Qur'anic Reflections

Dua #3 Steadfastness

SubhanAllah. RasoolAllah was the best of creation, God- Fearing, Just, kind, patient and constantly invoked Allah.

Yet in the end, all of our hearts and souls are in Allah's Hands.

Only He can strengthen our faith when we need it the most. And all this will come only if we take the first step and struggle.

This is so important because we are so hasty in this sense. We have a great Ramadan and we become complacent. A great week of Qur'an classes and social service and we are off thinking we are secure for all of our lives.

But that's just an illusion. We will keep growing and evolving and so will our tests.

I can not say for sure if I will retain the same strength of my Iman tomorrow or if my strength of Iman would be enough for a bigger and harder test I will have to face tomorrow.

All I can hope for is to stay strong now, in this moment and make provisions for my future.

So what can we do to make sure we move along this path called life with firm feet planted in Taqwa and Sincerity?

☆ Plan for your future. Know what weaknesses you might have to face and then make a plan on how you can tackle them.

The best way to do that is by increasing our Ilm of the Deen. The more Qur'an and Sunnah we visit and revisit, the more we can increase our strength.

And then make note of that. Keep a journal of good deeds that Allah encourages, note down lessons and duas from the Qur'an and Seerah.

So a few years down the line, when we hit a low, when we can't find ourselves, we can go back to our Journal and read our own words, our own promises, our own aspirations that we had derived from our study of the Deen.

☆Keep good company that reminds you of Allah.

Sometimes, we need someone else to cut through our lows and falls. When we keep good company or join an organisation that works for the Sake of Allah and we keep getting back to them and listen to them speak of Allah and His Prophet SAW, it might just soften our hearts.

So it is important we make good friends, keep meeting them, discuss deen with them, attend Islamic lectures and join Organisations that work sincerely for Allah's cause.

This is what Believers are supposed to do! Advise and guide each other to Iman and Patience.

☆ Beg Allah for firm steps.

This is where Dua #3 comes in.

"Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower."

This is a verse from Surah Aal e Imran (verse no. 8)

It's a beautiful dua and in the context of the verse it is made by scholars who have learnt the Qur'an.

It is a dangerous slippery slope when one attains knowledge. One can fall into pride and arrogance and go far far away from the Deen. On the other hand, if used well, the same knowledge can make you fall in love with Allah over and over again.

So we need to keep studying up and keep making this dua so we are not overwhelmed by our own flaws.

Because this Ilm, this deen, this heart that yearns for Allah's love, this mind that wants to learn His Book was once a heart that didn't heed and a mind that didn't comprehend.

Allah saved us then, and only He can save us now, and always.

Here's another beautiful dua in the same context!

Ya Allah, please keep saving us the way you saved us before. Please makes our hearts firm in this duniya of illusions and trials. Ameen.

:')