You Are Not Alone...

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah (swt) be upon all of you!

Has it ever been that sometimes you have an uproar of emotions and you find it hard to express yourselves? Have you ever felt so depressed about your life that you think it’s better for you to stay isolated? During such times you may feel that no amount of prayers or patience can calm you down or help you overcome your depression… You just lose all hopes that your life is going to be any better and you sulk in grief. You feel the whole world is having a whale of a time and here you are crying your eyes out. 

These emotions have persuaded me to write this article so that anybody going through this period don’t feel they’re alone and are the only ones in the world drowned in agony. If you’re going through any of these emotions then consider this as an amazing opportunity given to you by Allah (swt) Himself to make your life more meaningful and worth living… ;)

I cannot think of anything but this beautiful verse from Surah Baqarah to start with…

يأيُّهَا الَّذينَ ءَامنُواْ استَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبرِ و الصَّلوةِ ^ج  إنَّ اللهَ مَعَ اصّٰبِرين

“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Verse 153)

وَلَنَبلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىءٍ مِّنَ ﭐلخَوفِ وَ ﭐلجُوعِ وَ نَقصٍ مِّنَ ﭐلأَموٰالِ وَﭐلأنفُسِ وَ ﭐلثَمَرٰتِ وَ بَشِّرِ 

ﭐلصّٰبِرين

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” (Verse 155)

ﭐلَّذينَ إِذَآ أَصٰبَتهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالواْ إِنَّا للّٰه وَ إِنَّآ إلَيهِ رٰجِعُون

“Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed to Him we will return.” (Verse 156)

أُولْٰئِكَ عَلَيهِم صَلَوٰتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِم وَ رَحمَةٌ وَ أُوْلٰئِكَ هُمُ ﭐلمُهتَدُون

“Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the (rightly) guided.” (Verse 157)

For those of us who’re depressed and in a state where we feel nothing in this world can comfort us, we need to take a step back and reflect on these beautiful verses from the Quran. But before I do that, let’s reflect on the wisdom of Allah azza wa jal…

Now whenever we feel sad or are lost into a gloomy world, we tend to ask ourselves certain questions like “Why me?” “What did I do wrong?” “Is this a punishment?” “Didn’t Allah say He wouldn’t burden anybody more than what they can bear? Then why is He causing this pain to me?”

Exactly my point dear brothers and sisters. When Allah (swt) Himself stated in the 

Quran in Surah Baqarah, verse 286

“لا يُكَلِّفُ الله نَفساً إلاّ وُسعَهَا”

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that which it can bear”

then how can He cause you pain that you cannot tolerate? Na’uzubillah are we trying to say that Allah’s claim is wrong?

How can we forget the Hadith that says, “The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allaah loves a person, He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath.” (Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah)

And another Hadith narrated by Umar bin Khattab (رضى الله عنه): “Some prisoners were brought to Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه و سلم), and there was a woman among the prisoners who was searching (for her child). When she found her child, she embraced him and put him to her breast. Rasulullah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said to us, ‘Do you think that this woman would throw her child in the fire?’ We said, ‘No, by Allah, not if she is able not to.’ He (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, ‘Allah is more merciful to His slaves than this woman is to her child.’”  (Agreed upon)

How on earth can we doubt the Mercy of Allah (swt) and His wisdom when we’re going a tough period? Don’t you think if you’re facing pain then there must be a reason behind it? And most possibly the reason might be to bring us closer to Allah (swt)? Cause you feel you cannot share your feelings with anybody, the thought of it makes you cry your eyes out and you wouldn’t want anybody to feel you’re weak and to judge you so now who better than Allah (swt) to turn towards to…? He who doesn’t judge anybody who express their weakness before Him. He who is always ready to aid you. He who loves you more than a mother could love her child. He who’s mercy surpasses everything in this world.

One of my articles “Why Me?” deals with similar feelings but this article will focus more on those facing depression and feel they might never be able to come out of it.

