Here at The Dua Journal, we stand for empowering women to be their best selves and live their most fulfilled life by taking time out each day for prayer, gratitude and reflection. Our journals are meant to provide you a resource for spiritual development and becoming closer to Allah, but how can you ensure that you are getting the maximum benefit from each?

In this article we will give you a few tips on how you can use each version of The Dua Journal to get the most benefit for your unique spiritual journey.

The Original (Beige)

The original The Dua Journal contains one single reflection page per day, each day broken down into sections for dua, gratitude, today’s happy moments, what could have been better, what you learned and your iman goal.

Though this journal may have less space than others for writing, there is an amazing amount of benefit that you can take from it! Here are some best practices to keep in mind when filling out your daily reflection page:

Take your time, put in the effort

The Dua Journal is ideal for anyone who does not have hours to spend on journaling each day, but with that said, you should make sure you can block out at least 10 minutes to give each prompt its due.

Don’t just go with whatever answers come top of mind; take a little time to really ponder over the things you are grateful for today, the things you learned, and your areas of improvement.

Be really honest

No one needs to read this journal but yourself - It is between you and Allah! Let yourself be honest and pour out whatever is in your heart in each reflection section.

Honesty is especially important in the section for one thing you could have done differently. It takes courage to look through your day and own up to mistakes or bad choices, but only in doing so with complete honesty can you begin to make improvements.

Save it to re-read later

Keep your journal somewhere safe, even after you’ve finished filling it out. That way, you can go back and look at the record of your days and relive those happy moments, the feelings of gratitude for what was happening at that time, and see and celebrate the amazing progress that you have made on your goals since then!

Stick to your iman goals

Try to stay consistent in writing down those iman goals every time you journal. Consistently writing down your goal will help remind you to work towards it, and also keep you accountable for your progress.

In a broader sense, consistency in using your Dua Journal in general is key to getting the most benefit from it! Experiment with journaling routines to find one that works for you and your circumstances, and make a commitment to stick to it!

The Extended Version (Green)

The extended version of The Dua Journal has the same reflection pages as the original, plus one additional “Dear Allah” page per day, where you can write down longer du’as or reflections.

Dua

If you choose to use this extra space for du’as, take the time to make sure you are writing from the heart.

Of course, there are masnoon du’as in Arabic and prescribed forms to follow in making du’a and these have amazing benefits in themselves. However, sometimes we get so caught up in the Arabic that we barely understand or the highly formal nature of these du’as and we lose the ability to simply communicate with Allah.

Sincerity is one of the aspects that affects whether a du’a will be accepted, so try to use this space to write out your supplications to Allah like you would write in a diary or journal. Be honest and open with Allah, and don’t be afraid to lay it all out in front of Him.

Reflection

If you feel that extra reflection would benefit you more in this space, there are many ways you could incorporate this.

You could reflect on a specific topic or theme that is on your mind (i.e. family, faith in modern society, etc.). You could use this space for stream of consciousness journaling, or even for further reflection on one of the areas from the reflection page like gratitude or your iman goal.

The Kid’s Version (Blue)

The kids version of The Dua Journal has many of the same reflection spaces as the adults’ version, except with spaces for kids to doodle and express themselves creatively. This helps introduce children to the concept of journaling and reflection early on and hopefully make a lasting habit of it.

In addition to the tips offered for the original The Dua Journal, to get the most benefit out of this journal make it a family affair! Take some time out to work through the journal with your child, and discuss not only what they are writing and reflecting on but the du’as printed at the top of the page as well.

You will not only be making sure that your child can get the most benefit out of the journal for their spirituality and personal development, but also creating valuable quality time together as a family.

Qur’an Reflections (Lilac)

The Dua Journal with Qur’an Reflections has alternating pages: Reflection sections and a Qur’an verse with tafsir and reflection prompts the next.

In addition to the tips that apply to the original The Dua Journal, these best practices can help you maximize the benefit you get from this journal and truly deepen your relationship with Allah’s word, the Qur’an.

Take your time, schedule it in

While, again, this journal is designed for busy people who want some sort of reflection that they can manage within their schedule, it is important to give yourself enough time to actually reflect on the topics at hand.

One way to make sure you are getting the amount of (quiet) time you need as well as staying consistent with it is to schedule it into your weeks and days whenever it fits best. You can look at it like an appointment or deadline, so when that time rolls around each day (or however often you have it scheduled) you will be committed to opening up the journal and reflecting on that day’s verse.

Get curious, and follow that curiosity

Each Qur’an reflection day has a verse of the Qur’an in English, some selected tafsir points, and some guided reflection questions. These things are only meant as a guide and a starting point to help you get the ideas flowing!

If you have something coming up in your mind that isn’t mentioned in the reflection prompts, start writing and explore that instead.