The Paradox of desire and the illusion of spiritual control:

The human struggle for desire did not begin in this world : it began in Paradise.

When Adam(a.s) was placed in Jannah , he was surrounded with blessings , peace and endless provision. Yet humanity revealed itself with the desire of a forbidden tree. Jannah was full of perfection, that fruit wasn’t the only wonderful thing in heaven but the moment his focus landed on that one tree ; it became the only thing that he wanted . Desire reduced his existence down to a single , restricted wish. The promise whispers to the human heart the same way it did back then, if you get this one thing , you will have everything.

“Satan makes promises to them and arouses in them false desires; and Satan’s promises are nothing but delusion.” Surah-Al Nisa(4:120)

It rarely starts as an obsession. It begins with a simple desire , want , person , outcome or worship of some sort. But when the human mind makes it the one center of attention and attraction ; a quiet shift occurs; you go from “ wanting that thing” to that “ thing becoming the only path and acceptable reality”. The same Adam (a.s) pinned his peace to a single result. You start convincing yourself that if you don’t get it you are doomed, If I don’t get a specific person I am praying Tahjaud for , I won’t find love again , If I don’t get my desired outcome I am a failure , you tie your happiness and fulfillment to that specific desire.

“The desires of this world are like the sea . The more you drink of them

The more you thirst ” - Ibn Arabi

This is what no one tells you: the human brain is attention-biased , when you attach your stability to a certain outcome , your brain enters a state of hyper- fixation that fixes on a desire and eliminates all the other possibilities . Your cognitive real estate is completely occupied by the single door that remains shut. Your ego will have you crying over one closed door that has nothing behind it.

Human beings have a fundamental need for agency. When a specific outcome is uncertain, our brain views it as a threat. To eliminate this discomfort it starts overanalyzing every single detail ; in a spiritual context , it turns into a transactional worship, using certain formulas to control outcome. We claim to trust Allah but on the back end we search for the right formula to get our dua accepted.

Anas ibn Malik reported: A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, should I tie my camel and trust in Allah, or should I leave her untied and trust in Allah?” The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “Tie her and trust in Allah.”

Here , we confuse tying the camel with trying to control the entire desert. Tying your camel means doing what you can in your control , making dua , taking action, having right intentions, basically fulfilling your human responsibility. Overanalyzing , is not tying the camel. Binge watching, forcing response , treating worship like a formula to guarantee an outcome isn’t tying your camel,it’s your anxiety in the cover of worship. Tying the camel means you secure the leash and walk away. It doesn’t mean sitting all night checking the knot , calculating the wind speed etc.

“Tawakkul is half of religion. The other half is returning to Allah.” - Ibn Taymiyyah

Underneath the desperate effort to control the outcome , our unconscious arrogance believes that through extra prayers , sleepless nights etc our actions can force Allah’s hand, as if the owner of the heavens and earth were waiting on our performance to act. The liberating truth is: Allah doesn’t need our worship to grant us . He is Al-Rahman , Al-Raheem , the most generous and the owner of a boundless treasury. He creates galaxies with a single word, we don’t pray because he needs our effort to justify his mercy , we pray because we need him.

Doing extra worship is our privilege and need ; but controlling the outcome truly belongs to Allah. Action should not be confused with the cause , one should make continuous dua , and turn to Allah every time , knowing that effort is human and outcome is divine. Allah owes no explanation to the work you bring to him.

“O mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah is Rich [Free of all wants and needs], Worthy of all praise” - Surah Fatir 35:15.

“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” - Surah al-Dhaariyaat 51:56

The Waiting Period:

The waiting period is just like standing in the middle of the cold desert with howling wind ,sand slipping from your hands,desperately looking for an external help with glimmering hopeful eyes without knowing that only one who put you in that situation can save you. This is a quiet space where the human heart suffers the most. You have tied the camel , made a dua ,prayed Tahajud but then comes a random Tuesday night where nothing changes , no phone call , no email , silence from the heavens feels heavy. You begin to question yourself , “ what am I doing wrong?”, “ Has Allah forgotten me?”, “ why is nothing changing?”. In this space hours stretch into days and days stretch into year , you knock on the door of Allah every minute waiting for his “kun”.

When you are waiting , your brain encounters an informational void. It can’t predict outcome , the brain registers it as an active threat , triggering the amygdala raising baseline anxiety. This is the period where you face more restlessness,fatigue and a sudden mood crash. The waiting period is not an empty void between asking and receiving ;it is an active divine incubator. During this timeline, huge transformation happens only if you make the most out of it. Islamic history reveals that major Prophetic transformations happened in waiting and isolation

One of the most noble Prophets Yusuf (a.s) , his story is among the most powerful stories in the entire Quran. A boy who was thrown into pitch black well by his own blood,his brothers,sold into slavery,falsely accused and left forgotten in the Egyptian dungeon for years. The years of obscurity,Isolation were not accidental ; they were the precise environment to build him. That specific period broke his ego , reliance on human validation , the noise of the world and anchored his trust in Al Razzaq. When he finally emerged from silence, he was not a random survivor but a noble man of the entire empire, who governed with spiritual mastery , humility and forgiveness.The wait did not delay his destiny , it created the man capable of carrying it . This reminds us ; Sometimes some prayers are answered by changing the situation and some prayers are answered by changing you.

We think that waiting period is passive- a period full of trials , desperation where time simply passes . But spiritually and psychologically , the wait is active inner work. It is a precise environment where you rewire your old programming , unlearn old patterns and start your journey of wellness.

‘Indeed Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what’s in their own selves.’ (Quran 13:11)

We assume that the “ condition” refers to Allah changing external reality-the door opening, receiving that one email,specific outcome . We tell ourselves only if I pray extra nafl, Tahajud or check extra spiritual boxes Allah will change my condition, but after exhausting yourself in the silent limbo of waiting , a profound realization dawns: The waiting period is the instrument Allah uses to change what’s inside you.

Maybe external reality remains stationary because the internal transformation is underway. As long as your heart is anchored in obsession ,desperation , lack , your internal reality remains unchanged , you are clinging onto the gift rather than surrendering to the giver .Every Prophet in the Quran, Musa,Ayyub,Zakariya, the moment they turned to Allah’s mercy everything was restored tenfold.

