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islamicrays · 5 years

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Salam , recently divorced , he left me for no reason , Allah is my witness that I never failed to please him , I’m still getting over him , but I ended up back at my mums, dealing with a non- practicing family on a daily basis , music , swearing etc, can’t even find a place to pray in without being interfered , sleeping on a couch, no space for me , emotionally abusive mother , blaming me for what happened to me , making me depressed even more , Patience , Alhamdulilah .

Walaikum Assalaam,

I understand you are going through a tough time and its even more difficult when you don't have a supportive family but remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is with you and He won't burden you with something that you can't handle. With every hardship; their is ease. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala test those whom He loves. If possible go for counselling if you can't then I am posting here an article how to heal after divorce and some quotes that will help you in shaa Allah

"Divorce…

The daunting and awkward topic that no one seems to want to discuss in public because of the stigma attached to it. Yes, divorces can be messy due to a number of factors; and when children are involved, it’s twice as complicated. You feel a whole array of mixed emotions that are difficult to internalize or accept. To be honest, this is perfectly normal because the reality is, the person you were so certain you would spend the rest of your life with, is no longer your life partner. A number of thoughts bombard you at once; how will I manage as a single parent, will I ever forgive my former spouse, how will society view me? How will I heal my broken heart?

The hardship of divorce

People often don’t realise how agonizing a divorce can be. On the surface, it may seem like two people are being unreasonable or irresponsible, but the truth is, most people do not realise the transgressions that have taken place behind closed doors which have caused a couple to decide to divorce. The reasons can be so vast; it could be an abusive partner, whether that is physical, mental, verbal or emotional abuse. At this point, I should mention that it’s important to realise the severity of any form of abuse. It could lead to psychological damage being embedded in an individual which in turn makes positive change difficult.

It could be that your partner is cheating on you, or that your spouse has left Islam, or just the simple fact that you both do not get along anymore. Whatever the reason behind the divorce, never forget thatAllah subhanahu wa ta'ala never leaves you and it is He who will bring you ease after hardship.

I personally find that in all situations that we perceive as a calamity, there is always wisdom behind it. Throughout this difficult period, it is absolutely vital for you to always be conscious of the fact that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tests those whom He loves, and that you should never lose hope in His Mercy.

Divorcing can be painful but it is one of many tests we may face in this life. During my experience, I have learnt a few things that I want to share with you to overcome this trial.

1. Hold on to your salah

Salah is the primary step to healing one’s self. I am a mother so I completely sympathise with mothers who are unable to pray their salah on time, but during this time of difficulty, you need your sujood! During a divorce, not only do you become consumed by all of your responsibilities, especially when there are children, but your emotions can paralyse you.

This is the time to reconnect with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in solitude and to release stress by speaking to Allah and asking Him for help. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala commands us:

“O you who believe seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with those who are patient.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 153]

2. Look for happiness in the mundane

During a divorce, it is very easy to let all the negatives be at the forefront of your mind rather than all of the blessings that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given you. This is a dangerous mentality to have that can depress you. So whenever the hardships in life consume you, remember this ayah that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala revealed to the people of Musa��(may Allah be pleased with him) when they were being persecuted:

“If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor].” [Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 7]

Take a moment to reflect on what you have to be thankful for. This could be a supportive family, children who smile, or even something as basic as having a hot coffee in the morning, or the fact that you get to wake up in the mornings and have functioning limbs…

We forget that even the simple things in life are blessings. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala reminds us 33 times in Surat ArRahman:

“So which of your Lords favours will you deny?” [Qur’an: Chapter 55, Verse 13]

3. Take up a hobby

Find a way to occupy your time so that you do not become consumed by your emotions.

For me, a friend encouraged and pushed me to take up memorizingthe Qur’an. This honestly helped me in more ways than I could imagine. Not only did it help me develop my relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, but it also pushed me to take the steps in learning Qur’anic Arabic.

SubhanAllah, words alone can not describe the beauty of learning the Qur’an and the sense of tranquility that encompasses you. The way Allah’s subhanahu wa ta'ala words can humble you in seconds and put you at ease, or how some verses correct your affairs through obedience to Him.

Alongside my memorization, I also started to take steps towards a healthcare profession, alhamdulillah,and I am still currently pursuing it. Give yourself something to strive for, and give your time a purpose with an achievable goal. Even if it just for an hour or two a day, if you take your mind away from the stresses of divorce, it will really benefit you spiritually and mentally.

4. Control your tongue

Divorcing with children is not the easiest of things to deal with while remaining patient. It is so important to control your tongue and not letshaytan allow you lose your composure, not only as a mother or father, but also as a person who fears Allah suhanahu wa ta'ala . There may be times when you are angry, but in this situation, your words can be like a sword andsuch words uttered in this state may not be forgivable or forgotten. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent.” [Sahih Muslim].

Sometimes you are angry, you don’t want to forgive. You are hurt, and you feel violated. Divorce is hard. Especially when it drags on back and forth and there is animosity between the spouses, but it is for this reason that you need to be extra cautious of the words you utter. This is a time where shaytan knows you can accumulate sins by letting your emotions take control. So, don’t let him win.

5. Seek help

Talk to someone, a friend or a therapist and seek emotional support for internalizing your emotions. I was fortunate enough to have a very supportive family with me, however if you are a victim of abuse, then it is important to seek professional help.

Isolation may be okay for a short period of time when you are internalizing what has happened, but for long periods of time this could be detrimental to your deen and this is what shaytan loves. Surround yourself with people who remind you of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and encourage you to seek knowledge so that your relationship with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala strengthens.

6. Know that it gets better

This brings me to my final, and possibly, my most important point. Who can honestly say alhamdulillahand sincerely mean it when Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has decreed a hardship for them? The majority of us struggle with accepting the last pillar of faith: qadar.

How many times do we ask: “why did this happen to me? What did I do to deserve this? If I could go back, I would have done things differently!”

In this situation, we need to put our trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and with no doubt in our hearts know that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has decreed what is best, and whether we see the wisdom behind it in this dunyaor in the akhirah is up to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala only tests those He loves and these tests are designed to strengthen you and prepare you for what’s ahead.

One of the mothers of the believers, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan (Umm Habiba), upon emigrating to Abyssinia, her husband had left Islam and became Christian. When faced between remaining with him or choosing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, she chose Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Her husband died shortly after from consuming too much alcohol. Being in a foreign country without family meant that she wasn’t left with many options, and so she decided to put her complete trust in Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and live her life for His sake.SubhanAllah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala then replaced her husband with the greatest man to walk this earth. She married the beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Divorce is not the end, nor is it something that tarnishes a person or diminishes their worth. Sometimes relationships do not work out and it is important to remember that when you die, you die alone. When you meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, you meet Him alone. It can be heartbreaking to lose the person you thought you would spend the rest of your life with, but no matter what happens, you will never lose Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. He will always be there for you. Don’t let a divorce have permanent negative effects on you, use this calamity as a catalyst to get closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and I promise, just like I did, you will come out a stronger person."

- Iman Umm Samara

“Being divorced is not the end of the world. It could be the biggest blessing & lead to something much better, bringing about much goodness. Many people have found more compatible spouses & are leading happier lives. There is no point in holding grudges or becoming depressed over a marriage that did not work. Make an effort to look for a more appropriate spouse & the Almighty will open the doors!"

-Mufti Ismail Menk

"Dear fathers, there is no dishonour for you if your child return backs to you if things didn't work out and it ended in divorce.

Rasūlullāh ﷺ took back two of his daughters after they were unjustly divorced - and he showered them with even more love, honour, and affection. That is the essence of manhood."

Shaykh Mohammed Aslam

"To all those individuals going through relationship problems, separation, divorce, don’t despair! Live in faith. What may seem like a series of unfortunate events may be the first steps to an amazing journey"

-Qasim Rafique

You are in my prayers. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make things easier for you.

Allahumma Ameen

#question

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passionatemuslimaah · 4 years

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🌸Tawakkul - Relieving our Anxieties and Worries 🍃 Tawakkul refers to “putting your full trust in Allah سبحانه و تعالى,” to believe that He سبحانه و تعالى alone can ward off the harms of this world, and he سبحانه و تعالى can provide you blessings and sustenance, and to ease your challenges.  Tawakkul is also about accepting the results that He سبحانه و تعالى decides regardless of how they may turn out to be. This is a very important aspect of Tawakkul. To understand the concept of Tawakkul, consider how tense and worried you get at times about the challenges of this worldly life. Whether it’s you worrying about pending exams, a job interview, losing your job or sustenance, some illness or sickness, dealing with proposal from a life partner, a marriage, or general life problems that you may come to face, Tawakkul is your belief and the attitude that you have about putting your trust in Allah سبحانه و تعالى to take care of all your affairs. Allah سبحانه و تعالى says…And whoever places his trust in Allah, Sufficient is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose: For verily, Allah has appointed for all things a due proportion. (Qur’an 65:3) The Qur'an makes it clear that Tawakkul is not an option but rather a REQUIREMENT on us as Muslims. Two examples: Allah سبحانه و تعالى says: “…and put your trust in Allâh if you are believers indeed. (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5: 23) He سبحانه و تعالى also says in the Qur'an “….And in Allah let believers put their Trust” [Surah Ibrahim 14:11] In both example it is a requirement for believers otherwise there is a chance we may not be the believers anymore if we don’t have tawakkul  BENEFITS OF TAWAKKUL One of the major benefits of Tawakkul is that it can relieve us from unnecessary anxiety, worry, and resulting depression from the challenges that we may be facing. By believing that all our affairs are in Allah’s سبحانه و تعالى hands and we can do only what is in our control, we leave the results to Allah سبحانه و تعالى and accept His decree whatever it may be. This is having full trust in Allah, whatever may come or be the outcome. This is about what has been decreed will befall. If it is going to be bad, then we must accept it and be more closer to Allah, to pray that Allah gives us strength to deal with that and save us from m this and further calamity and if it is good, then still we pray and show gratitude for bringing us this good and to continue to pray to ensure we don’t face more calamities. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali said, “the fruit of tawakkul is the acceptance of Allah’s decree. Whoever leaves his affairs to Allah and then is accepting of what he is given has truly relied on Allah. Al-Hassan and others among the salaf defined tawakkul as rizaa (acceptance).” (Jami’ Al-’Uloom wa Al-Hikam : A Commentary on 50 Major Hadith) Let’s strive to understand the concept of Tawakkul and to make it part of our belief systems. We will notice that things will not only get resolved easier with His سبحانه و تعالى help, but Tawakkul will also relieve us from the day to day anxieties and worries associated with the challenges of this life that we all face. DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR EFFORTS  Tawakkul shouldn’t be mistaken with giving up your efforts thinking that somehow your challenges will get resolved. It won’t happen through some magic or good luck. Rather striving and working with the attitude that Allah سبحانه و تعالى will take care of your affairs and will help you in getting through your trials is part of you having the Tawakkul on Allah سبحانه و تعالى. You also need to get on with trying to resolve the problem or issue. So if you become easily angry and lose your temper against the ones you love, then you need to stop yourself, force yourself to take hold of your actions. Take responsibility for what you say and do at these precise moments. You need full control of the tongue and the hand. Sit down or lie down for a few moments. Control yourself and seek Tawakkul to help you to over come your weakness and control your tongue. There are ways to help, to take steps to get a cure to manage the anger to go and seek help from relevant sources. The Qur'an is one source. Making Du'aa and reciting dhikr is another. Going to speak with a qualified experienced Imam about some matter is another. You have to make the effort to stop.. It won’t just stop by itself or if you don’t strive to stop! Miracles don’t just happen like they show you in movies! Similarly if you are asked to accept a proposal from someone that you are not happy to accept, likewise you don’t just sit back and accept everything that happens. To allow someone to force you to accept the marriage proposal against your wishes and hope it will be ok. You should take steps to make sure that someone supports you, listens to you, takes your concerns seriously, maybe to find a sibling or close relative that will be sympathetic, Allah will guide you that way. There is always a way. Islam is about justice and no one should face injustice.  Some scholars have stated that “Tawakkul in reality does not deny actually working and striving for provision, for Allah سبحانه و تعالى has decreed that we should work and it is from His ways that he gives people when they strive. In fact, Allah سبحانه و تعالى ordered us to both depend upon Him and to work, to take the necessary steps needed to achieve our goals, and so the act of striving for our sustenance is an act of physical worship while trusting and depending upon Allah is faith in Him.” (Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts (Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Pages 172-174) Allah سبحانه و تعالى says “…So seek provision from Allah and worship Him (alone).” [Al-‘Ankaboot 29: 17] Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan stated about this verse, “Look for sustenance and do not sit around in the masjid claiming that you are putting your trust in Allah سبحانه و تعالى. Do not sit in your homes and claim that your daily sustenance will come to you.” This is wrong and a true believer doesn’t say such things.” (Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan Haqeeqat-ut-Tawakkul (pg. 15-25)) This obviously applies to not just seeking provisions but in striving to resolve other matters of our lives – just as long we remember and believe that His will is a prerequisite for our matters to get resolved and to accept what He ultimately decrees.  One can go further and say that one needs to put in place an action plan to start the wheel of change in motion.. ie you want to pass those exams so badly, you want that job so badly.. You want to get married so badly.. that means, do what is necessary to set the wheel of change in motion, do all the things that you need to do to make things happen.. You have a bad habit or you are lazy or you find yourself missing your prayers through ignorance - then plan the change - form a good feasible plan, eat, sleep and work in a balanced way. Seek support from people around you..ie parents..or trusted friends. Seek inspiration from some one who have already been through some difficult times in their life. Contact those that can influence or help you.. And so on. All these actions will help you reach your goal. But there is absolutely no way you will ever reach your goal if you sit there all alone, hiding in your room, day after day, feeling miserable, despairing, crying, worrying and feeling sorry for yourself.. Nothing will ever happen that way other than yiu will have a very low self esteem and no confidence. Instead other things will start to happen to your mental state and that will only lead to other complications.  The scholars have stated that, “other than our efforts that we put in, a Muslim should also combine Tawakkul with other means, whether they are acts of `Ibadah (worship) like Du`aa’ (supplication), Salah (Prayer), Sadaqah (voluntary charity) or maintaining the ties of kinship, or other material means which Allah has prescribed to us. Too many of us neglect this or become ignorant about our prime role duty to Allah سبحانه و تعالى. Allah سبحانه و تعالى also says in the Qur'an: [There were] those to whom people said: “The people are gathering against you, so fear them.“ But it only increased their faith; they said: “For us Allah is Sufficient and He is the best Disposer of affairs” (Qur’an 3:173) 🍃🌸 Borrowed💕

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redefining-silence · 5 years

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How to make a schedule for doing good in 10 days of zul hijj?

As Salamu Alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh anon. Alhamdulillah that you’re seeking ways to do good in the 10 days of Zul-Hajj. May Allah make it easy for you. Ameen

It is narrated in a Hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon upon him) said:

“There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days.” They said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah?” He said: “Not even jihad for the sake of Allah, unless a man goes out himself for jihad taking his wealth with him and does not come back with anything.” (Bukhari)

I think this Hadith is a good guide to how we can make the best of the upcoming blessed days. The idea is to try our best to integrate simple righteous deeds with huge rewards into our daily routines, so we can fill our days with what is beloved to Allah.

Some practical tips that I can think of are: Whenever you find yourself with free time on your hands, don’t spend it on idle things. For instance, whenever you find yourself on your phone, ask yourself “Is there a better way to use this time?” This way you’ll be able to keep yourself in check. Another important thing is to keep your intentions in check. Make sure that before you do anything, your intention is to please Allah and seek His reward and Mercy. After all, all actions are judged on the basis of their intentions.

Moving on, here are some examples of good deeds that you can incorporate in your routine:

1)Dhikr:

•The Takbeer at-Tashreeq is wajib for men to recite, and mustahab for women, at least once after every fardh prayer from Fajr of the 9th of Zulhijjah until Asr time of the 13th of Zulhijjah. It is:

"Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha ill-Allah; wa Allahu akbar. Allahu akbar, wa Lillahi'l-hamd (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, there is no god but Allah; Allah is Most Great and to Allah be praise),"

Other than those specific times, try your best to recite this Takbir through out the day: when you’re on your way to somewhere, or doing any chores etc.

