A Heartfelt Reminder to Return to True Islam
Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, dear friends!
Welcome back to Hidaya Blogs, where we take small but meaningful steps together to deepen our understanding of Islam and grow in faith. I hope you’re all doing well and feeling the blessings of Allah in your lives.
In our last post, we talked about Allah's boundless mercy and love for us—how His love surrounds us in ways we may not even notice. Today, I want to take a moment to reflect on something we all experience: those quiet, subtle moments when we truly feel Allah’s presence in our lives.
Feeling Allah’s Love in Our Everyday Lives
Let me ask you something. Have you ever had one of those moments where you felt so lazy or unmotivated to pray? Maybe you’re lying in bed, or you’re just so busy that the thought of stopping everything to perform salah feels overwhelming. But then, deep in your heart, you whisper a simple du’a, asking Allah for strength—and suddenly, you find yourself getting up, making wudu, and praying with ease. It’s like the heaviness just disappears, right?
Or maybe you’ve had times when you didn’t even ask Allah directly for something, yet He still gave it to you. You thought about something you needed or wanted, and before you could even ask, it was done. SubhanAllah, this is the beauty of Allah’s love for us. It’s a love that we cannot fully comprehend, greater than the love of 70 mothers combined. Can you imagine that? Take a moment and really let that sink in—how much a mother loves her child, and then multiply that by 70! That’s how much Allah loves you.
A Gentle Reminder: Are We Truly Following Islam?
But here’s something important for all of us to reflect on: while we experience this incredible love and mercy from Allah, how are we responding? What are we giving back in return?
Sometimes, without even realizing it, we start to mold Islam around our convenience. We pick and choose what’s easy for us, and gradually, we drift away from the true teachings of our deen. How often do we delay or miss our farz namaz, thinking, “I’ll pray later when I have more time”? Or we skip certain Sunnah acts because we’re too busy or think it’s “just” Sunnah. And what about the hijab—how many of us wear it sometimes but leave it off at other times when it feels inconvenient or uncomfortable?
This isn’t meant to shame anyone, because we’ve all been there. Life gets busy, we get distracted, and sometimes we just lose focus. But this is a gentle reminder for all of us, including myself, to return to the fundamentals of our beautiful religion.
Taking One Step Towards Allah
Here’s the thing: Allah doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He knows we’re human, and He knows we struggle. What He does ask from us, though, is that we make the effort. Even if it’s just one small step. Because when we take that one step towards Him, Allah, in His infinite mercy, comes running towards us—100 steps or more! He’s always ready to guide us, but we need to make the first move.
What does that first step look like for you? Maybe it’s committing to your five daily prayers, even if it means setting reminders or scheduling it into your day. Or maybe it’s striving to follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in small but consistent ways. It could be as simple as starting your day with a few extra Sunnah prayers or making a conscious effort to avoid things that lead to shirk, like relying too much on worldly things or attributing power to something other than Allah.
Whatever that step is, know that it’s enough. Just one sincere effort, and Allah will open doors of guidance and blessings that you never imagined.
Reflecting on Our Priorities
Now, take a moment and ask yourself: What’s holding me back from fully embracing Islam as it’s meant to be practiced? Is it fear of change? Is it worrying about what others might think? Or maybe it’s the belief that “I’m not good enough” or “It’s too hard for me.” Let me remind you that no one is perfect, and Islam was never meant to be a burden. Allah says in the Qur’an, "Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:185).
So let’s shift our mindset. Instead of viewing Islamic practices as difficult obligations, let’s see them as opportunities to grow closer to Allah, to feel His love even more deeply, and to purify our hearts and souls. Every prayer, every act of kindness, every small effort we make is a chance to earn His pleasure and His infinite rewards.
Let’s Make a Commitment Together
This is our reminder, friends: Let’s take a small but meaningful step today towards following true Islam. Let’s commit to praying our five daily prayers, even when it feels challenging. Let’s remind ourselves of the importance of avoiding shirk in all its forms. And let’s strive to live by the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)—not just in the way we pray, but in the way we treat others, the way we speak, and the way we carry ourselves.
InshaAllah, when we make these efforts, Allah will guide us to a path of peace, contentment, and closeness to Him. And in the end, isn’t that what we all want? To be close to Allah, to feel His mercy, and to earn a place in the highest ranks of Jannah?
What’s Next?
In our next video and blog post, we’ll dive deeper into how we can simplify our journey of following Islam. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, but I promise you, it’s not as hard as it seems. Together, we’ll break it down step by step, making it easier to stay on the right path without feeling burdened.
Stay tuned, friends, and remember: every step you take towards Allah is a step that brings you closer to His love, His guidance, and His infinite mercy.
JazakAllah Khair for reading, and may Allah guide us all.
Aaliya Hamad & The Hidaya Blogs.