Sabr-Shush-Self Inspection-Sabr

Ever get the feeling that your prayers are not being answered?
Of course, you can’t equate making dua with ordering fries at McDonalds. For some, people it feels more like…sending a letter to Santa Claus. You know, the way kids do. They actually address and mail letters. (I wonder what the post office does with them. My daughter says that she read once that the postal service simply shreds them).

Allah has blessed me with greater sabr in the past few years but I’ll be the first to admit that whispers don’t go unheard. While I’m working on waiting patiently, “you know who” is on standby, also waiting patiently. He waits till just the right moment and says….


”hey, what are you waiting for? when are you gonna wake up and smell the coffee? you’re going down the wrong road…can’t you see that—“

Before I get carried off in his lies, I turn and tell him “hey! why don’t you get from behind me. Stop whispering in my ear. From the stench of your breath, I’d say that you can’t even begin to offer me what I’m truly looking for.”

And then he just looks at me with a smirk on his face, and just as fast as I wish him away he’s gone.

Next, I know I’ve got to clean up shop. I’ve got to look at my deen. Am I on track? How am I living my life. I don’t believe that Allah will answer my prayers unless I am sincerely working towards improving my inner and outer practice of Islam. Just looking at myself that way humbles me and I can more easily go back to the business of being patient, waiting patiently for what only Allah can give me, by his divine measurement.

I read the story below at a forum I belong to. It reminded me of the inner struggle I describe above. I don’t’ know the origin of the story, but I hope you find it inspirational.


Just Push

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled
with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to Push against the rock with all his might...

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface
of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!

Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, Feeling that
his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by
placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)!

You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't
moved." Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and
disheartened the man.

Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough."

That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of Prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to The Lord.

"Lord," he said, "I have labored long and hard in Your Service, putting
all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to
serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against
the rock with all of your strength, which you have done.

Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed.

But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.

Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass
that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your
calling was to be Obedient and to push and to exercise your Faith and
trust in My Wisdom. That you have done. Now I, my friend, will move the
rock."

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He Wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him.

By all means, exercise the Faith that moves mountains, but know that it
is still God Who moves The Mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong

Just P.U.S.H.

When the job gets you down

Just P.U.S.H.

When people don't do as you think they should

Just P.U.S.H.

When your money is "gone" and the bills are due

Just P.U.S.H.

When people just don't understand you

Just P.U.S.H.

P = Pray

U = Until

S = Something

H = Happens

To this I’d like to add
PRAISE HIM before and after “something happens”
PRAISE HIM whether “something happens” or not
because
only he knows what is in our best interest