in your home, in the course of a day you'll probably spend only less than 2 minutes at each meal to wash the dishes.