04/12/2021
Some people ask me how to be spiritual? How do I guide or coach people spiritually? How can some people have spiritual gifts? What makes them spiritual? Do they have to be Muslims for me to coach them about spirituality? I tell them, to be spiritual, you don't need to be a Muslim. You need to be human. You need to know that you don't have control over everything but you need to learn abstinence and put in the effort to achieve everything. You need to know that there is a higher force that runs and maintains the Universe and you have no control over this force. In other words, you need to believe that God exists. The one and only God that creates everything else including us.
To me, spirituality is about connecting to my own soul, my inner self and once I am connected to my inner self, it is easier for me to feel connected to Allah SWT. So, if you want to get connected to your soul or inner self, I am always here to assist in every way that I can, In Shaa Allah. How you perceive GOD and connect to Him, however, requires your own personal effort.
I have not, a brilliant idea or a standard and "by the book" answers to those questions in the first paragraph. I am not an Asatizah or a religious teacher. I am just another human being who sinned as much as the rest of us who exist on earth and I am a believer of Allah SWT. I am not about to sit down and judge anyone about their deeds and I don't care if you are going to judge me either. To me, the sins that others are capable of committing, I am just as capable of them. The good deeds that good people are doing, I must try to emulate because I am not any better than anyone.
Even though I have a habit of reflecting on the translations and the meanings behind the narrations and history emphasized in the Qur'an and how they impacted my faith in Allah SWT, my beliefs, perceptions and regard for Him as The Lord of The Universe, all I know is that it is going to be a constant and continuous struggle to be near to Him. No one will have it easy. All of us will have to deal with this, day in and day out for hours, days, weeks, months, years and for as long as we live. The constant strive to do what is good, what is better, what is kind, what is right, what is just, what is halal and what pleases Allah SWT.
My personal opinion is that:
1) When we are not being blessed with what we had wished and hoped for despite trying and doing all we can to get it, there is a need to reflect and introspect. The issue in actuality is never about how to get what we want or why we cannot get what we want. It is about whether we want what we can get.
Sometimes, it is easy to become so fixated on a goal that we stop questioning whether it remains the right choice for us. It is possible that what we think we really want, is something that we don't actually want at all! In fact, if we could really see the hidden blessings behind why we ended up with what we have, it might actually be that we are better off with what we have already got. Appreciate it, cherish it and be grateful for it. Say "Alhamdulillah", treasure and nurture what you have already gotten to your utmost ability as long as it is what is Halaal for you and it does not bring you any harm.
2) Other than following the Qur'an, whether as a form of guidance or a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), how else do we connect to Him and the rest of His creations? How do we connect to others? How do we feel Him? How do we perceive everything else that connects to us and connects us to Him? What makes us more connected to others? What makes us connected to God? Is it through our emotions or our intellect? Which is better? How do our emotions and our intellect actually connects us to our soul and ultimately to Him? If so, do we actually have the right to see ourselves as faultless, flawless and perfect in every way?
3) Sometimes, it is not always about how much more good deeds we are willing to do to balance out or counter the imperfections in our deeds and the sins we accumulated but it is in what we are willing to give up to seek His pleasure and rewards. I remembered listening to an Islamic lecture where the Ustaz was saying,
"Whoever leaves a Haraam, for the sake of Allah and returns it for a Halal, Allah replaces it with unimaginable things. The Prophet Sulayman (AS) gave up his horses for the sake of Allah, Allah gave him the wind to command. The Prophet Yusuf (AS) gave up a haram woman and Allah gave him the dominion of Egypt instead. Leave the haraam that you are in for the sake of Allah and Allah will replace it with what you didn't anticipate."
The only thing I personally conclude from the above reminder from the Ustaz is that every time, I choose to sacrifice what is very much desirable or forbidden to me, in His way, just for His sake because I want Him to be pleased with me, I know I get more connected to my soul and I feel nearer to Him. I feel at peace. Of course, there are times when I will have to cry and grieve over what I gave up because sometimes, the heart wants what it wants but there are times when I have to know that what I want is not exactly what I should need. I could listen when He guides me. It is about how I choose to personally connect with Him while abiding by the Qur'an. I will be blessed and He will be there with me throughout every second of my breath. I know that He will forgive me every time I fail or forget and therefore that keeps me motivated to continue to try and thrive to find the light when I am in my own darkness and shadows. Of course, I can never be perfect but I know that He knows it when I choose to give up what I desire or what is forbidden for His sake. It is a journey of always wanting to grow, to transform and to be a better human, a better Muslim, and a better servant despite having to continuously struggle with my imperfections.
