Bismillah.
It can get a little bit suffocating when you want to get back on the right track. Nowadays, there are many self-appointed ustaz/ustazah, haram-policeman/policewoman and some cracko holier-than-thou personalities who would make you feel discouraged or disillusioned.
I think people have a spiritual crisis every once in a while. Well, maybe not the self-righteous bunch. I remembered when I was in my late 20s and early 30s when I was going through a difficult patch in life, and feeling lost, I got two books which helped save me. One book on Asmaul Husna and one book on Hadith Qudsi. And that one hadith qudsi as quoted in the above poster was like key to the padlock.
Those days, I did not have access to religious talks because there were not many. There were no Islamic Youtube channels either. What I am trying to say is that for those who may be in a spiritual crisis right now, who want to seek solace, perhaps they should just focus on two things for a start, like I did. I am speaking from experience, it worked for me decades ago and it still works for me now bi-iznillah.
Oh perhaps three things to focus on, not two.
1. Learn to appreciate the meanings of Asmaul Husna and call upon selected Names which are appropriate to your situation. Call upon His Names, they are indeed beautiful and they work like magic. Miracles do happen through His Names.
2. Just hang on to that hadith qudsi, take one step and feel good knowing that He will take 10 steps towards you. Just walk, because as someone who might have been spiritually/mentally/emotionally injured, we cannot run, so let's just walk according to our own pace and stamina. But rejoice, Allah will RUN towards us! On the contrary, people, when we open up to them, they immediately start keeping records, judging and give all kinds of advice which may not be fitting with our illness. If you really must open up to someone, be sure he/she is a person of integrity. If you are a single lady and kinda attractive, be careful, cos some of the ustaz/shuyukh might woo you into marrying them. Of course, the choice is yours, it's entirely up to you. And those people to whom we confide in, though they might "walk" towards us in response to our cries, they can't run, they are not going to run because they have got their own issues too. But Allah is saying He will run towards us. Performing one solat is like taking just one step and Allah says with one step, He will reciprocate with 10 steps. He is giving us the best offer in return, which nobody else could. So just make one step at a time and walk. Sedentary occupation is a no-no. Walk.
3. I would add a third piece of advice now - which is salawat. Alhamdulillah for the tawfik from Allah. Salawat, decades ago, used to be a strange thing to me. It's a relationship and a consciousness that can only be developed through time with shafaat from his (salallah alaihi wasalam) family - the habaib, I think. I am not trying to preach here but I am just trying to relate my experiences. And this is something I wish I could easily impress upon my nieces and nephews, but it seems hard. All I can say is that I feel alive now after having awareness on salawat. I feel like I was never alive before until I became attached to making salawat and that it has become a pleasant thing to do. Alhamdulillah. But then again, if you still haven't gotten the hang of it, it's ok, just remember to take ONE step and walk and believe that He will reciprocate.
I pray with much sincerity that anyone who is looking for some kind of help will find the help they needed. I myself need help, I am walking.
You know that machine in the above poster, it's called Life Fitness. I think all we need to do in life to stay fit physically and spiritually - is to walk. The gym where I took the photo, it's got a great view of KL urban landscape and somewhere in the distance, there is a Muslim cemetery. It's like telling people at the gym, yes you are walking/running towards the grave. With each step, you are getting closer.
May Allah grant us hidayah and tawfik to keep walking. To get up and walk again every time we fall.
Aameen.
