WE WANT CHANGE

We want change but in today’s hyper connected world, we talk endlessly about progress, reform, and transformation. We share motivational quotes, attend workshops, and follow influencers who speak about growth. Yet, the real question remains, has our life actually changed?

If we are honest, most of us are trapped in the same routines:

• The same habits that drain our energy.
• The same arguments that wound our relationships.
• The same distractions that steal our time and peace.

• We want change, but we rarely change our priorities.
• We want results, but we resist effort.
• We want peace, but we keep feeding chaos.

This is the contradiction of modern life — we desire transformation without taking responsibility.  Everyone says, “We want change.” But the truth is, change doesn’t come by slogans, posts, or protests. Change begins silently… within ourselves.  We are all given 24 hours a day — the same time granted to the prophets, the scholars, and the reformers of the past who transformed nations. The difference is not in the number of hours. It’s in how we use them.

The Modern Trap

Most of us spend 90% of our precious time caught in the endless web of distractions —
scrolling through social media, consuming entertainment, gossip, news, politics, and viral forwards. Our minds are full, but our hearts are empty. We have opinions on everything — but reflection on nothing. We are connected to everyone — but disconnected from ourselves, our families, and our Creator.

We complain of stress, loneliness, and loss of purpose, yet we pour our time into screens that drain our energy and scatter our focus. And in this noise, our relationships fade, our children grow distant, and our hearts lose the sweetness of faith.

Change sounds beautiful in slogans and social media captions, but real change demands effort, time, discipline, and sacrifice. It requires us to stop pointing fingers at others — and start reflecting on ourselves. The truth is: change doesn’t begin in the world around us. It begins in the world within us.

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” — Qur’an 13:11

The Path of Real Change

Now imagine the other choice, What if we reversed the equation?

What if we decided to spend 90% of our time on improving ourselves our knowledge, our hearts, our homes, and our contribution to society?

• What if we made our families our priority, not our phones?
• What if we spent more time talking to our children than typing to strangers?
• What if we invested our energy in learning, building, giving, and healing instead of reacting, judging, and comparing?

This shift alone could transform not just our homes, but the entire Ummah. When individuals change, families change. When families change, societies evolve.  And when societies evolve, nations rise.

Most people, sadly, fall into what we can call the 90–10 trap:

• 90% of their precious time is spent on distractions — social media, entertainment, gossip, arguments, and unnecessary debates.
• 10% (or less) is spent on meaningful living — self-improvement, family bonding, learning, or spiritual reflection.

In other words, we are living upside down — investing the majority of our time in what does not matter, and the minority in what truly does.

• No wonder our lives feel empty despite constant busyness.
• We have information overload but wisdom deficiency.
• We are always “connected” but rarely present.

The Time Audit

Ask yourself:

• How many minutes today brought you closer to Allah?
• How much of your time benefited your family?
• How much did you invest in becoming a better version of yourself — mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?

If your answers make you uncomfortable, that’s not guilt — it’s a wake-up call.
Because time wasted is not just time lost — it’s life lost.  When we live with this clarity, even our limited time will carry Barakah (divine blessing). Our words will have more weight, our actions more meaning, and our relationships more warmth.

Real change begins the moment we realize that time is life.

Every scroll, every word, every moment is either bringing us closer to Allah — or further away.

So, what will you choose today?

• Distraction or Direction?
• Entertainment or Enlightenment?
• Noise or Niyyah (intention)?

Because the truth is, “We all want change. But only those who change themselves, change the world.” (Qur’an 13:11)

The First Step: Awareness

Before change, there must be awareness.
Most people live on autopilot, unaware of how their time is spent.

Try this for one day:

• Record how you spend every hour — morning to night.
• At the end of the day, categorize your activities:
• Growth-based (learning, prayer, family, work with purpose).
• Neutral (necessary chores, rest).
• Wasteful (distraction, gossip, mindless browsing).

You might be shocked by what you find.
Awareness is not guilt — it’s the mirror that awakens the soul.

The Second Step: Intentional Living

Once you see where your time goes, you can begin to redirect it.

Intentional living means asking yourself before every action:

“Will this benefit my Duniya and Akhirah?”

This single question filters out 80% of distractions.
It transforms how you speak, what you watch, and how you spend your evenings.

• Replace scrolling with reading.
• Replace complaining with gratitude.
• Replace reaction with reflection.
• Replace entertainment with enlightenment.

Every small replacement compounds into a major life shift.

The Third Step: Building Meaningful Habits

Real change is not about sudden leaps; it’s about steady steps.
Here are simple, practical habits that can reshape your daily rhythm:

The First Hour Rule

• Keep your first hour after Fajr free from screens.
  Use it for Qur’an, journaling, or setting intentions for the day.
• The Family Hour
• Spend at least one uninterrupted hour daily with family — no phones, just conversation, laughter, and connection.
• The Learning Block
• Dedicate 30 minutes a day to reading or learning something that nourishes your mind and soul.
• The Digital Fast
• Choose one day a week for a “digital detox.”
  No social media — just reflection, service, or family bonding.
• The Night Reflection:  Before sleeping, ask yourself: “What did I do today that brought me closer to Allah?”

These small habits purify time — turning routine into worship.

The Spiritual Dimension of Change

Islam teaches us that time is life. Every second is an Amanah (trust) that will be accounted for. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your busy time, and your life before your death.” (Al-Hakim)

If we waste our free time, we waste one of the greatest blessings. Real success lies not in how much we own, but in how wisely we spend our hours. When we use time consciously — with niyyah (intention) — every act becomes worship. Cooking for family, working honestly, helping others, learning a skill — all can become forms of ibadah when done for Allah’s sake.

That’s the essence of purposeful living.