Now moving on to the verses from Surah Baqarah that I had mentioned earlier…

What I feel is these 4 verses answers all the questions that anybody going through depression will have. Why am I facing this? How do I deal with this and what will I get out of this? Now let’s see what Allah (swt) wants you to know through these verses…

The first question is, “why am I facing this?”

Let’s see verse 155.

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.”

Allah (swt) tells us that we must be tested with trials to differentiate between those who are truthful and those who are liars, between those who are patient and those who are impatient (Surah Ankabut, verse 2). This is Allah’s wisdom. This is the lesson and benefit of trials. So these difficult times are not for you to go away from Allah azza wa jal and live your life in seclusion. It is these times that give us the opportunity to strengthen our imaan and to prove our loyalty towards Allah (swt).

These trials divide people into 2 categories – the impatient and the patient.

The impatient has to deal with losses in this world and the Hereafter. They will lose the reward attained for obeying Allah (swt) by being patient. This person’s Imaan decreases. They miss out the opportunity of having patience, gratitude, and being satisfied and pleased with the decree of Allah. Rather they become displeased and angry. This attitude shows their immaturity.

As for the one who Allah guides to patience during times of calamity, they restrain their speech and actions of dissatisfaction that leads to the displeasure of Allah. They understand that the reward for being patient is greater than the trials they’re going through. In this sense, the calamity actually becomes a blessing for that person because it becomes a means to achieve something that is better and more beneficial than which was lost.

It is up to us to decide which category of people we want to fall into. Do we want to turn a calamity into a blessing or into a pitfall?

Moving on to the second question, “how do I deal with this?”

They respond to these calamities by saying,

“إِنَّا للّٰه وَ إِنَّآ إلَيهِ رٰجِعُون”

(Indeed we belong to Allah and indeed our return is to Him)

This means we are owned by Allah, and we are under His command and control. So when we are tested with calamities, we must realize it is the Most Merciful running His sovereignty. It is very important to realize that the calamities that befall us are from The All-Wise, The One who has more compassion for His slaves than they even have for themselves. This realization will make us satisfied with Allah (swt) and our hearts will soften out of the love Allah (swt) has for us because we know it is good for us even if we do not understand why. While we are owned by Allah, we will also return to Him on the Judgement Day. Then everyone will be dealt according to their deeds performed in this world. So if we bear patience and seek Allah’s mercy, we will find our great reward with Him. But if we are impatient, dissatisfied, and displeased with His decree, the only thing we will get is dissatisfaction and the missed-out opportunity of the reward of patience.

If you are patient, Allah (swt) is with you. You are under His protection. No harm can get to you when The Owner of this world and the Hereafter is by your side. Your every prayer and every tear is heard and seen by Him. All your actions are watched by Him. He (swt) will never leave you alone even for a blink of an eye. All you need to do is follow His advice and trust Him. And wait for things to take a turn that will make your life much more beautiful and meaningful than it was before.  

Coming to the third question, “what will I get out of this?”

What you will earn is much greater than everything you’re going through. Following what Allah (swt) has advised us to do in times of difficulty is definitely not easy. This is a task that cannot be performed by everyone. And that is the entire purpose of Him testing you! If He, The Wise, The All Knowing, your Creator is asking you to trust Him at times when you see no light, no direction then there must be a great treasure awaiting you at the end of this trial. He is making you go through this struggle because He knows you’re capable to overcoming this in ways nobody else can. You have the power to beat the odds and earn a better life for yourself. Allah (swt) wants you to come of out this trial much stronger and more wiser than you already were. That’s why He is making you go through what I would call – a training process.

This reminds me of a great saying of Ibn ul Qayyim (رحمه الله),

“From the perfection of Allah’s ihsan is that He allows His slave to taste the bitterness of break before the sweetness of the mend. So He does not break His believing slave except to mend him. And He does not withhold from him except to give him. And He does not test him (with hardship) except to cure him.”

