Habits to live by: Minimalism and sleeping on the floor!

“The best richness is the richness of the soul.”

 - Hadith of the Prophet Muhammed saws

Ever since I started adopting more frugal spending habits last year, I became aware of a way of living known as Minimalism. 

Minimalism can exist in multiple forms, whether in structure, art, food, or fashion. It seems in recent years, many folks in the West are now adopting it as a lifestyle choice.
Like most great ideas, it is not new. Many cultures have histories rooted in minimalism, such as the Japanese. We also know that some of the most humble and amazing leaders chose to live on less such as Mahatma Ghandhi. Moreover many of the prophets chose to live minimally. For Muslims, our greatest example is the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings upon him).  Everything from his eating habits, where and how he slept, and mending his clothes speaks of humility Subhanallah (may Allah swt shower him and his family with blessings and peace)

So why should we value and explore this lifestyle choice today? 

If you need a few reasons check out this site known as Becoming Minimalist. It is an exceptionally valuable resource for those who wish to learn more about minimalism and adapt it to their unique lives.

To me, minimalism is a tool to achieving what I truly want out of life. I can say off the top of my head that spiritual peace, happiness, stability, adventurousness, and joyful living are my most ardent desires. I know I can achieve these things through hard work, creating income sources, and following through with my goals. 

Here are the minimalist-related habits I have adopted so far:

• I analyze my groceries and eating habits stringently.  Over time I have learned to buy only what I will eat in order to reduce food waste.
• I try to keep a conscious of the amount of clothing I own. (This of course does not include scarves or accessories!!!) First, I rarely buy shoes and choose to own only 1 pair of sneakers and boots until they croak. I also keep the number of pants I have limited as well. This leaves me with more flexibility to spend on more important pieces of clothing like dresses and shirts
• I love to buy used. I absolutely love buying used. It is 10x more affordable and it makes me feel all giddy inside for being eco-friendly. For example, I rarely EVER buy books new, most of them are used and usually cost less than 5 dollars each offline from Amazon. Most of sou sou’s clothes are used and I will jump on a used scarf any day!
• I try to give/donate and sell my excess. If there is ever a habit everyone on this earth should strive to practice regularly is giving more! It is incredibly freeing and enjoyable habit to have. Every now and then I look around my belongings and think to myself, why do I have this? If it isn’t being valued the way it should be I either try to sell it on ebay or give it to my friends or someone in need. How many times do we find ourselves complaining about all the crap we have! For goodness sakes, lets stop complaining and start reducing!

• I adopted minimalist bedding-I think this habit by far is one of the most confusing to other people. I had a very powerful and difficult life change recently which left me to look inward and challenged me start all over again. Through this process I made one of those decisions only a person on the brink of change would do. I decided to get rid of my bed. 

A corner in my room where I fold up my bed for the day!

Why? .....after reading lots of books on the shuyukh, scholars, and the Prophet pbuh I noticed how they all had their own ways of purposefully living minimal as a way of training their spirit and appreciating life. I think the biggest “ah ha” moment was when I visited the house of my tajweed teacher. She lived with her sisters and mother and had a humble room. Everything about it was girly and relatable but when I looked on the floor I saw a simple cot mattress, pillows, and a blanket. Next to it was a rehal with the Quran. I had no idea how she lived from knowing her at that time, but when I saw how she intentionally chose to sleep on the floor to emulate the prophet I decided to do the same.

I can say I feel uplifted from it. My room is oddly shaped and on the small side, so having a smaller sleep system (and being able to fold it up as you see in the picture) really opens up my room. When it is actually clean all you see is sunlight, my bookshelves up high, the rehal and a sitting space. This doesn’t mean I will avoid getting other furniture, but as of now I really enjoy my space.

From a minimalism stand-point I am reducing waste by not purchasing a bedding furniture set. I am also reducing clutter by having a smaller manageable arrangement, and I am reducing maintenance because of the convenience. Lots of reports are saying that with proper support, sleeping on the floor can be better for you also!

Please remember people, don’t get intimidated! Minimalism is relative, and everyone has their own way of interpreting it to their unique sensibilities and lifestyle. I think I can confidently say that with whatever way you adopt minimalist habits for your lifestyle you will see financial and spiritual improvement!

Have any of you heard of minimalism before? Would you try any of these things out? Does it seem like something worth looking into? I would love to hear your opinions even if you don't agree!