“And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him.” ( Surah At-Talaq 65:3)

The waiting period is not the delay of your life ; it’s the work.When you stop trying to fix the external situation and turn inwards , that’s where the shift happens, you begin to realize your desperation and obsession with the outcome was an attempt to patch internal wounds of fear, scarcity and unworthiness. Changing what’s within yourself means , doing the internal repair

• Healing your scarcity mindset.

• Building a strong foundation of Tawhid , tawakkul and taqwa.

• Rebuilding a healthy relationship with your emotions

The delay was never meant to withhold the blessings , it was meant to prepare you for the blessings. You might feel like nothing is working, psychologically it is an optical illusion born of our hyper-fixation on outcome over process.You plant the seed in the ground; your responsibility is sowing, the growth belongs to unseen power(Allah). The growth is happening in the dark,exactly as it was written to.

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” (2:155)

The True meaning of choosing Peace:

True peace doesn’t come from getting what you want; it happens when the outcome no longer has power to dictate your internal state.

For a long time I thought that by saying “I trust Allah to give it to me soon” was genuine tawakkul but it was a conditional hope I was placing on Allah. True surrender is not putting limitations on Allah, it’s prioritising his plan over yours.Genuine Tawakkul is “I trust Allah’s timing,even in the middle of the silence”, peace is the quiet certainty whether the door opens or stays shut, you are held by the one who knows what you need better than you do.It is knowing if your wish is withheld,it’s Allah preparing you for something big.

The waiting period is the precise classroom where surrender is built,where ego is diminished and where you are given a chance to build an unshakeable connection with the creator . True peace doesn’t mean that your longing disappears and you become indifferent to the result. It means your inner stability is tied to the creator alone. It is liberation from entitlement,freedom from the illusion of control and transition from the frantic mind to the anchored heart .

“He it is Who sent down tranquility (Sakinah) into the hearts of the believers, that they might add faith to their faith” -Surah Al-Fath(48:4)

Peace isn’t an intellectual achievement ; it’s a spiritual gift from the divine.It is something that is bestowed on you from the divine , it lands in the heart not the brain. So, you can’t control your mind to feel calm by obsessively playing worst -case scenarios,anxious overthinking and controlling the outcome . True peace comes from surrendering the outcome and from remembrance of the creator.

“Those who have believed and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” - Surah Ar-Ra’d (13:28)

When we grow up we learn the value of choosing ourselves,self reflection in a hard way. We begin to question our entire existence because real life doesn’t match the script. If Cinderella has a prince , Jasmine has Aladdin , then who do you choose in order to survive first???

It’s a hard pill to swallow but Yourself first .

You have to choose yourself first not because you want to be chosen only because protecting your peace shouldn’t come with a high price.When you stop waiting for others to choose you , you realize that your sovereignty was always yours to claim. We seek the approval of people we love,our friends , family , and partners just to be seen as a complete human , but we lose ourselves in the race being chosen.

“You must not reduce yourself to a puddle just because the person you like is afraid to swim and you are a fierce sea to them. Because there will be someone who was born with love of the waves within their blood, and they will look at you with fear and respect.” -T.B LaBerge

On a breezy ,cold morning, this realisation hits us : Who am I without the validation of people ? Who am I without the approval of my close circle? Who am I without the label of reachable, kind friend. When you sit with those questions, silence lingering in every part of your body , deep ache inside your heart , you realize how much of your life you have been performing , auditioning in front of people who have your replacement ready in the back end . You have been holding doors wide open for people , while rotting your own soul quietly . Surrounding yourself with people who love you is a huge blessing, but your personal growth shouldn’t depend on someone else’s presence . You don’t need to dissolve your individuality to be seen. True maturity is learning to exist around others without letting their presence swallow your entire being. You can love deeply,show up fully and still remain unapologetically yourself.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ― Carl Gustav Jung

Evolutionary survival mechanism:

Most of the people still fail to understand where the repetitive pattern of chasing external approval comes from . To early humans , being excluded from the tribe meant physical death . Decades later, our brain still views “ pleasing the group” as a survival mechanism to live , not as a preference but as a requirement. The idea of choosing yourself still haunts your brain because it’s scared of abandonment , like you are a child who is still dependent on the tribe’s approval for safety.

“ You will find peace when you realize people are at war with themselves not you”

But most of us fail to realise that “People don’t treat you the way you , they treat you the way they are”. People have their own unhealed traumas , unresolved issues , shame etc , they project that hostility or judgement on to you . You just need to stop taking everyone’s behaviour and judgment personally and focus on your being , your peace. You don’t have to impress anyone to fit in, just learn to impress and heal your inner child .

“What other people think of you is none of your business.” - Paulo Coelho

The Quiet Ache of choosing yourself:

Choosing yourself doesn’t mean abandoning your loved one or self isolation, we humans are social animals; just like we crave food and water we also want secure and long- lasting relationships,it means quiet,ongoing practice of your inner authority.Recognizing your boundaries are for yours to maintain, not things for others to follow. It’s acknowledging your time is an asset not an open variable for external assignment .

You must learn to build life with people, not inside them. Human connections are meant to expand your world , not consume your entire identity and healthy connections offer a mirror to see yourself clearer, not to mold or reshape you.

Falling in love with your own life:

There was a time in my life where I feared being alone , being different, being myself and above all hurting anyone in my life . I mistook my fear of disappointing others for empathy , kindness and my terror of solitude for desire of connection , maintaining my relations. I was trying to keep everyone safe except myself.

Without realizing, I was relying on connections more than I should , waiting for a 2 hour call from a friend group chat to console me , waiting for people to show up like the way I did for them , 12 am wishes and the endless list. My days felt heavier when they didn’t show up without realizing I had anchored my entire inner stability in their hands .

But the day I started prioritising myself, my peace everything shifted. I stopped looking for approval from others , and started pouring the same energy into my life , character development and journey of becoming a better human .

The act of choosing yourself requires rejecting alternative values, rejection is an inherent and necessary part of maintaining our values and therefore our identity. We are defined by what we choose to reject. And if we reject nothing in the fear of being rejected, we essentially have no identity at all.

“ When you don’t value yourself , you overvalue people who don’t value you”

I came across the most ravishing truths of life : Solitude isn’t a punishment, it is a return to your being , your presence. It is a quiet space where you meet yourself without an audience , without any performance. That reclaimed energy brings more joy , satisfaction in your life where you have the mental capacity to create , explore and rest.