•We know from a Hadith that reciting “SubhanAllahi wa bihamdih” 100 times a day wipes away our sins, even if they are like the foam of the sea! An easy way to achieve this is to recite it 20 times after each Fardh prayer.

•Similarly, it is recommend by our Prophet (Peace be upon him) to seek Istighfar at least 100 times a day, and you can also make that easier for yourself by reciting “Astaghfirullaha wa atoobu ilaih” 20 times after each prayer.

•Make a habit, for these 10 days at least, to recite the morning and evening Adhkaar. You can find a list here.

2)Qur’an:

The recitation of the Quran is one of the best forms of Dhikr, so it makes sense to try our best to maximise it in these 10 days. My tip here would be to set a realistic goal for how much you want to recite each day, don’t overburden yourself as that can lead you to feel disheartened and give up completely. For example, my routine can be hectic so I would aim to recite 1-2 pages a day, whenever I get the time.

3)Sunnah:

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) is the best of mankind, and so of course his deeds are the best of deeds! Thus try and imply as many Sunnahs as you can in your day.

•Aim to use Miswaak before each prayer, as it is beloved to Allah.

•Try your best to pray the highly recommended 12 Sunnah Raka’ats daily. Further explanation can be found here.

•Recite Surah Mulk and the recommenced adhkaar before going to sleep. List here.

•Pay heed to the “small” Sunnahs regarding your daily actions: drinking water, going to the bathroom, eating, sleeping etc.

4)Dua:

It goes without saying, the one of the best things you can do for yourself in these 10 days is to make lots and lots of Duas. For yourself, for your loved ones and for the Ummah! You can set a time in the day, where you’re free and have a quiet space to talk to Allah. Make it convenient for yourself, so that you don’t end up getting frustrated and giving up. At the same time, talk to Allah throughout your day as well! Whenever you see something that reminds you to make dua, do it. Allah is always listening! A good place to start can be to make the Duas that are found in the Quran. List here.

Lastly, remember that these days carry a lot of reward so we have to fill them with goodness. But along with that what’s equally important is to steer clear of sins in these days, for you want to move closer to Allah in these days, not further away.

I hope this helps, and whatever good I’ve said is from Allah alone, and if there are any mistakes, it is on me. May Allah forgive us all. Ameen

#reminder #hajj #dua #dhikr #islam #quran

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lastprophetsworld · 6 years

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6 Tips to Remain Steadfast in Faith

Any great goal you want to achieve requires you to make a solid plan and put effort to achieve this dream goal. Right…?

Now, how come we’d think of our faith as something we take for granted, or something we don’t need to put effort in to grow and strengthen…?

The Prophet himself (peace and blessings upon him) taught us a dua in this regard. Shahr bin Haushab reported: “I asked Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her), “O Mother of the Believers! Which supplication did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) make frequently when he was in your house?” She said: “He (ﷺ) supplicated frequently: ‘Ya muqallibal-qulubi, thabbit qalbi ‘ala dinika (O Controller of the hearts make my heart steadfast in Your religion).” [At- Tirmidhi].

This day and age with all the temptations, distractions and tribulations that are happening around us, we need to have a plan to achieve our ultimate goal of earning Allah’s Pleasure and Closeness and reaching a beautiful eternal Paradise after we leave this world, insha’Allah.

So here are 6 sure ways to keep you steadfast in faith.

Sincere daily dua (supplication)

Allah teaches us a great lesson every day. He has instructed us to say 17 times a day through our 5 daily prayers:

“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” (Qur’an 1: 5)

This is not a coincidence. This is a reminder that no one can achieve success and steadfastness in faith except with the Help of Allah Almighty. We don’t just worship Allah; we need His Incomparable Help to remain on the straight path.

In a beautiful hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) he taught one of the most learned companions, Mu’adh (bin Jabal), words to recite in order to seek the Help of Allah.

Mu’adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) held my hand and said, “O Mu’adh, By Allah, I love you and advise you not to miss supplicating after every Salat (prayer) saying: ‘Allahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika, wa husni ‘ibadatika,’ (O Allah, help me remember You, expressing gratitude to You and worship You in the best manner.” [Abu Dawud and An- Nasa’i].

Dua is absolutely essential to receiving Allah’s guidance. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Verily supplication is worship.” [Related by the four Imams].

So let not a day pass without making supplications to Allah to help you and aid you. Speak to Allah in your own language and in your own way in supplication if you want. As long as you’re sincere and conscious of what you’re saying, then Allah will respond and will protect you and open doors for you. Allah is our Best Helper (AnNaseer) and He is Our Protecting Friend (Al Wali).

Reciting and Studying the Qur’an

The Qur’an is indispensable to one’s guidance and steadfastness. The best way to get closer to Allah is through His Own Words.

Continuing to listen to the words of Allah and recite them and explore their meanings will keep the heart engaged and will open it and guide it and keep it firm.

The Qur’an responds to everything that goes in your chest. Allah’s Infinite Wisdom and Mercy on His slaves is expressed in this timeless Book that speaks to the hearts and Minds that HE created.

From the beginning of the Book Allah Almighty says:

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, guidance for those conscious of Allah” (Qur’an 2: 2)

So, studying the meaning of the Qur’an (tafseer), perfecting the recitation (tajweed), spending time with the Qur’an in contemplation and reflection (tadabbur) and reciting it on a daily basis is a very strong mean to strengthen the heart.

“[…] Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby [the Qur’an] your heart….” (Qur’an 25: 32)

Studying Seerah (biography of the Prophet) and stories of the Prophets and Companions

Allah has sent the messengers to deliver for us the message and teach us how to deal with all life matters. His life (peace and blessings upon him) is rich with stories and incidents and reminders that would help us deal with anything we face in life. There is so much solace and guidance in being reminded of his Seerah.

Allah Almighty says:

“Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.” (Qur’an 3: 164)

So studying the Seerah of the Prophet is a means of remembrance of Allah, purification of the self and learning of wisdom.

And Allah Almighty has sent the Prophets before and taught us their stories through the Book and hadiths to guide us and open our hearts and minds to the wisdom of what we see around us and how to deal with different tribulations.

Almighty says:

“And each [story] We relate to you from the news of the messengers is that by which We make firm your heart. And there has come to you, in this, the truth and an instruction and a reminder for the believers.” (Qur’an 11: 120)

And He Almighty says:

“There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding. Never was the Qur’an a narration invented, but a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of all things and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.” (Qur’an 12: 111)

Practicing what one learns

Our iman (faith) can go really high up after listening to lectures or attending circles of knowledge. But few days, weeks, months later, we can lose this feeling and become spiritually drained. This is mainly because of not being consistent or practicing what one has learned.

As Allah Almighty says:

“But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith].” (Qur’an 4: 66)

Sometimes we delay following the instructions we hear or fear them or submit to the negative whispers of Satan. But if instead we strive to implement what we learn, then this definitely opens more doors of goodness and light and strengthens one in faith.

Allah says:

“And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Qur’an 29: 69)

Having good companions always

Seeking righteous companions and remaining among those who are seeking the closeness of Allah Almighty is something that aids and strengthens one’s faith significantly.

As Allah Almighty The Most Knowing says:

“And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” (Qur’an 18: 28)

And the Prophet says: ‘The example of a good pious companion and an evil one is that of a person carrying musk and another blowing a pair of bellows. The one who is carrying musk will either give you some perfume as a present, or you will buy some from him, or you will get a good smell from him, but the one who is blowing a pair of bellows will either burn your clothes or you will get a bad smell from him.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]

Being among the wrong company is very dangerous on one’s uprightness and steadfastness. It weakens one’s iman and moves one from remembrance to heedlessness and from great striving on the path to negligence and weakness.

In contrast, righteous companions keep one reminded of Allah, they call each other to doing good, they advise each other against doing sins, they compete in good deeds…etc.

So make dua to find right companions and be among them as they are brothers and allies and a safety boat to one another.

Constant Repentance and following bad deeds with good ones

This is a very important step. We must do all we have in our capacity to remain steadfast. But if for any reason one weakened or fallen into sin, then learn how to get back up immediately and take control of your life. Don’t let the sin control you or define you.

Shaitan whispers to people to commit sins, and when they do, he makes them think that they’re hopeless and can’t be forgiven or that their repentance won’t be accepted. DON’T EVER FALL INTO THIS TRAP!! EVER!

No matter what happens, no matter how many times you’ve fallen into sin and repented and fallen into sin and repented, you should NEVER give up. Allah will always accept the sincere repentance of His slaves. So long as your soul is still in your body and you’re not associating anything or anyone in worship with Allah, then He will always forgive you and accept your repentance.

“Allah, the Exalted, has said: ‘O son of Adam, I forgive you as long as you pray to Me and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of ‘Adam, I do not care if your sins reach the heights of the heaven, then you ask for my forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of ‘Adam, if you come to Me with an earth load of sins, and meet Me associating nothing to Me, I would match it with an earthload of forgiveness.”‘ [At- Tirmidhi].

So, if you’ve ever weakened or fallen into sin, then immediately follow it with good deeds. As Allah says:

“And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.” (Qur’an 11: 14)

Remember that for repentance to be accepted, one has to 1- stop the sin immediately. 2- Regret it sincerely, and 3 – have sincere desire to not go back to the sin.

You can also perform the prayer or repentance.

The Prophet says: “There is no one who commits a sin then purifies himself well (does wudoo’/ablution) and stands and prays two rak’ahs (two units of prayer), then asks Allah for forgiveness, but Allah will forgive him. [Abi Dawood]

So, repent, pray, do dhikr, give some money in charity, help your parents, call family member, read Qur’an, do as many good deeds as you can even if small….

In short, strangle the sin with good deeds and do not let it strangle you!

And remember that Allah says:

“Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” (Qur’an 2: 268)

So, never give up on Allah and His path because His doors are always open for us, just seek Him and put all effort in the purpose that He created us for and the rewards that He has prepared for us. It is all worth it. Always.

May Allah help us and strengthen us and grant us from all the goodness of this life and the next and bring our hearts back to Him firm and sincere.

#islam #muslim #allah #prophet muhammad #hadith #quran #islamic reminder #islamic advice #islamic knowledge #islamic quote #surah #lastprophetsworld #islamic education #prayer #sunnah

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shystoryrebel · 3 years

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Tarred Road

Syed and Gayatri didn't mean to fall in love. But love happens when you least expect it. It creeps up suddenly. When someone needs attention, care, conversation, laughter and maybe even intimacy. Love doesn't look at logic, or at backgrounds and least of all, religion. Gayatri was from a very conservative South Indian family that went to a temple every Saturday. Syed bought goats for his family every Eid. That said it all. Their paths would never have crossed if it hadn't been for that fateful day. That day when he walked into the coffee shop. Gayatri wondered if destiny chose our loved ones for us. Did we have any role to play at all? She looked at her watch. Syed was late. They met every Thursday at five pm to catch up. Their conversation lasted for hours. Sometimes at the cafe, sometimes in his car, sometimes in places that she could never tell her friends about. They would never understand. And yet Syed made her happy. Suddenly her phone beeped. He had sent a message. "On my way. Have something important to tell you." Gayatri stared at it and realized she had knots in her stomach. Thoughts flooded her mind. What did he want to tell her?

After waiting for hours Gayatri left for home.

Her hands went numb and cold after getting his message. ‘ Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky’. During all these moments, she knew only scotch could give some relief to her. She picked up the bottle of Scotch, from which she took two big pegs last night.

She read the label again and again on the Scotch bottle almost singingly, ‘Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky’. It was a good happenstance! Syed and Gayatri-they share a common interest, ‘Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky’.

She quickly swigged alcohol, from the bottle in her hand. She could feel the Scotch journey through her veins to the brain.

The ‘Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky’ opened her closed mental space and poked her that she was in a two bedroom flat, owned by her parents and the bottle, from which she had gulped the Scotch was the first ‘Date’ gift by Syed, whom she loved stealthily. Her mind was running fast.

“But who am I?” Gayatri asked this question. Her brain was flooded with questions about her relationships with Syed. Was she only an ordinary lover or sex toy….Who was she? She realized her love for Syed now.

She tried to be the excellent friend, Syed wanted her to be and she suppressed everything.

She was in love with him now.

She was desperate to see Syed who would be able to answer her query.

Her’s was a conservative society. If she were a boy, things would have been different for her. But entry of Syed changed everything fundamentally in her. She wanted to wear many hats with ease and believed in out-of-box free thinking. But Syed was very rigid and mysterious and he was not ready to mend his radical ways about Islam. Although Gayatri was very happy with Syed but in her heart she was always weepy and oppressed as Syed never paid much attention to her. He was always on some mysteries mission.

“Do you know Syed?” She asked to herself. When Syed was with her, he was the most remarkable person she had ever met. But heart of this man was Islam. He always pretended to be very busy. He was always very well dressed but always busy in attending the phone calls. Whenever there was a call, he used to leave her alone and attended the calls away from her.

Whenever there was no call, he would sit cross-legged on the chair, engrossed in thoughts. As he was lost in thoughts, he frequently ran his fingers through his thick-black hair. Every now and then, he pushes his chair.

Her beginning with this amazing but mysterious man came about in an exciting manner in the coffee shop.

Syed was born into an affluent family. His father ran a thriving business of carpet in Kashmir. They owned two palatial hoses and a big showroom in the main market of Srinagar. Besides a buggy, they possessed a ford and Baby Austin. Abdullahs and Muftis were their close family friends. Eminent, political and Muslim leaders, poets and other intellectuals of the state often visited their bungalow. Syed was a student at Srinagar University. Life was extremely pleasant-late night parties, drinks, romance, poetry, luxury!

And then came the terrorism in Kashmir. Months and years of deaths and bloodbath. Family business of Syed was ruined. After months and years of feeling alone and useless in Srinagar, he suddenly found a purpose of life after meeting her. She became his confident. He talked to her. She also loved her new role. And the more Syed shared his feeling and his past, the more she wanted to help, to the point that she started feeling that he might not be able to achieve his goals without her help and company.

Syed was attractive, slim, and quite tall for a south Indian Hindu girl. He generally dressed in salwar-kameej. He was nearly in his late twenties. His English was good and he didn’t have good accent. They blabbered on – the typical stuff of first meeting; what, they did, where they lived, which place they liked, what they had seen so far, where else they had been , where he was going, and so on and so for, for many hours. In the very first meeting, they didn’t seem in a hurry to leave.

She found that Syed would cure her loneliness. The first step was to start frequent conversation. Syed was expert in this art. Just make a kind and soft comment about anything and other party is in trap, “really cold today, isn’t it?” Or, “the service is very bad.” Or whatever comes to mind that can binds two persons together.

This was the scene now that she always thought about Syed. One day she was alone at her parent’s house and the bright sunshine of the winter noon had just brightened the sky. Suddenly Syed came without any information. She was amazed but very happy. He gave her a very tight hug, arm-in arm, breast to breast. Both stopped. He drew her more closer and lightly kissed her cheeks, lips and eyelids, she inhaled the sweet smell of his body, kissed her chin, loitered at her throat, then moved to her tight breasts, kissing through her skirt, the nipples of her breasts. With his lips he traced her heat, red lips, then her blushing cheeks, then felt the lids of her closed eyes, then kissed her forehead, until, finally his hands rested on her hips. In the room, Syed moved his hand from her hips to her thighs, then to her waist, slipping his hands, underneath her panty and slowly moving his hand up to the center of her thighs.

She breathed in and held him more tightly. She absorbed the feel of his body. He touched the untouched.

But all of a sudden all hell broke.

Far, in a loudspeaker a mullah was offering his prayer. Syed immediately released Gayatri.

He uttered, “ Mashalah.” as Allah had willed all this!. She could not disagree. She also muttered two “Mashalah.” under her breath.

