Bism Illah wa assalaamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
So you have a goal, like pleasing Allah, for example. How are you going to reach that goal? Foremost, you need determination to reach any goal. Do not mistakenly think that if you want to please Allah, it is simply a
matter of asking Allah to be pleased with you and not making an effort that requires determination. Allah clearly tells us that He does not change the condition of a people until they change themselves. You need to pull out your determination suitcase and make sure it is packed with all the necessary things to enable you to reach your goal. This is what I envisage the determination suitcase to contain:
Sincere desire to reach your goal - One of the conditions for any act to accepted by a Muslim is ikhlaas - sincerely doing it for the pleasure of Allah, Alone.
Education - The second condition for any act to be accepted by a Muslim
is that it conforms with what Allah has legislated in the Qur'aan and
the Sunnah.
Strength of character - People may try to get in your way, dissuade you, or persuade you to follow your whims and desires rather that stick to your plan. Even worse, they may try to get you to follow their whims and desires, because they find you less "fun." You need to be strong enough to say, "No. I have a goal and I'm determined, with the Help and Permission of Allah, to reach it."
Energy - It requires energy: physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional to do the necessary things to reach your goal.
Ability - You must be able to do the thing. After all, if I want to go for Hajj, but I have no mahrem, no funds, or cannot get a visa, then I don't have the ability to meet that goal at that time.
Discipline - If you don't have discipline, then you may not educate yourself in a timely and effective manner or execute your plan.
Patience - Things don't happen overnight and it often takes considerable time and assiduous work to make notable progress.
Perseverance - You have to keep on trying, because pitfalls, hiccups, and set backs usually arise along the way and you just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on trucking.
It is important to ensure that we have all those critical components, and if some are missing, to work on them, develop and nurture them. Truly if one of the components is missing, we may not reach our goal...and pleasing Allah is the ONLY worthwhile goal of our lifetime.
As Salamualaikum!
ReplyDeleteSubanaallah. This was right on time! While this may seem like a disconnect, it relates... hear me out. I have been having horrible tooth pain and found out I have two infections in two different teeth. Lately though I have been trying to do my best on the holistic route to healing and recovery after years of negligence and following my *desires* (eating any thing I crave that isn't exclusively haram, even if it's not good for me!). Well... here it is that all of that is catching up to me! So I decided against any invasive operations (root canal... the toxicity leads to all sorts of ailments), and decided to rely solely on Allah, and eating a balanced/nutrient dense diet! Every thing you've mentioned here from sincerity to perseverance has to be my goal in order to not only heal, but to heal for the Sake of Allah and correct the mistakes I've made with regards to the body he LOANED me and trusted me with! Allahu akbar!
I know that was long winded, but it just makes so much sense!
barakaallahu feekum, May Allah reward you!
Wa alaykum ussalaam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh Umm Talha!
DeleteMaashaa Allah, that was an excellent example of how determination needs to be applied. Allah yashfeeki, ukhtee! Toothache is a real test in itself. It can be hard to remember the expiation of sins and elevation of ranks when you have that throbbing, nerve pain seemingly filling your whole head. May your life changes bring about positive healing and health in ALL areas. Most certainly they will be pleasing to Allah, and when He is pleased, everything is good!
Wa feeki Barak Allah, wa iyyaaki!