Bismillahirrahmānirrahīm
“Every time you feel the loneliness of isolation, remember your companions who have preceded you and be eager to join them; and do not be concerned with others, for they will not avail you at all before Allah. And if they call out to you during your journey, do not turn to them, for whenever you respond to them, they will take you and set you in another direction.”
- ibn al Qayyim RH in Madārij us Sālikīn
The Prophet SAW likened holding onto religion during the end times to holding onto hot coals. I used to believe that end times were not here yet, because I thought I was practicing enough, without having to go through any opposition; religion didn’t seem difficult to me at all.
This is because my idea of “a practicing Muslim” was warped. “Practicing” to me meant getting involved in “halaal” relationships, going out with clothing I couldn’t pray in, absorbing filthy content from Hollywood, engaging in conversations with people that were of no benefit in this world and the next, free mixing, drowning in music, going to events where I would have to disobey Allah in one way or the other, and prioritizing the dunya over the akhirah. As long as I had iman in my heart, and I prayed (regardless of how devoid of khushu my salah was), and I abstained from the major sins, then I was “practicing”.
People always say “strike a balance”, by “balance” they mean: disobey Allah, then go and pray afterwards without making genuine taubah. Someone said that “balance” means practicing the religion the way the Rasul SAW practiced it. Everyone else’s “balance” is not actually balanced.
The correct description of a “practicing” and “balanced” muslim is one who lives by the Quran and the sunnah, one who is strange amidst crowds of muslims, one whose heart is inclined towards the akhirah, one who would rather pray properly with khushu than have hang outs. This comes with a lot of sweetness, and a lot of sadness; sweetness because you can feel Allah with you, sadness because you can only relate to a handful of human beings.
When your friends tell you how much fun you’ve missed out on for not going out, or when you’re going out looking underdressed to avoid exposing your ‘awrah, or when everyone is having movie marathons and keeping up with the billboards, or when everyone is going on dates, the stranger isn’t the one at a loss, the rest of the people are.
The truly practicing muslim has peace in his heart which can never be found elsewhere; he has the love of the angels, and he has the love of Allah, which is worth more than everything this dunya contains. He might be strange to the people of the world, but he is known in the heavens, and when death comes to him, he shall be greeted by the angels. They will tell him not to have fear or sadness; they will give him glad tidings of Jannah and they will tell him they are his allies.
فلذلك طوبى لك يا عبد الله
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.
This has ibnul Qayyim and his student ibn Rajab رضي الله عنهما written all over it. You're what u read. May Allah make u tread the path of the pious predecessors.
و فيكم