Faith Friday: Struggling with Islam

A lady once said to me, “Whenever I see you, I feel so happy.”

“That's kind of you but what do you mean?” I asked out of curiosity.

“You have a lot of positive energy and you make Islam look so easy.”

"Wow," I thought. "This lady must not know me very well." But I understand that it’s not the same when you’re looking in from the outside because I have my strengths and weaknesses, just like everybody else. I struggle with Islam too. There are days when I struggle to pray on time and moments when I struggle to have patience and humility. I also find it hard to live in this world and yet be Akhirah-centric because that is what Islam is about – living this life in preparation for an Eternal Life. The amount of attention and dedication that is placed towards the Hereafter is what distinguishes a Believer from an Unbeliever.

Life is tough. It will always be tough but what makes a good human being and Muslim is someone who never gives up on the Truth. I admit that there’s so much I don’t know about this life and I’m still learning about Islam. When my faith is shaken I tell myself that I don’t want to go backwards in my life. I’ve found something that’s very genuine and that is my relationship with my Creator, Sustainer and Protector.

What I really want to say is that if you’re struggling with your faith, don’t give up on God and don’t give in to your weakness(es). I see many Muslims slowly getting out of touch with their relationship with Him. We have to remember that this life is a journey and we are going to hit a few bumps along the way but we must fight back with all that’s left in ourselves and fight back by seeking knowledge about Islam because this is the most important battle in our lives. If we conquer this one, inshaAllah, all the other struggles and trials will become easier or even fade away.

I believe that we’re all struggling with something. Nobody leads a perfect life but our society and culture tell us that we have to put up the strongest façade and that has dehumanised us in a way because we've kind of lost our sense of compassion for other people. It’s important to realise that a big part of being human is to have weaknesses. Communicating with others about the things we struggle with is not about appearing weak because we have to be honest enough with ourselves so we can find ways to become stronger. With that, I hope to start a small series of Faith Friday posts, inshaAllah, where I discuss some of the things I’m personally struggling with in Islam and how I’m trying to overcome them. By doing so, I hope to build a bridge between you and I, and help others who are sharing the same dilemmas and difficulties. At the same time, I want to listen to your advice and ideas the same way you have been open to my thoughts by reading my blog.

At the end of the day, despite all the difficulties we face we must also acknowledge the ease that Allah swt has blessed us with in other aspects of our lives. Count your blessings and say alhamdulillah (praise and thanks to God) even when it hurts because they are truly a sign of His Mercy.

P.S. A happy 2-year blog-anniversary to 'Colours of My Life' today! Thank you so much for the support you have given through e-mails, comments and constructive criticisms. It is always a delight to hear from my blog readers who come from all over the world. JazakumAllah khairan for a wonderful 2 years of blogging!