Allah subhanahu wa ta`la (exalted is He) has given Himself Names and attributes (siffat) so that we can know Him. What is most amazing and beautiful about Allah’s Names is that through them, you can see how your Creator recognizes the needs of His creation.

We all need sustenance; and He is al-Razzaaq, The Provider. We all need love; and He is al-Wadud, The Most Loving. We all need protection; and Allah is al-Hafidh, The Guardian. What we need the most is the very thing of which Allah (swt) has an unlimited supply.

And so sometimes we are put through things to know Allah (swt). Sometimes it is to open your eyes to your own flaws so that you can change. But whatever it is, if you realize that the answer to any problem is through Him, and that He suffices all your needs, then your relief is already at hand.

Recently, I found myself to be very lost. And this was alarming because I used to be a person who had direction. I thought I knew where I was going and what I was doing. But things started to fall apart, internally. I wasn’t sure anymore. And then I realized I had three choices – to continue to do what I was doing without putting in any extra thought, to give up entirely, or to re-assess and re-orient.

And because this feeling persisted for a while, I realized something else. I came to know Allah’s attribute of Guidance.

Sometimes this feeling of being lost can bring us closer to Allah (swt).

What is the meaning of this problem? Why are we stuck? We need to feel as though we do not know where we are going, because that is when we start searching. And that is precisely when Allah (swt) shows you that He is The Guide (al-Haadi), and how life changes when the Light of God is in it.

Perhaps you started out something with a sense of purpose, but in your journey you were knocked off the path towards the greater goal. You need al-Haadi. Maybe you are having some sort of mid-life crisis. You need al-Haadi. And we cannot for one moment believe that there is no way out and no right path. Allah (swt) says in a hadith qudsi (record of the words of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him),

“O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you,” (Muslim).

As Allah (swt) gave Himself the attributes of Guidance and Light, how can we ever believe that we will be in darkness for too long?

Say, for example, you are drowning in a pool. Who will you usually call out for? The lifeguard. The lifeguard is already there, watching out for people, and because that is his job, when you call out to him he’ll jump in there to save you. Now Allah (swt) is over and above any analogy, but as Allah (swt) gave Himself the attribute of guidance, telling you that He is THE Guide and He is THE Light of the heavens and the earth, then how can you be lost for too long? Especially if you seek Him. Are we saying that lifeguards do their job better than Allah (swt)?

So what does it mean to go to Allah al-Haadi? It means to take the first step of realizing that He has this attribute, and having the certainty that Allah (swt) will not turn a seeker away. Secondly, it means to ask Him. Make du`a’ (supplication), pray istikhara (the prayer for guidance) and talk to Him. Thirdly, it means to use the means around us. Re-assess your goals, seek people’s advice and take the steps needed to try to find an answer. When we feel an internal instability, these steps may be hard, but Allah (swt) tells us “And those who strive for Us – We will surely guide them to Our ways […]” (Qur’an, 29:69).

And so we have to strive. We have to search. It will be hard. And there will be moments of confusion. But the Prophet ﷺ taught us: “Know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship,” (Tirmidhi).

One final action is that we cannot let Shaytan (the devil) make us lose hope and make us keep questioning ourselves. There is a point when confusion becomes wiswaas (whispers) – a sort of paranoia from the Devil. Only when we realize that Allah (swt) is the ultimate Guide and we are seeking Him in the proper way, will we gain full trust in Him and know that He will not allow us to be led astray.

“So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him – He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.” (Qur’an, 4:175)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

To the Eyes that Weep,

Ramadan is almost over. It feels like it just flew by. Where did the time go?

Maybe you are sad because this holy month is coming to an end too soon. Perhaps you are heartbroken because you did not make the most of this blessed time. Either way, it is upsetting.  If only you had more days, more hours.

While most of us feel some sadness, we may also be overburdened with guilt. Another Ramadan has come by, and still no major changes in your life.

Ramadan is, of course, designed to be special; but it is special for a number of reasons: it is supposed to bring us to taqwa (God consciousness), to reflect on the Qur’an, to purify ourselves through fasting, to increase our worship, and to rectify our character.

The beautiful thing about Ramadan is that Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) shows us what is possible – He reveals to us our potential. Even if you disappointed yourself, the Day of Judgment has not come yet, meaning it is not the end – you can still make up the shortcomings. As long as there is time, there is hope. So what prevents us from doing these things outside of Ramadan?

Remember that you can still worship Him. You can still be close to Him. God is there – with the same attributes – inside and outside of Ramadan. Do not define your relationship with Allah by your mistakes during this Holy month. If you do, you are the one moving away from Him, He did not push you away. As for God, He is al-Baqi – the Everlasting – and He remains. His attributes remain as they are.

The Lord whom you begged for mercy during Ramadan is the same Merciful Lord outside of Ramadan – indeed, “Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy.” (Qur’an, 6:54)

The Creator whom you pleaded to for forgiveness and pardon during this month – His forgiveness is open to you 365 days a year; He Himself says, “But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.” (Qur’an, 20:82)

God, whom you expressed your fears and hopes to, whom you asked to give you the good of this world and the Hereafter – He tells you, “I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.” (Qur’an, 2:186)

Whenever your guilty soul or satan want to trick you into thinking you are too far to be rectified, God Himself tells you, “I am near.” (Qur’an, 2:186) That is all you need to know, and that is all you need to remind yourself of when you feel far.

If you want to continue your good deeds or make up for your shortcomings, you can do that. You can follow Ramadan by fasting the six days of Shawwal, fasting twice a week (Mondays & Thursdays) or you can fast three times a month (the Bright Days). The Prophet ﷺ tells us, “Every servant of God who observes fast for a day in the way of God, Allah would remove his face farther from the Fire to the extent of seventy years’ distance.” (Muslim)

You can give charity any time of year. The Prophet ﷺ said: “None gives charity from what is good, for Allah only accepts what is good, but that the Merciful takes it with His right hand. Even if it is a date, it is nurtured in the hand of the Merciful until it becomes greater than a mountain, just as one of you nurtures his young horse or camel.” (Muslim)

You can volunteer. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah will aid a servant [of His] so long as the servant aids his brother.” (Muslim)

You can wake up for qiyaam (the night prayer), even if you only do it on the weekends or even once a month. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer.” (Muslim)

You can make it a point to help to uplift people. The Prophet ﷺ said, “The most beloved of deeds according to Allah the Mighty, the Magnificent, is that you bring happiness to a fellow Muslim.” (Tabarani)

And you know what? If you do these things, you will find that by next Ramadan insha’Allah (God willing), your heart will already be softer, ready to soak up the blessings of the month. So intend to continue to do good after Eid, and make a plan for that. It is easy to slip back into bad habits, so follow up your intentions with concrete actions.

And if your heart is still broken by the last iftar (meal of breaking fast) of this month, turn to Him. Make time before you break your fast to be alone with Him and pour out your heart and soul to God. Tell Him all of your hopes for this month, and how you feel about not having been able to fulfill them. Express to Him your fears about coming out of Ramadan and losing that connection with Him. Talk to Allah. He hears you, at every second of every day.

And as long as you still breathe, you can turn back to Him and make the most of wherever you find yourself. It could be that you are accepted because of your sincere worship in one of these remaining days. Do not let your connection to God stop at Ramadan – let your connection be to the Lord of Ramadan.

Sincerely,

From eyes that weep remorse

(And find hope even after Ramadan)