By Kabeerah Ali

Living in a world where you are expected to look, dress, and act in a certain way to fit in often deludes us about our truest purpose in life. We are scrutinised from within and without to feel accepted. When we take a look at ourselves, what do we truly see?

ARE WE SATISFIED WITH THE PERSON IN THE MIRROR, OR DO WE PUT ON FAKE MASKS TO MEET THE BASELESS STANDARDS OF THE TRANSITORY WORLD?

We always find ourselves being flung into a world full of unreasonable demands where we have to modify ourselves just to fit in. This process is unduly taxing, expensive, self-critical and traumatic. The moment we feel like we have finally managed to meet society’s standards, a whole new list of expectations is set for us almost immediately. How can we achieve deep satisfaction in living our lives?

وَٱلتِّينِ وَٱلزَّيْتُونِ

وَطُورِ سِينِينَ

وَهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ٱلْأَمِينِ

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِىٓ أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍۢ

“By the fig and the olive of Jerusalem, and Mount Sinai, and the secure city of Mecca! Indeed, We created humans in the best form.”

Quran 95:1-4

In Surah At-Tin, Allah ﷻ swears by four things of such high stature before mentioning that He has created us in our best forms. Without doubt, Allah ﷻ has created us in our best form and has honoured us with importance. Unfortunately, we may have unknowingly belittled the honour that He ﷻ has blessed us with by not calibrating ourselves for the purpose He ﷻ has created us for. We were commissioned to be His ﷻ vicegerents on Earth, subservient to Him ﷻ  Alone. Why then, do we allow ourselves to be subservient to mere provisions and means, which are in themselves needy of Him ﷻ? Why then, do our hearts become dissatisfied with the decree of the Lord ﷻ  in its forms and in its formlessness? To reclaim our divine stature is to then turn our hearts back to where they truly belong: Allah ﷻ, The Creator of the heart.

Pursue Happiness with Gratitude

رَضِيتُ باللهِ رَبَّاً، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِيناً، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ صَلَى اللهُ عَلِيهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَبِيَّاً

Raditu Billahi Rabban wa bil Islami dinan wa bi Muhammadin sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Nabiyyan 

I am content with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad ﷺ as my Prophet. 

Living by the above pledge allows one to achieve gratitude for everything that Allah ﷻ has given us. With the first light of dawn that awakens us from our slumber and the first steps we take to start our day, we have to be reminded of how Allah ﷻ carefully and lovingly sustains us. The Al-Muhyi (The Giver of Life) has allowed us to rise from our sleep, and He has given us another chance to do what we have been divinely destined to: get closer to Him, get His redemption, and get His acceptance. We were destined to be together with Him, The Giver of Life, The Love of our Lives. 

With such precision and careful detailing, from every strand of hair to the radial pulse that we can feel at the convenience of our wrists, Allah ﷻ  has designed us with such meticulousness and love. The overflowing Love of Our Dear Lord manifests in innumerable ways. His Love is beyond measure and unconditional. He has never been calculative with His Generosity, despite our hearts turning a blind eye to His critical assistance, while He has always been attentive to us with every beat of our hearts. Our hearts beat about 100,000 times a day in perfect rhythm and symphony. He has never skipped a beat for us. When then shall our hearts skip a beat for Him? When we allow our hearts to enter into the presence of The Most Beautiful One, Al-Jameel. Let our hearts glorify and sing the praises of our Lord with every pulse that we are allowed to take by Him : Allah, Allah, Allah.

Repent to Overcome Hardships

أَسْـتَـغْـفِـرُ اللهَ وَ أَ تُـوبُ إِ لَـْيهِ

 “I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent towards Him”

LIFE IS A TUG OF WAR BETWEEN THE LOWLY AND THE DIVINE. WE MAY FEEL OVERWHELMED BY THE BURDENS OF THIS WORLD, BUT REMEMBER THE MERCY OF ALLAH ﷻ WHO HAS CREATED COUNTLESS WAYS TO TAKE SOLACE IN HIM, WITH HIM.

He is the Al- Mu’min (The one who gives Iman and Security) and Al-Wadood (The Most Loving). Allah ﷻ did not grant us Islam to restrict us. Rather, He provided a caring boundary to protect and deter us from a world that desires to devour us without mercy.

Renew our commitment to Him through our Deen, our mannerisms and our worshipful devotions. Do it for The One who created us in our best form for the sole purpose of returning to Him. For The One who defines our purpose in life. The One who gives us life.

The days may feel long and tiresome. You may be exhausted by everything that is being thrown at you. But remember to breathe and say ‘Alhamdulillah’. Even in times of hardship, acknowledge all that Allah ﷻ has provided for us and give a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Him at least once at the end of the day,  and you will find your worries and trouble flying away. Truly, this world is a test from Allah ﷻ and Allah ﷻ tests The Ones he loves. 

Thank you, Allah ﷻ! Thank you for allowing me to breathe into another day, for giving me another chance to continue seeking You and for allowing my heart to beat for none other than You. Ease us and accept us! Ameen.

Do You Believe in One God
& Ready to [Re]start your Journey of Faith & Gratitude as a Muslim?