ON BEING A MUSLIM IN THE MODERN WORLD

I am finding it increasingly difficult to navigate through this world with my Iman and Islam intact. I am getting tired but I cannot give up. I have to continue pushing through until I ultimately attain jannah in sha Allah.

The world today is a world full of vanity. A world that constantly glorifies living a large life and living full of sins. It is a world where alcohol, fornication, gambling, and interest are all acceptable and rampant. It is a world where it is extremely difficult to keep away from sins because breaking the laws of Allah is the order of the day. A world where islamophobia is rampant; and some smart islamophobes spread the IMP rhetoric. IMP here stands for ‘Islam means peace’ when in reality Islam means total submission to the will and laws of the Almighty. It pains me that numerous muslims subscribe to the IMP propaganda just to further their personal interests. May Almighty Allah guide us all. IMP started due to some muslims’ need to be accepted by the mainstream in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that began with 9/11. Since they believe most terrorists are muslims, muslims felt subscribing to the IMP rule and patronizing them would help, though it’s obviously not working.

Having described the kind of world I’m having challenges navigating, I find it pertinent to describe problems I’ve had and my approaches to overcoming them. One major problem I have is that I am constantly surrounded by sin. This makes it easy for one to fall into sins and repeat them to an extent where one begins to justify the sins. As I am only human, I sin but I try to hide my sins and repent sincerely to Allah and not give up on Allah’s mercy by continuing to repent even if I fall into the same sin over and over again. This mind set is not easy. This is because shaitan tries to convince one that he sins too much and as such one’s a bad person who doesn’t deserve Allah’s mercy. This is a serious trap and we must actively try to avoid this trap and always repent after sinning. In this modern world, a person cannot completely avoid sins but we can always try to reduce our sins and repent. Then, we hope for the mercy of the Almighty.

I also try to reduce my attachment to this world. I try to minimize my ambition and remember death often. I’m not actively trying to become a rich person. Mine is just to attempt surviving and navigating through the world without begging anyone. I want to be able to afford basic food, shelter and clothing and also take care of some basic needs. I don’t want to be too ambitious as that can lead to my losing the hereafter. I constantly try to remind myself that compared to the hereafter, this world is nothing. But the traps and pleasures in this world make one forget that the world is just a temporary enjoyment.

Having a close relationship with the Qur’an helps to reduce the confusion this world brings. Even though I sin and sometimes I’m tempted to give up on myself, when I read the Qur’an, it gives me hope to continue the struggle. I particularly like reading Q39:53; this verse strengthens my resolve because this is a world where a good person has a vicious cycle of sinning and repenting. One can only hope that the cycle is at repenting when death comes knocking. This cycle can be frustrating and it’s easy to give up. Giving up means losing the chance of a good life in the hereafter. The life is a constant struggle and that’s how Allah designed the life; since life is ultimately a test to see how worthy or deserving we are of Jannah.

I am consoled by the fact that Allah has a plan for my life. And that there is a wisdom behind us living in this particular day and age. Though the life is scary and the challenges may seem insurmountable, our only saving grace is in improving our relationship with the Almighty and praying fervently for Allah’s aid.

May Almighty Allah guide us to the right path.