The truth is, that for many of us, simple and stress-free moments of mindfulness and appreciation are few and far between.

When was the last time we said “Alhamdulillah” (all praise is due to Allah) when we went out into the sunshine and surveyed the blueness of the sky?

When did we last say “SubhanAllah” (glory be to Allah) when a butterfly flitted past us, brilliantly fragile, or when a beautiful flower caught our attention, nodding to us in a cool breeze?

When have we paused to admire the cascade of moonlight on a silvery sapphire night or thanked Allah for our mother’s eloquent hugs and our father’s random jokes?

Have we recently paused to truly indulge in the sweet smiles of our children and feel grateful that we have work to occupy ourselves from an aimless life?

As soon as we wake up, we are taught to make a du’a that begins with “Alhamdulillah” (all praise is due to Allah) just for the ability to open our eyes to another day.

But many of us jump out of bed (if we’re not sleeping in) with a demanding to-do list running through our heads, or else we spend copious amounts of our time scrolling through social media for the latest updates from people whose lives are so much more interesting than ours.

My brothers and sisters, this reminder is for my benefit as much as yours, as it is so easy to spend our days with our thoughts, intentions, and focus scattered away from what truly matters.

We’re all striving hard for something, but that ‘something’ isn’t always what we’re meant to be setting our hearts on to such an extent that every other commitment blurs into the background.

So, what do we compete for?

Is it attention, validation, and admiration?

Is it to appear successful, happy, and put together?

Is it to gain what others have – whether that’s a beautiful home, vehicle, or spouse- and never feel satisfied until you do?

It’s human nature to want more, to want a better life, and to find a greater level of happiness, fulfillment, and success than what we have now.

But following the wild whims of Dunya-oriented people; obsessed with the glamour of this worldly life, whether it’s wealth and properties, the latest brands, the most romantic spouse, first-class social gatherings, or enviable careers, is not going to lead us to the lasting, untainted, and sweet happiness that we believe it will.

This reality is concisely depicted in the following hadith:

The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said,

 “Whoever is concerned about the Hereafter, Allah will place richness in his heart, bring his affairs together, and the world will inevitably come to him. Whoever is concerned about the world, Allah will place poverty between his eyes, disorder his affairs, and he will get nothing of the world but what is decreed for him.”

[ Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2465]

Now, it’s natural to comfort ourselves with, “Well, at least I’m not pursuing anything bad or sinful!”  Our collection of designer bags, premier watches, endless home décor projects, and a line-up of exotic trips and decadent foodie expeditions seem innocent in comparison to the addictions and obsessions that rampage our societies.

And, Alhamdulillah for that!

However, the keyword is ‘the Dunya (this world)’; meaning anything that may possess benefit only on material and temporal level that does not reach our Aakhirah (the Hereafter).

We learn that making the Dunya our priority will only lead to anxiety and disappointment, we will never feel enriched, and even worse, it leads to a loss in the Hereafter. But when we  centre our lives around doing what Allah loves, then we will not only have the endless and perfect rewards of the Eternal Life but we will also be given blessings and contentment here.

Hand Vs. Heart

Allah has placed certain emotions and tendencies in humans for a reason.

Just as love, how it brightens and softens our worldview, teaches us what we truly value, the presence of grief as a result of separation from what we love also teaches us something- it teaches us that our love for anything or anyone should not exceed the boundaries set by Allah.

While being allowed to enjoy the blessings of this world, what we love can lead to our destruction if we misuse it.

Ustadah Yasmin Mogahed has a great analogy, 

Loving something like you are only supposed to love Allah is like filling your gas tank with orange juice instead of gas. Just like the car will be damaged by this, your heart will be harmed by this unhealthy attachment. We let this attachment become our master, and we are then enslaved to it- let us seek Refuge from Allah.

We need to remember the Giver of the gifts we have, and not obsess over the gifts themselves.