Syed changed his clothes. Short pajama, long kurta and skull cap. He was looking very funny. After this, he sat on dry and clean floor. He offered his prayers.

She slept poorly that night. Lots of thoughts as to how things would go out once I marry a Muslim. She woke, soaked in sweat.

She shared this relationship with her friends too.

‘A Muslim as your lover?’ Pooja slapped her head. ‘What a stupid girl you are.’

My college friends Pooja, Aarti and Sita had come to my flat. Fat Pooja sat on my bed.

‘How did you surrender so easily like a whore?’ She shouted at Gayatri.

‘I can still smell the dirty stink,’ Aarti said and closed her nose tightly like a little child.

We all four of us came from religious middle class Hindu families and none of us were the ‘classy secular’ types one finds in universities and colleges.

‘Nonsense. I have taken a bath. No smell,’ Gayatri retorted back.

‘It’s all useless. His stink will remain for a long time,’ Aarti said.

‘You’re trying to kill me for my secular love?’ Gayatri argued.

‘Stop talking like that about a Muslim, Syed,’ Pooja shouted.

‘O my, protective, secular and modern lover,’ Sita said.

‘So, are you in a permanent relationship? Things seem to be swelling.’ Pooja snapped.

‘What?’ Gayatri asked.

All laughed.

‘He is just playing with you and your body.’ Aarti said.

‘Did you love him and anything happen?’ Sita asked.

Gayatri blushed and her face became red.

‘What?’ Shocked Aarti ‘Idiot, did he just do it all with you and you allowed him?’

‘Nothing much happened,’ Gayatri said in a low voice, ‘Due to his prayers, he stopped.’

‘Is he your boyfriend?’ Pooja asked. ‘Entire colony talks about you.’

‘I can’t stop at this stage,’ Gayatri said.

‘You fool don’t know? Aarti said twisting her face.

‘And he?’

‘He’s not sure.’

All kept quiet.

‘You love a Muslim now,’ Aarti said.

Gayatri remained silent. She has spoken the unspeakable.

‘You have shamed your family and shamed us all, we don’t want to talk to you,’ Shouted Sita.

‘Gone, you are so gone. You are lost forever. I can see sense of shame and guilt on your face,’ Aarti said.

‘Be careful from Muslims. They need toys for time pass or they need girls for love jihad,’ Sita said.

There was a loud and big bang on the door. The noise broke her chain of thought.

All of a sudden, a police van stopped in front of her house. Syed came out of the van, two policemen holding him handcuffed and a woman with two children followed him. Woman was his wife, Parvati alis Ayesha and two children were his sons. He was unshaven, worn out looking, very scared and had an air of desperation; it appeared that escorting policemen had gave him nothing to eat.

Six huge police officers rammed into her almost darkened flat and flashlight ablazed the flat, started going through the rooms, making her open the cupboards and boxes. They were very carefully checking every item. They apprised Gayatri with a glance about the dangerous activities of Syed. A chill went up in the spine of Gayatri.

Syed requested the escorting party to remove the handcuffs so that he can offer prayers. But the officer in-charge punched him badly fearing, Syed might flee.

Gayatri looked within and found herself as the most stupid woman of the world. Syed had other women also in his love-trap as he was a ‘love jihadi’ – there were so many other woman victims too!

Gayatri could not understand Syed. He seemed, to have been fun with women and in return he was paid handsomely by his organizations. But she became very quickly and easily too serious.

She turned and glared at Syed with intensity, never seen before. Her face was reddened. Her eyes expressed anger, possibly hate. She spat words at him. She told him very tersely not to enter in her life! “You’ve just made everything worse. I never want to see you again.” She turned away, took a few long steps towards the main door. She concluded by shouting you was as horrible as your practices.

Two long hours had elapsed. Within these two hours, she had seen more than she should have. She slammed the door shut.

Gayatri cursed herself. She meant nothing to him! Why had she fallen in love with this jihadi? Why all other women fallen in love with him? Now she knew the answer: those glowing blue eyes, his slim and tall young body that seemed seductive, drama to help, that she saw behind his false facade, his oft stated desire and faith to believe in humanity.

‘What the hell did she weave around her?’ It was a disaster. Gayatri was devastated. She was a reserved woman. She had issues opening up to people.

Knowingly or unknowingly, without thinking about the future, she was guided or rather misguided by her inner impulse; to enjoy or take a view of a wonder that became a ‘snake.’

She was walking out of his life.

‘What the hell did she do?’

The neighbours appeared, too hurry and comfortable in a fragile relationship of neighbourhood. All had their windows and doors closed like hers. All fearful of the common enemy but afraid to speak, under the grab of privacy and the dark world of fashionable and modern shades.

She heard the sound of the footsteps of Syed and escorting policemen getting fainter as she walked away inside.

The black tarred and emotionless road, loyal to its arrogance and indifferent to the brutal marching rogue pouring hate and destruction on all those come to his way; bringing destruction and then charring the souls and bodies those dare to make a direct or indirect contact in any way.

Horrified, Gayatri tried to hide behind the heavy curtains, not only from the light but from her own self. She felt as if the light and eyes could be of a wounded cobra striking with a vengeance. She was praying for the safety of herself and her family from this cobra. But not all measures can be fool proof.

‘To err is human.’

“Syed was an eclipse on her life. Solar or lunar, in Indian (Hindu,) mythology, they bear religious connotations and their occurrence are linked to inauspicious and unfavorable phase of the Universe and each living being and life on the earth.”

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sweetness-of-faith · 3 years

Video

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“And if the people of those towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety), certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth.” [Qur’an 7:96]

What is the purpose of my life? How can I make the best out of it? What happens after death and how to prepare for the after life? From the smallest particles to the big stars and vast galaxies, every thing is running smoothly according to a perfect plan.

The universe didn’t come into being by an accident and doesn’t run on its own. Common sense dictates that there must be a Creator behind this great scheme, and there is, (God Almighty, Allah), Who controls everything.

How things in the cosmos can run so smoothly for millions of years without a supreme Operator to manage and regulate them. God (the supreme Creator) is All Mighty, All Wise, All Powerful and Most Beneficent and Merciful.

Whatever has happened in the past, whatever is happing now and whatever is going to happen in future – that is all in the complete control of God alone. He is One, worthy of all worship and He has no partners.

Time and space belong to Him and the past, present and future is all in His supreme knowledge and control. God Almighty is showering countless blessings upon us everyday.

His universe and whatever is in there is in constant service to mankind providing him water and food and every thing which is necessary for his survival. So many organs from head to toe are ceaselessly functioning within the human body, and each is indispensable and can’t be replaced.

Every heart-beat, every single breath and every eye-blink demands us that we should thank Him, though we cannot thank Him enough for His blessings. The remembrance of the Creator is the very soul of the universe.

The purpose of religion is to correct our relationship with our Creator and with the rest of His creation. Islam is the only religion, which truly establishes this relationship.

Its simple guidelines are applicable in every walk and every aspect of life; be it belief, worship, individual, collective life and life’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects.

God Almighty sent prophets as guides to teach people the purpose of life and how to lead it. The prophets as role-models for mankind ideally demonstrated how to lead life.

They taught how to achieve success in this temporary life and the eternal life of the Hereafter. Muhammad (Peace be upon him, SAW) was the final messenger who was sent as a mercy to the entire mankind.

He was a reformer, orator, commander, philosopher, statesman, administrator, and a revolutionary leader. The movement which he started to reform mankind goes on and will go on till the end of this world.

His miraculous achievements as a leader have been acknowledged by historians and men of letters by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Even his worst enemies attested to his honesty, and integrity.

The Holy Qur’an is a complete code of life and a living miracle across space and time. Hundreds of thousands of people, including small children, have memorized this book from cover to cover.

Not a single word or letter in the Qur’an has been changed in the last 14 centuries! The Holy Qur’an mentions facts regarding the creation of the universe, birth of human being, formation of clouds, movement of sun and moon in orbits and other scientific facts which were not known to mankind at the time of its revelation.

This proves that it is a direct word of God Almighty Who not only has complete and total knowledge, but is the very source of knowledge. This life is a one-time opportunity to achieve everlasting happiness in the Hereafter.

Every moment has a great potential if positively used to raise status and rank in the sight of our Creator. Strong faith and good deeds bring peace and comfort in this life, in the grave and in the Hereafter.

This world is but a station, not the destination. It is a place where we are sent to be tested. It is not a place to become lost in its wonders and temptations and be inactive, lazy or lethargic.

"So did you think that We created you for nothing, and that you will not be brought back to us?" [23:115]

Every action we do and every word we speak is being recorded. For complete success in this world and in the Hereafter, man needs to reform and change his life.

He should quit the pursuit of desires and temptations and pursue the life of submission and obedience. Paradise is a reality – with rivers of milk and honey, palaces of gold and silver, delicious food and fruits, beautiful companions, always happy, always young, always healthy – a great kingdom for ever and ever for an unending enjoyment and bliss.

Compete with each other to strengthen faith and excel in good deeds and hasten to seize every fleeting moment and turn into gold by a productive activity; sow seeds today to reap a rich harvest tomorrow and rush at the available opportunity before it is lost for good.

Convert time into gold. Today is the day of action, rush to do good deeds. Repentance and asking forgiveness could clean up mistakes of the past. Good intentions lead us to a golden future.

Even ordinary daily acts like eating and sleeping can become acts of worship if done the way told by God and His beloved Prophet (SAW). This is how every single act may bring us closer to our Creator.

What a great bargain to earn unimaginable and countless rewards in the everlasting life of the Hereafter. Imagine a believer who always remembers and seeks help from his Creator, praises God by his tongue, in his heart, expresses gratitude for His bounties, is patient in hardships.

He supplicates in all earnestness and always has good intentions. He follows the ways of the beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him, SAW) in his outward appearance and in his manners, conduct and etiquette. He is getting rewards at every step.

Worshipping our Creator, acquiring knowledge to become an ideal believer, serving humanity, making efforts in helping fellow human beings to be loved by God should be our mission.

Deeds done with a pure heart, sincere intentions, with humility, love and care fulfills the mission of life. Islam teaches universal brotherhood as indicated and expressed in our daily prayers and our pilgrimage to Makkah.

“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into races and tribes, that you may identify one another. Surely, the noblest of you, in God’s sight is the one who is most pious of you. Surely, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” [Qur’an 49:13]

Islam’s mission is to serve humanity. Islam teaches us to help the needy without any discrimination of color, creed, race, nationality or religion.

Islam gives a second chance to every human being to bring his life back on track, find the way to salvation and to prepare for Paradise. Embracing Islam washes away previous sins.

Repentance is the way to protect from punishment in the life of the Hereafter. The human heart has hidden treasures of matchless jewels. If found and applied, ordinary people on the street can become means of guidance to their communities, fountains of light, flag-bearers of justice and mercy, making the world a cradle of learning and illuminating the universe with divine knowledge.

Our goal is educate people to produce better believers, law abiding responsible citizens with high morals and characters living peacefully in the society as community members having strong faith, performing good deeds, and have a sense of accountability to Almighty God.

May God, the Lord of Honor and Power, guide us all to the right path! Ameen.

#JAR #Muslim #Saturday Thoughts

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khutbahs · 4 years

Link

Secret of Happiness In Islamic Perspective

It is high time to reach to humanity reeling from the illness of body and soul, and convey the sole message of almighty guaranteeing the peace of mind, tranquility, eternal happiness and contentment in this life and everlasting bliss in the Hereafter.

Happiness is perhaps the most highly sought after goal in our life. This is the only goal that everyone of us strives to achieve throughout the life. The goal of happiness, tranquility, serenity, peace of mind, contentment and freedom from worries and anxiety is what each of us is vicious to achieve. There are different means of attaining the happiness, namely religious, natural and practical, but the true happiness can only be achieved by combining all of them. In our culture, it is commonly believed that happiness can be achieved through the accumulation of wealth of material possession. A segment of society believes that happiness and tranquility will be achieved as a result of power; others believe that happiness is achieved through fame, recognition; yet others define happiness as satisfying one’s each and every sensual desires. Materialists tend to disregard the spiritual aspects and view life as nothing but a means to satisfy ones’ whims and desires. This is a common trend in the west, which led to abandonment of religion. The question is, will this bring about happiness? The answer to this is verily in the negative.

The reason people have so much trouble attaining the happiness is that the true meaning of happiness is not understood well by majority of the people pursuing the happiness. That is why the majority tend to attain the happiness, end up without achieving true happiness. Despite having achieved all their set goals, they are in fact not happy. Statistics reveals that the highest suicide rates, divorce rates, run-ins with the law, drug problems and rehabilitation problems are always rampant in the rich and elite of society.

The prime question arise what then is the real happiness and what is the road to attain it.

Happiness is most commonly defined as the continued feeling or state of delight, contentment, enjoyment, satisfaction, generosity, arising from contentment of one’s self, life and belief that they will have a blissful destiny.

From Islamic perspective, the happiness is not merely a temporary state of joy and delight; rather it’s is a lifelong process aiming primarily at bringing eternal happiness, peace of mind, tranquility of heart, contentment in this world and everlasting bliss in the Hereafter.

Many people attempt to follow complex paths in order to achieve happiness. However, they fail to see the easier path that is Islam. Happiness can be achieved by sincere worship, competing to do righteous good deeds, and by performing acts of kindness or giving charity, bringing smile to the face of a child. These things have the potential to make our hearts truly happy.

In this article, we tend to explain the real means of attaining the true happiness from Islamic perspectives.As most of us have come to realize, happiness is the feeling of contentment and peacefulness. Therefore, the key to attain the true happiness is to be contented and be able to experience the peace of body, mind and soul.

Contentment is a marker of happiness, richness, Self-Sufficiency, and tranquility. Contentment is one of the acts of worship of the heart. The Prophet ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Muhammad ﷺ as his Prophet.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 34)

Ibn Taymiyyah said about contentment, “Contentment is the greatest door that one enters to Allah, it is the source of tranquility for the worshiper and paradise on earth. Whoever does not enter it will not enter the Paradise in the Hereafter.”

The secret to achieving contentment is to putting our trust in our creator, who disposes all of our affairs. We should believe that the All-Merciful God plansthat which is best for us. The state we are in currently is the best state for us, had it was otherwise, All-merciful would not have chosen it for us. Absolute trust in God is the root of contentment, and contentment is one of the great keys to happiness.

Contentment is prerequisites for happiness in life, and, unfortunately, most of usdon’t have it. It is heartening to see that most of us have fallen into this trap. We are running behind materialistic gains at a maddening speed. We intend to drive expensive cars beyond our needs, not just for dependability, but for prestige. Constant wanting to maintain our prestige and life style, which, is the chief enemy of contentment, deceives us. The person wealthy is a person who does not feel needy towards something or someone in this world, regardless of how much he possesses in material, quantitative terms. Therefore, a person who is content is very wealthy, because he does not feel he needs anything more.

Contentmentbrings inner peace, tranquility and happiness in its totality. Contentment will get us closer to Allah in this world and the world to come. The more content a person, the less problems in his life. A content believer will never suffer psychological problems such as depression, worries, anxiety, etc.

How to achieveeternal happiness and contentment?

True happiness and contentment, is the result of a number of factors and can only be achieved by striking a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of life.If we overlook the spiritual aspect of life, it will result in the illness of the soul, which is a common spiritual disease. The cure is quite to believe in God Almighty and to accept the faith that He has approved for mankind. This spiritual disease, if leftuntreated, will result in disastrous consequences.