When you’re cracking with pain, don’t build a graveyard in your heart. Go to the sink and make wudu. Let the water run through every crack, let it cleanse you. Pull out your rug and turn towards the Kabah. Let every ‘Allahu Akbar’ echo in your heart, reminding you that your pain will be taken care of. Pour out your heavy heart in front of Him when your forehead is on the ground. Cry your heart out when you raise your hands in dua. Ask Allah (swt) for His Help. Ask Him to comfort you. Ask Him to grant you patience to deal with your struggles. Allah (swt) will never let you go empty handed.  

One of the most beautiful things in life is when you sit down and make genuine dua to Allah (swt). Your heart will feel at ease as your worries melt away and Allah’s words become apparent, “Whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will be enough for him.” (65:3)

Ask yourselves. When was the last time you woke up in the middle of the night or the last third of the night to pray to Allah (swt)? When was the last time you tried to work on your relationship with Allah azza wa jal? You know what my dear brothers and sisters? This is your perfect ooportunity to strengthen your connection with Allah (swt). Wake up just 10 minutes before Fajr. We know that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) told us that it is the last third of the night when Allah azza wa jal descends to the lowest part of the Heavens and He asks “Which one of My servants is seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him? Which one of My servants is seeking My mercy so that I may be merciful to them? Which one of My servants is asking of me that I may give to them?” Start your day with it and experience this amazing spiritual feeling and a blessing that Allah (swt) has given us.

I would end my article with one of the most powerful and beautiful verse of the Quran,

ألأ بِذِكرِ ﭐلله تَطمَئِنُّ ﭐلقُلُوب

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”

-    Surah Ra’d, verse 28

Assalam Alaykum.

Fasting or Something More...?

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah azza wa jal be upon you!

Alhamdullilah we are in the blessed month of Ramadan. Some of us are excited about the coming 30 days and have planned everything there is to plan while some of us are sooooooo excited that we still haven’t come up with a plan yet. :P 

But Alhamdullilah in some way or the other we are slowly getting into the spirit of this blessed month.

What picture comes to our mind when we think of Ramadan…?

Is it fasting? Or the feast after fasting? The first bite of chicken samosa or haleem is all that plays in our mind in rewind mode. :P

Anyway on a serious note, usually either fasting or taraweeh prayers or iftaar timings come to our mind when we think about Ramadan.

But that’s not what Allah (swt) wants us to think.

This is the verse that has been repeated over and over but today let’s take a closer look at it which is the 185^th verse from Surah al-Baqarah where Allah (swt) says,

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ

“The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.”

Allah (swt) did not introduce us to Ramadan by fasting but by saying that the Quran was revealed in this month. Religious or not, we know that in this month we work a lil extra in worshipping Allah (swt) and in getting closer to Him. And the key to get close to Allah (swt) is through the Quran itself! When we don’t put an effort in learning and trying to understand what Allah (swt) says in the Quran then we’re not actually fulfilling the purpose of Ramadan! The entire purpose of Ramadan is to celebrate the Quran.

This is the month where we need to put in that effort in understanding the Quran and introduce ourselves to it like never before.

The lazy part of us might say that it’s enough to read articles about the Quran or roughly go through it’s translation or atleast recite the Quran once during Ramadan. But that’s not enough. Why? Because the Quran is a purposeful book and how can we derive its benefits when we don’t understand what it says!

Some of us have the habit of reading the newspaper as soon as we wake up or as they say “kill” time by gazing at pictures in the magazine but we don’t pick the Quran and try to understand what Allah (swt) wants us to know through this Book! Is it that hard for us to devote at least half an hour to study the Quran and ponder over its verses? What sort of preoccupation is this where we have plenty of time to read wordly books but no time to understand the Divine Book.

