By Have you ever thought about how being born a Muslim is already such a blessing? Do you think why you were chosen to be a Muslim? Why you? How did you earn this?
Islam is the most beautiful religion and there is no doubt about that. You will notice the extensive use of the word ‘beautiful’ as there is no other word that justifies our religion more than this one. Islam is indeed beautiful.
Establishing a deeper meaning and connection with Allah leads to an everlasting bond and all that one needs.
We are taught from a very young age to fear Allah as that’s how our parents were made to think of Allah and learn more about his Might. Fear of Allah is definitely important and also necessary in some cases as that sets boundaries and limits to our actions and thinking. Also, keep in mind the wrath of Allah and how it has been observed in the past (especially in the case of the Prophets).
At the same time, the love for Allah must transgress the love of every human, every species ever born as that is the essence and the true purpose of our existence. Just take the example of Hazrat Ibrahim and how he was ready to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail in the way of Allah, for the love of Allah and His command. Rather than out of fear, we must do things out of love for Allah Almighty. Understanding our purpose and developing a relationship with Allah becomes much easier when we look at it from a positive angle and perspective. Establishing a deeper meaning and connection with Allah leads to an everlasting bond and all that one needs.
Fear of Allah or Love for Allah
We link the fear of Allah to sins and wrongdoings, and it is very much linked to the Day of Judgement, as that is when we all will finally face Allah and our deeds will be measured. We must fear Allah as that will always stop us or serve as a warning when we have to choose between what’s right or wrong and when the devil is trying to distract us. It is very easy to go astray, especially in the modernized world. We must fear nobody but Allah, this must be the foundation of our Iman.
At the same time, believe in all the powerful and beautiful attributes attached to Him. Have you ever truly paid attention to the 99 names of Allah, the most beautiful ‘Asmaa-ul-Husna’?
Have you ever pondered over the meaning of all of His names and how unimaginably beautiful they are? How can one not fall in love with His names and memorize them by heart? There is a strange kind of peace attached to calling out the different names of Allah and believing in them.
Contrary to popular belief, Allah is not looking for a reason to punish, reject or push us away. He is there for us when no one else is present. When no one else is watching or listening, Allah is looking for reasons to accept us.
His names teach us that He is Merciful, The Source of love (Al-Wadud), and The Source of peace (As-Salaam). Know that He is Al-Khaliq, The One who created us and anything we may desire; As-Sami’, The One who hears every single one of our supplications; Al-Qadir, The One who is able to do anything, no matter how impossible it might seem to our limited perception. This helps us create our relationship with Allah in a positive framework, and make it a relationship that we gladly work on and invest in. So explore, learn and reflect on the Names of Allah thoroughly.
Choosing Your Life Path
The key to a strong relationship with Allah is to be optimistic that He will accept your repentance. He mentions His forgiveness much more often than His punishment in the Qur’an. Every once in a while, we all will make a mistake, but it’s vital to immediately catch ourselves and remember Allah. No matter the magnitude of the sin, never lose hope in His infinite mercy.
[W]hen you love your Lord and have a content relationship with Him, you will notice how everything in your life will settle and start falling into place.
As Muslims, it is our duty to praise Allah and there are multiple ways of doing that, very simple and effective. When we move away from thinking of our Creator based on fear, we are able to focus on all the positive aspects. Creating a relationship is not an option but the utmost priority. The path that you take is totally up to you.
Most parents and elders usually instill a persistent fear of Allah that actually demotivates people to make an effort. Love is a powerful thing. And so, when you love your Lord and have a content relationship with Him, you will notice how everything in your life will settle and start falling into place. This is what we must be teaching our kids, siblings, and future generations.
There is no better way to develop a relationship with Allah than dutifully praying five times a day. We all know it will be the first and foremost question on the Day of Judgement, yes, but is it really too hard to take out half an hour to forty minutes from your daily life to actually talk to your Creator one-on-one and please Him? We were made to worship Him and He has made it so simple by just asking us to allocate a few minutes of our day, with all our hearts.
It’s our precious time with Allah when we get to ask Him for everything we want, ask for His forgiveness, praise Him, ask for His blessings, and for His love above all. May He choose us all to be amongst His favorite servants. How many times have you had a problem and then have run to people who can only listen to you but have no power to help you? This is the purpose of Salah; to worship, to lay your burden and ease your pains, the Only One who can solve them for you and provide you relief.
There is so much peace and power in making a connection with Allah through our five daily prayers; when a human is at their weakest, yet the closest to Allah. How beautiful is it to lay all your worries to Him and just be free of them? We must bow down before our Lord, prostrate ourselves and show how grateful we are for all His bounties. Will we ever be able to recognize Allah’s Qadr and be grateful enough? Not really, never, it is impossible. He loves us 70 times more than our mothers, so how can we not prioritize Him above all?
Connecting With Allah
We all must start working on our relationship with Allah, and for that reason, establishing certain habits to keep our hearts alive is incredibly important. Each one of us has a heart and even though the physical heart plays a critical role in our day-to-day living, the most crucial nourishment for the heart is arguably the spiritual one.
It is also very significant to surround oneself with people whose mission in life is to love Allah, who have devoted their lives to Allah, and remind or encourage you to do the same. Think about how you being Muslim is not only a benefit to you but also a benefit to those around you.
The next step, once we are ready to love Allah wholeheartedly, is to recognize the importance of the Qur’an, which is not just meant to sit on our shelves but was sent down to be read, lived, and engaged with on a daily basis. Allah tells us in the Holy Qur’an that our hearts find ultimate peace and tranquility in the remembrance of Him.
Think about how you being Muslim is not only a benefit to you but also a benefit to those around you.
Since the Qur’an is said to be the best form of remembrance, it’s an essential component of keeping our hearts steadfast. But how many of us really make an effort to understand His book? How much time do we really spend with it on a regular basis?
Always remember, nothing in the Dunya will be able to give you what a content heart — a heart connected to its Creator — can give you.
How undeniably beautiful is this hadith that I will leave you with: The Prophet said, “Allah the Almighty said: ‘I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed’.” (Sahih Muslim)
Which is more effective for you: obeying Allah primarily out of fearing His punishment or out of loving Him? Slide to our DMs @muslimgirl on Instagram and let us know!