The Tyranny of the Clock: Hustle Culture versus Barakah | Mohammed Faris

The Tyranny of the Clock: Hustle Culture versus Barakah | Mohammed Faris

August 28, 2026 · 1h 7m

About this episode

The episode explores the conflict between modern hustle culture and the Islamic concept of barakah in relation to productivity and time management.

Help us expand our Muslim media project here: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membership Donate to our charity partner Baitulmaal here: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim What if our obsession with productivity, efficiency and “making the most of every minute” is actually taking us further away from a truly Islamic way of living? In this episode of The Thinking Muslim, Muhammad Jalal is joined by Mohammed Faris, author of The Barakah Effect and founder of Productive Muslim, to explore how modern hustle culture and the capitalist understanding of time have shaped the way Muslims work, worship and live. They discuss the “tyranny of the clock”, why salah should anchor our day rather than simply fit into our schedules, and how the Islamic concept of barakah offers a radically different understanding of productivity. Mohammed Faris explains why being constantly busy does not necessarily mean being productive, how modern work culture contributes to burnout and time anxiety, and what the Prophetic model can teach us about work, rest, family, worship and purpose. Can Muslims build a healthier relationship with time without becoming unambitious? What would productivity look like if our primary…

People in this episode

Host: Muhammad Jalal

Guest: Mohammed Faris

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Baitulmaal

Books & works: The Barakah Effect

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