The Prophet ﷺsaid: “There is no Muslim servant who says in the morning and the evening three times: I am content with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion and with Muhammad ﷺ as my Prophet, except that it will be a right upon Allah to make him content on the Day of Judgment.” (Ahmad (18967)

True happiness is ultimately aimed to bless the individual a blissful life in the Hereafter. This is the noble cause that drives a Muslim to strive to become better. God, the Exalted says: “And as for those who were [destined to be] prosperous, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except what your Lord should will – a bestowal uninterrupted.” (11:108)

A believer does notbelieve in gathering as much wealth as he can in this life, for the Prophet (SAW) said,“This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the non-believer.”(Sahih Muslim 2956)

A believer who is aware of the bounties and blessings bestowed by Allah upon him and gratefully conscious that his very existence, body, spirit, intellects and faculties are gifted to him out of generosity, is moved to celebrate his Creator’s praises and be grateful to Him. Such a believer attains thesatisfaction, blessedness, and inward pleasure, which is beyond description.

Below are some useful ways of attaining true happiness, tranquility and contentment:

The Teachings of Islam lead to Happiness: The teachings of Islam have great influence on a practicing Muslim. His manners and ethics are shaped according to the commands of Allah, as a result, he enjoys the soundness of his mind; a state of complete happiness. The more one relies on his creator and logs for Him will find true happiness.

Allah, the Almighty says in the Qur’an, “And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. this Qur·an and worship of Allah) , We appoint for him Shaitan (Satan devil) to be a Qarn (an intimate companion) to him.” (Az-Zukhruf, 43:36)

In another place, Allah, the Almighty said, “O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall (all) be gathered.” (AI Anfal, 8:24)

This is a very profound verse, which reveals that a prosperous life is only attained by obeying Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). The real and prosperous life, therefore, is the life of the person who obeys Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) openly and secretly. So a person is alive if he perfectly obeys the call of the Messenger (peace be upon him), in every aspect of life.

Almighty says, “And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.” [al-Talaq 65:3]

A content believer relies on Allah, put his trust on Him, which, ultimately result in warding off his worries and distress, relieving him of mental and physical sickness leading to comfort and happiness to the heart.

The concern of sustenance is the cause of many troubles in our lives, which subsequently results in depriving us of happiness. Islam teaches its followers not to be concerned with subsistence that which was guaranteed. Therefore, a true believer sincerely believes that as long as one is living, subsistence is guaranteed. If a door is closed, Almighty, according to His mercy, will open another means, which will be even more useful.

The teachings of Islam potentially moves a believer from the sphere of discontentment to one of contentment. A believer becomes mindful of the fact that Islam does not order its followers to become monks or to distance themselves from worldly pleasures; on the contrary, it obliges a believer to exploit whatever worldly possessions they have in a legitimate way to obtain true happiness.

Faith and righteous deeds:This is the most instrumental to achieve the happiness and contentment. Allah says:

“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).”[al-Nahl 16:97]

Belief plays a vital role in a believer’s life to make him feel content with things that have been destined for him. It is through this that one can enjoy the blessings of this life and everlasting bless in the world to come.

Belief in Allah helps a believer to attain true happiness. It drives him closer to Allah and makes him turn to Almighty when faced with trials seeking His help to alleviate the problems that he faces. Polytheism, not believing in God ultimately results in misery. Whoever does not believe in God will indeed live a life filled with anxiety and misery.

Ibn Taymiya said, “The origins of happiness are based upon three things, and each one of them has an opposite and whoever lost one of these will get its opposite: monotheism and its opposite, which is polytheism, Sunnah and it opposite, which is innovation, and obedience and disobedience.All these three have one opposite, which is a heart that fails to seek Allah and the pleasures He promises, and fails to fear Allah and the punishments He promises for the wrong doers.”

The key to happiness is acknowledging the power of Allah, acceptance of His Divine Decree. A seeker of true happiness always depends on his Creator, Almighty God, needing Him for everything: His guidance, sustenance, provisions, and countless physical, spiritual blessings.

The Qur’an portrays the life of the misguided and wicked ones as “the mutual rivalry for piling up (worldly gains)” (al-Takathur, 1), and “play and amusement, a show and boasting among yourselves, a quest for greater riches and more children” (al-Hadid, 20).

Understanding the Objective of Life: An essential pre-requisite of happiness is the understanding of life and its true objective. A believer knows his position on the earth as a trustee thus guided by divine light and becomes more responsible.The Quran says in Sura al-Isra:

“But, as for those who desire the life to come, and strive for it as it ought to be striven for, and are true Believers- they are the ones whose strivings find acceptance and reward. [al-Isra 17: 19.]

A true believerappreciates all that Allah has bestowed on him; body, mind, faculties and property, and utilize them towards his real objective and that is to earn the pleasure of Allah and the rewards of Janna. However, it is heartening to see that the majority of present-day Muslims have chosen and determined objectives contrary to the sole objective for which they had been created. Pleasing Allah has become secondary for most of them and set off in pursuit of their own worldly desires. As a result of alienation from the true objective, Muslim across the globe live in humiliation.

A true believer is fascinated with please of Allah and true reward. He loves the Hereafter more than this worldly life and prefer it to all that exit in this world. For such believer, Allah has promised a great reward. Allah says in the Quran, “God will say, ‘This is a Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness. They will have Gardens graced with flowing streams, there to remain for ever. God is pleased with them and they with Him: that is the supreme triumph.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:119)

In another verse,it says, “Their reward with their Lord is everlasting Gardens graced with flowing streams, where they will stay forever. God is well pleased with them and they with Him.” (Al-Bayyinah 98:8)

Refiningthe heart: The gateway to achieve the happiness and contentment of the heart and its tranquility and satisfaction is abundant remembrance of Allah. Remembrance of Allah results in bringing expansion and tranquility to the heart, and eliminating worry and grief from it. If a due care is not given to suffice the soul, it will ultimately lead to great worries, feelings of discontentment and unhappiness. The soul must be sufficed with the true belief in the Oneness of God.

God, Almighty, says,”Those who have believed and whose hearts are content by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are contented.”(13:28)

If a believer dedicates his attention to refine his heart, he experiences great feelings of contentment, happiness, and feelings of bliss. The scholar, IbnTaymiyyah, (may God have mercy on him) after being tortured, banished and imprisoned said,“What can my enemies do to me? My paradise and orchard are in my heart and they never part with me. If my captors imprison me it is most certainly a religious retreat, if they kill me it is martyrdom, and if they banish me from my land it is like tourism.” Only a person who is true in his faith and sincere to Allah can utter such an amazing words. Islam guarantees to its believers complete spiritual happiness and contentment regardless of their financial or social condition in life. A true Muslim, who has purified his heart will always be happy regardless of circumstances, sick or healthy, rich or poor. (Al-Waabil as-Sayyib min al-Kalim at-Tayyib)

God, the Exalted, says, “When disaster strikes them, they say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy and it is those who are the rightly guided.”(2:156-7)

It is very strange that when a servant of Allah faces a problem, he turns to Allah seeking His help, while he never turns to Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance, neglect, fulfilling one’s desires. As a result, he commits the major sins without feeling any guilt and the significance or impact of it.

A believer ought to look for the things that will draw him nearer to Allah. He commits all his affairs to Allah, throw himself between His hands,and consequently is relieved from all distress and sadness, and as a result, his life becomes good and his heart happy.

Ibn Qayyim says, ‘Whoever abandons habits for the sake of someone or something other than Allah, will surely suffer hard and difficult times. However, whoever abandons habits for the sake of Allah sincerely from his heart, he will not suffer from leaving it except at the beginning so that his credibility will be examined. If he bears this pain it will be turned into pleasure, and satisfaction within his heart, its strength, activity, happiness, and contentment.’ (Al Fawaid)

It is wisely said that in three situations our relationship with our Lord gets justly determined: when listening to the Qur’an, during gatherings of remembering Allah, and during times of solitude. If we do not find our heart in these three situations, better to ask Allah to grant us with a heart, as we do not have one.

Avoiding comparisons: The feeling of insufficiency and incapacity is the major source of discontent and unhappiness. People generally tend to look at people above them and desire to be like them. Nevertheless, Islam advises us to look at those below us and feel content at what Allah has provided us. The most effective way to deal with such unpleasant suffering is to forget about the people with higher standards of living. Allah says in the Quran, “Do not strain your eyes in longing for the things that we have given to some groups of them to enjoy, the splendour of the life of this world through which we test them. The provision of your Lord is better and more lasting.” (Quran 20:131)

Sense of peace and security: Happiness has more to do with human mind and heart. Hence peace of the mind and psychological security play a key role in the attainment of happiness. That is why; we see that many affluent people do not find the way to happiness despite all the prosperity and luxury they enjoy. While many people who live a miserable life,are able to enjoy inner peace, tranquility, happiness and contentment.

A man can achieve his career goal and reach the height of success, however, what is beyond his reach is peace of mind and the feeling of security which, can only be achieved by getting rid of fear and anxiety, and observance of his duties to his Almighty Lord. The feeling of security is furthered by the awareness that Allah continuously watches over every human act and behavior.”Allah ever watches over you.”(Qur’an, 4:l)

Developing strong will and self- confidence: One of the useful ways to attain the happiness and tranquility is to have self-confidence and strong will. These are the leading factors to develop and direct the life of the individual toward success and happiness. They are also instrumental to get rid of the hardships and difficulties of life and endure all odds that hinder man’s way towards the achievement of life goal which, ultimately result in bringing the happiness.

It is worth pointing out that for a Muslim, having self-confidence does not mean that he does not need the help of his Lord, and it does not mean that he does not need to seek help from his fellow brothers. This is what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked his Lord for, which was: not to be left to himself (or to his own devices), not even for the blink of an eye!

It was narrated that Abu Bakrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The supplication of the one who is in distress: O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for the blink of an eye. Set all my affairs straight, there is no god but You.”Narrated by Abu Dawood (5090); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

A Muslim cannot do without his Lord, may He be exalted. Self-confidence is an acquired characteristic. A Muslim needs help and support from his Lord. The more he puts his trust in his Lord, the greater his self-confidence will grow and reach the highest level.

Reading Quran with understanding: Quran remains to be the most important nourishment for the heart. The companions of Prophet (SAW) received their training and inspiration from the Quran. It has been their constant companion, their guide, their light and their leader. Quran is the wisdom and inspiration. Those who devote their time to reading and understanding it, get the inspiration and guidance to live the content and peaceful life. The Quran says that when people really listen to it, their faith must increase, “Believers are those who, when God is mentioned, feel a tremor in their heart, and whenever His Messages are conveyed to them their faith is strengthened.” [Al-Anfal 8: 2.]

Why it is, that today when we listen to the Quran or read it, our hearts are not moved, nor do our lives change. One of the greatest injustices we do to the Quran is that we treat it as if it was a thing of past and of no relevance to the present. The ideal way to benefit from the Quran is to read it thinking as it is being revealed to us. We must feel that we are in conversation with our creator. The sole purpose of the book is to guide us and being us to the submission to Allah. Hence, it is very imperative to make sure that we are not only reading it rather we are living by what it invites us to. It must have the impact upon your actions.

One of the prime reason for rampant anxiety, grief, unhappiness, in every society, is abandoning the Quran and our grave negligence towards the rights of the Quran. We must observe what it enjoins and avoid what it prohibits. If we are impacted by Quran, and start sincerely changing ourlives according to its commands, Allah will certainly help usin finding the peace and tranquility of happiness.

Lessening the attachment with material possessions: It is completely ordinary that man wants to possess as much as possible. However, an enlightened, guided and spiritually charged individual never deeply attached to worldly affairs so that it holds their lives. It is due to the occupation in the hearts that people cling to this worldly life.The strong desire in this life undermines the very purpose of our creation and diminishes the real desire for the Hereafter. The more firm we are in this material world, the more weare cut off from the Hereafter. This inevitably increases the people inuncertainty and discontentment.

The desire to acquire more and fear to lose are the real causes of feeling unhappy and uncontended. Therefore, the remedy for this decrease is to know that Allah (swt) has allocated for us our provision. As long as one strive, one will get what is written for him.The Prophet ﷺ said, “Know that even if the whole community were to gather together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded for you; and that if they gather together to harm you with something, they would not be able to harm you with anything except that which Allah has already recorded against you.” (Tirmidhi 2516)

The aforementioned narration is profound to enlighten us. A true believer is aware that everything that happens is by the permission of Allah (swt). Therefore, the intelligent person finds his heart attached to the highest aim (the Hereafter) which potentially removesall thepains and regrets. A believer never seek help except from Allah.The desire to attain Paradise becomes the most comprehensive goal for a Muslim.

It is therefore of utmost importance for a believer to ensure that he is not attached to the worldly affairs to the extent it starts controlling his life and distracting him from the real goal of Hereafter. Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “Desiring the Hereafter can only be achieved by eschewing life of this world.”

An intelligent person does not put money high on his priority list, which are the main causes of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Thus if one intends to achievethe contentment, he has to repel the greed of want of more.The prophet (SAW) said, “Be happy, and hope for what will please you. By God, I am not afraid that you will be poor, but I fear that worldly wealth will be bestowed upon you as it was bestowed upon those who lived before you. So you will compete amongst yourselves for it, as they competed for it and it will destroy you as it did them.”(Sahih al-Bukhari 4015)

It will be wrong to assume that we should not enjoy the good things of this world. Rather, we are encouraged to strive to achieve our career goals and acquire possessions that will earn us the pleasures of this world provided we remain mindful of our Allah. It must be borne into the mind that there is no true enjoyment of the good of this world if we do not strive for the Next world. For a true believer a love that we ought to be desired is the love of the Akhira: For this to be achieved, the love of Allah and His Messenger must be dearer to you than all else [al-Baqara 2: 165]. This will potentially earn us the pleasures of this world and of the next.

Hence, for a person to reach the state of true happiness, it is very essential that one frees himself from the manacles of materialistic worldviews, trends and practices, turning to the spiritual realm with very different viewpoints, beliefs and traditions.

Living between patience and gratitude: One of the major source of attaining the happiness and tranquility in this life is living between patience and gratitude. Hence, the primary concern for a content believer remains to holding onto Allah and developing a close attachment with Him. He remains grateful and thankful to Allah for the magnificent bounties he was blessed with including his wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities and life. He is aware that his very existence and his unending sustenance are only dependent on Allah. All the praises, therefore, are due to Him alone.

Therefore, a believer is always grateful to Allah for all the blessing he received and patient over calamities he is afflicted with or tribulation he is in, and as a result, finds perfect peace of mind and happiness. Every person experiences both the conditions. Hence, neither a state of affliction nor a state of prosperity meanwe are ultimately successful, or ultimately doomed. Allah has already made that clear to us:

“In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.” [Qur’an: Chapter 57, Verse 23]

Endurance in Obeying Allah and his messenger: True happiness will never be achieved without enduring trials and tribulations. It is incumbent upon every Muslim to exercise it to compel his self into obedience to Allah. If this principal is not understood rightly, it will lead to frustration and disappointment. Almighty says, “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘Webelieve’, and that they will not be tested? And We indeed tested those whowere before them. And Allah will certainly make fit] known [the truth of]those who are true, and will certainly make [it] known [the falsehood of]those who are liars [although Allah knows all that before putting them totest].” [Surah Al-‘Ankabut (29), Ayah 2-3.]

A content believer accepts God’s decree for him and leads a happy life free from total despair or unbearable pain. He feel the pains and trials of this life, but does not complain about them. Prophet (SAW) said: “Indeed amazing are the affairs of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it.”[Sahih Muslim 2999]

Occupying with Useful Knowledge: Seeking beneficial knowledge brings happiness. The angels flutter their wings and keep records of those who seek knowledge; the mere thought of this brings a smile of happiness to the face of a believer. Occupying oneself with useful knowledge is among the means of warding off anxieties and eliminating what is distracting the heart from being in peace and tranquility. However, what is integral in seeking the happiness through knowledge is having good intention of doing it with sincerity and seeking the pleasure of Allah. Knowledge and faith are the best acquirements for the hearts and souls that raises the believer to an elevated status in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.

Islam lays emphasize on acquiring the knowledge of Almighty and His attributes for, a believer obtains real pleasure according to the degree of knowledge, love and good behavior he acquires. Accordingly, the pain and regret will be according to the degree to which he misses these great targets.

