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On Spirituality & Nearness to Allah (Q & A Session)

Dina Mohamed Basiony
08 February, 2017

Asalamu Alaikum brothers and sisters, 

Are you doing everything Islam requires but still can’t feel the connection with Allah? Are you feeling far from Allah because you are stressed by life? Wanting that Ramadan kind of feeling in a Jumada Al-Awwal kind of month?

Have all your questions on spirituality and drawing nearer to Allah answered in our next Live Session with Ask Islam counselor and Spirituality Editor at Productivemuslim.com, Dina Mohamed Basiony. 

Join us Thursday, Feb. 9 from 10 PM – 12 AM in Makkah (7 -9 PM GMT) (9 -11 PM in Cairo) ( 2-4 PM in New York).

Can’t make it to the Live Session? Don’t worry. You can email your questions in ahead of time to [email protected]

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Thursday, Feb. 09, 2017 | 22:00 - 23:59 GMT

Session is over.
DISCLAIMER
Views expressed by hosts/guests on this program (live dialogue, Facebook sessions, etc.) are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.  

Asalam sister, I am a perfectionist and find it difficult to deal with my imperfection in faith, as I sin often and can’t get past it. How do I cope with this even though I seem to not be able to get past the conflict between my human imperfect and my self imposed perfectionism? I feel like if I don’t get some relief from my own self, I will break. Please help.



Walaykum Asalam waRahmat Allah,

You have to remember that ultimate perfection belongs only to Allah. If we were already perfect and self-sufficient, then why would we need Him? Part of connecting with Allah is to acknowledge our imperfection and our neediness of Him and His help.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, were you not to commit sins, Allah would replace you with a people who would commit sins and then seek forgiveness from Allah; and Allah would forgive them.” (Muslim)

This is NOT an invitation to sin, rather this is a reminder that we are flawed and so long as we are seeking Allah sincerely, we should never give up if we erred; we should always seek Him with hope knowing that He never turns the sincere seekers down.

Whenever you feel you’ll give up or break, remember this absolutely brilliant, beautiful, and soothing hadith:

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Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah, the Exalted, has said: ‘O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it'”. (AtTirmidh)

And remember that Allah says:

“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’” (Qur’an 39: 53)

 

So never ever give up. Remember that “regret is repentance” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Do not let Shaitan deter you from seeking Allah again and again and again and forever. Allah never turns us back.

“Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” (Qur’an 2: 268)

You’re on the right path. Keep going and Allah is always with those who seek Him.

As the Prophet taught us:

“All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Please read more info at the following links:

5 Tips to Remain Steadfast

How to come back after sinning

How to start over after a life of sins?

I hope this helps. Please keep in touch. 

Asalamoo ‘Alaikoom, Why do I feel closer to Allah during times of hardship? Why don’t I feel the same during times of ease?



Walaykum Asalam waRahmat Allah Dear Questioner,

You feel closer because you feel you need Him. There is nothing wrong with that. Allah wants us to realize our need for Him and ask for His Help. Remember we say 17 times a day through our daily prayers while reciting surat Al Fatiha, “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

So you are in need of Allah, that’s why you are seeking Him earnestly. Use this period and invest in your relationship with Allah. Don’t feel shy; we have no One to ask but Him. 

People actually tend to neglect Allah, or cross the limits when they feel “self-sufficient” or think that they don’t “need” Him.

“No! [But] indeed, man transgresses

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Because he sees himself self-sufficient.” (Qur’an 96: 6-7)

So, you’ll find that the people closest to Allah are the ones having the most tests. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) was asked which people are the most severely tested. He replied:

“The Prophets, then the next best and the next best. A person is tested according to his religious commitment. If he is steadfast in his religious commitment, he will be tested more severely, and if he is frail in his religious commitment, his test will be according to his commitment. Trials will continue to afflict a person until they leave him walking on the earth with no sin on him.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

So, remember that we are only here on this earth for a short temporary period and that The One who brought us here will resurrect us again and grant us an eternity near Him if only we prove our sincere faith and commitment to Him in this short journey.

So, make use of this period to deepen your bond with Allah and keep asking Him again and again and never give up on talking to Him and asking of Him.

Please read the following for more help insha’Allah:

Why do bad things happen to good people?

If it Wasn’t for Suffering, We Wouldn’t Appreciate Blessings!

