This is a problem that I have been facing for quite some time now. Its been a year since I’ve embraced Islam again after straying in my school and college years and I thank Allah (swt) that I was guided back to the right path. I pray 5 times a day, I keep all my fasts, I attend as many religious functions as I can but the problem is that even though I am doing all this.. I can’t see to open up towards Allah (swt), when I pray to Him, there is no feelings, my prayers just end up sounding hollow. I want to be able to cry for all my sins but I can not and this has been getting to me big time. When we do dhikr, I try my utmost hardest to participate with al my heart but still I’m devoid of all feeling. The mosque that bought me back to Islam is very spiritual and I’m in awe of how much they focus on cleaning their souls.. and they do this my reaching out to their souls by dhikr and praying to Allah (swt) from their hearts.
Is there anything I can do to open my heart up to Allah (swt)?
Continue doing zikr of Allah (swt) and read durood and salam upon the Holy Prophet (saw), the fact that you aware of this shows that you are trying hard.
I always cry by thinkin how much the Holy Prophet
went through, the non-believers abusing him, hurting him physically, and think how are we repaying him (saw), by comitin sins. after thinkin about the, concentrate on what the Holy Prophet (Saw) went through to save his ummah, plead to Allah (swt) to forive you for the sake of His beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw).
Salaam
Yep, Dhikr is the answer.
It is said that the difference between the one who remembers Allah (swt) and the ones who doesn’t is like the difference between the dead and living.
Our Holy Prophet
has said ‘he who loves something mentions it much’.
Dhikr increases our love for Allah (swt), thus those who claim that they love Allah (swt) yet are never busy in His remembrance are only deluding themselves.
….when Allah (swt) is not remembered, the heart falls into a state of agitation, stress and turmoil.
Dhikr softens the heart and brings one closer to Allah (swt)...you'll feel this more if you start attending gatheirngs of Dhikr.
Wasalaam
beautifully put angel
i read about the prohet's (pbuh) life today too and felt very emotional
salaam
along with dhikr try thinking about death and ur akhirah as much as you can. i find this helps it does not only make u think twice about wat ur about to do but can also help u feel regretful about ur past. try reading up about the punishments each sin has i dont mean to put this in a negative perspective. am not being pessimistic. just helps then again every1 is different wat works for some doesnt work for others
wa/salaam
excellent advise u people giving, im in kinda same typa position as chm1
cant get that spiritual/ heart connection i really want.
Have you tried zikr?
erm yea i have but not zikr 24/7 going on if u get me. or is that what gives u the spiritual connection?
People talking about spirituality, or in spiritual terms, does it for me.
I personally dont believe that this spirituality is achieved any time soon.
By us, I was taught that when a person first becomes practicing he/she is on a religious high, things are easy for him and he feels acts are easy. Then over a period of time this high wears off and period of staleness takes over, many people at this point withdraw because they not ''feeling it''. This is a deception and shows that there is something lacking in our intention.
Many people think I read namaz cos I feel gud, it makes me peaceful, it gives me sukoon, it gives me time to reflect. I fast because it makes me feel I achieved something, it teaches me self control, it makes me sympathise with the poor, it helps me organise my time etc. ALL these things are selfish. Alhamdulillah if we are benefitted by our obligations then that is ALLAH's grace but our intention should be SOLELY ALLAH's Ridha.
Brothers if you do acts expecting to feel a high, and then get dejected there is something wrong, we need to make our intentions straight and that is no easy task. It is only after years of islaah and tazkiyah that a person experiences lazzat an mithaas in ibadah. Dhikr is mashaALLAH good, but by us tasawwuf is about islaah not dhikr. dhikr is a tool, the real activit happens by the islaah of a kamil shaykh.
People can sit and do dhikr all day, if they dont do fikr then the minute they stop the dhikr its effects begin to wear off. Be strong on dhikr, but remember the true goal is fikr. Many are deceived into thinking that being in dhikr 24/7 is the goal, no, the goal is rectifying the nafs and that is by fikr not solely dhikr. Dhikr is a tool, just as salah, zakah, tilawah, sunnah clothing etc are tools to progress in purifying the soul and making our lives solely for ALLAH.
Such lofty ideals, but a sinner like me only prays that ALLAH accepts me and displays His grace on me and you also. ameen
Ya ALLAH Madad.
Haq Chaar Yaar
I'm not a spiritaul person but I LOVE sitting in gatherings of zikr
esp if people with good voices and decent tunes lead them
I've only done that a few times.
I need to do it more reg to get the most out of it.
I've only done it a few times too
last time was in the [url=http://www.therevival.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=661]RAMADAN[/url] programme
that zikr was great
but the best zikr i sat in was in 2004 "new year eve's" zikr programme
that was led by Shakh abu bakr sudani
Subhanallah Shaykh Abu Bakar Sudani does wonderful Dhikr's, attended one in Birmingham with Irfghan, and my cousin goes now n then to London to attend......i pray i get the chance to go too
i think he came my house once as well, that was a beautiful Dhikr
i attended 3 dhikr Mehfil's on sunday lol.....man that feels good
i think Dhikr is really important, my lil bro explains better than me, so we do it weekly and its great i tell thee
The Lover is ever drunk with love;
He is free, he is mad,
He dances with ecstasy and delight.
Caught by our own thoughts,
We worry about every little thing,
But once we get drunk on that love,
Whatever will be, will be.
ɐɥɐɥ
Thank peeps.
I kinda know that dhikr is the answer which is why I keep tryin and keep on attending such gatherings.
Its very easy to fulfill all the obligatory acts of worship but I want to feel a spiritual connection as I know many people who are religious and seem to do no wrong but are actually very hard-hearted and harsh.
The softness of Islam appeals to me and inshallah I too will be able to gain that spiritual connecting with my soul, with Allah (swt) and our holy prophet (pbuh).
Thanks you all.. May Allah (swt) bless you all.
Salam
Yes.
chm. stop praying.
If something is harming you then stop doing it.
How simple can it be.
Just get yourself a copy of the Holy Quran and study it properly.
Omrow
wow...so do I
there's TOO many of them out there
u'd enjoy this thread
http://www.therevival.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23
the softening of the heart is a good way of connecting with allah and can also be achieved in more ways than one.
1-dhikr [mentioned alredy]
2- eating less
3- talking and laughing less
umm i dunno if this will help but perhaps if u make a habit/point of doing istikhaara i.e asking allah subhana wata'ala fer solutions and guidance through prayer (for anything duznt matter how big/small it may be). inshallah ur link with allah will strengthen.
For SuccESS ATtiUtUde IZ jUsT Az IMporTAnt as ABiliTY
Zikr is amazin, when you get into it you can actually feel a connection with Allah (swt) that is so powerful, its an amazin powerful feeling which is hard to explain.