08-21-2005, 03:24 PM
Bismillah
As Salam alaikum
Dear sister, I believe that we have all been through times in our lives that our iman gets weaker or feels weaker. I am starting to learn that those periods actually help motivate me to greater levels of iman.
First, I pray to Allah for everything and do so by addressing him in his most beautiful of names, Ar-Razzaq, Al-Kareem, Ar- Rahman, Al-Ghafoor, Al-Mujeeb, Al-Hammed, etc... I feel when I address Allah by His other Names and Attributes that I remind myself of all that He can do and how Powerful He is. I ask, "Oh Allah, help me get up for prayer because you are An-Nasr, Help me be obedient because you are Al-Hameed. Give me (all my current wants) because You are Ar-Razzaq wal-Kareem."
I have to keep reminding myself that if I have ANY need that I should ask Allah for it. If I am asking for something that is not good for me then I ask Allah to Help me see that and to give me the good. Constant du'a for me helps. Make du'a about anything and everything. "O Allah, please make this a beautiful day because you are Al-Khalaq." "O Allah, please give me patience to wait in this line because you are As-Sabr."
Do thikr as well. When I am in an Islamic slump, then I try to remember to say subhannallah one hundred times because it is rewarded with one thousand graces. (Insha'Allah I will try to find the hadith that supports that.) It takes less than a minute and it can really add up! Don't let shaytan fool you. Remember that good deeds erase the bad. How cool is that! Even if I have just done something bad, I try to quickly ask for forgiveness and then say subhannallah one hundred times. I start to feel better about my relationship with Allah because I am showing that I really do want to be close to Him it is just that I mess up. Remember that Allah would bring forth another creation if we did not sin and need to seek repentance. (Insha'Allah I will try to find the hadith that supports that, too.)
I was just talking to my brother the other day. Do you know him? I was saying that when Allah brought forth man as a creation, the angels were questioning why Allah would do such a thing when man will behave so terribly. Allah told them that He Knew what they did not. One thing (of course only Allah Knows all of His Reasons) is that because man has freewill, human's devotion to Allah is more special. We choose to love Allah. The angels have been Created to do just that. They have no choice. Also, by man existing, more of creation gets to experience more of Allah's Attributes, Forgiveness. If we did not sin, nothing would know that One Trait that our Greatest Provider is Forgiveness. What a blessing that we get to know Allah on a level that no other part of creation gets to know Him.
I do not know if I have been of any help to anyone but I feel invigorated myself. Alhamdulillah. If I have said anything wrong it is because of my misunderstanding and faults. If good has been said, then it is a Blessing from Allah, subhanna wa ta'ala.
As Salam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu
