Previously, in the input “Some additional points on humility …” I wrote the following words: “we have been looking at the concept of humility and analyzed aspects such as self-awareness, open-mindedness, non-defensiveness, empathy, ackowledgment of mistakes, and respect for others. Each of these points can of course also be discussed more in depth, and that is something I may do, inshallah.” For this update, I decided to do exactly that.
If you’ve been following my updates these past few weeks, you may have noticed that I keep coming back to “self-awareness”, an important aspect on the path to Jannah. How so? It may seem like repetition of what I have said on this point earlier, but it is important to consider it in more depth…
سورة البقرة ٢٦٨
ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلۡفَقۡرَ وَيَأۡمُرُكُم بِٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغۡفِرَةٗ مِّنۡهُ وَفَضۡلٗاۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٞ
Surah Al-Baqara 2:268
The Evil one threatens you with poverty and bids you to conduct unseemly. Allah promiseth you His forgiveness and bounties. And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things.
Consider the above aya as an example in the light of self-awareness. People easily tend to fall into despair. A stable mind protects us. When someone is more self-aware, they are clearer on their values, goals, and motivations. This clarity leads to making decisions that are more closely in line with what a person truly wants and aims for, rather than being swayed by external pressures.
Earlier, when I wrote an input about Shaitan, I pointed at his strategy in this way: “The advantage he has is that we are not aware of his doings, unless we put our minds to it.” That’s it – unless we put our minds to it. Clarity of thought. Further, I summed the whole thing up by saying: “we have to be more aware of ourselves and what our feelings do to us. Most people are blind and unaware.” The solution? A better understanding of ourselves. How we react, and why we react. That kind of understanding is beneficial on so many levels. Read and consider the following aya…
سورة فَاطِر ١٩
وَمَا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِيرُ
Surah Faatir 35:19
The blind and the seeing are not alike
That basically says everything in just a few words, mashallah. The blind are not likely to change. Pay attention to how you react to different situations, especially those that provoke or trigger strong emotional reactions. Understanding our triggers helps us in becoming more conscious of our behavior. Regularly consider your strengths, weaknesses, values, and goals. This reflection can help us understand how these factors influence our decisions and interactions. Viewing setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures improves self-awareness. In that sense, we will be more open to understanding ourselves and making necessary changes. Embrace the idea that you can always improve and grow.
Self-awareness generally leads to clearer expression of thoughts and feelings, resulting in better communication and reduced misunderstandings. Try to notice when you feel the urge to dominate a conversation or when emotions cloud your responses. This helps to become more aware.
سورة فُصِّلَت ٣٤-٣٥
وَلَا تَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُۚ ٱدۡفَعۡ بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِي بَيۡنَكَ وَبَيۡنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٞ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٞ
وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٖ
سورة لقمان ٢٢
وَمَن يُسۡلِمۡ وَجۡهَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٞ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡأُمُورِ
Surah Fussilat 41:34-35
Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!
And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune.
Surah Luqman 31:22
Whoever submits his whole self to Allah, and is a doer of good, has grasped indeed the most trustworthy hand-hold: and with Allah rests the End and Decision of (all) affairs.
These are some thoughts and steps we might consider when we face different situations, inshallah, I hope it was an inspiring input. There was something else I wanted to discuss too, but I figured it would be better to write a separate input for that. I’ll try to write it, if not for tomorrow (Sunday), then for Monday, inshallah, so make sure to check back. For now, I will take this moment to wish a beautiful time full of comfort and safety, inshallah, from the heart.
The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.
1
1
1
1
1