A knowledgeable person fears Allah more. Therefore, whenever the servant’s knowledge increases, he become more humble and more merciful. The healthier, the more generous. This is however not the case with non-believer. With increased knowledge he becomes more arrogant and boastful and greedier, and the wealthier, the stingier. Almighty test the people with knowledge, and it is true believer who bear it as a test and strive to succeed in it and become happy, whereas a non-believer fail in the test and become miserable.

True Richness: Being rich is all about the soul and mind. A person is rich if he feels thus, and another is poor if he feels like so.Accordingly, the Prophet (pbuh) once explained that whoever makes this world, rather than the Hereafter, his most important matter, God will confound his affairs and make poverty appear before his eyes (Sunan Ibn Majah), so wherever he wants to look and whatever he wants to see, he will see only poverty. Poverty will become his greatest fear and the actual condition of his mind and soul. But whoever makes the Hereafter his most important matter, the Prophet (pbuh) continued: “Allah will settle his affairs and make him content in his heart and the world will come to him although he does not want it.”

The Prophet (pbuh) also said: “Richness does not lie in the abundance of (worldly) goods, but richness is the richness of the soul (the heart)” (Sahih Muslim 1051).

The constant nagging in the heart for more is what makes the people unhappy. We see many among us who possess the material goods of the world and yet not happy, rather they are often the unhappy people. Therefore, we find that those who have little but feel no need for more do not feel this nagging in their heart. Certainly, the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who is content with what he has.

In the words of Mr Bob Moorehead, “today people spend more, but have less, they buy more, but enjoy less. They have bigger houses, but less warmth and smaller families in them, more conveniences, but less time. They own houses, but not homes. They have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment and wisdom, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. They have multiplied their possessions, but reduced their values. They have learned how to make a living, but not a life. They have done larger things, but not better things.”

Conclusion: True happiness is not about acquiring the wealth, fame, prestige, status, and satisfying one’s desires. Rather, it is achievedbyaccumulating the pleasures of the body, heart and soul. Islam is the only religion that stresses the need for enrichment of both material and spiritual values simultaneously. Every commandments of Almighty in all aspects of life, worship, economics, and society aims to bring happiness to the individual.

Following the teaching of Islam and striving to pleaseAllah is a major source of happiness; and turning away from Him only leads to unhappiness, misery and discontentment. Almighty said, “But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’an nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Quran 20: 124)

The guidelines provided by Islam helps us seek happiness in this world. However, the point worth noting is that the total peace, tranquility and security and everlasting happiness can only be in Paradise where there will be no fear, anxiety and pain which we human experience in this worldly life. Therefore, the key to being happy in this world and the next is seeking the pleasure of Almighty, drawing near to Allah by whatever of it pleases Him.

For those seeking the happiness, it is essential to strive to protect the heart and be watchful of how they spend their day and night asking themselves if they are pleased with what Allah has ordained. It is very imperative to emphasize the necessity of adopting contentment as a way of living because it is expressive of richness, happiness, tranquility, and satisfaction.

In light of the above, we are able to draw the conclusion that happiness is purely our decision. We have the choice to be happy and content or to remain an unfortunate victim of our current situation, as we are responsible for our own happiness.

The humanity is desperately looking for the solution to all the problems the world is facing today at every front. The remedy is with us Muslims, the carriers of last Divine message, the Quran. It is high time to reach to humanity reeling from the illness of body and soul, and convey the sole message of almighty guaranteeing the peace of mind, tranquility, eternal happiness and contentment in this life and everlasting bliss in the Hereafter.

#Islam #Happiness #Fun #entertainment #enjoyment #Peace #safety #Joy #Satisfaction #Pleasure #peace of mind

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crdenhart · 6 years

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A Cosmic Awakening: My 2017 Spiritual Journey

[NOTE: I created a playlist of spiritual songs that would be good to listen to while reading this article: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmlyrFwts2a1v1tfM1ZWwjv2BcTV3x2-s]

Jai Guru Dev!

This year has been an incredible year of spiritual development in my life! In 2017, I experienced a great spiritual awakening like no other I have felt in year! With it being the season of Advent and near to Christmas, the time is perfect to open up a little about myself that many do not know and relate my many spiritual experiences in 2017 that have significantly improved my life and overall well-being for the better. A Trifecta of wonderful organizations I joined this year have totally changed my life; they are Freemasonry, Transcendental Meditation ™, and the Episcopal Church.

Before 2017, particularly in 2014-2015, I would not go so far as to say I was in a dark place, but I was in serious need of a new direction in my life. When I graduated college in 2014, I had several successful short films and music videos on my student filmography and expected to continue onto graduate film school or a career at motion picture film studios in Hollywood or another major city and work towards becoming a successful up-and-coming TV/film producer. However, that situation did not happen even though it possibly could have easily gone in that direction had certain professors who made me feel special and important kept their word and gave me at least just an ounce of support post-graduation (Thank you Robby Benson). I also was really torn when both my aunt died and the girl I really liked throughout college shut me out of her life around the same time. It took me a really long time to get over these losses in my life and my career not taking the path it should at that time; spent several tear-filled nights and took several long contemplative jogs to comprehend why I could lose so much after having so many successes in college and everything seemed like it had gone so well.

A few months after graduation, I got a production assistant job at a news TV station in Indianapolis. It is a decent job and within my field and I love my coworkers, but really I could have been and should be more widely known as “Colin Denhart, up-and-coming filmmaker” instead of “Avery and Emily’s older brother who went to Jeff High School but didn’t play sports and works for a TV station.” All I really had were my coworkers, a few close friends, and my family. I would spend my days working at the TV station, watching movies, listening to music, working out, visiting family/friends, working on ideas/scripts for future film projects, going on occasional dates that went mostly nowhere (none of them could compare to the girl I once loved), and trying to figure out how am I going to achieve my career and life goals given my current situation. All of this was fine and dandy for the most part but I felt something was missing and wanted more out of life and wanted to do something more significant and had real purpose. I spent sleepless nights thinking, “Is this really it? Is this all my life is going to be or am I destined for something greater?”

In 2016, I had a dream that was more like a holy vision in which I saw the Universe like a giant color wheel, with each colored pieces representing all the different types of people of this world. The pieces of the wheel were in a constant struggle to stay together with love and happiness being the sources of power for the Universe and fear and hate being what divides and causes harm to the Universe. I also had a divine realization that we all are either shepherds or sheep; the staff is in front of us and it is our duty to take the staff and become good shepherds and achieve greatness in the Universe or we are just mere sheep and destined to become nothing more than packaged meat. I knew this was a sign I needed to make a positive impact on the Universe and bring myself and others closer to the Supreme Being (God, Allah, Yahweh, Vishnu, Shiva, whatever you wish to call Him) and do good deeds in this world and work towards bringing others to enlightenment. I needed to be surrounded by the right people if I was to improve my spiritual health.

The first group I joined in 2017 was The Freemasons! I had read about Freemasonry in the past and was familiar with references made to the organization in many TV shows and movies (particularly Eyes Wide Shut and National Treasure). My parents and grandparents were not Freemasons, but I learned that my ancestors had Masonic affiliation. Freemasonry is not a religion but it is a fraternal organization with sacred rituals rooted in the Old Testament of the Bible and traces its origins to the building of King Solomon’s Temple over 4 thousand years ago. Members must be males at least 18 years of age (21 years in some jurisdictions) and cannot be atheist (Women who are married to or related to Freemasons can join an appendant group called the Order of the Eastern Star). I really like too how all religious denominations and political beliefs are welcome in the Masons so everyone is on equal footing and creates a sense of universality within the group. I was intrigued by the history, symbolism and secrecy of the organization. Also the fact that all these famous celebrities and historical figures and movers and shakers of the world were Freemasons made feel not necessarily that joining the Freemasons would make me rich and famous but that it is an important group that has had a tremendous impact on world society and it would be ideal for me to join if I want to make a positive dent in the Universe.

When I arrived at an open house to learn more about Freemasonry and made my first contact with the group in January, I was not sure what to expect. These are the guys that supposedly “control the world” (haha), so I was initially somewhat intimidated and nervous I would not make a good impression. However, my fears were subsided as I immediately clicked with the wonderful men who welcomed me with open arms and soon became my friends and then, after my initiation in April, my brothers.

The guys in my lodge are among the nicest and finest men I have ever met. We have grown so close over this year, my Freemason brothers all feel like they are my uncles, cousins, or literal brothers. I am blessed and honored to call them my brothers! I have met some really important people in the Freemasons and made great connections! Some of my brothers have become important people in my life; one brother is now my dentist, another brother composes my recent film projects, and after discovering some of my coworkers are fellow Masons, I feel a deeper connection to them at work.

We have some absolutely terrific times together in the Freemasons. I enjoy all our fine gourmet dinners; always prepared homemade by the Junior Warden, Senior Steward and Junior Steward of the Lodge. We have exciting times in all our social activities, including a weekend camp retreat, a visit to the first Grand Lodge of Indiana in Madison, and presenting the US flag at a Colts game. Most important of all is our charity work. In April, we delivered flowers to widows of deceased Freemasons and helped do some yard work. In the same month, we cooked meals for the parents of patients at Riley’s Hospital for Children. Just a couple weeks ago, we wrapped presents for needy family. Working all these and other charitable events throughout the year were great experiences and a wonderful way to help the local community.

The greatest and deepest part of Freemasonry has been the ritualist work. I’m not allowed to ever reveal to non-Masons what goes on during Lodge or the degree work, but there are parts which are some of the deepest spiritual experiences I have felt. I feel a great connection to the Supreme Being through my brothers and the sacred craft work we do. Overall, Freemasonry has greatly improved my life on a spiritual and social level. I feel as though I am a part of something greater in this world and will go on to do important things for society in the Freemasons.

Now on to TM! In early May, I needed some way to get rid of all the intense stress in my life caused by the death of my grandfather, my serious car crash, and the intense workload at the TV station, where I am constantly exposed to depressing news stories several times a day. One of my Freemasons brothers mentioned Transcendental Meditation. I had heard of TM through one of my favorite filmmakers David Lynch and read about how famous celebrities such as The Beatles, Tom Hanks, Oprah, and Jerry Seinfeld practice it but never seriously looked into for my self. I have always been interest in India and Eastern cultures and spirituality, having read the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, and Dhammapada in the past and visited a local Hindu temple a few times in 2016 and having been a life-long listener of George Harrison’s Indian-inspired music. I desired to learn meditation as a means to remove all the stress in my life, boost my creativity, and feel better connected to the Universe.

I went to the local TM Center and my instructor taught me how to practice TM on June 10th, 2017. Since then, the practice of TM has become a major part of my everyday life! I meditate usually 20 minutes every morning and 20 minutes before dinner. I practice yoga asana stretches and pranayama breathing exercises which I also learned through TM. I follow an Ayurvedic diet based on my dosha (individual body type based on pulse, personality, and other factors); I’m pitta-kapha. Just recently, I learned an advanced sleeping technique taught by Vedic experts who came to our TM Center all the way from India. All of it has significantly reduced stress and greatly improved my physical, spiritual and mental health, increased my work performance, helped me conquer deep-rooted anxieties, and has overall boosted my enjoyment of life and elevated me to a higher state of consciousness.

Meditation really gets my mind working in ways I never knew were possible and is almost like having super powers. For example, while I meditate I sometimes experience long past thoughts and memories, and other times I can feel like I’m gliding through various thoughts as I move towards the source of thought. During one meditation, I was able to vividly see my elementary school classroom as if I were there. In another instance, I flashed back to summer camp and could clearly hear camp songs in my head. I can read people better and perceive the world and things around me in different ways. In deepest states of meditation I can see the Supreme Being and feel a great spiritual connection to the Universe whenever I meditate, especially in groups.

The community aspect of TM has been absolutely wonderful! I always look forward to every TM class to learn more about the techniques and different aspects of meditation and consciousness and other related subjects (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has been dead for nearly a decade but he still teaches parts of the class since there are thousands of hours of videos of his instructions). I enjoy getting to see and talk to the same people at the weekly group meditations and monthly (inter)national group meditation events (one fellow meditator has actually become a good friend an joined the Freemasons, so he is now my brother). I also really had an incredible time at our TM retreat in July; being at the camp felt like I was in wonderland and brought feelings of being back in summer camp from my earlier years.

I have taken my interest in meditation outside the TM program and have read several books about meditation and discussed with other spiritual-minded friends various meditation techniques. I have even experimented with combining different aspects of meditation to come up with my own advanced meditation procedures to better increase the flow of cosmic energy and create a state of unity consciousness. I could be on to something big with continued practice and more refinement. Overall, TM has had a phenomenal impact on my spiritual life and has brought me significantly closer to the Supreme Being and achieving enlightenment.

Now onto the Episcopal Church! In July, my best friend came to visit for Independence Day. We got to talking about our lives and I mentioned all the great things about TM and The Freemasons, and he recommended, with all this spiritual development I had gone through, I should really join a church.

I was born and raised Catholic. I went to Catholic school from preschool through 8th grade and was an devout altar boy in high school. In college, I regularly attended church but I kept my religious life more on the down low because in some ways there had become a negative stigma surrounding Christianity for the past several years where the term “Christian” became synonymous with “redneck,” “anti-gay,” “anti-choice,” “anti-women,” “anti-liberal,” “anti-poor,” “anti-fun,” etc. For example, one time a girl walked out on me during a date because she was turned off by my small heirloom crucifix that hangs above my bedroom door and assumed my faith equated to these negative connotation. I blame this negative view of Christianity on conservatives and fundamentalists who highjacked the word “Christian” to advance their narrow-minded views and condemn deemed unworthy over the past several years but especially in the late 2000s/early 2010s. I kind of stopped going to church after graduating college mostly from being burnt out by over 20 years of regular church attendance. I also never really found a church when I first moved to Indianapolis and having worked weekends initially at my job it was difficult for me to find time to attend church.

I still have great respect for the Catholic Church and my Catholic friends but feel my political and religious views have evolved beyond the teachings of the Catholic Church in my years of not attending church. I did my research on other denominations and fell in love with the Episcopal Church! I like how the Episcopal Church is essentially a progressive version of the Catholic Church that takes more liberal stances on social issues and seems to be less self-righteous and more open-minded and accepting to differing spiritual beliefs. It is rooted in Catholicism (i.e. similar beliefs, same sacraments, priests/bishops/deacons, almost identical mass structure, similar architecture) but with a greater sense on community and adjusts with the times (i.e. women can be priests, priests can be married, gay marriage is allowed within the church). I also really enjoy the music and the use of a large pipe organ and choir and how there are special ceremonies that are dedicated to singing prayers such as Evensong.

Since joining the Episcopal Church, I have fully immersed myself in the faith! I go to church every Sunday and sometimes other days during the week. I love all the Faith Forum classes the priests teach on Sundays before Eucharist service. Every afternoon after church, I go out to brunch with fellow parishioners and we discuss life and the faith which is a truly great way to help each other grow in faith. In November, I received the Sacrament of Reception which essentially is an extension of Confirmation. I also am actively involved in the young adults group and have met many fellow believers who are my age who have since become close friends, some even collaborators on film and music projects. I absolutely love the priests at the church and feel I can make really great personal connections with them and enjoy their company as they help me to grow in faith.

I have not been more excited about the Church or religion as it relates to my spiritual life as I am now since my later elementary school years. In the 4th through 6th grade, I attended St. Boniface Catholic School. In some ways, that time period might have been among the best ever for me and my family. In this era, my siblings and I would spend fun times almost every weekend at our grandparents’ house, our first dog Bella was still young, I hung out with my best friends (usually involved playing PS2 and watching movies), I actually played sports (my dad was the football coach), my mom had her knitting company and still worked at the YMCA and my sister Emily and I got to play in the Game Room (my brother Avery was too young to join us which he always envied), went to summer camp every year, all my extended family was happy and healthy and without strife, and I was first getting into film. It was an incredible time!

