Today’s post is about commuting ProductiveMuslim style! ;) How you can make the most of those long hours on the road so that they truly add value to your life (and Afterlife) instead of subtracting from it.

Now this all depends on what commuting vehicle you’re using (and trust me I’ve used them all) so here’s a breakdown of what you can do in each type of commuting vehicle, but before we get into that, a few pre-requisites:

1. When you leave your house, remember the dua for leaving the house

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

Bismillahi tawakkaltu allah lah la hawla wala kuwata ila billa

‘In the name of Allaah, I place my trust in Allaah, and there is no might nor power except with Allaah.’

Allahumma innee a'uoozubika an adhilla auw adhalla auw azilla auw uzalla auw auw uzhlama auw ajhala auw yujhala 'alaiyya

‘O Allaah, I take refuge with You lest I should stray or be led astray, or slip or be tripped, or oppress or be oppressed, or behave foolishly or be treated foolishly.’

2. Remember the dua for entering a vehicle:

بِسْمِ اللّهِ ، الْحَمْد’ للّهِ ، سُبْحانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ 

Bismillah. Alhamdulilah. SubhanAll-ladhi, sakh-khara lana, haatha, wa-ma kunna lahu mukrineen. Wa inna ila Rubbina lamunqalibuun. 

‘In the name of Allaah and all praise if for Allaah. How perfect He is, the One Who has place this (Transport) at our service and we ourselves would not have been capable of that, and to our Lord if our final destiny.'

3. Invest in a good MP3 player, either an MP3 player with A-B functionality or an iPod Touch/iPhone with Quran Application installed  (here’s a guide on how to “Islamize your iPod Touch/iPhone")

With the above sorted, here are some ProductiveMuslim to-dos whilst commuting in each vehicle:

Bike:
Things you can do while riding bike:

• Memorize the Quran: Using your MP3 player with A-B Functionality you can specify where your MP3 player should start on a track, and where it should end, then loop it. This means you can specify on a Quran recitation track which verse it can start reciting from and which verse it should stop, then repeat these verses as many times as you want. The result: a Memorized set of verses! Next day move on to the next set of verses..etc. (For this to truly work, I suggest you memorize the verses at home first before you leave your house, ideally after fajr salaat, and then listen to them on your way to work and back). The iPod Touch/iPhone can be used in a similar way using the excellent iQuran Pro software. Here’s a detailed step by step guide to using the iQuran :).

• Contemplate on Allah’s creation: The most enjoyable part for me when riding a bike is contemplating on Allah’s creation: the heavens, the earth, the mountains, the scenery that surrounds you truly remind me of the verse:

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding (3:190)

• For this I suggest use a map and leave early to work so that you can try a different route each day or get a chance to cycle around your favorite park at least once before you go to work. Breathing in fresh air and entertaining your eyes with Nature is an absolute joy that will set your mood straight for the rest of the day.

• Remember Allah: Connected to the above. Simply saying “SubhanaAllah, Al-Hamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar” or any other supplication or remembrance is a truly productive & rewarding way of spending your commute. It connects you to the hereafter, makes you focus on the “bigger” picture beyond this life and reminds you of who you’re worshipping. A great way to start/end your day!

• Exercise: Riding a bike is a natural exercise, so not only are you commuting but you’re also exercising! My only advice here is make sure your work place has a shower room for you to shower and change (and of course don’t forget to pack change of clothes!)

Car:

If you’re driving a car (you can do all of the above (except the exercise part) + the following:

• AudioBooks/Lectures/Courses/Podcasts: I’ve recently rediscovered the joy of learning through listening with my iPod Touch connected to my car’s radio device, I can listen to any audiobook, lectures, Islamic MP3 courses, or Podcasts I download to my iPod. I completed a 2 hour lifecoaching course, a marketing course (36 CDs), an Islamic seerah course (32 CD), and 100s of hours of other talks here and there. 

Now most people do the above one way or another, BUT here’s some advanced tips to really make the most of ALL your audio files:

1. Have a structured course planned out - so you know exactly when you’re listening to what, and you can build on your knowledge instead of starting on something then changing it to something else then coming back to where you all started!
2. If you truly want to make the most of what you listened, try taking notes as you wait in busy traffic OR when you get home. That’ll embed what you learn in your brain and you’re more prone to use it.

Trains/Bus/Plane/or have Personal Chauffeur:

Again, you can do all of the above + the following:

• Video Podcasts: Watch Video Podcasts/Courses through your iPod Touch/iPhone or any other MP4 technology that displays video on small screens. Again, you can download these courses for free or paid to your laptop then sync with your devices.
• Read Books/Study: Spend a weekend in a bookstore and purchase a set of beneficial books to read on your daily commute. Nothing like lifelong learning :). Again, make sure the books are part of a “plan”, i.e. let’s say you’re interested in Marketing this week, then all your audio files for the car rides + the books you read relate to that subject. 
• Reply to your e-mails offline: If you carry your laptop with you, I find it very useful (especially on trains/planes) to catch up on e-mails and prepare draft replies to them. For those of you who check your e-mails online, I highly suggest you setup your laptop so that it downloads ALL your e-mails from your different accounts to an e-mail client, e.g. Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird. That way, you don’t need internet connection to check your e-mail, the e-mails get downloaded when you’re connected to the internet, and you can read them/ and prepare draft replies at your convenience.
• Set Agendas: I learnt this from David Allen’s Productivity System “Getting Things Done”: Prepare an agenda for every person you’re going to meet. Isn’t it annoying when you meet somebody that you had soo much to tell or ask something from, but can only remember 2 things?! Writing down “an agenda” for everyone you’re going to meet or need to see is a helpful and productive tip to make the most of that meeting. So sitting in your train, plane.. right out agendas.. If you’re traveling for a meeting, and no agenda is set, use this time to write an agenda. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate thing, it can simply be a “list” of things you’d like to talk to the person to about.
• Phone Calls/SMS: Yup, I’m that annoying person who never stops talking on the phone from the moment the train/bus starts moving till the end. OK, I’m not.  I actually hate those people. But a train ride/bus ride is prime time for a quick catch up call/SMS.  Those who know me, know that I cannot sit down and speak over the phone and I just love walking and talking.... so I normally use the time going to & fro from trainstations, or up and down the terminal to really get most of the phones out of the way. (p.s. By the way, that’s a lifecoach tip there, you should NEVER sit down when talking over the phone especially if you need to convince the other line of something or you’ll be asked difficult questions, i guess that’s where “thinking on your feet” comes up).
• Think & contemplate - brainstorm ideas/Journal: Whilst contemplating on Allah’s creation (see above) thoughts and ideas enter (& leave) my mind! I needed to capture them, hence with my trusted Moleskine Folio Journal, I write ALL the ideas down in the form of mindmaps, journal entries, pictures, charts..etc. Most of my favourite posts on ProductiveMuslim are born in those precious me-time on the train/bus/plane with dear old Moleskine ;).

Can you see now why I love commuting! No matter which vehicle you put me in, with the proper planning and right tools, my daily commute has become a true asset to my daily life :).