﷽ ☺︎ Change is never an easy process. The islamic way of bringing about the change of some one or some thing emphasizes slow, yet constant reform. I was reading…
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Change is never an easy process. The islamic way of bringing about the change of some one or some thing emphasizes slow, yet constant reform. I was reading surah Al-Isra this morning, and I came across the ayah that reads:
مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعَاجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُۥ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَىٰهَا مَذْمُومًۭا مَّدْحُورًۭا Whoever desires this fleeting world ˹alone˺, We hasten in it whatever We please to whoever We will; then We destine them for Hell, where they will burn, condemned and rejected.
The thing about instant gratification is that it’s just that: instant. You desire what you desire, even though you don’t really know if it’s good or bad for you, and you try to find shortcuts and cheat methods to get that person or thing. No one in their right mind would want harm to befall them. Harm and negative things happen to people all the time, and it’s not about them deserving it; it’s about this world being a field of tests. Our prophet, may peace and blessings be upon him, was constantly harmed for the fact that he was calling people to worship God, though he didn’t deserve it. The harm that comes from instant gratification, as is underlined in the above ayah, is justified.
Getting what you want and getting it fast is unnatural. Look at nature. Look at how the seasons slowly change at a deliberate pace. The day doesn’t turn into night instantly. If it did, it’d feel too sudden. Consider this for a moment: one minute the sun is out and you can see everything around you, the next minute, everything is dark. Wouldn’t that be terrifying? It takes time for the day to turn into night and vice versa. Nobody expects to go from praying summer and sunshine Duhr to darkness Isha in a matter of seconds. We owe the Most Merciful so many thanks for the fact that we pray Duhr then leave some time for Asr, then we pray Maghreb and eventually end our day with Isha. Alhamdulilah.
You, dear reader, didn’t come into this world instantly. It took nine months of pain and burden upon pain and burden for your mother to carry you in her womb, which ultimately resulted in your debut into this world. If you take the time to meditate and contemplate nature, you see that change is a slow and recurring process. Just because the leaves fall from the tree and wither doesn’t mean that effort it took grow the leaves was futile. It simply means that the tree needs to shed once again. Once again, a new season is coming, and the tree needs to prepare for the unadulterated cold.
So, slow down. You’re doing okay. You have now. Don’t try to sneak your way into a better life. You were meant to stride into an honourable life, not cheat and cut corners. You can’t rush wisdom. You can’t instantly become a person of ihsan. Servants of the Most Merciful have to put up with so much harshness and arrogance yet they need to return kindness and peace. In the end, they turn to their Lord. In the end, everyone returns to their Maker. So, wouldn’t it be a great misfortune to be in a lifelong competition with people because you’re jealous about the favours that Allah swt has shown them?
Do not force your way into anything. Whether it be a business contract, or buying a house, or moving to a new place, take your time. You don’t have to show anyone anything. You don’t have to hold up your medal in front of their face to show them that you won the match. The tree doesn’t announce when it’s time to bloom. Similarly, it doesn’t announce its time to shed and prepare for winter. It just exists. And we exist, only we like to boast about the good things that happen to us. We don’t like to talk about the bad stories just as much as we do the success stories.
The ultimate goal is to enter jannah. It takes mastering delayed gratification your entire life and walking the path that is most pleasing to the Most Meriful for you to attain such a feat. May Allah show us mercy and make us of the people who enter jannah. Ameen. We muslims play the game of delayed gratification our entire lives. We pray five times a day, fast from sunrise til sundown, pay alms tax, give to the needy, and we show kindness, even to those who don’t deserve it. Alhamdulilah.
Keep going, dear reader! It’s tough, but keep treading on the straight path. Only Allah swt knows what’s good for you. Allah swt sees the effort you’re making. You have been promised that you will be rewarded handsomely for your good deeds. May you receive all the good your heart desires, in this life and in the next one. Ameen!