During this prepubescent era, I became totally engrossed in my religious faith and was totally intrigued with the history, structure and symbolism of the Church, stories of saints, relics, etc. Father Tim and Sister Lenore were two of the greatest educators I had and were the ones who really got me into the faith. The priests I have grown to know and love within the Episcopal Church are the closest I have come to capturing that feeling I had with Fr. Tim and Sr. Lenore at St. Boniface.

I feel as though a part of my spiritual journey this year has been in part trying to get back to these old times as I feel my faith has never been as strong since then until now. I was on a spiritual path then that got sidetracked and I now realize that my spiritual life has always been what is most important; not my film career, my job, my family/friends, school, girls, etc. Working towards becoming closer to the Supreme Being and spiritual enlightenment will cause everything else to fall rightly into place.

Christianity had not been a major part of my life for a long time, but when one takes a step back for awhile and studies and explores other religions different from those he originally held, he comes back to the Church with an evolved faith that maintains its apostolic roots but expands his religious understandings on a much deeper spiritual level. It is not so much belonging to a specific religion or denomination that is important. What is important is that one belongs to positive spiritual groups that bring him closer to the Supreme Being and lead him towards enlightenment. Those places can be churches, lodges, meditation centers, temples, synagogs, mosques, ashrams, covens, or any other group. When one finds the Supreme Being within him and develops himself spiritually and knows the direction he should take, everything else in his life comes together and falls nicely into place.

Overall, the Trifecta, as I call my combination of Freemasonry, Episcopal Church and TM, has greatly improved my life if not totally changed it! I find in all the aspects of my spiritual life I fully experience the Holy Trinity: The Father in my devotion to God in the Freemasons, The Son in my devotion to Christ in the Episcopal Church, and The Holy Spirit in my meditative practices through TM. I feel as though I am no longer “Avery and Emily’s older brother who went to Jeff but didn’t play sports and works for a TV station.” I know my purpose in life and have a greater positive connection with my family, close friends, coworkers, and everyone I meet. The line of who I consider family also has blurred significantly! I used to feel really alone in Indianapolis outside my friends and coworkers, but now I have so many wonderful people in my Lodge, my church, and my TM group who are part of my life. They are more my family than my actual family, which says a lot because I love and am super close with my real immediate family. I love everyone I have met this year and appreciate the truly wonderful connections I have made! I feel closer to the Supreme Being and the best I have felt on a spiritual, physical and emotional level in many years.

In 2018, I will continue to my spiritual journey by continuing to grow within my groups. I was recently appointed to the officer position as Marshal at my Lodge for this coming year and look forward to serving in that role and helping to continue to make our Lodge one of the best in Indiana and supporting the local community. I also intend to learn more of the Advanced Techniques in TM and possibly even visit temples and other spiritual locations. I additionally plan to sign up next fall for the Education for Ministry (EfM), which is an advanced education program offered by the Episcopal Church. I definitely will incorporate elements of all the Trifecta into my future film work and hope my work will inspire others to expand their spirituality and move towards enlightenment. In the distant future (ideally 2026 (the next year of the Horse)), I would like to make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash which is one of the holiest place on Earth and full of spiritual energy.

I look forward to wherever my spiritual journey leads. 2017 will go down as Year One in my adult spiritual life. I realize my spiritual life is more important than anything else, and I now have a clearer path for where to take my life. Even though I’m not the big-time filmmaker I wanted to be (yet), with the support of my family, friends, and brothers, I will achieve greatness and make the world a better place for all. I have found a sense of fulfillment in my spiritual life and love I have for everyone in my life could not be great. I am a shepherd and not a sheep!

Thank you all! So mote it be!

“Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all” - Neutral Milk Hotel, “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea”

PS These are some books I read (most in this year, but some in previous years) I highly recommend to anyone seeking an evolved sense of spirituality and religion:

The Bhagavad Gita The Holy Bible (recommend Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Edition, and/or King James translations with apocrypha) The Quran The Upanishads The Dhammapada Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda The Holy Science by Sri Yukteswar Songs of the Soul by Paramahansa Yogananda Whispers from Eternity by Paramahansa Yogananda The Law of Success by Paramahansa Yogananda The Science of Being and the Art of Living by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

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quranrehab · 4 years

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How To Be More Confident - 5 Quranic Secrets

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BY HALIMAH EL KURGHALI

SUMMARY

Live with integrity for who you are and what you believe. When you are being fully alive and authentic and true to who you are, you feel confident.

Get more competent. Go gather more knowledge, skill, and abilities in the areas that you are passionate about and need to perform well in. More competence = more confidence.

Get momentum. Take more action. Life isn’t about perfection it’s about progress. The more action you take the more progress you’ll sense and the more confident you’ll feel that you are on path.

Surround yourself with positive, supportive companions. If you don’t have a supportive community, go create one. No excuses. A positive peer set will help you feel more confident.

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Question...

Have you ever experienced feelings of regret in your life as a result of not quite having enough confidence to say something you really wanted to someone.. or experienced regret as a result of not having quite enough confidence to do/pursue something that was really important to you?

Have you ever struggled in your life with the difficult emotions that stem from having a lack of confidence such as fear and anxiety or low self esteem and self worth? Would you like to stop living with any more regrets and start feeling differently about yourself? Would you like to start living life more free?

Well in this video Halimah share with you 5 Quranic ideas on how you can practically go about building more self confidence inshAllah!

Because who wouldn’t you like to experience more of that inner strength that you get in your body when you feel more confident, right? Who wouldn’t like to experience more of that joy being who they are in their own skin which you feel when you are more confident? Who wouldn’t want to experience more of that energy to pursue the things they love and are most important to them, which you gain when you have more confidence in yourself?

FULL TRANSCRIPT

[The following is the full transcript of this episode of The QuranLifestyle Show by Halimah Kurghali]

Asalamu Alaykum. Halimah here your Quran lifestyle coach. Today lets talk about how we can become more confident! Because why wouldn’t you like to experience more of that strength that you get in your body when your confident, why wouldn’t you like to experience more of that joy being who you are that you feel when your confident, why wouldn’t you want to experience more of that energy to pursue the things you love that you gain when you have more confidence in yourself.

Maybe you’ve experienced that sense of regret in your life before when you didn’t quite have enough confidence to say something you really wanted to someone in the past, or experienced that regret in the past from not having enough confidence to do something you needed to or pursue something that was really important to you. Maybe you’ve struggled in your life before with the difficult emotions that stem from having a lack of confidence such as fear and anxiety or low self esteem and self worth for example and you would love to change things- you don't want to live with any more regrets, you want to start feeling different about yourself and start living life more free - you want to be more confident inshallah. Well today I want to share 5 quranic ideas on how we can practically go about building more self confidence inshallah.

Now in order to pursue confidence it's important we first define and understand what confidence actually is right? That way were not going to mistaken confidence for what some people superficially judge it to be- like never getting nervous for example which isn’t true or about it only leading to arrogance on the other hand etc. ok So in the world of personal development confidence is something that we humans are said to develop in our psyche and It's essentially defined as something we attain when we have the ability to genuinely express who we truly are and pursuing the things we truly desire. So it comes from having this cohesive sense of identity- an alignment of who we are, what we belief, our values and dreams etc and we authentically live that, we live the best of who we are on a consistent bases. Now in order for us to really be authentic for us to generate the ultimate levels of confidence its going to naturally require tip 1 which is:

1) Self awareness

Now a lot of people might ask how they can increase their levels of self awareness- to discover more about who they really are, their beliefs values and dreams in life- and the reality is that there are a bunch of ways you can- you could engage in more self reflection, you could journal, you could get yourself a coach, you do some online personality tests for example- there are many ways you could learn more about yourself which is going to help you boost your levels of self confidence. But I would say that the ultimate way to gain the highest levels of self awareness, which I would argue surpasses all other methods.. is learning about yourself through learning about Allah swt. There is a famous saying that states: men Arafa rubahu arafa nefsahoo- the one who got to know his master truly got to know himself. But this idea isn’t a cultural, its in fact something that Allah himself attests to in the quran.

Allah swt says in the Quran in surah taha that He "knows the secret and what is even more hidden”. Now a secret is something that your conscious about but which you keep hidden inside you right? In this verse Allah swt is saying that not only is he aware of those things but that he is aware of things that are even deeper inside of us- that impact the way you and I perceive things and the way we behave etc now- but that are in our subconscious, in the deepest recesses of our minds and memory that even we ourselves are not even aware of and which no one could fully comprehend about us- not even psychiatrist for example who spend there lives helping people explore and better understand deeper aspects of themselves to help ppl become more self aware and best manage themselves. And allah tells us this in order to help us realise that when we get to know Allah and remember Him- when we build a spiritual closeness to him then allows us to become more aware of ourselves in ways we never have been and never will be otherwise- that he swt will open up for us our own levels of consciousness and allows us to discover deeper things inside of us so you can become a better, more healthier, more authentic, happier and confident human beings.

And If this wasn’t true allah swt would have stated its opposite to be true elsewhere in the Quran. Allah swt says in surah hash v19:

“Don't become like people who forgot allah, so allah made them forget themselves" So one of the incredible benefits of our close relationship to allah is our own self awareness and when we attain that and be authentic to it then that will become a tremendous source of confidence for us inshallah.

Ok so how do we do it then?- how do we learn about allah and build a relationship/closeness to him that can lead to greater self awareness and confidence? Well Allah swt says in Imran 103

"And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together” now a rope it connects two things to each other, it to hold them together. Right? The actual expression hablullah the rope of allah grammatically in arabic its actually an Ithafa meaning these two words are inseparable- so its as if allah is saying this rope it directly connects to allah and you should hold onto it because if you do you will be directly connected to allah too. But what is this rope exactly? Well the prophet pbuh said it is the quran itself. You know this notion of the quran being our ultimate connection to allah is also echoed in Hadiths of the prophet buh like when he said

"You will not come back to Allah swt with anything better than that which came from Him i.e. Quran"(Sahih: Al-Hakim)

And this vital teaching was something the prophet also made sure to deeply ingrained into the heart and practice of his companions too- for example khabab ibn alert he beautifully said “do whatever you wish to get close to Allah swt but know that you will never get closer to him with something more beloved to him then his own word”.

So ask yourself, how’s strong is your relationship with the quran in your life right now? Ask yourself What small but significant action could you take today to start building a greater relationship with it inshallah? Because I’m telling you walahii when you start reading the quran and you come across ayaht like surah teen where Allah swt tells you that he moulded you in the best of forms, when you study the quran and come across verses like in surah hajj where Allah swt teaches you that he actually sees something in you, potential in you, that qualifies you to struggle in service to him and that why He personally selected you to have lilaha Allah Muhammad radula, when you study the quran and come across surahs like surah muminon where you learn that Allah has already created for you a house in the highest part of jannah in janatul firedows because he know your capable, because he has such high expectations of you and has provided for you every opportunity possible for you to attain it .. you will not be able to feel anything less then the greatest levels of confidence- because these arent things that youve read in a book or have been told to you from others which may or may not be true but facts are being stated by the ultimate source of knowledge and truth- from your creator Allah swt.

Before i move on there is one additional thing I want to quickly add here ia thats super important to us as muslims which I believe we shouldn’t overlook in relation to self awareness. in the world we live in today there is a lot of talk of being authentic to 'who you are' and 'what your ‘calling/purpose’ is, in order for you to be happy right? But we have to realise that a lot of the self discovery taking place to discover these things are completely self determined right? And so its important we acknowledge the simple flaw in this pursuit- because like we seen explained in those two quranic verses I previously shared our knowledge of our true selves is limited. And what’s more we must realise that even what we do know or assume of ourselves right now in our lives is not actually permanent either. Because I’m sure ten years ago you probably identified as a diff person to how you would describe yourself today or at least you maybe wanted diff things in life then you do now right? That's because we humans naturally grow and develop over time- nothing stays the stagnant in life. But Despite this reality of us all evolving in our own ways and at your own paces as we embark on our individual paths in life there is one aspect of our identity, of who we truly are& what we will all truly want whether we realise this right now or not -that is forever constant and so its the most authentic aspect of our being and so its actually then the secret to our ultimate happiness and confidence...and that is being a slave of Allah and aspiring to be with him. And the best way of learning more about and reminding ourselves of this most liberating and confident boosting reality, once again is the quran inshallah.

Now this very powerful first quranic idea for becoming more confident through self awareness, its something that we work on long term, but there are some practical techniques we can use right now to immediately help us feel more confidence too inshallah and one of those that we are now going to talk about is:

2) Our focus: now Our brains are bombarded with hundreds of pieces of information at any time, and in order for it to avoid being overloaded and in order to maintain functioning in a healthy way, it has a filtering system that helps it filters all the pieces of information and that extract what’s the most important pieces of info for us to focus on in this moment. And its important to know that Whatever we choose to focus on from the information we are exposed to around us, whether positive or negative, we actually program our brains into directing all our energies and drive to achieving that result. And that's because where focus goes energy flows.

Now we see The power of focus demonstrated for us in the Quran through two contrasting examples- through the focus of Musa and the focus of firown. Now many of you know that firown once had a dream, a premonition that one day a man from bani Israel would overthrow him right? And he made a choice to focus on this fear of his- he consciously dedicated all his lifelong thoughts and actions to trying to prevent this prophecy from coming true. And He began his mission by ordering the death of all the male children that had been born to the Bani Israel (Quran 2:49) But subhanallah it was his very actions which stemmed from his obsessive focus on his fear that actually resulted in that child being delivered to the very doorsteps of his palace, and led Musa to grow up in the household of Firown as a son and eventually led him to being overthrown and destroyed -because his order to kill the sons of bani Israel led to musa's mother placing him in the basket down the river nile in the first place. Subhanah

Now if you look at Musa on the other hand, one of the primary goals and focus of his prophethood given to him by Allah was to free Bani Israel from the tyranny of Firown right? And when we look at his story we see the powerful effects of his positive focus and the impact it had on his levels of confidence too. when Musa fled Egypt with his people and they reached the Red Sea, they became lodged between the sea, a mountain and the oncoming army of Firown right? Now Despite the bleak outlook and the negative questions and doubts that came from some of Bin Israel when they found themselves in that dire situation, were told that Musa because of his positive focus he consistently moved through the crowds of ban Israel with haroon and yushab focused on finding a solution to free his people (Quran 26:62) and the impact that his positive focus had on his levels of confidence can be seen in the profoundly beautiful statement he said in response to bani Israels worries when he said ‘qula kala inamaiya rubi sayehdi’.

And with the permission of Allah we see the successful results that his positive focus and confidence yielding in freedom bani Israel.

Ok with that said - if in your mind your focusing all the time on your fears and what your worried about, if internally your constantly question your own self worth and self esteem, how can you expect to feel more confident in yourself? You can’t right? Ok so how can we effectively direct our focus then in a more empowering and positive way in order to help us feel more confident inshallah? Well we can manipulate our focus through the use of strategic questions- questions are very powerful and that's because when we ask our brain a question it will always provide you with an answer. and that's actually why we find Allah swt constantly asking us questions in the quran right?- Allah is always positively guiding our focus in a productive way. Ok So instead of asking yourself disempowering questions like 'Why am I so rubbish at this?’, ‘why can’t I ever do things right’, 'what bad thing is going to happen if I try x,y,z’? Which will only impact your levels of confidence in negative way, as our brains will then provide answers to support such beliefs- we need to start programming ourselves to start asking ourselves more empowering questions such as 'What am I focusing on right now that's making me feel or act with a lack of confidence?’ And ‘What could I be focusing on right now that will help me feel more extraordinary levels of confidence in myself?’ I would personally suggest you keep a journal detailing just 2 or 3 empowering questions you can ask yourself on a daily basis to positively direct your focus to help you become more confident inshallah and get in the habit of regularly asking yourself those questions.

3) Physiology:

Ok so the reality is that a lot of people they wait around for certain events or experiences to happen to them in life in order to feel confident in themselves- so they think they will feel more confident with they attain a certain qualification, or when they lose a certain amount of weight or get verbal acknowledgment or love from a certain person, for example when the truth is that you can instantly create feelings of confidence, or any feeling you want in fact, by consciously utilising your physiology and that's because motion creates emotion. Because When you choose to embody the typical physiology/physical traits that defines a certain emotion, whether positive or negative, you instinctively create and amplify those associated feelings.

