We live in a world that constantly tells us what we should want, marketing to us everything we need to be fulfilled, desirable, and successful.

But what happens when we convince ourselves that we can’t get those things?

How do we feel when we constantly tell ourselves that we are below a certain standard?

We all tell ourselves stories.

Maybe some of these sound familiar.

“I’m not good enough.”

“Time is running out for me.”

“I’m not going to get what I want so badly.”

“No one understands me.”

“They are so much better than me, I wish I was like them.”

My dear brothers and sisters, as Muslims, we must not just meekly swallow the words we hear, even the words that we tell ourselves.

Every snippet of information or speech we are exposed to should be filtered through the best and most perfect criterion; the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Words of Allah and the example of His truthful Messenger ﷺ.

And the first, most vital question we need to ask ourselves is how does Allah measure our worth? Is it the same as our culture, family, and society?

Is it based on our appearance, accomplishments, and housekeeping skills?

Does it have anything to do with how much we earn, how far up we are on the corporate ladder, or how much weight we can lift?

Does Allah deem us a lost cause because of our mistakes, the faults that keep us up at night and make us feel unworthy?

No, no, and no! SubhanAllah.

What does Allah love about us? What does He look for in His servants, and what makes Him accept us and grant us more and more from His Bounty?

Let’s look at some beautiful evidence from our Deen.

“Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.” 

[Al-Hujurat: 13]

“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves."

[Al-Baqarah:222]

“And ˹remember˺ when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more’.”

[Al-Ibrahim:7]

And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

“Verily, Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but rather He looks at your hearts and actions.”

[Muslim 2564]

My brothers and sisters, these few proofs only scratch the surface.  But from them, we can clearly see that what Allah values in us is, for the most part, not the same as what we are taught to value in ourselves.

From these gems, we learn that our sincerity and deeds are what make us special.

Do we rush towards what our Rabb loves?

Do we fight against the powerful temptations of sins? And if we slip and bruise our souls on such sins, do we instantly turn to Him in repentance?

This is so powerful because it shifts the focus away from ourselves and onto Who Allah is.

We should seek Allah’s Affection and Closeness while adding value to people using the blessings we have, blessings that are too many to count. This is genuine gratitude.

And Allah promises that when we are thankful to Him, He will increase us.

Allah will give us more of what we already have and appreciate, and also of the things we don’t yet have but desire.

Perhaps you need a relatable example to uplift that sore heart and tired spirit of yours, dear reader.

We can find so much inspiration from Musa‘s عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ story in the Qur’an.

If we think about feeling helpless, without resources, family, friends, sustenance, safety, or stability, none can compare with Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ when he ran away from Egypt.

He was a refugee with nothing in the world except the clothes on his back, and people accused him unjustly of a crime that he committed by accident.

My brothers and sisters, when Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ reached Madyan, he was completely alone and destitute. There was nowhere in the world he belonged, no one of the dunya he could turn to.  

But what did this Prophet of Allah عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ do when he reached the foreign city?

He noticed two women being maltreated, and he helped them.

What’s even more beautiful is that he عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ did so with silent dignity.

He did it in a way that pleased Allah; Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ didn’t even talk to them; he didn’t even wait for a word of thanks, much less monetary compensation!

What did he do instead?

He took refuge under a tree and made this heart-wrenching du’a to His Lord.

رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ فَقِيرٌۭ ٢٤

Rabbi innee limaa anzalta ilaiya min khayrin faqeer

“My Lord! I am truly in ˹desperate˺ need of whatever provision You may have in store for me.”

[Al-Qasas: 24]

And within the very same day, perhaps the same hour- Allah had him provided with a good home, a stable job, and a righteous wife.

SubhanAllah.

Please read this carefully and absorb this into your heart, dear brothers and sisters:

Allah can do anything.

We have nothing to fear as long as we are sincerely striving for Allah.

And yes, this includes working on being the best version of ourselves.

After all, the strong believer is better than the weak one, even though both have good in them. 

For instance, if we want a certain type of spouse, who is Deen-oriented, compassionate, excellent in character, and maintains himself or herself, then it’s not practical or fair if we don’t apply these same standards to ourselves.

We need to first be the dream spouse we seek to marry!

But at the same time, we need to be completely confident and content with Allah’s Plan. All our provisions, including our spouse, our property, our earnings, and whatever blessings we have and those that will come our way, have already been written for us.

This doesn’t mean we should sit back and be complacent. We should move forward from a position of strength and not weakness, from yaqeen (conviction, certainty) in Allah and not self-doubt.

While our hands are busy with righteous and productive work, benefitting ourselves and others for the sake of Allah, our hearts should be deliciously at peace.

You see, Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ looked beyond himself and served others, even though he was weak, starving, sad, and oppressed.  He did it for Allah.

And Allah gave him عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ more than he would have been able to imagine, given his circumstances.

Look to Allah, my brothers and sisters, He is the One Who owns the keys to the heavens and the earth.

Alhamdulillah, for a balanced Deen that always shows us the best way to live, love, thrive, and give.