We are human. Every day, we are moved by the different things that come at us.
After a tough day, all we want to do is find mindlessness to fill and ease our overworked brains. So, hello to social media or the television set. And once that door is open, the overstimulation and distractions are let right in. We are inundated with information that probably wouldn’t help our lives or day. At other times, it’s even closer home, friends and family that spill into your space with stories, worries and gossip that erode your trust in mankind and sometimes, fa audhubillah, Allah’s plan and guidance. There is no doubt that our time in the dunya will expose us to moments of rise and fall in our eeman.
To help us fight to keep our faith on a high more times than not insha Allah, Sister Sadaaf has put together some pointers. We know these things and this Deen is naseehah.
Bismillah.
Gain knowledge of the Qur’an.
Wallahi, there’s nothing as beautiful as going back to the book, knowing that we can open any page, and find succour from it. Ponder its calling consciously. Use the translations, Tafsir and books of knowledge to guide your understanding. It’s a gift that keeps giving, as is everything within this deen, subhanallah. How a verse of the Qur’an can apply to various situations in your life? How its recitation can calm the biggest agitations? Leave the music and poetry when searching for calmness and instead gain barakah, and wisdom in listening and reciting His words. Knowing that He is speaking to you as you recite aloud his call to worship. Take control.
Make the righteous your posse.
Ok, the header is mine😊. But I am sure you get the picture. Remember what I mentioned above about how friends and family can be the very ones that bring the worries of the dunya to you? That will be greatly reduced if you intentionally surround yourself with the musk of great relationships. Those who will remind you of Your Lord. Yeah, you probably think ‘those who won’t let me just relax and have fun’ but you and I know, that the more we ‘doctor’ our environment to keep us on the right path, the fewer worries and distractions we experience and the higher we rise in eeman, yes?
Start taking stock, let’s do this.
Take your time for obligatory acts, supplementary ones and Dhikr.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Keep your tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah.” Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 3375
All acts of ibaadah are acts of remembrance. With our compulsory acts, we show that we are obedient and grateful servants of Our Lord. We must make sure that we do what He has commanded us to. And as you gain knowledge of the One who owns you and all there is, that is Merciful and Gentle to His Servant as He pleases, your love swells for Him. You want to spend more time in His presence and want His pleasure, so you add supplementary acts of worship. Take on tip number one and layer on that knowledge with acts of obedience and a little extra, insha Allah.
Read.
The Qur’an is not the only source to learn this deen. There is a reason that we are asked to ‘iqra’. Discover through the written word and build your eeman and heart with beneficial knowledge. The more you learn, the more you know, the better your worship and the stronger your eeman, insha Allah.
Create Opportunities to learn with others
Our deen is stronger when we are part of a community of people with like minds. The same values and goals. Get such people, the best of mankind and learn the Qur’an and religious knowledge with them. You do not have to be a scholar but it’s best to read with the guidance of the Qur’an and Sunnah as well as the aid of someone with sound knowledge to help answer questions, clarify and clear doubts as you study. Get everyone in the circle invested and playing a part – host, summary writer, timekeeper – let everyone partake in the goodness. They don’t have to hold every day or for long hours but make sure they’re impactful. Check that your time together does not turn into one of idleness and that you’re witnessing changes in the actions of your members. If you’re not, kindly call yourselves out and push each other to amplify the acts of learning in your lives and that of your loved ones.May Allah bless Sister Sadaaf for these nuggets. May these acts be a source of ease for you as we struggle to keep eeman ever present in our lives.
Ameen
