Knowledge without an open heart and spirit is like any other topic. The love, fear and hope in God must penetrate the deepest part of the soul.

Every change in life requires imagining it first. Imagination is the secret means that transports us to our goals. It enables the mind to absorb the stresses of life and conceive of a better future, empowering us to surmount our obstacles and solve our problems.

If we worship the same God, why should we differ? God repeatedly mentions that for Him the religion is ONE and He is ONE, but sadly humans have made religion a source of contention and enmity.

Strong imaan does not come with the flip of a switch. We don’t establish a close relationship with our Creator overnight. It’s helpful to remember that all physical processes in our world are gradual, and this is out of Allah’s mercy to His creation. The sun does not rise to its apex in the sky in a matter of seconds.

I looked around at my Muslim friends at work. These were good people, not terrorists. I began talking to them. At first, I was interested in the geopolitical aspects of what was going on. Why did “they” hate “us”?

I saw that the Muslim character was firm on the truth and knew how to carry himself as a true believer of God. They were people who were in stressful positions but who were content with what was decreed for them, with no worries, with full trust in the Creator.

Allah has created the future and understands intimately what it holds, just as He has created our past and present. Even though Allah knows and has ordained what will happen in the future, we still have free will in the present. We have the will to choose our good or bad intentions and actions whether or not they attain the intended result.

In this arrogant age, people are disinterested in heaven, and interested in clinging to earth; trusting the seen world, and deriding the unseen world; showing strong faith in themselves, and too little faith in Allah Who created them for a purpose much higher than that which they have in view or the end towards which they are working.

Loving God entails knowing and obeying His commandments and His messenger. One may take the position that love of God and mankind is enough and thus shun all other commandments…

“The path always starts with trials and tribulations. Then comes a period of patience and reliance upon Allah. And the end is enlightenment, guidance and victory.” (Imam Ibn al-Qayyim)