We can see The effects that our physiology has on our emotions demonstrated for us In the quran in two contrasting incidents. if we revisit the story of prophet Musa (as) in surah naml were told about the incident in which Allah spoke directly to musa (as) and during that meeting Allah showed musa a miracle in which his staff transformed into a snake and were told that musa was so scared by that that he physically ran away (Quran 27:10) Now when you feel scared what kind of bodily traits do you experience- increased heart rates, breathlessness, adrenaline pumping around your body right? When you physically run what things happen to your body as a result? Your heart rate increases doesn’t it- you become more breathless, there is an increase in adrenaline etc. so musas physical response to his fear do you see how it only intensified his fear and trapped him in that negative emotional state? Were told in that verse that he never came back because of it subhanallah. Ok Now contrast that to the incident mentioned in surah taha (20:67) when musa was confronted by the magicians of Egypt and they had this public dual before all the people of Egypt. Allah tells us once again that musa naturally felt fear right?- some mufasireen say there could have been up to 15,000 magicians he was faced with infant of the watching crowds subhanAllah. But there was a difference highlighted here- in this verse Allah tells us that musa chose in his incident to conceal his fear. How did he conceive fear only in his heart? by not allowing those emotions to be visibly transferred onto his limbs. So Instead he chose to display physical characteristics of confidence and strength in standing tall and firm for example. And in doing so it allowed him to control and lower the intensity of his fear, to potentially eliminate it even. That's the power of physiology

So in order to free ourselves from the emotions associated with a lack of confidence like fear and worry for example then we must consciously choose to break free from the associated physical states e.g. so we need to stop with our shallow and rapid breathing, stop our curled up body posture, stop crossing our arms and legs that were using to protect and comfort ourselves where we trying to mentally blocking things out, we need to stop with the nervous fidgeting and biting our nails etc- because these physical characteristics will only imprison us in our feelings of anxiousness. Instead we must choose to embody the physiology that encourages the positive feelings of confidence that we want to experience, to actual be felt- so by standing taller, lifting our heads up a bit more, by opening up our bodies, adopting gestures like the steeple hand gesture, maintaining stronger eye contact, breathing more deeper etc. remember motion creates emotion.

4) Momentum

Its when we stop having momentum in life that we begin experience feelings of being lost, or confused and we start feeling down about ourselves- we can experience a lack of confidence . You know A lot of people think that its simply just the decisions they make in life that are the most important thing, that its their decisions that define who they are and that will determine their success ,when that isn’t completely true- because although intentions are a necessary and very powerful first step towards moving forward in any direction, the truth is that a lot of people decide to do a lot of good things in life or decide to become someone better, but they don't actually do it right?- so some people decide to become a more patient and loving parent, or decide to loose weight or they decide to read more quran but they actually don't end up doing it. And That's because the act of making a decision of having an intention alone (although its important praiseworthy and something thats beautifully rewarded In islam) it doesn’t directly cause something to manifest into something real right?- that happens when you have disciplined action (and thats why you get another reward in islam when you actually act on your good intentions and why interestingly in islam iman/faith is defined as that which is the heart and the limbs together subhanallah)

So what I’m saying is that you can choose to be confident in your life right now if you wanted to simply by having the intention to and it helps yes- but if you really want feelings of unbreakable confidence to start naturally emanating from within you on a consistent basis long term then you will achieve that when you start moving forward towards your goals through taking consistent action and gaining momentum. Because when we take consistent action and have momentum we progress in and so we begin hitting milestones, experiencing small wins. We also give ourselves the opportunity to develop our competency too along the journey where we get to regularly acknowledge and connect with our strengths, and so all these things empower us and helps us to naturally build our levels of confidence.

Now some people will say well how can I start taking action, and creating momentum for myself halimah when I don't know what the bigger picture is, I don't have a clear plan and vision of where I’m going, I haven’t quite decided what that is for myself- so they get stuck, they linger in this state of procrastination, they kill their levels of confidence . Well what a lot of people don't realise is that often some of the best decisions we make in life actually come after we have momentum at something, because we gain some more perspective. Instead of waiting for the perfect plan, the perfect time, the perfect person or things in your life to then decide to pursue a goal or dream- instead of being at the whim of the external world which will only dampen your confidence, its important that instead you ask yourself -“What can I do right now to begin? Even if you're unsure of the big picture and the whole path. Because when we start moving things become more apparent, you gain better perspective like I said which can lead to better decisions and more confidence- you know you can stand far from a road sign trying to squint your eyes and figure out what the sign says when if you actually just started moved forward along the road you’ll be able to read those road signs more clearer right? Thats why we have the Hadith of the prophet pbuh were he told us that the best deeds are those done regularly even if they are few. You know Vision can bring you a sense of direction and inspiration even, but momentum is what’s going to give you the confidence to pursue it in the first place.

To illustrate this quranic teaching I want to share with you two similar verses of the Quran- one found in surah baqarah and the other is found in surah anfal. They both deal with fighting in the path of allah and These context of these ayaht relate to the first battle of islam, the battle of badr. So for those who don't know the context, muslims had been harshly oppressed and had been unjustly expelled form their homes. And so without having intiating violence themselves they were justified in fighting back for their homes. But the reality was that they were very few in number with very little military resources whilst their enemy the quraish were very powerful in resources and manpower. Now in surah al baqara Allah says to the muslims: “Fight them until their is no more tribulation and the deen (religion/way of life) belongs to Allah”/ and in surah anfal Allah swt says “fight them until their is no more tribulation/coruptino and the religion in its entirety belongs to Allah.” Now although these verses sound very similar because they deal with the same context, as you will have noticed there is a difference in the command Allah swt issued to the muslims within these two verses right?- one is to fight until the deen belongs to Allah while the other is to fight until the deen in its entirety belongs to Allah. And interestingly this difference is because of a difference in the timing of the revelation between of these two verses. the verse in Surah baqarah was revealed before the battle of badr whilst the ayah in surah anfal was revealed after the battle. Now when Allah told the muslims in Surah baqara to fight until the religion belonged to Allah its important we understand that when anyone at that time of revelation, in that region thought of deen/religion they all immediately would think of the kabah/makkah because everyone's religious idols resided in Makkah - so the muslims understood this ayah to mean that they will need to fight yes because they were being oppressed and expelled but they will need to continue fighting until Makkah belonged to Allah, until the house of alla/ kabah is cleansed and restored to the original legacy of Ibrahim- because the tribulation/corruption mentioned in the verse that needed to be overcome is talking about the spread of false religion. Now when the ayah in surah anfal was revealed, it told them they would actually need to continue fighting until the religion in entirety belongs to Allah- meaning until the whole of the region was cleared of false religion not just the kaba and makkah- and that's a substantially weightier commandment/ bigger goal right? There is a great lesson for us to learn in the fact that Allah gave the muslims an order on two different scales according to two time periods of their journey. The first ayah was revealed like I said before the battle of badr, where the situations of the muslims looked bleak, the muslims weren’t sure how things were going to turn out- the odds were not in their favour as they numbered around 300 whereas the quraish no apron 1000 etc. But as you know Allah swt granted the believers an extraordinary and tremendous victory at the battle of badr and it was after that that Allah swt revealed to them once again the same verses as a reminder that they would need to continue to fight but their task this time was greater they had a heavier duty to fulfill and the reason Allah swt waited to reveal the full extent of his commandment till after the battle was because the muslims has now been empowered and were more confident in their abilities as a result of the actions and momentum they had developed- so they felt capable of moving ahead with this even greater challenge. Had the verse of surah anfal been revealed to the muslims before badr the likelihood is that they would have just been intimidated by that vision Allah had for them, it would seem like too big a goal that they wouldn’t have had the confidence to pursue. But as a result of their actions and the momentum they gained first- where they got to experience a smaller more immediate milestones and win, it helped the muslims achieve greater levels of confidence in their abilities to go on and achieve even greater things, to cleanse the entire region of shirk subhanAllah.

So Allah in his perfect knowledge of us as his creation, he demonstrates for us in the Quran in these verses how we as humans, best operate on a cognitive level- it teaches is that although vision is key to us having the direction and inspiration we need, momentum is key to us attaining the confidence we need to pursue our goals and dreams in life.

5) Your Companion

You know We all need people around us who are positive and supportive who can see and appreciate the good in us and the good we do. Because sometimes its hard for us to see the picture when we are part of the frame right? Meaning when we are going through the motions of life we can sometimes lose sight of these things ourselves isn’t it? Being able to have People that we can reach out to and share our struggles, our failures and fears with- because we're human and we all have them! who can then offer us encouragement and remind us of our worth and abilities is important to helping us sustain our levels of confidence. Sometimes its simply easier for others to see things in us that we don't see in ourselves and when they share those with us and bring these facts into our perspective and into our line of focus it can help us better internalise and integrate those strengths and successes within us . we also need people who can cheer us on along the journey and with who we can meaningfully celebrate our small and big wins with too- as all these things essentially help to boost our confidence.

If we look into the Quran we see the impact and importance of company to our levels of confidence again in the story of Musa (as) for example- you know when he was given the mission of prophethood and was told he would have to deliver the message of towhead to firown and demand the release of bani Israel musa (as) he expressed to Allah swt his genuine fears and worries that were going to naturally mpact his levels of confidence and as such he himself immediately then asked Allah swt for the assistance of his brother harun who became a prophet too and who joined him on his mission- and this naturally help increase his confidence. If we look at the life of Muhammed pbuh when he came down from the cave of Hera upon receiving revelation for the first time we learn that he was scared and confused right?- he really doubted and questioned his own sanity we see that he immediately went to his wife Khadijah for comfort and support- and in her beautiful statement to him she reminded him of the good he possessed, the good that he would do towards others and reminded him of his worth with Allah swt didn’t she? And Khadijah even then took her husband to her cousin waraqa to offer him more clarity and support in order to help build his confidence even further subhanallah.

Now If you yourself don’t have such a supportive community, you don't need to wait around for people to show up, my advice would be to go fine people and create your community. Go to events, to the masjid, go volunteer along side others for a good cause - go get around amazing confident people who will help you with and inspire you with the development of your own confidence inshallah. And of course don't underestimate the power of dua either- ask Allah to connect you with the best of company that will benefit your dunya and akhirah inshallah.

Ok so in conclusion- when you build your levels of self awareness through your relationship with Allah via the Quran, when you choose to productively manage your focus through the isa of empowering questions, when you build momentum by starting to take small consistent action and you get around more good people- you realise that with the help of the quran you manage to have all the confidence you were hoping you one day would Alhamdullah.

Ok so If you enjoyed this video make sure you share it with those you love and be sure to subscribe to the Quran rehab channel- when you press the icon button then you will be notified whenever I release more content like this inshallah. I hope this video as always remind you that when you truly transform your personal relationship with the Quran, you can truly transform yourself and your life for the best- that you can start living what I can the Quran lifestyle inshallah. Until next time inshAllah, Takecare Asalamualykum.

#confidence #quranlifestyle #halimahkurghali #islamic #quran #allah #blog

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dreaming-aboutyouu · 4 years

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hiatus - until 2020

Final exam, I wouldn't say is not around the corner. It is within my reach like inches away - closer __ I am hopeful, having a simple request for 2020 that may it prospers (healthily) and gives ways for more flowers (including me) to bloom stunningly, and that I am grateful as well if 2020 isn't what I hope for, because I still have years to improve. #ponderingmy2019 #itsokaythatslove __ The list of year-2020-goals goes: Firstly, to grow and learn (like last year I would like growing unconditionally by loving myself, as no one else will); To publish a poetry book in 2020 (idk when/which months but by next year if Allah wills); To actively participate in any volunteering programs (in a sense of engaging with more people to expand my circle of friends/gain experiences); To find true love (that will subjectively helps with my feelings and indirectly aspires me in creating more - poems/short stories/articles to be published); To become a minimal person (having less is more they say. As a student, I will need not many things of less important, like clothes and women products ehem. True that as a woman, I have high tendency in getting induced a lot of times, hence I have decided to refrain and feel contained with whatever I have - I can try); And consequently, I am to spend less and save more (for the goodness of my future)(please can someone slap my face if I break this promise haha). __ I have more lists but save it so far, the rest are personal achievements. I read few pages of Sean Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers, which this book has diverted my perspective. Eventually I plan my 2020 goals through this book as instantly it changes my pov on the effectiveness of having to better yourself on a daily basis, believe me. P/s: signing off until the next year. For real though- uninstalling to give it a rest.

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islamicrays · 5 years

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Salam aleikum what if my tahajjud prayer is not answered? I prayed to win a competition but I lost.. I know Allah (swt) does what is best for me.. but did I do something wrong? Ive just started praying properly, can that also be a reason? That I may be hypocritical? Thank you for answering may Allah guide you, bless you with abundance and grant you and your loved ones Jannat ul Firdous Ameen

Walaikum Assalaam

If we are asking Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala for the worldly things then He will give us what will be best for us. So while making dua trust Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala that He will give us that will be best for us. Take all the means to achieve your goal; try you best and leave the rest to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Don't get dishearted. Keep praying and ask for success.

Dua is the weapon of a believer and it helps us in strengthening our relationship with Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala. Our dua’s are always answered as narrated in hadith:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship, will be given for it by Allah one of three things: He will give him swift answer, or store it up for him in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil.“ Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he (peace be upon him) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.

(Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2257)

Read this quotes

"Question: Why aren’t my prayers being answered?

Answer: May Allah reward you for asking such an honest question, and may He guide us towards the

truth. Ameen.

I think what happens in this type of situation is that we mix up our means and our ends. When we make du`a’ for a good husband, for example, is that strong marriage a means or an end? I think many people take it as an end, which explains much of the disillusionment and disappointment that often follows (ironically in both cases: whether we get it or we don’t). Like everything in this dunya, marriage is only a means—a means to reach Allah. So if we pray for it and we don’t get it, perhaps Allah has chosen another means for us—perhaps through hardship, the purification it may cause and the sabr it builds, to bring us to that end: Allah. It may be, as only Allah knows best, that had He given us that amazing husband we made du`a’ for, it would have made us heedless and therefore not achieve our end at all.

Instead of seeing it like this, however, I think the problem is, we are seeing things as just the opposite. The dunya (that great job, certain type of spouse, having a child, school, career, etc.) is our end and *Allah* is the means that we use to get there. We use that means, through making du`a’, to achieve our end (whatever it is that we’re making du`a’ for), and then get disappointed when our means (Allah) didn’t come through for us. We throw our hands up in the air and say our du`a’ are not being answered.

Our means just isn’t coming through for us! But, Allah isn’t a means. He is the end. The ultimate objective of even du`a’ itself is to build our connection to Allah. Through du`a’ we become closer to Him. So, I think the problem is that our focus is wrong. That’s why I love the du`a’ of istikhara so much. It’s just perfect because it acknowledges that Allah only knows best, and then asks for Him to bring what is best and take away what is not best. The focus of that du`a’ is not that which you are asking for. The focus is what is best in this life and next. This is not to say that we cannot make du`a’ for things specifically that we want. On the contrary, Allah loves for us to ask of Him. But it means that once we ask, do our part to the utmost, and put our trust in Allah, we are pleased with what Allah chooses for us. And we realize that Allah answers all du`a’ - but not always in the form we expect. And that is simply because our knowledge is limited, and His is unlimited. In His infinite knowledge He may send us what He knows to be better for us in achieving the ultimate end: the pleasure of Allah (swt)."

-Ustadha yasmin mogahed

“Sometimes, I have a certain need that only Allāh can fulfil, so I call upon Him. Then, I find that the door of dialogue with Allāh opens up for me, and through it I taste the sweetness of discourse with Him and the joy of knowing Him that far surpasses the urgency of obtaining an answer to my prayer, and so I prefer for the answer to my prayer be delayed for fear of losing this connection once my need is fulfilled.”

