Salaam
Joe Abdullah spends his university career in the MSA doing Islamic work. While having this charge he is blessed with having ideas upon ideas that will change the way this ummah works and change the way Muslims are viewed in the west. Although these ideas would definitely change the ummah's course, reality starts knocking on Joe Abdullah's door.*knock knock*
"Who's there?" says Abdullah
"Reality"
"Reality who?" says Abdullah
"Reality says your ummah-changing ideas aren't profitable and you can't get a career out of what you do."So Joe Abdullah puts these wonderful ideas into the back of his brain and use these 'ideas' later. Right now he must finish his life! Right now he has to finish his school career and get a nice and beautiful GPA score to impress any potential interviewers he would get as he graduates. Joe figures engineering is a nice career as its secure and everyone loves secured jobs.
Interviewers are happy with Joe and tell him to start a full-time job pronto. Joe decides to do a simultaneous 'Ummah-fixing' and 'Job-working' plan gets really tired working 9-5 everyday and wants to treasure the free-time he has. Whenever he thinks about fixing the ummah with his incredible ideas reality knocks again and tells him to start looking for a spouse because they're all going... fast.
Joe Abdullah attends an Islamic convention and falls in love with a nice and pretty sister volunteer named Jane Mustafa who plans her own events and has ideas that would change the Ummah as well. They figure together they could change the ummah for the sake of Allah (SWT) and thus it would be a match made in heaven.
However Jane Mustafa's parents insist on her to pump out the babies pronto and thus starts a new family life. All the incredible ideas that Jane and Joe were working on are left in the back burner. Now is the time to work on the family life and make sure the kids grow up nice and strong and Muslim!
Joe and Jane's colleagues become the new 'uncles' and 'aunties' and complain about Israel, the lack of Muslims in the media, the lack of Muslims doing anything artistic etc and so repeats the wonderful cycle.
Perhaps I am oversimplifying things but it seems that every former MSA president or potential "Muslim community saviour" is too busy. Why?
Because we just get caught in this thing called 'life'. Has our lives become so robotic that we feel almost like we're doing something WRONG by wanting to do something outside the norms?
I honestly feel like Neo from The Matrix. That the world just seems too fake and I want to do other things... I want to go into the 'real world' ... not this fake 'real world' of 9-5ness. I thought I needed more school but that isn't what I need.
I realize I need more time. Because I know deep-down that as soon as I graduate and whenever I meet Mrs. Maniac Muslimah then it would really be the end of my time to help this community. Sure we all WANT to help this Muslim community and vow to continue to do it until our deathbeds. But that isn't reality. History says family life and the 9-5 life would put an end to all that.
I posted this piece up while back on the No Topic Thread…I thought it was really spot on.
I was wondering if anyone of you have ever been more “on it” Islam wise…like, has there been a time when you were really really, passionate, zealous, enthusiastic, ambitious and committed to changing the world/your own self and making a difference…and that isn’t necessarily the case today?
If so, what changed...? Do you ever miss or think back to that time? Is it possible to recapture that ‘magic’ again? Are you a lot more cynical or pessimistic today? Was there a time when you were a LOT more religious? Or have you never been as religious/spiritual or passionate about Islam as you are today?
Also, I was wondering if anyone of you have ever done a complete U turn in your way of thinking? ….For me personally, many times in life, I’ve wanted something a LOT, not got it and then later realised why it wasn’t good for me in the first place….I’ve also, had a very high opinion of people and after spending time with them, I realised they weren’t really as fantastic as they’ve made out to be….?
Have you ever been all for something and then suddenly all against the same thing…?
Isn’t it scary they way we don’t have much control over our present state of mind…? The way we can be thinking a certain way or be wanting a certain thing today…but this may not necessarily be the case a couple of years down the line….
The above, may or may not necessarily make sense…..but let me know if your not sure what I’m talking about.
Wasalaam
assalamu alaikum w.w.
This is an interesting topic. I became a Muslim one year ago last week (Alhamdulillah) and throughout this year I feel I've constantly been at one extreme of fulfilling all prayers on time, attending lectures etc or I've been wasting my time watching tv and waking up at midday!
Throughout the time I've had some spiritual highs which will stay with me for a lifetime (the first time I completed a prayer without constantly checking from a book, and when I climbed Mount Sinai in Egypt during the night, prayed Fajr under the stars and watched the sunrise, MashaAllah) and inevitable lows (erm...I don't think I'm supposed to share these...)
I remember reading a hadith at some point that said that the human soul naturally goes up and down over time, so we should try to make sure that when its at its lowest we are still doing a minimum amount that is beneficial to us. InshaAllah it will get easier as we get older and wiser....
w'salam w.w.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
For me personally, ever since I’ve started my postgraduate course, I’m no longer on any spiritual highs…I don’t even attend Islamic programmes any more cos of work commitments.
Its depressing for me, to know that my spiritual state is very much dependent on the right company.
[b][color=indigo]My spiritual highs and lows come and go all the time. Luckily we have 2 awesome zhikr gatherings in a week lead by 2 different naqshbandi sheikhs. This keeps me boosted for the week and by the time i feel low again the other gathering of zhikr takes place and at the end the shiekh gives a quick but very touching talk.
