Question:
I have lost a lot of things this year.. My faith has decreased and I haven’t been praying a lot. I have a lot of anxiety and insecurities about myself.. I stress a lot about life and I’m addicted to my ipad which I use to search nonsense things on the internet.. I also listen to music a lot, curse, and think about haram stuff..I have gained 20 pounds and seems to keep eating.. I don’t know what to do is Allah mad at me ? I have prayed again and again for forgiveness and guidance… I’m at a lose at what to do just a few months ago I felt like my life was on track and now I’m in a slump please help me.
Answer:
A`udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem
Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmani ‘r-Raheem
Inshaa-Allah try to follow Shaykh Taher’s advice in the Post “Nonsense and Internet Addiction.”
As an added piece of advice, start with something small that you can keep every day. If you are not praying at all, try to keep the morning prayer when you wake up or the evening prayer before going to bed. Slowly you can add more prayers gradually. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim always advised even new Muslims not to let one day pass without one single sajdah. If that is all you can do, Allah will be pleased with that worship.
Try to restrict use of the iPad/games/internet etc. at certain times of the day or specific amount of time. Make it difficult for yourself to access it.
It is also very beneficial to be in companionship with good people. Try to spend time with good people, even if it is only one person. Find a good friend who will encourage you to get out of your slump.
Don’t think that Allah is angry with you, it is a trick of the ego to make us feel hopeless and give up entirely. Allah Almighty is the Most Generous and Most Forgiving and He always likes when His servants come to Him, even a small step towards Him makes Him pleased with us.
May Allah make you successful and fill you with hope and love of Allah (swt), His Prophets (saws) and His Awliya. Ameen.
And Allah and His Prophet know best.
Hajj Khalid Aboulela