You learn to find joy in most ordinary moments of life , sipping coffee without rushing , watching birds fly in sky , staring at the beauty of nature, doing things you love without sharing it with audience, crashing out at 2am processing your own thought, sitting with your emotions, randomly treating yourself with a cozy meal , laughing out like crazies on a random meme , taking your pictures alone all of this without having that feeling to perform for anyone,without any distraction.

“ Be so rooted in yourself that nobody absence or presence can disturb your peace”

This transition doesn’t happen abruptly , but in the form of small daily choices and intention to protect your peace first , slowly you build a relationship with yourself , where you are not seeking external approval or someone’s constant presence in your life.You are at peace with a idea

“ People give you what they are not what you deserve you give yourself what you deserve”

Being alone isn’t a proof of rejection; but an invitation to return to yourself .Everyone has their own cup to fill , their own silent battles , not everything is so personal in an experience called life , it’s just you have to step out of the waiting room and gain freedom to fill your cup first.

Safe connections never ask you to compromise your values and inner peace. Whenever there is a healthy and loving relationship , there will be clear boundaries between two people and their values and there will be an open avenue of giving and receiving rejection when necessary. It can be your friend understanding you for canceling a hangout without making a huge fuss and thinking it about her.

At the end of the day, you don’t have to live according to someone else’s version of you but you have to live according to the person you are becoming.You will stop understanding yourself from the eyes of people who never saw you.Once you are comfortable to embrace your own company , your presence, your life will no longer feel like a prison . You will realize ; you are not a missing puzzle piece looking for its match;you are the entire canvas , whole and complete all along.

I choose me , end of story…

Have you ever looked at someone’s life and wondered why your problems seem so complex and theirs look easy and straightforward? Or Have you ever ended up asking questions like “Allah why me?” , “ Why is theirs easier?” on a random Tuesday night . The answer is simple: we are suffering more in our head , in our thoughts than in real life. The urge to complain while we suffer isn’t just a spiritual failing;it’s wired into our psychology as well. Complaining is our brains “survival mechanism”, our brains are built with “negativity bias”, constantly scanning for hurt , while our egos naturally fall into the trap of social comparison. Psychology calls it “Social comparison Theory”, you are measuring your custom-built test against someone’s entirely different exam. While complaining to the examiner that he gave you the wrong question paper.

“Shaitan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” — Surah Al-Baqarah (2:268)

Shaitan promises you with a lack in life. Scarcity mindset isn’t just lack of money, it’s shaitan’s trap of convincing you that you aren’t worthy, your life isn’t good , you are behind , you are running out of time, he feeds you with the illusion of lack which triggers the physiological urge to compare yourself with others.A Stanford study found that even five minutes of sustained complaining per day physically damages the neurons responsible for problem solving.

Contrary, to shaitan Allah promises bounty , forgiveness which is a great way to train your brain to see an opportunity . Rewiring your mind from the trap of victimhood, strengthens your trust and tawakul in Allah’s mercy.

“If Allah intends good for someone, He afflicts them with trials.” — Sahih al-Bukhari (5645)

In a world which measures success through ease and comfort , calling hardship a blessing which brings you closer to Allah sounds paradoxical . But in Islam , blessing is something which brings you closer to Allah and purifies your heart. A Hardship which brings you closer to Allah is better than a blessing that takes you away from him.

Reframing Hardship from “Punishment” to “Refinement”:

If Allah doesn’t want to punish you , then what is hardship? Why do you feel the pain? Why does life feel so hard?. The classical Arabic word for trial-Fitnah described the process of heating gold on fire to melt its impurities , to make it pure.

Gold is purified when you put it through fire. The fire does not destroy the gold, it burns away the impurities. The fire acts as a purifier . Hardship works the same way. What looks like punishment in our life , is actually a form of divine care. Allah is kinder to you more than your own mother , how can he hurt you?

The Prophet said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than this mother is to her child.” (Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5999, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2754)

I didn’t understand it for years . Everytime something went wrong , my first thought used to be “what did i do wrong?”, assuming it is a punishment from Allah. The Quran encourages a balanced perspective against two extremes: always blaming yourself or always blaming Allah. As long as you operate from a “victim mindset”, hardship will push you away from Allah rather than bringing you closer to him .

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said that Allah Almighty says:

“I am as My servant thinks of Me (or expects of Me), and I am with him when he remembers Me...” — Sahih al-Bukhari (7405) & Sahih Muslim (2675)

If you operate from (Husn al-zhann), expecting him to be merciful and forgiving , customizing your trails to benefit you and answering your prayers ,Allah will treat you according to that expectation. If you limit Allah according to your beliefs , you will make things harder for yourself.

When Allah places you in a season of hardship , it’s not a sign of abandonment but a sign of divine mercy to elevate you in life . It forces you to build spiritual muscles you would have never developed in a season of ease.

The moment I understood this , Hardship stopped being the evidence Allah was angry with me , it became the evidence that Allah was working on me that he cared enough to not leave me the way I was.

The beauty of the tests of Allah (swt) is that after notifying us that they are coming , He gives us the exact recipe for succeeding in them : Sabr ( patience) and Taqwa( god consciousness).

“If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah , their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do”. ( Quran 3:120)

Why hardships are tailored : vary from person to person.

Hardships vary from person to person because every individual requires a different type of spiritual growth. Human souls aren’t mass produced and neither are the trails sent to shape them. Allah mentions in the quran that diversity is a form of divine design. It is the intentional sign of his power and wisdom.

“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed there are signs for those of knowledge.” — Surah Ar-Rum (30:22)

Every soul is created differently that’s why it is judged and tested individually. Even on the day of judgement , you are judged on the basis of your own unique soul’s baseline , capacity and circumstances.

“And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.”— Surah Maryam (19:95)

“And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden...” — Surah Fatir (35:18)

When you realise that your own test is custom fitted for your own , you stop looking over someone else’s test. Their test wouldn’t fit you and yours wouldn’t fit them. Just like teachers give the hardest question paper to their most capable students , a trail is a form of divine trust. Allah trusted you with a test because he knows about your capabilities , he knows you deserve more that’s why he wants you to live life up to your fullest potential. He knows only you could carry this burden so why are you not using it as a wakeup call? Why are you busy complaining , overthinking and comparing your life with others?

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “… a person is tested according to their level of commitment to their religion. If they have a strong commitment and belief, then their tests will increase. And if their commitment was weak, then their tests would decrease. The tests and trials continue to fall upon a person until they reach a point where they walk on earth without a single sin (they all get erased)”. [Sunan at-Tirmidhi (2398). ] .