Answer me this. If you receive a letter from your friend in a language that you cannot understand, wouldn’t you ask someone to translate it for you or atleast use the translate app on your phone? But little do we care to know the message sent by The Lord of the worlds for us.

In the 2^nd verse of Surah al-Jum’ah, Allah (swt) says,

 هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

“It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they were before in clear error.”

The word يزكيهم comes from the root word ز   ك    ي  which means purify.

يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ means when Prophet Muhammad (saws) recites the verses of the Quran to his people, it purifies them. This has two indications. Purification of –

1. Mind

2. Heart

By purifying our Minds, Allah (swt) teaches us how to think and how to give right answers. There are verses in the Quran where Allah (swt) asks us to think a certain way, to answer in a specific manner and to reflect on certain things. With every verse, He (swt) is constantly training us to think and learn lessons from them thereby purifying our mind.

And then there’s purification of the Heart. Our heart is filled with diseases like jealousy, laziness, greed, temptation and lust. As we understand Allah’s Book, these diseases slowly diminish. Allah (swt) gives us the power to control them and thereby He (swt) purifies our hearts.

There may be spiritual or intellectual books but the combination of these two can be found only in the Quran. Subhan Allah! When we understand the Quran, Allah (swt) balances our heart and mind.

Now some of us may say that because the Quran is in Arabic, it’s hard to understand and maybe to recite it as well. But there’s good news for them from Allah (swt) Himself! Allah (swt) says in Surah al-Qamar, verse 40,

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

“And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?”

Allah (swt) is asking who among you will remember the Quran… He, The Almighty, The most Powerful, your Creator is calling you to remember His Book… And we turn away from this call… That’s something that needs to be fixed. Don’t you think?

This Ramadan, may Allah azza wa jal help us build our relationship with the Quran, understand its beauty and help us remember the divine verses. May Allah azza wa jal help us purify our minds and hearts. May He (swt) fill our hearts with love only for Him and help us detach our hearts from everything that takes us away from His remembrance. May He (swt) make us among those who earn His blessings in this world and the Hereafter and may He make the path to Jannah easy for us.

Lastly, please don’t forget our Ummah in your dua. As we enter Ramadan with all the luxuries of life, there are our Muslim brothers and sisters who are entering Ramadan with not enough food for suhoor or iftaar, with no roof over their head and with constant fear. May Allah (swt) give patience to the Muslims who are going through a tough period and reward their patience by uniting them with their families in Jannah. May He (swt) accept their duas and have mercy on them. Ameen.

Ramadan Mubarak to you. :)

Assalam Alaykum.

A Gift Taken For Granted

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah azza wa jal be upon you!

Before I begin let us consider some of Allah’s gifts… Take a moment and list at least 5 things that you are grateful for… (be sure to answer this)

... ... ... ... ... Done?

I’m sure your family and your best friend must have made into the list right? ;)

Now let me ask you to imagine this. You have a friend and they consider you very close. They come to you for help, when they’re depressed and when they need a support. You being a good friend, lend a shoulder to them and always have their back. But one day, when you were the one who was in need of a listener to your problems and approached them for help, they turn their face away. Not only that, they snap at you and say they’ve got more important ‘stuff’ to do. Tragic, isn’t it? Needless to say, wouldn’t you feel worse? Your friend, whom you helped selflessly treated you like you never mattered to them… Did you deserve that treatment when you looked after your friend as your very own family?

Family reminds me… Has it ever happened to you that your mom has asked you something regarding her phone and your only reply was “Not now mom! I’m busy”. And what are you doing? Downloading some Islamic videos? Even downloading Islamic videos doesn’t give you a reason to avoid your mom. Or maybe she asked you to get a glass of water and you did run to the kitchen but with a beautiful grumpy look. When you were sick (I’m not even going to your infant stage), and asked your mom for a glass of water like ten times a day, has she e-v-e-r avoided you? When she was in the kitchen, cooking a meal for you in the heat and you like a 3 year old ask your mom “Mom can I pleaseeeeeee go out with my friends to the mall? I need to shop with them. I know you’re toooooo gooood to say no. Pleaseeeee mom?” She knows you’re just being nice to her so that she gives you permission and yet she allows you. But the very same day if she asks you to apply balm on her shoulders, you’re still busy. Why? Cause she’s toooo goooood to force you to do something you don’t want to.

