My fellow Message writer Bibi Watts recently published an article entitled “Back to the Basics of Worship.” In it she detailed how the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, “Actions are judged by intentions.” She wrote about ensuring our intentions are in the right place as we perform acts of worship like prayer and reading the Quran even if we feel like we are falling short in the actual practice. As someone who has struggled with the realities of following Islam, I am filled with gratitude for this hadith, particularly when my iman is low.
In this piece, I want to discuss how gratitude is an essential part of practicing Islam, and how it can positively transform your perspective about your life as a Muslim and enhance how you worship Allah (SWT). As I often do in my articles, I like to share a personal point of view.
As a convert, I’ve often questioned why my iman dips at times. After all, I willingly and joyfully chose this religion and would do so again today. Nevertheless, Watts’ article got me thinking about how overwhelming some of Islam’s faith practices were for me when I became Muslim. When learning to pray, I remember asking another Muslim to slowly and clearly recite Al-Fatiha and other verses from the Quran, not to mention the other parts of the prayer such as the recitations used in ruqu and sujood, so I could write down how the words sounded in my own head.
From that makeshift transliteration, I created a sort of cheat sheet that I either held in my hands or placed on the ground as I read from it while performing the actions of salat. The process was difficult and halting, and I often stumbled over words and how to pronounce them. Another layer of difficulty was learning the words’ English translations and focusing on their meaning as a way of connecting with Allah (SWT). I can admit the struggle continues to this day.
What’s more, I next learned there was a unique dua for nearly every action we take as Muslims, be it waking up or going to sleep, before we eat, when we walk into a masjid, before we leave our home, as we enter a bathroom, and so on. What’s more, there are special duas for a myriad of situations we find ourselves in, including hardships and moments of unease.
Subhanallah for the beauty of Islam and the example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to call upon Allah (SWT) and to be in constant remembrance of Him! However, for new Muslims, or even ones who’ve been in the fold for years, it can be easy to get caught up in how much we “should do” as part of our daily practice, leading to feelings of worthlessness or fears we’re falling short.
When I find myself feeling this way and worrying I’m not doing enough in my religion, I first try to remember my good intentions and, if that’s doesn’t soothe my mind, I next look at the situation differently and instead focus on gratitude.
What I mean is, if I catch my mind wandering while I pray, particularly if it’s because I’m losing focus of the Arabic words’ translation, I can be grateful that by reading the English afterwards I am, God willing, earning rewards for my continued striving to concentrate on my prayer and its meaning.
I remember once listening to a sermon and the imam preaching about the blessings non-Arabic-speaking people earned for every struggle and effort they put into reciting Quran, and my heart swelled with thankfulness! It reminded me of the vast mercy of Allah (SWT), which the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about when he said, “When Allah completed the creation, He wrote in His book with Him upon the throne: Verily, My mercy prevails over My wrath.” (Sahih Bukhari 3194, Sahih Muslim 2751).
In the past I’ve also felt lacking when I realized I’ve missed opportunities to recite dua as I go through my day. As I mentioned before, Islam has blessed us with countless prayers we can use to ask for protection, for mercy, for ease of mind, and for so much more. Even saying “Bismillah” before we start any activity can be a blessing for our lives and a means of remembering Allah (SWT), but how often do those opportunities slip by unnoticed?
When I faltered, I often felt frustrated and disappointed in myself, resulting in bit of shame and a sense of being overwhelmed that I couldn’t complete what I consider easy faith practices. Why was I continuously failing when there are so many chances for remembrance?
However, a perspective shift has helped me to channel that frustration into gratitude that Allah (SWT) has indeed afforded us so many simple and easy ways to worship Him and to call on Him for guidance and protection. I’ve also found it helpful to remember the following hadith where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The deeds most loved by Allah are those done regularly, even if they are small.” (Sahih Bukhari 6465)
This saying has given me so much comfort and hope in Allah’s (SWT) mercy, and it’s made it easy for me to offer dikr after prayer, a simple and repeated recitation of “Subhanallah, alhadulillah, Allahu akbar.” What’s more, feeling the blessing of that dua often propels me to offer it more throughout the day as well as other remembered duas – no matter my circumstances or what I’m doing – creating more gratitude in my heart and increasing my love of Allah (SWT) who said; “Why would Allah punish you if you have thanked Him and have believed in Him? And Allah is Ever all-Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing.” (Quran 4:147)
Over two decades of being a Muslim, I’ve learned that centering my deeds on my intentions and having gratitude for every moment of worship is important if I am to remain hopeful of Allah’s (SWT) mercy and cheerful of my faith practices, which will, inshallah, bring me closer to Him. I wish the same for all my brothers and sisters in Islam, and I urge you to choose gratitude for the endless ways we can worship Allah (SWT), especially when we are drowning in our own expectations.
