Unlike previous Ramadans, this Ramadan started right during finals. I have spent the first 20 days of Ramadan either in my study chair, at work, or running for taraweeh. I remember the first few days of Ramadan I was getting extremely frustrated with schoolwork. I was wishing that it was out of my way so that I can spend more time reading and reflecting on the Quran.
As with anything that is annoying and uncomfortable, we find ways of shielding ourselves against it; whether it be putting it off for the next day (which never comes) or make an excuse for why we can’t do it or even justify why we shouldn’t do it. Moving on, it was getting to the point that I was actually scared to take that first step because I would just picture how uncomfortable it was going to be.
SubhanAllah, last week’s ilm circle where Dr. Syed talked about how our purpose and intention for doing anything should be to worship Allah affected my perspective so much.
I started to ask myself if I truly wanted to make the dawah a lifelong mission till the day I meet my creator, then my schooling and the making of my professional career is super essential to making that goal a reality. Why not then strive for the sake of Allah in writing all your projects and finals with Ihsan and with the intention that your success in this P(schooling) will be used to do dawah with Ihsan in the future.
SubhanAllah, just that adjustment in my thinking turned it all round for me, yes it was a lot of hard work and a lot of time spent on computer-screen but it was not annoying anymore nor was it just a task that I had to do, rather it was purposeful, very-fulfilling and I felt closer to Allah through my studying!!
My takeaway from this experience is how much more barakah I can get in my life if I started to think about all my action with the sole lens of worshipping Allah. Wasn’t this the mission of the prophet Saw till the day he SAW left this world?
Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (Surah Al An’am 162)
Insha’Allah post-Ramadan, I want to constantly ask my self the purpose of my actions and how do they relate to my main purpose which is to worship Allah. I no longer want my dunya and aakhirah to be two separate entities but rather I want to make my dunya a vehicle for my aakhira. This will only happen if I purposefully and lovingly make worshipping Allah as my only mission in this Life.
– NYM Brother
