{"_id":"676a149c32bfcaa23a80b9f8","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"What should I do if I feel like my efforts aren't rewarding?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#000000\"},\"insert\":\"As a Muslim, what can I do if I feel like life is getting stagnant and that nothing I do is consequential enough? Even if I start building good habits and consistently perform some acts of worship, I may not see the effects of it now. How do I combat the hasty nature of man when it comes to expecting rewards now instead of whenever Allah has divinely decreed?\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Not tasting the sweetness of worship is mainly due to the heart not being fully focused on Allah and being preoccupied with other than Allah. It may also be due to a veil in the heart such as pride or hatred for someone. By standing at Allah’s door and attempting to purify your heart, you will no doubt taste the sweetness of worship. Also, we must not treat our worship like our day jobs where we work and expect a check at the end of the week. \"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"We worship Allah because He deserves to be worshiped, not so we can attain the rewards. Indeed, the rewards are important but if you focus on them, they will veil your heart from the Bestower of those rewards. When your focus is the Bestower, the rewards are inconsequential because Allah's Bounty is limitless.\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Another thing to keep in mind is that your anticipation of the benefits and rewards of your acts of worship can also be veiling you from seeing the actual benefits that Allah has bestowed upon you because you're too focused on expecting what you have in mind. The bottom line is that when you sincerely worship the All-Giving, He will certainly give, it's just a matter of when and how. \"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"There are two main reasons why we may not taste the sweetness of worship:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Our heart is not fully focused on Allah. When we worship, we should be completely focused on Allah and His greatness. We should not let our minds wander or be distracted by other things.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"ordered\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"There is a veil in our heart. This veil can be anything that prevents us from connecting with Allah, such as pride, hatred, or anger. We need to remove these veils from our hearts so that we can experience the sweetness of worship.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"ordered\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"We can taste the sweetness of worship by:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Standing at Allah's door and attempting to purify our heart. This means sincerely seeking Allah's forgiveness and guidance and trying to remove any impurities from our hearts.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"ordered\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Not treating our worship like a job. We should not worship Allah in order to get something in return. We should worship Him because He deserves to be worshiped.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"ordered\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Focusing on the Bestower, not the rewards. When we focus on the Bestower, the rewards become inconsequential. Allah's bounty is limitless, so we should not worry about how much we will receive.\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"ordered\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\"},\"insert\":\"Being patient. It may take time to taste the sweetness of worship. We should not give up but continue to worship Allah sincerely and with the hope that we will eventually experience its sweetness. 'Utbah al-Ghulam said: \"},{\"attributes\":{\"background\":\"transparent\",\"color\":\"#444444\",\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"“I forced myself to perform the night vigil prayer for twenty years until I tasted its sweetness.”\"},{\"attributes\":{\"list\":\"ordered\"},\"insert\":\"\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fe30b76658b4c23281e","tag":"Salah: Other","count":138},{"_id":"668d9ff20b76658b4c2329d9","tag":"Worship: Intention","count":103},{"_id":"668da0320b76658b4c2330a7","tag":"Worship: Tazkiyyah","count":87}],"createdOn":"2024-12-24T01:55:40.392Z"}