This hadith diminishes the concept of social comparison because Allah does not place heavy weight on weak structures. The one who designed you is well aware of the strength of your foundation and he prepares you for it . Trails serve to purify believers so that they can walk on the earth freely without any sins.

Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه اللّه said:

“If Allah puts a person under certain tests and trials and the person recognizes that he must resort to Allah alone seeking His help,then this is a good sign for him; the trials turn to purification and mercy.If on the other hand, he rejects, complains, and turns away from Allah and seeks help from human beings like himself, then this is a bad sign for him;the trials turn to punishment and misery for him.” [Tareequt Hijratayn, 103, Pg. 259]

Understanding the concept of custom capacity:

Every time you are blessed with a hardship , your brain enters a survival state that convinces you , “you can’t bear this”, “it’s too much” ,“ this is the end of your endurance etc”. Your brain panics and imagines the worst - case scenario . Although, capacity is a muscle that stretches under tension. A heart wrenching example from the Quran , Maryam (a.s) was going through immense pain of childbirth and fear of being falsely accused by her community. She felt like it was her breaking point .

“And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, ‘Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten!’” — Surah Maryam (19:23)

Allah acknowledged her pain with emotional comfort “ Don’t grieve”. Allah didn’t tell her to not over react or grieve . Pain is real but temporary and you are chosen by Allah for a specific purpose,Tawakul (reliance) requires small action even when you feel empty. Maryam (A.s) is a perfect example of divine wisdom and reality.

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.“- Surah Al-Baqarah (2:286):

The trails were never made to break your spine , but to bring you closer to Allah and elevate you in life. Human capacity is not an universal standard but; it is an individual blueprint. You are blessed with a specific trial because of the divine’s trust and your own custom capacity.

Honouring the Trust: How Not to Break Under The Weight

When you realise hardship is a form of divine mercy and purification , the goal is no longer just “getting over the test”- It is protecting the integrity of the test so that you become more refined than before and closer to Allah. “Failing a test” doesn’t mean pouring out your heart to Allah, even the Prophets shared their feeling with Allah , failing a test means letting your emotional panic cause you to abandon your relationship with Allah or compromising your spiritual integrity .To honor the test ,you need to stay anchored .Here’s a small guide to deal with it:

• Complain your suffering to Allah only , share your feelings with him , pour your heart out to him , let him know how you feel. Prophet Yaqub(a.s) said “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah” (Surah Yusuf, 12:86).

• Don’t fall into bad expectations ( su’al al -zhann) of Allah. Shaitan will convince you every moment to think negatively “ why Allah is punishing me?” , “ He doesn’t care about me” but expect mercy from Allah not malice

• Don’t seek Haram escape , when you are at the lowest point , you will try to take every possible escape but taking haram escape nullifies the concept of hardship.

• Hold onto your 5 daily prayers no matter what.

• Learn to sit with your emotions rather than looking for an escape.

• Don’t compare “ 3 chapter of your story” with someone’s “ 5 chapter” , comparison is a thief of joy , everyone has their own timeline.

• Make daily Istighfar your daily habit.

• Perform the small duties , your daily tasks .Small acts of discipline during hardship carry immense weight.

Every one of the properties of water is unique and presents intriguing challenges to standard physical chemistry.It is the only common substance on earth that naturally exists in all three states:solid,liquid and gas. Furthermore, contrary to common myths,water itself is entirely non -flammable because it cannot undergo oxidation or burn.

Our Ancestors guessed the subtle nature of water when they used silver vessels to turn ordinary water into healing water. The best antibiotic American army used one atom per 100 million to kill all germs in a wound and U.S president used water to keep infectious bugs away from his hands .

Traditional Eastern medicine has been based for many centuries on the vibrations and resonance of the body’s water content, where the pulse indicates that the resonance tone is correct. Practitioners believe that the pulse may be strong, weak, cold, or hot on this basis. An experienced physician carries out a kind of energy scan of the body, makes a diagnosis, and prescribes medicine.

The opening passages of the Bible mentions water, linking it directly to the creation of the world and the life of man, where water is required as the initial impulse for any process to begin. Water actively creates the physical structure of our DNA; without water the DNA helix couldn’t exist. It also creates structure of proteins , allowing our bodies to function .Every seed and embryo begins its life exclusively in water.

Professor’s Experiments and Water Research:

Water Memory and Molecular Crystals:

A hypothesis was put forward to explain waters’s unpredictable behaviour : water has a memory . Data from many countries shows that water receives and imprints outside influences , remembering everything that occurs in it space and surroundings. Any substance that comes into contact with water leaves a trace behind.

Water molecules join into groups called clusters which function as memory cells that record the history of water's relationship with the world, similar to magnetic tape . The molecular structure of water is more important than its chemical composition, as the structure allows the water to react to various environmental influences and store them within memory . Modern instruments have made it possible to record the fact that within each of the water memory cells there are 440,000 information panels each of which is responsible for its own type of interaction within the environment . Clusters can last for a longer period of time. The stability of cluster structure confirms the hypothesis that water is capable of storing and recording information . It acts like a storehouse of memory much like a computer.

Dr . Masaru Emoto’s Experiments (1995):

In 1995 Dr Masaru Emoto was the first one to record musical impressions on water by exposing water samples to different kind of music , freezing them and examining the resulting crystal under the microscope . Intense environments such as sports fans , rap concerts illustrate how high energy emotional eruptions could directly disrupt crystals formation. Furthermore, Japanese researcher Emoto Masaru stated our brain is also made up of 85 percent of water,the information contained within water is assimilated into human body when consumed, potentially changing a person’s characteristics and well being.

Professor Konstantin Korotkov’s Laboratory experiments:

Experiments were carried out testing diverse factors on water samples , including magnetic fields,electric fields, human presence and emotions .Human emotions proved to be the strongest element of influence on water.

Professor Korotkov measured human emotional projections using an instrument based on Kirlian effect. A group of people were asked to project very positive emotions such as love, tenderness, and concern—onto a flask of water in front of them. The flask was then replaced with another, and the people were asked to project negative emotions like fear, depression, and hatred. After measurements were taken on the samples, the water exhibited changes that were clearly in one direction or another. Positive emotions increased the water's energy levels and stabilized it, whereas negative emotions reduced its energy and caused radical changes. Consequently, when a person approaches water with good thoughts, blesses it, or expresses gratitude, its quality improves, producing a positive effect on the human body.

