Sometimes we stick to our usual routine. Studying, cooking, working, reading, travelling, praying and doing what we love but we always find ourselves unsatisfied. We feel that void, even if that which we love to do, which we occupy ourselves with, it becomes time cconsuming and still we not completely satisfied. Our actions are devoid of intentions and perhaps barakah( blessings). Sometimes we are not conscious about our actions, we are praying but our minds are wandering elsewhere, even if the prayer is what we actually needed, we do not put in the concentration, the patience, the sincerity that's needed. SubhanAllah! May Allah Ta'ala forgive us.
We break down and we have no idea why. Sometimes life seems too much to handle and the future scares us. We know that this fear is irrational because Allah will take care of us. The human mind is prone to reacting to things, whether negatively or positively, under severe pressure. But we must wipe our own tears, remind ourselves that Allah is sufficient for us and continue moving forward. As hard as it is, it’s imperative that we try not to be so hard on ourselves.
My mom often said I am my worst nightmare, and detested that statement perhaps because later, I realised it wasn’t far from the truth. she said that because I was trying so hard to do the right thing, I was actually being extreme on myself while trying to right my wrongs upon discovering the truth. Ultimately, despair blocks wisdom and Rome wasn’t built in one day.
Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala doesn’t wish to make practising Islam difficult, and He, Ar-Rahman, doesn’t wish for you to dwell in pitiful sadness and lack learning and reflecting so that you can only become a better version of yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t allow ourselves to feel sadness. I’m merely asking you to recognise that He is the One who gave you everything that you have, and He can take that away within a second. Thus, it is important that we try to be thankful because if we are thankful (even in our moments of sadness) it is He who will grant us more [14:7]. Remember it is Allah who makes us laugh and cry [53:43] and nothing matters when you look pleasing to the eye but constantly ignore your spiritual being. Ultimately, your emotional wellbeing will show all that rages in your soul.
When you feel down, don’t ignore it. Seek help from your Lord, seek therapy, do the work even if you feel like it will be brutal, Allah can make the impossible possible for those who believe in Him. There may be a reason why you’re going through what you’re going through, perhaps Allah Ta’ala wants to bring you closer to Him, perhaps He is preventing you from moving away from Him, perhaps it is a matter of changing the environment around us or simply our mindset. Cry it out, write it out, whatever you have to do, as long as it doesn’t cause continuous harm and hinder you from getting through your trials and tribulations fruitfully.
May Allah عزّ وجلّ keep us amongst those who are patient and grant us strength to fight, reflect and grow from our struggles. Aameen.