This has been going on since the past 2 decades, give or take a few more years.

Our parents were able to understand our needs and wants since the time we couldn’t even utter a letter let alone a word. Neither did they complain nor do they show pretty faces that we do when they ask us to do something for them. I know they yell and get angry. But it isn’t because they like doing it, it’s because we force them to. And after they yell, they feel even more horrible than we do. Don’t we get angry? Then why is it so abnormal for us when they lose their temper. They aren’t superficial beings of course. When they’ve worked hard and are still working to bring you up in the lifestyle you prefer, fulfill not only your needs but even the useless wants, kill their desires so that they can give you the best, do they deserve to be treated the way we do? Don’t you think they at least deserve more respect and care?

What they deserve has been mentioned by Allah (swt) Himself in Surah Israa, verse 23:

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا

“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.”

And verse 24:

وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُلْ رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

“And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.”

See the word highlighted? احسان or Ehsaan. What is the big deal in this word that it’s required to be highlighted?

Ehsaan means treating our parents with respect, kindness and honour.

Imagine, Allah (swt), The Creator of everything in the heavens and in the earth, The Master, The Most Powerful, revealed a verse nearly 1400 years ago commanding you to honour your parents and treat them with kindness. We’re so used to not obeying the commands of Allah (swt) that we let this slip by so easily.

What happens when you obey Allah azza wa jal?

1. “Obey Allah and the Messenger and perhaps you will be shown mercy.” (3:132)

2. “If you obey him, you will be guided…” (24:54)

3. “Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger is with those whom Allah has blessed.” (4:68)

What happens when we disobey Allah azza wa jal?

“Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.’ Then if they turn away, Allah does not love the disbelievers.”

(3:32)

We’re given the title of disbelievers. Is that what you want for yourself? The choice is yours to make.

By treating your parents with ehsaan, you’re not only pleasing your parents but you’re paving your way to Jannah, In sha Allah because you’re also obeying Allah (swt).

“Paradise lies at the feet of your mother” and “Pleasure of the Lord is in the pleasure of the father and Displeasure of the Lord is in the displeasure of the father” (Tirmidhi)

Our tongue is so used to uttering these hadiths and our ears are so used to listening to these hadiths that our hearts has lost the power to feel its depth.

May Allah (swt) give us the ability to be of service to our parents and make us sadaqa jaariya for them. May He (swt) help us obey Him and our parents and may He unite us with our family in Jannah. Ameen.

Assalam Alaykum.

What's your Identity?

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu!

May the peace, mercy and blessings of The Almighty be upon you!

First of all, it feels so good to be back to writing articles again, Alhamdullilah!

But in the past one year, I came across different kinds of people, different environment, different lifestyles and different beliefs. All of it had one thing in common and that is I-N-F-L-U-E-N-C-E. I’ve written a similar article but In sha Allah this article will provide a deeper insight and a wider perspective of how grave this matter is. A lot can be said about the subject, but I will keep my article restricted to the Muslim youth.

Undoubtedly the Muslim youth today are being deluded by the worldly entertainment. Some of you might just shut down their systems and stop reading this article already (:P). No, this is not just another article about how the youth is misled by the fitnah around them and how they’re disappointing their parents and how that’s leading them to hell fire. No. According to me, there’s a much more important issue that needs to be solved. And that’s the identity of a Muslim. Unless we deal with the identity crises faced by the Muslim youth, we cannot jump on to topics about how they need to be warriors in this world. I’m not saying that the youth shouldn’t be taught about the aakhirah or sins or rewards but I think it’s all about priority.