Natural water vs Modern water Systems:

Nowhere in the world is water the same. Breaking its way to the surface through minerals and ores, water assimilates the vibration of the soil and information about its specific biological and energetic features . A sample of purified municipal water which is sold in large bottles was tested , producers put a label on it claiming it’s the best water in the world , but it’s empty and dead . Although, it has some minerals added to it, but it remains dead water with no energy and no life .People often don't know the difference between naturally pure and artificially purified water, but animals will choose spring water because it's loaded with natural energies.

Water from Venezuela was compared with ordinary drinking water and found to be forty times more active.Water of this type immediately activates the body ,energizes the entire system. That is why local indigenous people living there , despite their deprivation , have a longer and happier lifespan.

In nature , rivers and streams flow long smoothly curving paths. But Modern transport forces water over thousands of miles , through high pressure systems with right-angle turns and valves,breaking down its natural structure. Water reaching our homes contains deformed crystals lacking symmetry or beauty and remains polluted with chemicals even after purification.

Islamic perspective on the significance of water :

Water as a source of all life:

In Islamic cosmology , water is not just an element- It is a pyramidal fluid from which Allah created all existence .

We can imagine the importance of water from the fact that before creation of earth and sky, there existed only water.

“And it is He Who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne was upon the water - so that He might test you, as to who among you have the best deeds” (Surah Hud, Verse 7)

Similarly, every living thing has been created from water by Almighty Allah. It is the essence of life.

“And we made every living thing from water. So will they not accept faith?” (Surah Al-Anbiya, Verse 30)

Rain is repeatedly described in the Quran as a symbol of mercy Rahmat that revives dead barren land , provides sustenance and offers relief after despair. In spiritual metaphor earth needs water to thrive and our hearts need divine guidance to revive a dead soul.

“He is the One Who sends down rain after people have given up hope, spreading out His mercy. He is the Guardian, the Praiseworthy.” Surah Ash - Shura (42:28)

Water as a source of Spiritual purity and Daily work ship:

Water plays a vital role in purification . Before performing Salah Muslims perform Wudu(ablution), washing the hands, face and feet. It is mentioned in Quran:

“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles...” — Quran 5:6

Wudu symbolizes physical and spiritual purity as it washes away the sins as well.

Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When a Muslim man performs ablution, his sins are removed from his hearing, his sight, his hands, and his legs. If he sits down, he will sit down forgiven.”

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 22171

Water as a source of healing and blessings :

Water acts as a vessel for Divine blessings ( Barakah) and healing (Shifa). Reciting Ruqyah on the water is a spiritual and prophetic tradition . In Islam , healing comes from Allah alone but the Quran is a spiritual remedy ( Shifa).

Imaam Muslim reported that ‘Awf Ibn Maalik Al-Ashja’i narrated, “We used to perform Ruqyah (Quranic healing) in the pre-Islamic era, and we asked the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ‘What do you think about it?’ He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied: ‘Show me how you perform Ruqyah,’ (and then) he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘There is no harm in performing Ruqyah [your way] as long as it does not include associating anything with Allaah.’” [Muslim]

The Mother of the Believers, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), used to read the Mu’awwidhatayn (Surah Al-Falaq and Surah Al-Nas) into water and then pour it over a sick person’s head and body (Sahih al-Bukhari).

Science confirms that spiritual states, mindfulness , and gratitude alter human biology. By lowering cortisol , shrinking Amygdala and boosting immunity. Since our body is made up of water , taking a moment of gratitude before drinking impacts our nervous system .

It was narrated that our Messenger (saw) said to “Recite Bismillah before drinking and say Alhamdulilah after drinking.”

Zamzam water is also traditionally and spiritually used for healing .

Jabir bin ‘Abdullah narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for”

It provides healing in accordance with faith , gratitude and purpose of the person drinking it. It fulfills the intention for whatever purpose it is drunk . It is also referred to as “ the best water on the face of the earth”.

Universal symbolism: water in Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism

Across all the religions in the world , water serves as a universal symbol of creation , purification and divine renewal .

In Biblical tradition , water marks the origin of life, sustenance and spiritual satisfaction . Christian water baptism symbolises dying to old sinful life and rising up to clean one .

In Hinduism , water (Aap) is a symbol of Divine grace,spiritual growth and purification, exemplified by ritual bathing (Snana) in sacred rivers like Ganges to wash away spiritual karma.

In Buddhist tradition , water is used as a symbol of mental clarity , adaptability , purity and impermanence . Water - pouring rituals cultivate mindfulness and generosity .

Together all these religions recognize water as the ultimate bridge between physical matter and the realm of the divine. Humanity connects physical water to spiritual consciousness

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The Thirst of AI: Why does AI need water ? .

The Modern world water crisis has forced me to write about AI ,as it is playing a huge role .The relationship between AI and water is a profound paradox. Data centers consume over 780 Billion gallons (2.97 trillion liters) of water annually . Modern models require tens of millions of gallons. Researchers estimate that a medium- sized model like GPT 3 could consume roughly 500 ml of water for every 10 to 50 queries. The global volume could fill 1.8 million Olympic - sized swimming pools - enough to meet requirements of 600 million people. AI infrastructure is projected to generate up to 2.5 million tonnes of e-waste annually by 2030.

Rise of AI has reframed freshwater as an industrial necessity, just a mere coolant to keep supercomputing halls from overheating. Modern algorithms offer us innovative solutions but demand a vast hydrological price , cost of living of human lives. Tools like AI should be used to serve human nature not to surveil , target and violate our lives . Ancient wisdom and spiritual traditions teach us to use water with intentional reverence - as an Amanah (sacred trust) and channel of divine mercy.

We are using God’s biggest physical blessing just to feed data centers. Tech companies should come up with different engineering solutions rather than depriving human beings of their basic needs.

Author’s Note:

This essay explores the spiritual , physical and philosophical dimensions of water , connecting ancient faiths with scientific concepts. Readers should note that the findings of Dr. Masaru Emoto and Dr. Konstantin Korotkov remain controversial and are generally classified as fringe science within mainstream physical chemistry .The studies referenced in this piece are presented as thematic and philosophical framework to reflect on humanity’s deeper relationship with nature not as definitive empirical proof. If you spot any errors , please let me know in the comments - I am always open to feedback and healthy discussion.