-Ibn Taymiyah.

[Majmūʿ al-Fatāwa 10/333]

May Allah guide us to the straight path.

Allahumma Ameen

#question

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islahhofficial · 4 years

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6 Tips to Remain Steadfast in Faith

Any great goal you want to achieve requires you to make a solid plan and put effort to achieve this dream goal. Right…?

Now, how come we’d think of our faith as something we take for granted, or something we don’t need to put effort in to grow and strengthen…?

So here are 6 sure ways to keep you steadfast in faith.

Sincere daily dua (supplication)

Allah teaches us a great lesson every day. He has instructed us to say 17 times a day through our 5 daily prayers:

“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” (Qur’an 1: 5)

In a beautiful hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) he taught one of the most learned companions, Mu’adh (bin Jabal), words to recite in order to seek the Help of Allah.

Mu’adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Dua is absolutely essential to receiving Allah’s guidance. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, “Verily supplication is worship.” [Related by the four Imams].

Reciting and Studying the Qur’an

The Qur’an is indispensable to one’s guidance and steadfastness. The best way to get closer to Allah is through His Own Words.

Continuing to listen to the words of Allah and recite them and explore their meanings will keep the heart engaged and will open it and guide it and keep it firm.

The Qur’an responds to everything that goes in your chest. Allah’s Infinite Wisdom and Mercy on His slaves is expressed in this timeless Book that speaks to the hearts and Minds that HE created.

From the beginning of the Book Allah Almighty says:

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, guidance for those conscious of Allah” (Qur’an 2: 2)

“[…] Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby [the Qur’an] your heart….” (Qur’an 25: 32)

Studying Seerah (biography of the Prophet) and stories of the Prophets and Companions

Allah Almighty says:

So studying the Seerah of the Prophet is a means of remembrance of Allah, purification of the self and learning of wisdom.

Almighty says:

And He Almighty says:

Practicing what one learns

As Allah Almighty says:

“But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith].” (Qur’an 4: 66)

Allah says:

“And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Qur’an 29: 69)

Having good companions always

Seeking righteous companions and remaining among those who are seeking the closeness of Allah Almighty is something that aids and strengthens one’s faith significantly.

As Allah Almighty The Most Knowing says:

In contrast, righteous companions keep one reminded of Allah, they call each other to doing good, they advise each other against doing sins, they compete in good deeds…etc.

So make dua to find right companions and be among them as they are brothers and allies and a safety boat to one another.

Constant Repentance and following bad deeds with good ones

So, if you’ve ever weakened or fallen into sin, then immediately follow it with good deeds. As Allah says:

“And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.” (Qur’an 11: 14)

Remember that for repentance to be accepted, one has to 1- stop the sin immediately. 2- Regret it sincerely, and 3 – have sincere desire to not go back to the sin.

You can also perform the prayer or repentance.

So, repent, pray, do dhikr, give some money in charity, help your parents, call family member, read Qur’an, do as many good deeds as you can even if small….

In short, strangle the sin with good deeds and do not let it strangle you!

And remember that Allah says:

“Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” (Qur’an 2: 268)

May Allah help us and strengthen us and grant us from all the goodness of this life and the next and bring our hearts back to Him firm and sincere.

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#Islahh #islahh.com

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cupofteathoughts · 7 years

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Rediscovering myself

I used to think I belong in the corner of every road, hiding myself, not being able to show my face, and always inside my own shadows. I keep walking by myself, I keep talking to myself in my head, replaying scenes, and repeating words I should and could’ve said.

But I no longer feel that way. I no longer feel that I should hold back. I no longer feel that something is blocking my goal. I feel content with myself, and I feel I am in my right place. I feel that I have the potential to move forward and be more than who I am now. I feel that I have the support that I have always prayed for.

I am glad that everything happened over the past 25 years of my life. I am glad that I no longer regret the things that had happened, as I believe that everything happens for a reason, and God had planned it that way for me. He gave me chances, over chances, despite me turning away from Him. I am glad, that I understood the lessons in my life that had happened.

I am glad for my mother, and I am glad for my brothers. I am happy with my mother, and I am happy with my brothers. I am happy with what I have now, and who I have now.

I have had my struggles for years, and years, and I am ultimately blessed with people who gives support in anyway they can.

I admitted that I was lost for years, and I was beginning to crumble last year, I was too confident in myself that I could change people. But in fact, it was me who needs to change. It was me, and whoever is within me that needs to change. I was lost, and I was afraid. I became too much for myself to handle, and I became a risk to myself. But I still cried, I cried for help, I cried for assistance. Trust me, dealing with all these alone was never easy, but I got through it because I believe, I trust, and I put my faith to my creator. It was a tad bit embarrassing at first because I have no idea where to start and where to begin. But I managed, I managed to get through it because I ask. I didn’t ask a question, but I asked for help. I wanted, and needed help. So I wish upon it, and He gave it to me. I am still holding on to it because I know good things will come.

I spent months dwelling in my cocoon, and months trying to think what I have done wrong. I have to admit that moving on was easy, but letting it go was hard. First few weeks needed more time alone, but trying to figure out what I did wrong was hard. I don’t intend to repeat the same mistakes I have done in the future, I don’t intend to push people away the way I have pushed the people who left. It takes two people to leave each other.

The one thing I did was praying and trying my best to change myself within. It gets painful, but it was worth it.

I found answers not because I wanted it, but because I needed it. It is amazing how God is just so perfect with timing. So with this, I began to rediscover myself, and felt happy, because of myself. I was blessed with people surrounding me, I was blessed with people coming into my life and taught me lessons. God had taught me to be patience. I am never good with being patient, but I do hope I can be more faithful towards my deeds.

I no longer need a reason to live, because I know that this world is just temporary. It is where we are supposed to fix ourselves. Alhamdulillah, with guidance, I hope to not be a slave of this world, but a slave to the Lord of the slave.

Not needing a reason does not mean you cannot have goals, I have my own goals to achieve, and how I measure my success is despite of me searching for whatever I should be doing in this world, I am able to kneel down, be grateful and pray everyday. But I have to admit again, that I am no longer feel afraid, because the people I have now, are my companions.

I am thankful for my mother, for being there for me, and never giving up on me. I am thankful to my mother because she held me when I had no one. She held me when I was shivering with cold sweats. I am thankful for my mother, for teaching me the right way to live. I love my mother, I love my mother, and I love my mother. I am forever grateful for her because she never stopped praying for me, and I am so thankful that she showed me and taught me how reality is, she taught me what I needed to know to survive. I am thankful to her because without her, I won’t know how to be independent.

I am thankful for my brothers, because without them, I am not able to understand the needs of a man. Without them, I am not able to understand how they feel happy, and how they feel sad. Without them, I will never feel how a family is. I hope we could be closer because we are all that we have.

I am thankful for my friends for being there for me, and keep me company. I am thankful for them for letting me be sad and happy. I am thankful for them for the constant reminders. I am blessed with people like them in my life.

I must admit that now I am thankful for this one person who came into my life, from strangers to how we are now. I apologize for being reserved but this struggle can only be shared when he is ready. I am thankful for him because he let me take my time. I am thankful for him because he showed me the side of him, and I showed my side to him. I am thankful because he understood me the way I couldn’t understand myself. I feel sad sometimes because he had to go through what I’m going through to understand me. But I am so thankful because he teaches me to trust, and be dependent, that I am not alone. I understand him so much that I am afraid that I might not be able to care for him. So I decided and make plans, and put my faith in Allah through the journey I am going to take in. May Allah ease my plans for him, and solely based on Allah.

People keep telling me that I am independent in a way that nobody can tear me down. I don’t know to what extent, but I do not have a manly figure to put my dependency on. It is just so hard that if I start depending on someone, they would leave because they can no longer handle me. But whatever is within myself is also a mystery, and to change who I am, is a struggle. I used to be scared of the world, and wish it to end. But these people in my life, gave me strength to live on and go on. And with God in my heart, I believe he will ease my journey, and will make the time perfect for me.

Rediscovering myself, and the journey I am going to take in. May Allah ease what I will do. PS: I am rereading “Reclaim Your Heart” by Yasmin Mogahed. To understand the concept fully will be a struggle, but I trust and believe that I will not be burden with something that I could not handle. My plan now is to wait, and be patient.

Sabr’ itu tidak menyakitkan, Sabr’ itu indah. Dengan adanya Sabr’, Allah akan melapangkan dadamu dengan kebaikan, kerana Allah akan memberi kamu sesuatu yang lebih dari apa yang kamu pinta.

So, I truly believe that I have asked for something, something good, and something for Him, tawwakal, and I will find the way.

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getthetruthbeforetruthgetsyou · 7 years

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Every person reaches the phase of transformation, from being a child to an adult. I am not talking about puberty here, I am talking about knowing your purpose. we know our purpose, we were raised with the basics of Islam so we know what we are living for and why. Unfortunately, the world around us, the environment has averted our main goal to having earthly goals, let’s do this, let’s try this, let’s work hard for this, let’s build ourselves and THEN let’s seek our purpose that Allah awj has put for us after we have achieved our goals.

These distractions are the work of the devil, he shows us the beauty of the world and makes everything look more desirable, add on that, the influence we get from the western culture. we have Islamic origins but we want to achieve the happiness the western people are living because we think it is “freedom”. We Muslims have been lost in-between, and we seek a way out and the easy way out is doing more sins and enjoying life the easy way and then once Allah awj has made life easy then we can start worshiping him, but the truth is that it will never become easier because humans are designed to always have the desire for more; so, the real test is at that phase we are experiencing, the real change that has to be done.

The first step is acknowledging and accepting our purpose, next is to work on that purpose slowly within our routine so we don’t feel the burden of the responsibility but rather work on a point, master it then jumping to the next; with this way, we will find the happiness we were looking for.

Next is to raise our kids on the origins of Islam and surround them in the right environment to let Islam spread once again.

I have been thinking about life and I concluded the following:

Imagine life as an engine, the fuel to that engine is Islam. So, for us Muslims with low faith in Allah awj, our engines aren’t working in their full potential, they are rusty, they are slow, they have been blocked by our sins that we got from the influence of the western culture because its joyful and lustful.

If we only knew the joy we can get once we follow the religion of Islam; because if we do everything, everything! Islam has taught us, we then will find the true meaning of happiness.

Now why is it hard to come back to Islam and follow its rules? because our engine is divided to parts; example: one part of the engine is the family, the other part is friends, the other is the culture, other is the environment around you, other is the influence you desire, other is your lust, other is your earthly wants, and so on…

How this works, the basic fault of the engine is from the first part, which is the family. The disagreements families have within the household is the reason why kids start hating Islam, they see their first idols fighting, trying to teach them something but then acting upon with something else; example : parents fighting and cursing or yelling or in some cases physical and emotional abuse, this right there has put a black hole in that kids heart, then comes the action of the parents; They teach us the basics of Islam and act differently; example: we have to pray five times and never miss a prayer, if we see one of our parents missing a prayer for whatever reason, we will slack off because our idol did so, other example if they tell us to stop wasting our time on the computer but then we see them watching TV all day long where there is western movies and many sinful scenes. Here comes another influence, why are they teaching us something and showing us something else?

Base the rest of the experiences on similar things. Therefor the child will grow up confused and lost! We have our origins that we have been taught but we don’t have the practice for becoming better. Our parents expect us to learn alone, they showed us the way and they want us to learn without an influence, and its extremely hard!!! Especially when the engine parts are connected.

What happens next is we will seek an answer from outside our house, we never know who we might encounter and what they might influence us; that someone has also left their house seeking an answer.

As a kid, we don’t know what is best for us so we follow what is most enjoyable for us, which are the sins, and starting here is when the engine starts rusting, slowing, and breaking down.

Allah awj has never forgotten us, he has given us a brain to think about it and a chance to fix all our mistakes, a chance to become better so we don’t do the same mistakes as our parents, a chance to raise our kids to be better than us! A chance to spread Islam once again because prophet Mohamad peace be upon him told us that Islam will be spread once again, why not start now!

How? That’s the easiest question to answer.

Follow our idol, not your parents, but prophet Mohamad peace be upon him. Follow his steps and his actions to show good and prosper good in the world.

The answer is easy but the action is going to be difficult because you are going to get hit so many times and fall, the surroundings are too strong for you alone, but hold on a moment, you are not alone, you are not the only one who is eager to make this world a better world, you are not the only one with regrets and who is looking forward to spread religion again, you are not the only one that Allah awj has got your back! You are not the only one and you can do it!

Think of prophet Mohamad peace be upon him, how he struggled and got hurt to achieve the true purpose of Islam, why can’t you follow him? Why can’t you suffer just a little bit compared to what he has gone through. If each one of you suffered a bit, but succeeded in delivering a message, imagine how many people can be influenced by it and imagine how Islam will prosper again.

It’s hard! And the way to do so is the following:

First, for those who need marriage for the emotional support, go get it, but you should be able to take the responsibilities that come with it, because behind every great man there is a great woman.

Marriage helps, so for those who can get married, enough with having fun, get married and it’s time to get back to Allah awj!

For those who can’t and need it, hold it in! be patient, be patient! Think of the blessings of Allah awj, think of how Allah awj is going to gift you for your patience by aiming for his grace.

Now patience alone is not enough, you need to become better, enough of wasting time; you need to become a better person than the one you were the day before, learn a new way to get closer to Allah awj, the easiest way is to use time to your side by not wasting it with the earthly enjoyments; then try to pray and read the Holy Quran because this will help in getting you a peaceful heart.

Once you find that peace you will think to yourself: I finally came back to Allah awj, but nope, Allah awj has given you the answer of your first step, the will to become better and that is the prize you will get when you become better.

The prize will fade away, it is like a sign or a reminder for you to cherish Allah awj’s love and mercy.

To get that prize again, you must continue practicing, not just by prayers and reading the Holy Quran, but by learning new ways to get closer to Allah awj, and then acting upon what you learned whenever you feel the strength to do so.

Take one step, Allah awj will help you take the 2nd, take the 3rd and Allah awj will help you take the 4th and so on.

Follow prophet Mohamad peace be upon him and he will get you close to Allah awj.

It’s not over here, because the more you practice the more pain you will feel, and the feeling of relief is only for a while, why?

You have been living 18-40 years doing sins, so imagine how dark your heart has become, how far it got away from Allah awj; so, the more you practice, the heart will start the process of cleansing itself and darkness will slowly fade away from your heart but you will feel the pain of it as a sign of mercy from Allah awj because this pain is way more relieving than the pain of the afterlife.

You will practice and feel the pain and once you can’t take it anymore, Allah awj will put relief in your heart once again to show you that he is right there to lift you up and encourage you to become better, because Allah awj loves you. Whenever you feel you are about to give up, keep in mind that Allah awj hasn’t given up on you and Allah awj knows your limit of struggle so if you are feeling the pain it means you can still sustain it! and the prize of this patience will be in this life and in the afterlife.

Your dark heart will slowly become brighter, and brighter, and brighter!!! You will see life as an amazing place to live in and that every struggle is Allah awj’s way to test your patience.

Your heart will keep becoming brighter until it becomes the same as when you were first born, a glowing star that hasn’t been influenced by the darkest nights. A heart that just wants to do good and stay away from bad. Your heart will have kids one day, these kids will learn from your heart on how to become better and thus our kids will suffer less and will know their purpose at a younger age to take a closer step to spreading Islam once again.

We will do mistakes, we should let our kids learn from them so that they would do less mistakes.

It’s a cycle, let that cycle start spinning forward hitting everything negative out of its way to reach to its main purpose.

One last thing, best advertisement is the word of mouth, I come to think about it, I would like to believe that our ancestors have followed Islam but their desires were too strong to hold tight to Islam so they fell into sins because they didn’t have anybody to learn from their mistakes, and then the sins got spread “try this, it makes you feel amazing.” “drink this it will give you relief” “smoke this it will make you feel smart” etc… and it got spread to all kind of sins that are easily accessed.

It’s time to reverse the cycle and let the word of mouth lead us back to the religion of peace!

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