Read the title of this article? How often have you come across this quote? It almost sounds clichéd, doesn’t it? We all know Allah plans best, and what He has in store for us is better than all our dreams put together.
Knowing is one thing, but accepting this fact when things don’t go according to our desires is a whole different ball game altogether. Suddenly, you have your nafs whispering things to you…. things like…
“Maybe I’m not good enough”
“Maybe I’m a bad slave”
“Maybe I have too many sins” or even worse,
“Maybe Allah does not love me; I think He’s angry at me”
In times of ease, it is easy to glorify and praise Allah but in times of hardship when what you’ve dreamt about doesn’t work in your favor, it is not really easy to accept what Allah has decreed. It is nothing to be ashamed of though. We all go through moments of low imaan days where no khutbah can lift our spirits, when even praying the fard prayers becomes difficult and no amount of words from friends, family or strangers can make us feel better.
So how do we reinforce this powerful statement of “Allah is the best of planners” in our minds and hearts in times of difficulty and hardship? Read on to find out.
>>> Understand the Quran in as little as 10 minutes/day. Click here to learn more.
#1 You’re only looking at one piece of the puzzle
Don’t ever assume that you have to deal with hardships and difficulties of this dunya all by yourself. For every step that you take to carry on with faith and patience even when the world is crumbling under your feet, know that Allah is stacking up your book with good deeds beyond measure.
It’ll all make sense towards the end, even if it looks blurred and confusing now. Because, while you are staring at a single piece of puzzle placed in your palms, Allah is looking at the entire picture, with every piece placed in its beautiful place, because He is the best of planners!
#2 Keep moving forward
I cannot function without going through my routine of planning, organizing, writing things down in my journal and flipping through my planners every now and then to make sure all my tasks for the day are complete. If you are anything like me, you would know that falling short on any of these tasks can give anxiety on a whole different level. Therefore, when we hit obstacles that temporarily or permanently stop us from achieving something, it is only but natural to feel down and out.
However, what does a successful Muslim do? He/she finds way to keep moving forward, knowing full well that this little setback is nothing but a blessing from Allah and a means for us to:
- Turn to Him more often than ever before
- Get closer to Him by seeking all means possible within our reach
So keep moving forward by ….
- Praying more fervently than you have
- Reading more Quran and getting closer to Allah through His words like never before
- Seeking loads of forgiveness
- Giving in charity
It’s these little things that turn into mountains of good deeds on the Day of Judgment… and on that day, none of these roadblocks will matter, only your relationship with Allah and your deeds will matter.
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#3 Don’t carry that load
When you remind yourself of Allah, the All Powerful, you will find a huge burden being lifted off your shoulders because you know it is Allah who is in control, not you. When we remind ourselves who the real Master and Planner is, it becomes easy to accept life’s twists and turns, knowing full well that we’re only here to please Him even when something displeases us. So, when things don’t go as planned, it is the perfect time to remind ourselves that we are not in control, it is Allah who controls every breath of our life.
#4 Just Dua it
We all go through moments when you feel a lump in your throat, a constriction in your heart, unease in your thoughts and you have no idea how to put those words and feelings into dua because things didn’t go as planned, right? That’s when you need to ask.
Ask Him to guide your heart to what it wants. Ask Him to guide you to happiness, ease, peace and love that will make your heart flutter with His remembrance every second it beats. Tell Him you don’t even know what to tell and ask Him to inspire your heart, because He can place those whispers in your heart and answer them for you. Because He is Al Mujeeb, the one who responds to every single dua you make Who despairs of His mercy!?
>> Understand the Quran in as little as 10 minutes/day. Click here to learn more
لااله الاّ الله