Answer
Answer:
As-Salamu ‘Alaikum,
Thank you for writing us. While it is often good to keep a balanced 8-hour schedule, many times people cannot adhere to this schedule all of their lives. Often, as in your case, job offers with different hours come along; some people return to school part-time while working full-time; some people have family members to attend to after work which takes time. It all depends on the flow of our lives and what we desire.
A two-hour time difference in your day may not be that much. Yes, it may take some time away from important things like da’wah, but perhaps you can cut time in other areas to make up for the two hours daily. For instance, a person who works 8 hours a day may commute an hour to work each morning and back, making it two hours. Perhaps, this person is offered a job wherein the commute time is only 15 minutes, thus it saves an hour and a half.
To evaluate whether the time difference is worth taking the job, I would suggest making a list of your current job perks such as: is it near your Masjid? / is it a short distance from your home? / If you work out, is the gym nearby? / can you run errands during your lunch break or after work, which is close to your job, thus cutting time? Then compare these variables to the job you are being offered. In addition, I would also suggest you look at other factors such as the environment. Is it less stressful or more? Is the pay higher and benefits better? Also, some employers will let you work 10 hours a day for four days a week which means you will have three days off rather than two.
As with all major decisions in our life as Muslims, we make istikharah; seek Allah’s (swt) guidance. In the prayer, one asks Allah (swt) to facilitate the matter if it is good and turn it away if it is not. Thus, after praying Istikharah, one should decide on a course of action, and trust that if the matter does not work out, it is because it was not good for him. One should not then feel disappointed if things did not go as hoped. “
We wish you the best brother, and we are confident in sha’ Allah that you will make the right decision. There are often blessings in being flexible in life. Once we analyze a new change, we may see that it has many benefits!
Salam,
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