The Uphill Mission of Self Improvement

Asalamualaykum. Peace and blessings be upon you.



"One of the most difficult things is to be nice to people who aren't nice to you."

Difficult, but not unattainable.

A friend of mine once told me that we are able to implement various sunnahs and practices of islam; control your anger, be compassionate, be generous, be kind. The thing is, all these things are relatively easy to do when things are going your way. You have some extra cash, so you give a few coins to a man on the street. You're in a good mood, you treat the people around you with respect and courtesy. When you managed to catch 9 hours of sleep last night and fajr rolls around it's a piece of cake. Think of this as Level 1 of adopting islamic teachings.

Level 2 becomes tough. You yourself are struggling to pay rent. and at this moment you hesitate in giving. The public transit bus driver was rude and yelled at you three times. You're not as kind in your demeanour with your friends. Today you're tired and so you delay in your salah. All your brother did was poke your shoulder but it rubbed you the wrong way and you snapped. You think, I'm exhausted, he was rude to me, I don't feel great and so you start slipping.

And then there is Level 3. When your own pockets have bleed dry. When you just got fired. When someone starts an argument and you already had a rough day and you're exhausted and the only thing you want to do is snuggle in your covers. The last thing on your mind is bringing out that prayer mat. THIS. My friend told me this, is the moment when it really matters. When it's hardest to follow your deen. When shaytan tries his best in persuading you not to pray, to blow up in a fiery rage at your mother, to keep your change in your pocket because you may need it to grab a coffee later, this is when the amateurs are separated from the pros. The ones who are sincere. This is what we're all working towards. And the truth is, it's difficult. It is rocket science, it's tough, it's all of those things but it's not impossible.