We all want to change.
We all need to change.
If not for ourselves, for the sake of our Ummah.
For each one there are (angels) in succession before and behind him, who protect him by the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. And when Allah intends for a people’s punishment, there can be no turning it back, and no one besides Him will protect them from it.
[Noble Quran, 13:11]
The Noble Qur’an itself is a catalyst for change.
Personally, it’s hard for me to read the Noble Qur’an every day. Or so I thought.
It’s hard for me to find the time to read the Noble Qur’an every day. Or so I thought.
Actually, it was hard for me to prioritize the reading of the Noble Qur’an every day.
We all have the same 24 hours, but how we decide to spend them is what differentiates winners from losers.
It’s how you decide to invest time that matters.
Time is that one vital element of your life that is non-refundable. You will never get back a second passed.
So to change, you need to invest every second wisely and effectively. How?
By continuously checking your intention.
Consider every second another opportunity granted by your Creator to please Him, the Most Merciful ﷻ.
When I intend to read the Noble Qur’an as a guaranteed opportunity to purely please my Lord ﷻ, it’s one of the first priorities in my daily action plan.
No hardship. No need to find the time.
It’s difficult to judge
If we want Allah ﷻ to change our condition, we must first change what is in ourselves.
Change through intentions sounds easy, but it isn’t in practice.
You see, intentions must come from the sincerity of your heart. If it’s just in your head or on your tongue, it’s not an intention.
It’s also not a case of it sinking into your heart either. An intention should source from the heart, and manifest itself on the tongue or in actions.
Therefore, the state of your heart is directly linked to your successful change within.
In essence, this inward worship of the heart is more important than the outward worship of the body. So knowledge of the heart would be more important than knowledge of the body, right?
Yet, we’re surprisingly focused on where to place our hands or where to look in prayer, instead of where our hearts are placed and how He ﷻ is seeing us.
We’ve neglected the importance of the heart, and now it’s difficult for us to judge our own intentions.
And our actions are affected…
The Beloved Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
Faith is knowledge in the heart, words on the tongue and action with the physical faculties (limbs of the body).
[Sunan Ibn Majah, 1:68]
So to change, you need your heart to be in complete submission to Allah ﷻ. How?
By continuously checking your intention.
That’s right, the state of the heart is affirmed by intentions. That is what distinguishes a hypocrite from a believer after all.
Through this knowledge of your heart, all your actions automatically qualify as worship.
Give life to your actions
Intentions should precede over anything you do. It is the life of every action, thought and feeling you act upon.
An action without a pure intention is like a body without a soul. Dead. Lifeless.
Our modern society thrives on lifeless actions, where the intention to please the Creator ﷻ is replaced with a personal and materialistic gain of the creation.
This disease has contaminated us so deeply, that our Hereafter is in jeopardy.
The Beloved Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
People will be resurrected (and judged) according to their intentions
[Sunan Ibn Majah, 37:4370]
So to change, you need to protect yourself against the temptations and distractions of this lowly world. How?
By continuously checking your intention.
Ask yourself this: How am I pleasing/knowing/loving/worshiping Allah ﷻ right now?
If you’re like me and struggle with knowing your heart’s sincerity, prioritize that which your heart knows is sincerely for the sake of your Lord ﷻ, like contemplating on the verses of the Noble Qur’an. It is a book of divine guidance and, as already mentioned, a catalyst for change.
Once you master the practice of checking your intention, you can extend this to ALL your daily activities.
And then change will happen within.
So purify your intentions, give life to your actions and reap the rewards in this life and the next.
Shafi Ramjane
As a progress coach for Seeknow, I help determined Muslims get more done in less time through the art of simplicity. Read more here.
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