As for Islamic programmes Sheffield has none and when they do they're hijacked by the oldies, however we have reg uni talks but they dont boost u in the spiritual sense. [/color][/b]
i dnt think i've ever had a spiritual high
although i did feel the closest to God when my Nan passed away
Al hidayah 2005 was the time and place where i personally felt and experiance my first true spiritual high. The time i was in the company of my beloved shakye.
A rose protects its beauty with thorns..a woman protects hers with a veil
[b][color=indigo]Same here sis, al-hidaya 05 was truly amazing and that’s the first time i ever felt a spiritual buzz. The end dua which shaykh made was out of this world and that was the moment were i felt closet to god and felt his divine presence.[/color][/b]
In regards to this topic the following Hadith is relevant:
Reported by Hanzala (ra):
then all the veils are removed and we feel as though we can see heaven and hell but when we go home we lose that high state, that is why I am feeling that this must be a condition of hypocrisy‘. Abu bakr said ‘I was feeling the same so lets go and ask the Prophet (saw)’.
He was crying in the path and he was saying: ‘Hanzala has become a hypocrite‘ he kept saying this again and again. Abu Bakr (ra) asked ‘why are you saying this‘. He replied ‘when we are with the Prophet
- This feeling proves that you have a spark of Iman (Shaykh-ul-Islam's words)
They asked the Prophet
in regards to this. Prophet 
said ‘some times iman is like this and some times it is like that’ (ups and downs). Prophet 
said ‘if you can maintain the state that you gained in my company then By God, you will be walking in the streets and Angels will be standing on the sides of your path wishing to shake hands with you and wanting to see you’.
(reference, taken from Al-Hidayah 2006 Question and Answer session with Shaykh-ul-Islam, for more info see: www.al-hidayah.co.uk)
Basicaly things that make us aware of Allah (swt) and make us think of why we are in this world, for what reason we have come to this world those are the things we should aim to do.
For me it is being in the presence of obviously my Shaykh, being in a mehfil of naat/zikr and talking about deen.
[b][color=indigo]Wow.. SubhanAllah. Thanks for that sis.[/color][/b]
I grew up with everything (or so I was told) and consequently had no idea what I should want out of life. After messing up a lot I finally got everything straightened out and came up with the following:
I've got a pretty simple idea of what I want out of life, strong guidance from God, a well respected large tight knit family with moral fiber, and to always serve my country in whatever way my country requires - in that order.
The fourth thing I want (and this is the trickiest of all) is that I am never in a position that I never have to choose between them, I want all ships sailing in the same direction.
So tying back into your question, there was a time where I was different and "less into" religion, among other things, but that's because I was stupid. Once I got smart my enthusiasm remained constant and didn't vassilate like you are describing.
what does vassilate mean?
"vacillate" :roll: well well well miss spelling gestapo is back!
Bump (my first one
)
Vacillate- Verb: Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. Googles ya friend ;). I do like the Jane/Joe(John??) Doe joke
Anyhoo..I must say I have experienced some of the things mentioned ^^^. Buuut, alhamdulillah, I havent so much recently, my iman's a lot stronger now. I think it started with me going to talks. Ive only been to 4 ever, but each time, I lucky enough to take something from it, even if it's just a realisation. Talks make me more aware of myself and the world around me(corny I knw lol
) and things just snowball from there rlly...
(Why cant I ever put across what I mean when writing? :/ annoying...sigh)
"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest"
@ the quote in the first post - if such things can't fit in with real life, they are never meant to be and are probably naive instead of "ummah changing".
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
cynical mode above. Listen at your perils.
but..I like talks. and yeah. i feel the up and downs. especially when for exalple, the holidays you get into a routine based around your Quran etc..and are completely devoted then you go back to school or "the real world" and you're forced to change your priorities. urgh..hate putting it that way..
i guess im weak that way because when that happens i fall flat on my face and find it difficult to stand back up. i just lie there, face in the dust, hating the world... a very very very narrow; blind, stubborn, selfish way of looking at things. Buuuuuuut! i'm working on it!
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
I know what you mean, going back out there has a bad affect on ones iman. I guess this is the test though, we weren't meant to seclude ourself and do dhikr on our own all the time. We are also here to spread the message and implement Islam in all our daily activities.
Easier said than done but i'm also workin on it.
Lets reunite the ummah under one flag LA ILAHA IL ALLAH MUHAMMADUR RASULULLAH
I too, know what you mean - I just went shopping yesterday and it was like WOAH. I had forgotten what's it like 'out there' OR I was just concentrating on the bad more cuz of ramadhan and all that :/
Anyway taqwa and sabr are the key
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Everything has a cleansing agent and fasting is the cleansing agent for the body. Fasting is more a matter of patience than of anything else.”
and this month was made for attaining taqwa.
And if this month goes well, the whole year can go well!
Finally, [qs:3:173] SubhanAllah!
"How many people find fault in what they're reading and the fault is in their own understanding" Al Mutanabbi