4 ways to build spiritual resilience

Life can be draining. Boring. Depressing. Challenging. Life can be tough.

Many times in my life I have hit a dip in imaan (faith) and it was only when I got older that I realised how normal that was. Our imaan is supposed to go up and down because this life is a test. When we do reach a low in imaan though, it can be really hard to motivate ourselves. In this article I want to raise some key points that helped me strengthen my spiritual resilience, and I hope you find this beneficial too.

1. Ask yourself, who is your master?

‘Allah puts forth a Parable; a man belonging to many partners at disagreement with each other, and a man belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah! but most of them have no knowledge.’ - Quran chapter 39, verse 29

Simply put, a master is someone you obey and follow. Everyone has a master whether they know it or not. Sometimes we don’t realise that we even have a master. Some people are slaves to the chase of money, the pursuit of beauty, the search for validation from others etc. As Muslims, we can get swayed by our goals in a way that we start treating them like our masters. The goal of financial freedom, achieving marriage, being ‘religious’ enough. We lose track of what matters and something that was once a goal becomes the master of how we feel.

Ask yourself, who is truly your master? No matter how much you please someone, that relationship is not indestructible. No matter how much you get promoted, the industry could change and you could be out of a job. Appreciate the One who has the power to give and take, than the shimmer of the gift itself.

2. Trust in the handhold that never breaks

‘Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things.’ - Quran chapter 2, verse 256

The truth is, everyone is going through their own problems and sometimes we can’t get the time we need from others for support. Don’t ever forget, God is never too busy for us. In fact we have many chances a day to speak directly to God. Sometimes all that we need to get over our hurdles is to trust in the Provider who has the solutions we need.

The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once advised ‘..know that if the whole world were to gather together in order to help you, they would not be able to help you except if God had written so. And if the whole world were to gather together in order to harm you, they would not harm you except if God had written so. The pens have been lifted, and the pages are dry.’ - Tirmidhi

How much do we actually trust in God? Have you ever thought about the birds you see around you. They don’t have a pay check coming in every month. They go out on a empty stomach and come back full and alive for another day. Look at how blessed we are - if you can access the internet and read this article you are already more privileged than 40% of the world! Trust that the One who has provided you with the roof over your head has a plan for you, just trust and talk to God.

3. Focus on yourself

Don’t be fooled. Social media can be used for good but it is also a force of deception. People choose to show you their most attractive selves, these lavish lifestyles and a world view that frankly falls apart as soon as you inspect closer. No one is constantly at that peak. Remember that you might be feeling low, but there are literally millions of people out there going through tough challenges right now, they are just choosing to deal with it differently.

That doesn’t take away from what you are going through but it helps contextualise the lows. With the wars of the world, there are people with no food security and no one to lean on. I once worked with a individual who was partially deaf, partially blind, unable to travel independently and struggling to get out of the house. I observed that my problems could never equate to the feeling of chronic isolation they were suffering with and it was a constant reminder that I am doing okay Alhamdullilah.

Allah gave us these feelings for a reason. In fact bottling these things up can be detrimental to your mental health. Reach out to someone you can trust and speak about your feelings. How you feel is VALID and you deserve to be happier and to seek a solution. If needed, seek professional help - there should be no shame in doing so. Seeking help is a way you can focus on yourself, by helping you get back to a happier state.

4. You are unique for a reason

There are more than 7 billion people on this earth and Allah picked YOU to be alive right now. Do you realise how unique you truly are?

We spend our lives on a conveyor belt, following societies ideal of success, doing our best to stay ‘in line’. There are billions of people on this planet, and even if you could be genetically identical to someone, no one is fully the same. You have a unique set of skills and abilities to uplift and empower those around you.

Not everyone can be a imam, nor was everyone designed to be a doctor. But we all have our own strengths to play to, which impact those around us and fundamentally can change the world. Allah blessed you and made you YOU, with all your quirks. Being different does not mean you are better or worse than others, but being different is your superpower to show this world something fresh and new. Go out there and change what is wrong in the world no matter how small you start. If something is wrong in the world, use that energy to impact change and see the world around you change!

I hope that this has inspired some thought and action for yourself. If you would like to talk please reach out as I conduct mentoring and a m very passionate about mental health. If you chose not to reach out, here is a reminder for yourself.

Suhayb reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Wondrous is the affair of a believer, as?there is good for him in every matter; this is not the case for?anyone but?a believer. If he experiences pleasure, he thanks Allah and it is good for him. If he experiences harm, he shows patience and it is good for him.” - Muslim