Now it feels like a stage where people want to perform only because they prefer perception over recognition, where they value intake over output . After the pandemic we all observed sudden change in the social media platforms , from acting out of self preservation to a sense of global stewardship . Audiences involved from platform users to influencers , active creators , culture drivers , personal platforms became advertising ones , which prioritised individual wellbeing over social ones .

Transition from personal feeds to engagement based , algorithm driven feeds made all of us a curated catalogue of consumerism, focus shifted from fostering intimacy to chasing clout , which generated a whole “influencer market” instead of genuine platform users.

I also became one of the “ instagram zombie “ from following trends to going to hangouts only for the sake of instagrammable feed , rather than meaningful relationships and real human intimacy I begin wasting hours in random gcs , rather than living life for my own sake I became a controlled puppet of instagram without me realising In the start . But when the focus shifted, my grades dropped—which was a massive wakeup call for someone completely addicted to academic validation.Thank God, that moment shattered the illusion. It forced me into a state of deep self-reflection, leading me to pull the plug on my Instagram. Weeks turned into years, and I have never looked back.

At first, I misattributed the issue solely to an academic validation dependency, failing to realize the deeper psychological patterns at play. I thought I was just addicted to academic praise—but it turned out to be an entirely different level of self-discovery .

Deactivating my account didn’t bring immediate peace; it brought a heavy, unsettling apathy. Having survived on a firehose of digital stimuli for years, I found everyday reality suddenly felt slow, flat, and quiet. It was the brutal onset of a dopamine detox—a phase where my habit kept forcing my hand to search for a machine that was no longer there. But rather than surrendering to the urge and running back to the feed, I chose to endure the silence

A Holistic Analysis of Platform Dependency

I was struggling to perform normal tasks like memorizing and reading normal work without touching my phone or listening to music . My brain had been rewired to crave dopamine hits, turning human attention into commodified resources. I used to sit there trading the richness of reality to a lifeless algorithm , watching my mind grow numb as my creativity was replaced by the digital void. consistently missing the present moment due to a neurological feedback loop identical to gambling addiction.

“Social media platforms are using the same techniques as gambling firms to create psychological dependencies and ingrain their products in the lives of their users, experts warn.These methods are so effective they can activate similar mechanisms as cocaine in the brain, create psychological cravings and even invoke “phantom calls and notifications” where users sense the buzz of a smartphone, even when it isn’t really there.” { research article by The Guardian} .

I thought in the start I was doing well , nothing problematic but I was chasing a ghost inside a digital engine which was draining my real world drive . Internal documents by Meta itself , revealed that a significant proportion of teenage girls experienced worsened anxiety linked to their platform usage .

After quitting I didn’t feel “ negatively charged” after every 10 min of performing a simple task , I entered a ‘ flow’ state that unlocked my capacity for deep work. I was able to focus on my religious rituals and meditation turning what used to be rushed distracted routines into moments of profound silence.

The Algorithm God:

An algorithm is a god which controls everything. This is the reason why these creators are investing tons of money on designing and controlling algorithms .

“Billionaires heavily fund algorithm design to build dominant AI platforms, optimize financial trading, and power physical bio-tracking. For example, Musk’s SpaceX pursued massive acquisitions like the coding startup Cursor, while tech founders like Alex (Scale AI) and Brian Johnson (Project Blueprint) bankroll algorithm-driven software and health optimization”

“A court in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $375m (£279m) for misleading users over the safety of its platforms for children. A jury found that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, was liable for the way in which its platforms endangered children and exposed them to sexually explicit material and contact with sexual predators.” { report by BBC}

If people truly understood the nuance of algorithmic control , half of them would abandon the platform overnight. I dedicated a lot of my time to studying algorithms hoping I could make a way out or alter it in some way but all my effort went in vain because algorithmic manipulation is not merely individual ,it is networked.

The feed adapts not only to our personal clicks but to the digital footprints of what they try to feed us , the digital footprints of your friends as well , the reel they send , the post they like etc your friends hyper stimulated activities bleed in your own feed. You can’t simply curate your own way out.

Imagine you are powerless over your own focus because you are simply hijacked by someone else’s watch habits.

This shattered my individual defence mechanism to maintain cognitive boundaries and to simply function on my own . This restless cycle of unintentional consumption forcing me to enter a rabbit hole , I never choose to enter , stripping away my baseline consciousness which is a fundamental currency to navigate life. A meaningful life is built on conscious choices rather than unconscious impulses.

During the digital detox period , I experienced a return to peace , a sense of presence in my daily life . I could once again immerse myself in creative work , hobbies without compromising on my conscious choices. Choosing conscious choices over unconscious ones every moment in my life , healed my relationship with my inner child as well , I was finally showing up for my own life instead of performing in front of a staged audience.

“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.” - Jim Collins

Lost art of communication and the FOMO trap:

A major challenge was realising my friendships were solely based on digital interaction. These platforms create a fake sense of intimacy , you still text each other for years , share reels , aesthetic , music taste and what not, but we humans are social animals we need to communicate , to sit across one another , exchange laughter without that instagrammable fantasy. After meeting you will realize I barely know this person because I was only friends with the perfect version presented on that platform.

When we interact with each other our conversations begin from “ hey take a look at this” , “ hey do you know about xyz trending celeb drama or hot topic?”.Back then people used to sit on plastic chairs contemplating life. They used to ask about the thoughts and views of others from the place of genuine curiosity.

Now we communicate in the form of brain rot , reels, emojis instead of a sentence . The interaction becomes more about mutual consumption rather than relation. Instead of checking on our friends , reaching out to them in the form of text like “hey what’s up , how are you doing” we send each other reels and start convo from that or we reply to other person’s story in order to slide into their dms , that’s a form of low effort communication .

We are overstimulated and under articulated because of this “ lost art of communication and connection”.Meaningful conversations require mutual effort and risk of being misunderstood sometimes but we continue to trade that for one click reactions and hollow interactions.

“The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to the reply.” — Roy T. Bennett

Leaving wasn’t easy at all because I was using this platform for a very long time without realising it became a huge part of my daily life and personality , I was battling the social pressure of being “ unreachable” and the fear of missing out (FOMO), I was terrified on missing out on hangouts , trends , life updates of people I was interacted with and what not .

To appease this FOMO we usually accept cheap digital exchanges (likes , emoji replies etc) as a substitute for real relationships . We lose our capacity to hold silence , listen actively, and have deep conversations. We forget how to interact and communicate with each other without this world.