Dealing with Hardships the very best way!

The amazing story of Hajar and how it’s relevant to you

Salaams, How can I help my wife with her faith? How can someone help someone else come closer to their Creator? Is this even possible?



Walaykum Asalam,

It is absolutely possible to come closer to The Creator. His doors are always open and He never turns away the sincere seekers. As partners, you are supposed to help each other come closer to Allah Almighty, and be patient in calling one another to the truth and remaining on the right path.

You can do a lot of activities with your wife to help her reconnect with her Creator:

  • You can explore the meanings and manifestations of the Beautiful Names and Attributes of Allah together.
  • You can attend/watch/listen to Seerah lectures together.
  • You can attend halaqahs (religious lessons) together to know more about Jannah, The Day of Judgment, Allah, His Prophets, The history of the Prophets, the Angels, what happens after death … etc.
  • Buy books and read them together and have nightly discussions on what you learned.
  • Get to learn the meanings of the verses of the Noble Qur’an together, explore its depth and its beauty. You may use online initiatives like Bayyinah Tv or Qur’an Weekly, for example.  

There are many ways and ideas. Above all, be patient and be a good companion. Enhance your own knowledge of Allah and share this knowledge with her wisely and regularly to rekindle the love she has in her heart for her own Creator.

Here are a few more resources that may be helpful:

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How to Get Closer to Allah? Seek Him Sincerely!

5 Tips to Remain Steadfast

Six Tips for a Closer Relationship with Allah

How to Start the Journey Back to Allah?

I hope this helps. May Allah guide us all. Please keep in touch. 

I was wondering how do people in the Muslim faith think of spirituality. To me a Christian I think of it as a kind of feeling. Is it the same for Muslims? How is it? How does it feel to you?



Peace be upon you Dearest Laura,

Thank you so much for sending your beautiful question. We’re thrilled to receive it and we would be more than happy to respond to this question and all other questions you wish to send us in the future as well (God willing).

Spirituality in Islam is more than just a feeling. It is true knowledge of The Source of the Spirit (God), sincere pursuit of Him, persistent connection with Him, commitment to loving Him, and remaining on His path until The Day we meet Him.

So, it is a life journey of growth, sincerity, and commitment to The Creator (The Source of the spirit), not a fleeting moment of excitement or spiritual boost.

If you think about it: when we love someone, we want to hear their words, and we want to speak with them and connect with them often. Correct?

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This is what Islam (which means submission to The Creator) essentially entails and explains to all mankind in regards to their relationship with their One Creator.

People can easily say they “love” someone, but love needs work, effort, and commitment. It also needs faithfulness and dedication.

So, spirituality entails true love and faithfulness to The Creator of all humankind, knowing that He is The Only Deity worthy of worship. Obviously, if you love someone and they love you back, you expect that they will deeply know you and be dedicated to you: not claim they love you, and then have another relationship with a second and third party, right?

So this is the first aspect of Islam, tawheed (pure monotheism) i.e.: knowing that God is One, He is nothing like His creation; He alone we worship, and He alone we ask for help and dedicate our lives to.

Secondly, after this knowledge/acknowledgement, we need to listen to the Words of our Beloved. All lovers love to listen to their beloved’s words, right? So, spirituality entails listening to/reciting The Creator’s Direct Verbatim Words (The Qur’an), praying with them and making dua (supplication) directly to Him and daily to connect with Him.

So this provides means for a serious, steady, and committed relationship.

The beauty here is that Allah (Arabic for The One and Only God) tells all humankind that He is with them wherever they are and they can speak to Him whenever and wherever they are directly without intermediaries, knowing that He is The One who knows what goes on in their hearts, minds, and souls even before they speak—but He wants them to speak to Him, ask of Him, learn about Him and grow in love, knowledge, and closeness to Him … because this is why He created them.

“And when My servants ask you concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” (Qur’an. 2:186)

“And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.” (Qur’an 50: 16)

You can listen to The Opening Chapter of the Qur’an here.

Please read the following for more detailed perspectives that will help with your paper:

Connecting with The Light of the Heavens and the earth

Why are their requirements in faith?

Why can’t we see God?

The Pillars of Islam and Spirituality

What is the value of Tawhid (Pure Monotheism?)

All the best and please keep in touch.