Cause until the Muslim youth are proud of their Deen, are not afraid of expressing their religion in speech and in action and are confident about their identity, they’re least expected to take the other teachings of Islam seriously.

Why aren’t we confident about our identity? We are we afraid to follow Deen in public? Why do we hesitate and become reluctant when it comes to offering Salah in a public place? What is happening to us?

Peer pressure. I had to mention that ofcourse. You know you’re falling into peer pressure when you’re being pushed or encouraged to do or follow your peers for which you feel uncomfortable. If you’re being forced to do something like that, then they’re not really your friends. And that group isn’t where you belong. When you accept to do what your peers force you to do, then you end up being a product of their entertainment. Answer this. Is your worth so low that you can compromise your beliefs for a person? Be strong and be firm; never compromise your faith. A flag blows in the direction of the wind. But the pole remains firm in its place. Question is, are we like the flag, or the pole?

But the most important and fundamental cause is something else.

We as Muslims have lost the foundations of our faith and if the foundation is destroyed, how can we build knowledge upon it?

And the foundation of our faith is the unshakable belief and trust on Allah azza wa jal. This sole foundation guides the rest of our affairs. When our Iman is low, our control over our heart becomes weak, which causes the Shaytan to take over, making our desires strong and we lose the fight against evil – regardless of how much knowledge we have.

Now, what does this do to us?

Some of us may feel it’s okay to follow their peers simply because they wouldn’t want to feel lonely or left out in the group. But do we realize what is this actually doing to us? This fear of rejection makes us forget who we really are and whom should we be actually pleasing. We try to be a person that’s not really us and utlimately lose focus in life. Trying to be that new person becomes our aim. We end up losing our identity causing us to be depressed with no peace in the mind or in the heart and it lowers our self-esteem. Will you be happy losing your identity just to be a part of a group where you don’t belong?

In pleasing the creations of the Almighty, we end up disobeying the Creator Himself. We will realize the beauty of pleasing Allah only after obeying Him, whole heartedly. Sometimes we may not feel the inner desire to attain the qualities that please Allah (swt). We may think that it’s enough to survive in this world, establish friendships to keep away from being lonely and reach the worldly goals we desire. Allah has revealed the kind of moral behavior that pleases Him; but sometimes our narrow goals prevent us from caring about trying to win Allah’s favour and mercy. Thereby we prefer to be among those who strive for the ordinary, the mediocre; worldly goals.

However, the basic purpose of human creation is quite different, and of a higher order than these worldly ambitions. Allah reveals us in the Qur’an what this purpose is in Surah Mulk, verse 2;

“(He) created death and life to test which of you is best in action…”

In another verse, He asks this question of those who are unaware of this purpose and choose to live a shallow, superficial life:

Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us? (Surah al-Muminun, verse 115)

When our return is to Allah (swt), why should we waste our lives trying to do something that is not in obedience to Allah, The Almighty?

So what do we do now?

Allah (swt) says in Surah Zukhruf, verse 36;

“He who turns away from the remembrance (Reminder) of the

Compassionate (Allah), We assign a shaitan for him, who becomes his

intimate companion”

And once the Shaytan becomes a person’s close companion, he decorates all his negative actions for him and make them appear good. Anytime a person swings from the remembrance of Allah, he becomes a ball in the hands of Shaytan.

To go on a journey of Imaan and to build that foundation of faith, we need to have four qualities:

1. To busy your tongue and heart with the remembrance of Allah.

2. To hold tight your heart to Allah (check your actions all the time)

3. Control your nafs. Reflect on your desires.

4. Purify the niyyah (intention) all the time.

It is vital that we choose our identity and strive for the qualities of the title (a true believer) that we aspire to attain. May Allah azza wa jal grant us the ability to travel on the Straight Path and allow us to reach the best abode—Jannah. Ameen.

Assalam Alaykum.