Intentional Practice: Striving to be a better Muslim

Islam is a gift that Allah has bestowed upon his chosen Servants. Some are born Muslim and others find their path to Islam later in life and we all say, “Alhamdulillah ala ni’imatil Islam”.

However, at one point or the other in our lives, we tend to become complacent when it comes to matters of the Deen. We may realize that we have been reciting the same Surah in our salahs for a long time or it might have been long since we memorized any new Surahs, we might discover that Salah has pretty much become a movement of the limbs for us rather than communication with our Rabb as it was designed to be. We become so occupied with the affairs of this Dunya and forget to strive for our eternal abode.

Allah says

….And I did not create the jinn and mankind except that they should worship me

Qur’an 51:56

We strive to be better in our worldly affairs, we do all sorts of personal development to get our heart desires and we end up depressed when we do not get what we
work for, sometimes we do gain those things and remain unfulfilled. This is because fulfillment comes only from worshipping Allah. If we are to dedicate ourselves and achieve immense worldly success while neglecting the main purpose for which we have been created, then it would be as though we have done nothing.
Allah says that we cannot worship Him if we do not know him and the importance of gaining knowledge in Islam cannot be overemphasized. It is therefore incumbent upon us all to do better in seeking and implementing knowledge of the deen, in making conscious efforts towards becoming better Muslims and Ambassadors of Islam.

With the tools technology presently affords us, we really do not have any excuse whatsoever. For those who cannot find classes to physically attend to learn about the Deen, there are several online classes, sisters/brothers cycles, webinars, e-book, YouTube videos as well as other resources to gain beneficial knowledge. We cannot all be Hafiz or Teachers nor can we ever be perfect but as long as we breathe, the aim should always be to better ourselves.
Anyone who has been educated on the significance of religious acts and rituals will attest to the fact that with such knowledge religious obligations and acts of worship become “sweeter” and easier. Oftentimes, the reluctance to pray, fast, give zakat, observe hijab, as well as other commandments, can easily be traced back to a lack of understanding of the significance of these acts and how they are for our own good, how these acts of worship cleanse our souls and uplift our spirits.

The most beloved deeds to Allah are those small ones that are done consistently. Reading at least one Ayah is a day is better than going months without reading anything from the Qur’an, every sincere act committed with good intention be it as little as a smile is an act of sadaqah and we should always try to do anything that will earn us the pleasure of Allah. Allah has made certain acts easier for some people than others, your supper power might be the ability to offer many voluntary Salah or fast, the ability to read and memorize the Qur’an, or the ability to give
of what you have been blessed with. Do well to use it!

Written by Hafsat Yahaya.

@herfserh