On Day 2 of Al-Tazkiya 2020, the midday session consisted of exclusive and interactive workshops with renown speakers including Sr Basimah Qadri, Sr Fahima Mahomed and Mindful Muslimah.

Sr Basimah facilitated the workshop entitled ‘Studying and Productivity’. This workshop covered time management, dealing with procrastination and ways to balance studying with other commitments such as religious work. This was a very important workshop covering the basis of productivity from an Islamic Perspective and a reminder for students to use knowledge as an unpriceable valuable. Sr Basimah also mentioned the importance of taking breaks and how one can be more effectively productive if they take schedule breaks. The talk was summarised with the advice of Huzur Shaykh-ul-Islam that health comes before these commitments.

The audience asked many questions such as advice on combatting mental block when studying and how to amend schedule to keep time for the Deen. Sr Basimah provided realistic examples on advice from her mother (Dr Ghazala Qadri) on keeping the weekend for Islamic work and the week for studying the secular education.

Sr Fahima Mahomed facilitated the workshop entitled ‘Marriage and Transitions’ which covered pre-marital counselling, finding a spouse and being supportive of one another. She also mentioned giving quality time to oneself and one’s partner. This workshop consisted of sisters learning to know their aims and criteria before focusing on marriage and shared the important message of the ‘five love language’ which covered giving one’s partner words of affirmation as expected by one’s self and overseeing the small flaws. The talk concluded with the audience asking many questions such as combating the pressure of society and the impact of social media on having a ‘perfect’ relationship.

Mindful Muslimah facilitated the workshop entitled ‘Motherhood & Covid’ covering the importance of a mother being an educator and counsellor in the post-covid climate. She focused on developing sisters to talk about what children are going through regularly in their home environment and to create an order/routine manageable by children.

She also mentioned that an important thing for sisters to remember is that their own emotional stability is just as important and Mindful Muslimah provided tips on daily journaling, utilising calming techniques and connecting with other women to care for oneself. The talk was summarised with three points of key advice to take away and implement in our daily lives.