Our homes, spouses, children, wealth, property, and beauty- all of it is from Allah, and all of it, as part of the Dunya, is impermanent.

This should make us thank Allah day and night, beg Him to protect and preserve our blessings, and use these blessings in ways that bring us closer to Him, not further away!

May Allah grant us closeness to Him through gratitude and not through grief. Allahumma Aameen.

There is another powerful strategy that helps us to distinguish between the opportunities we need to seize today and the ones we need to resist.

The Prophet ﷺ told us to,

“Remember often the Destroyer of Pleasures: death.”

Don’t count on tomorrow.  Don’t think you have more time to be a better believer, to worship Allah completely. Whether it’s praying your salah fully, wearing the proper hijab, asking someone’s forgiveness, or building better habits, don’t procrastinate.

Whatever your conscience nudges you to do, and you come up with excuses not to do…do it. And this is a reminder to myself first and foremost.

Say ‘Bismillah’ and take the first step right now.

Appearances Vs. Reality

The Dunya is a place of testing, and it’s our choice whether to spend our whole life complaining and comparing or striving with light hearts that echo with “Alhamdulillah.”

A huge part of this is keeping tabs on what we consume and whose influence we allow to penetrate into our lives.

Many people post their hopes, struggles, and doubts on social media and feel a sense of validation when they get comments, encouragement, and shoutouts.

They tell you to go for it, not to think too much, and to believe in yourself.

But we need to ask ourselves- do these people know the whole story? Do they have any real investment in my life?

The answer is no.

Neither do you know exactly where they are coming from, and it’s impossible for you to have any real stake in their spiritual, emotional, and intellectual growth either, however much you may wish them well.

Therefore, it’s so important for us not to make important decisions based on the validation of other people. We should look only to the guidance of Allah, the Qur’an and Sunnah, as our compass. And when seeking advice, talk to people who are sincere to Allah, whose character reflects the Qur’an.

May Allah surround us with such people and make us from among these people! Allahumma Aameen.

And when looking at people who seem to have it all together, who pretty much have all that you want in life, do we take a step back from that rosy picture too?

Are we perceptive enough to remind ourselves that we’re just witnessing the best parts of someone’s life, just a minuscule fraction of their day-to-day, and only Allah knows what they have to go through behind the camera?

This mindset is not that we wish bad for others; it’s just that we choose to pay attention to the reality of this world, which is that everyone is tested.  

The truth is every single human being on this Earth is going through a struggle that cripples them, regardless of how they may look on social media or how successful they seem by worldly standards.

So, since this is the case, then is it truly worth our while to chase all that glitters after realizing it’s not gold?

I sincerely hope, dear brothers and sisters, that you and I answer in the negative after truly contemplating these realities (not easy, I know)!

So…What Do We Compete For?

Allah does not crush our nature; He redirects it to its most perfect potential.

By nature, human beings are competitive, we chase good things, and we have big dreams and visions, and that’s completely fine!

But, in the Qur’an, our Lord tells us what we need to race towards. And this should be our focal point no matter who we are or what we have accomplished thus far.

“For each [religious following] is a direction toward which it faces. So race to [all that is] good. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you forth [for judgement] all together. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.” [Al-Baqarah:148]

The Arabic word Khayr encompasses abundance and diversification, i.e., keep increasing in good, don’t think you’ve done enough, and do different types of good deeds; have an expansive repertoire of beautiful actions!

This is the race to true success in the Sight of Allah.

And when racing, we look to those who are better than us in good deeds and strive to get ahead to where they are. 

SubhanAllah, when you compete for what is righteous then you compete in righteous, beautiful ways too.

We lose hope in what other people possess in this world and focus on competing for the Akhirah, wanting success for them as much as ourselves.

May Allah allow us to meet Him with sincere, diverse, beautiful deeds that are pleasing to Him, and may He grant us the homes nearest to Him surrounded by His Mercy and Approval. Allahumma Aameen.