Alhamdulillah N., this is the best piece of advice anyone falling into doubt about the Deen can receive. It should be its own post. JazakAllah Khair

Ameen.

Ameen

JazakAllahu khair, N. and Hassan.

wa alaikum us salaam,

If you find yourself doubting all your actions and decisions, my advice: Choose to simplify and concentrate on what is most important and essential.

Decide to take your focus off side/minor issues, vague/theoretical issues, and issues of disagreement and debate.

For example, make sure you are saying your 5 daily prayers on time. Make sure you have made up any missed Ramadan fasts. Make sure you are eating and drinking halal, and avoiding the major sins. Ask Allah for forgiveness regularly.

Pay your zakat. Go to someone qualified whom you trust and ask how much you owe in zakat and pay that amount. Done. Don’t go too deeply into zakat issues that don’t apply to your situation.

Concentrate on a few key pieces of remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and du’a. For example, renew your shahada frequently. Pick a few du’as that you feel connected to, and keep saying those.

Try to stay connected to Qur’an at whatever level you are at. Maintain your level. For example, if you know a few short surahs, keep saying those. Maybe read their translations. If you can read from the Qur’an, read a little every day.

Be nice to your family and neighbors (muslim and non-muslim).

The above is more than enough to occupy you, and stay contented in maintaining this level. Ask Allah to help you.

When any issues start making you doubt yourself and decisions, seek protection in Allah from the Shaytan. (audhu billahi min ash Shaytan ar rajeem).

If you find you still have a real, solid question about something specific, find a qualified and trusted person (or resource) to answer specific questions related to your situation or concrete practices, e.g. about the prayer).

I hope this helps.

Allah Knows best and Allah’s help is needed.

As-Salāmu `Alaykum, Shaifa.

Could you expand on the second kind?

The first kind includes such things as men shaving their beard, eating using the left hand, and behaving like the kuffar, while the second kind involves accepting, or being influenced by, the standards, and the values, of the kuffar, or using the kuffar, and their society, as “role models” and so seeking to copy the kuffar and their society.

The above was just copied &pasted from a website…seems sensible to. Me…Allah knows best

Your translation of the ayah 51:56 (… to serve me) is glaringly incorrect. The word in this ayah is ‘ya’buduuni’ which means to worship me and according to several tafaaseer, it means ‘yuwahiduuni’ or to single out Allah alone in worship. To translate this word is as ‘serve’ is blatantly inaccurate. Where in the Arabic language does ya’bud mean ‘to serve’? Even the translation of the ayah on the link connected to your article has a different translation than yours. It seems that because you misunderstood the ayah, you also misunderstood the purpose of life which is tawheed of which your article makes no mention of.

Sr Mariam,

W’kumsalam and thank you for the du’a.