My most asked question of all time is “ how do you deal with fomo?” . to be honest, FOMO is always going to haunt you. Once you accept that ‘missing out on things’ is an inevitable part of being human , the urgency fades. You stop chasing everything and only chase things which revolve around you and matter to you only . So you can stop feeling fomo over “so called perfect moments” of other people’s lives and stop comparing yourself to them . Trying to cure FOMO is like drinking sea water to cure thirst . I have gladly shifted my FOMO to JOMO.

After deactivating my account , I lost all my friendships from my oldest , life long friends to the newest one I had just begun to build . After sobbing over this fact I came across a heartbreaking revelation of how fragile modern bonds have become , we depend on these low effort maintenance rituals of likes , streaks , stories etc. It was a devastating price to pay , but I found my true self again and that’s a trade I would make a thousand times over

Death of originality :

When we surrender our conscious agency , we leave our minds unguarded. We become easily manipulated , to the point where our personal goals and life are quietly replaced by the desires of others . We are quietly losing our essence for a standardized life , fake trends and mass produced lifestyles . People don’t want perfection, they want humanity but sometimes this platform can feel like a movie where everyone is trying to steal the spotlight.

Not everyday can you be grabbing overpriced matcha from a cute cafe , buying that one vintage Prada bag , trending makeup products because real life isn’t that aesthetic, it’s messy you crying over family problems , bad grades , or the thoughts you can’t explain on this platform. Your fashion sense , political opinions , aesthetics none of them are truly yours, it’s the combination of what your algorithm chooses for you for what your favourite celebrity or influencer does.

Maybe you don’t like wearing that one clothing item , maybe you don’t like the trending skincare item , you are only wearing it so that you can talk about wearing it .May be you are only getting lip fillers , botox done because they have convinced you that you have to fulfill modern beauty standards . In most cases you don’t even know how to form your own opinion on things until you watch that 2 hour long podcast or “ Honest review time “ video from your favourite guru .We all are living the same lives without even realising it .

“ Today , everyone is hot and nothing is erotic . It feels like the face is separating

from the person and the person is separating from the soul” - The New Yorker

When you scroll for hours , your personality is no longer yours but a reflection of collective habits of people you interact with , you follow or those who appear on your feed . You become a product of what you consume, when you lose your own uniqueness, you become the victim of profound ‘Lack of Authenticity’ . All of this stripped our ability to sit with boredom, reflect on our thoughts, maintain our sense of questioning and curiosity.

I had to relearn about myself from scratch. Who am I without that constant validation? Who am I without the opinions of other people? ,who am I without my algorithm and what they feed me ? Who am I without this false sense of connection which I have built with people on the platform ? Reflecting on these and more questions , acted as a catalyst for my entire journey of self development and character growth. I became the most authentic version of myself.

“When everyone is sick, we no longer consider it a disease.” - Naval Ravikant

Rise of Anti Intellectualism :

When people try to post anti- brain rot content , something which makes you ask questions or any profound talk , people bombard you with statements like “ohh! It’s not that serious” “ It’s really not that deep” or comments filled with stupid stickers , or any brain rot meme . People have stopped taking things seriously and “yess mate its that serious”. You can’t label research , biological concepts, insightful content someone posted as “boring” “useless” “crap” with your 15 second attention span.

Complex concepts require time , patience and little effort to understand a person who is programmed to attain cheap dopamine would never be able to get that insight .

Notice how the internet breeds “ Pseudo intellectuals”, people who watch 2 min brief summary on a topic , or who scroll through highlights believing that now they have gotten full insight of the topic. This kills our intellectual curiosity, our prefrontal cortex loses the capacity of deep linear thinking ( ability to read physical books for a longer period of time etc).

A major international study suggests there has been a sharp rise in what it calls “problematic” social media use among young people since the pandemic.

Researchers came to the conclusion after surveying almost 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 across 44 countries. ( research article from BBC)

Most of the individuals keep up with these things just to fit in the society which is a sad truth , imagine losing your true essence just to get recognized by people who don’t even know about your existence . We have cultivated the culture which mocks the very discipline required to understand the world and to contemplate on life.

“The important thing is to never stop questioning. Never lose a holy curiosity”

[Albert Einstein]

The Apathy Effect:

I came across an essay by Zoe Mendelson where she discussed how the platform’s “firehose” of stimuli leaves us desensitized, feeding us global tragedies and minor inconveniences with the exact same weight which tends to numb us , fostering a sense of apathy rather than meaningful engagement .

One moment I was witnessing a massive genocide and the next moment I was witnessing xyz person becoming a Billionaire, buying their dream penthouse in NYC. I was unable to process it all . I felt like I was operating in two different worlds - where one world was uninspiring and the second world was barren .This left me in this restless state where nothing in the world felt interesting enough to get my attention.

Gift of time and effortless discipline:

When you reclaim the hours you spend on scrolling your phone , the world suddenly slows down . I began to realise how much time I have in a day and how easy it is to practice discipline . When I put my brain on a dopamine detox, my brain’s reward system reset , simple everyday tasks became rewarding again like going out for walks, cooking a meal etc . I no longer needed a huge dopamine spike to feel motivated again , which made it easier for me to practice discipline. By removing thousands of daily micro stimuli , I had abundant mental energy left to perform my normal tasks.

Discipline isn’t a physiological shift only it’s a neurochemical reset as well. By eliminating that decision fatigue , practicing discipline stopped being an uphill battle and transitioned into a peaceful flow state. Waking up at 5am , doing my morning routine and workout all these things became easier for me because I was finally seeing discipline as a form of self love rather than punishment .

“When you say that you love yourself, that means that you have behavior towards yourself that is loving. I used to think of discipline or self-discipline as a punishment, but it’s really about loving yourself too much to let yourself do anything that isn’t really in your best interest.” - Will Smith

My blue print of digital minimalism :

Leaving wasn’t a sudden or grateful act; it involved cycles of deactivating and reactivating again.Practical steps I took which helped me to minimize my screen time and eventually led me to leave the platform altogether.

• Make the phone as boring as possible. Remove apps from homescreen use grayscale and by turning off notifications or using do not disturb mode

• Establish a “ No phone zone” especially during your study sessions or work sessions . Put the phone in different space , out of your reach

• Immerse yourself in creative hobbies like journaling , reading or deep cleaning your room. Try to make your day as interesting as possible

• Spend an hour or 30 minutes a day without any screen time .Just you sitting with yourself alone , embracing boredom.

