By Abdullahi Jamaa
Many times you need a change of pace while other times you must sit back and draw a new roadmap for your life, one that invigorates your motivation for personal achievements while redirecting your efforts with renewed hope and energy.
It’s common to lose focus sometimes but unusual to stay in that state of confusion for long as a result of endless procrastination. In daily melee of not knowing what to do next when things are not moving ahead appropriately, one becomes hopeless and depressed.
Remember this verse from the magnificent Quran: “So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.” Quran 3:139
Do not seethe in regretful frustrations about your joblessness, the pervading poverty and general lack of progress. Certainly, you cannot achieve all your ambitions in this world, this should stick into the back of your mind always.
Imam Ibn Jawzi said:
“I was created with a degree of determination and energy that seeks the utmost of everything. I reached old age but have not reached what I hoped for, so I started to pray for the extension of my life, and the strengthening of my body, and the attaining of my goals.”
Confidently you can achieve a lot but not all. Your burning desire to achieve your goals depends on the scale, urgency and amount of energy you put in. When you cultivate the land ahead of the rainy season you do not expect 100 percent harvest, some crops will dry and perish along the season.
Similarly, your exertions may end up without results, but that doesn’t mean you just sit and twiddle your fingers whenever you fail in something, it means trying and trying again, changing the tactics and adapting to new strategies.
Today I would like to remind you that you are not a failure. It is only that the struggle for life is long and tedious. The longer the battle the sweeter the victory. You need a little patience and a lot of dua to turn your dreams into concrete realities.
They say, it’s often as refreshing to make a change as it is to have a break. Make great changes to your entire life. You should not waste all your free time on empty, negative and unproductive rhetoric.
Do not procrastinate, instead think out of the box, draw a map of salvation and pick your race of life confidently. Conduct a fruitful self-assessment of your entire life. Sit down, pick a notebook and list down all your goals.
You need to adjust your values and morals and submit your heart, mind and body to work together to move in the right direction. You should live in the moment, but at the same time set intentions for your future goals, and always remember to be sincere in your intentions.
To fulfil your dreams and achieve your goals, you have to work on them. Allah says: “Verily Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” Qur’an 13: 11)
Take that first step, and Allah will guide your way: “To those who do right is a goodly [reward]. Yes, and even more.” (Qur’an 10: 26)
And is there?
“Is there any reward for good other than good” (Qur’an 55: 60)
Dua alot
You may think that you are praying hard. May be you are making a lot of mistakes in your supplications, may be you are missing that sincere dua that you really need to change your life.
Dua is not just about raising your hands up, you must be present mentally and physically. Listen to your inner voice and ask yourself this question: Is my dua coming from a sincere heart that has a strong faith in Allah or is it just a mere lip service?
You need to do three things to have a powerful dua , one is that you be consistent, do it again and again and in every position and opportunity. Let it come out for as long as you can, days, weeks, months and years, keep on raising your hands up.
Ibn Qayyim said: “One of the most beneficial remedies is persisting in supplication.”
Secondly, pick some highly recommended duas from sunnah. Say these favourite duas as often as possible, include them in your Sujood and apply them in every obligatory and voluntary prayer.
Thirdly, in every session of supplication ask Allah to give you contentment and patience to overcome the ensuing hard scrabbling life. For sure without strength and patience Satan will confuse you that you are a failure. In seeking patience from Allah, you will soon realise how strong you are before the door of opportunity opens ahead of your hopeful face.
Imam Al-Ghazali said: “Do not ask Allah to reduce your burden, but ask Him to strengthen your back to carry the load.”
Here is my recommendation for three powerful supplications from the sunnah and traditions of our beloved prophet (peace be upon him).
O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in my religious and worldly affairs, and my family and my wealth. O Allah, veil my weaknesses and set at ease my dismay.
O Allah, preserve me from the front and from behind and on my right and on my left and from above, and I take refuge with You lest I be swallowed up by the earth.