• Try spending quality time with your family, friends or community , fostering a deep sense of intimacy and social connections.

• Plan your day ahead so that you can overcome decision fatigue

• Gain physical win by walking , going to gym or yoga.

• Try building physical evidence for your brain so it doesn’t believe in vague promises it demands tangible proofs.

• I implemented time blocking apps to reduce my screen time.

• I leveraged my environment to make discipline effortless.

• I worked on gaining spiritual wins which became a non-negotiable anchor in my schedule and helped me with countless issues.

• Create more than you consume.

• Try deliberately choosing to lose yourself in pursuits that are disgustingly niche.

  

Author’s Note:

I wanted to write this essay not as a lecture on whether Instagram is generically “good or bad” but strictly from my own raw, personal experience. To back up this profound shift , I later looked into research and neuroscience facts that perfectly explained my experience but I intentionally kept deep scientific dives minimal ; I wanted this piece to be accessible to everyone regardless of their niche . It took a massive amount of courage to be this vulnerable and honest about my experience , this is my first time openly talking about what I went through. Please overlook errors if you find any , or let me know in the comments , I am open about discussion.

We are often introduced to this attribute of Allah as “generous” only but it goes way deeper than that.lets unfold!

Al kareem means to be noble , grand, very generous.

The name Alkareem is understood to have two meanings. Common one is “the most generous”. But some scholars have said Alkareem also possesses the same quality of meaning “ noble and honorable”, which is often overlooked. Quran says.

   “  And we have certainly honored the children of Adam “ ( 17:70)

The view also connects to the name Al Jaleel(the majestic). Al Jaleel is the highest in the rank which makes him Kareem and honored.

Similarly in the Hadith literature Kareem is to be translated as noble

    “ The noble son of the noble son of the noble son of the noble one was Yusuf ibn ya’qub ibn ishaq ibn ibrahim”

Note the repetition of Arabic ibn kareem as being translated as the “ Noble son “ so we have the definition of being esteemed , noble and honored. To have this reputation to be called by these names indicates that you must have some virtuous qualities that have been perfected.

Surah  waqiah verse 77 says:

     “ Indeed it is a  Nobel Quran “

The connotation of kareem being kind doesn’t imply here because it doesn’t means for a book to be gracious and generous . Indeed in translation, book of nobility does means a book perfected in all his attributes . Allah name AL karim means lord of perfect attributes, karam perfection of his attributes . Thats why this attribute is also considered as attribute for perfection, truthfulness ,generosity and courage etc . Allah calls himself Al karim and Al karam .

How is this word became dominated by generosity?

Because Arabs found which attribute makes a person seem perfect and they found it to be generosity .  When someone is generous it covers all of the defects of that person . Main reason why people only use this attribute for generosity only.

Now let’s cover the 4 important aspects of this name .

         1.Al Kareem (the one who gives )

People who truly like spending on others , not for the sake of show off , not to earn a better position but only for the sake of next person thats it .

       2. Al Kareem ( the one who bestows and

            Then praises )

Allah praises Maryam (a.s) and called her ‘Sadiqa’ ,Allah praises prophets as well .

Allah gives you attributes that are praiseworthy and then he praises you for having them .

Try to be more generous with your praises and compliments.

    3. Al Kareem ( the one who doesn’t reject

          Someone who asks )

Prophet ( PBUH) told us Allah is Hai -ul-kareem . Allah is too shy and generous . He never rejects supplication of his slave.

   4. Al Kareem ( the one who gives more     than what they are asked for )

Allah gives without saying Allah bestows on us because of who he is , not because of who we are . Arabs say Highest level of generosity is hospitality . Generosity is not always with your money its with your time ,compliments , presence and gestures .

source

My islam

Sh Ammar Alshukry

We live in the society where they don’t teach us the difference between being thankful to Allah  and being grateful to Allah because people mistake them for being same most of the time. Considering the importance of gratitude in islam , it’s very important for us to know the difference between both. Allah said in Quran:

“If you are thankful I will add more (favors) unto you but if you show ingratitude then my punishment is terrible indeed” (14:7)

Lets dive deeper will try to explain this:

Being thankful to Allah:

• Being thankful to Allah means you are simply saying out “ Alhamdulillah” or “ Ya Allah thank you “

• Uttering words by tongue just an acknowledgment with tongue

• Its verbal acknowledgment that doesn’t  goes beyond words

• A quick reaction

• For example “ Thank you Allah for giving me delicious kebabs “

Being grateful to Allah:

• Gratitude is way more deeper it means you are including your heart , tongue and actions all 3. According to scholars:

• By heart: recognizing it

• By tongue : saying it

• By action : using blessings for Allahs sake

• Using blessing to please Allah and utilizing that blessing for his sake

• It’s not just showing but using it in Quran Allah said “Work, O family of Dawood, in gratitude.”(Surah Saba 34:13). Notice the word used here is ‘ WORK’ so it means action.

• For example if Allah granted you with money instead of just saying  thank you to Allah give it out to help others , spend it in halal ways.

Thats why Allah says in quran

“If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]. But if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.” (14:7)

“Grateful “here means living in way that reflects mercy of Allah that reflects appreciation as well.

• COURAGE AND SELF MASTERY:

1- Rule of imagination and desires don’t let them control you.

2- strength of heart and courage is required.

• Ambition with steadfastness

1- High ambitions are essential with patience, consistency, resilience against criticism.

2- True believers are not swayed by praiser , blame etc.

• Patience and hard-work:

1- Comfort is often the enemy of progress . Effort and fatigue are necessary companions on the journey .

2- success lies in tolerating hard-work with sabr.

• Hope and fear in balance:

1- A seeker governs himself with hope of reward from Allah and fear of falling ,of being deceived by duniya.

• Focus and detachment:

1- Detach from distractions ( worldly attachments, gossiping, socializing etc) and devote your life yourself to the ultimate goal.

• Silence and thoughtfulness:

1- Wisdom grows in silence and thoughtfulness . Reflect on yourselves constantly.

2- Thinking deeply is the path of those who aim for higher paths.

• Guarding time:

1- Time must be used wisely, be very picky when it comes to people ‘ birds picking a seed’.

• Discipline of sense and thoughts :

1- Mind shouldn’t wander in worldly concerns.

2- Discipline must be present for excellence.

• Etiquette and humility:

1- Etiquette is key to acceptance and progress.

2- Respecting proper manners and respect. Waiting and enduring difficulty is better than rushing.