All this and heaven too

The title of this blog post was inspired by a song with the same title by a band called Florence and the machine. I enjoy listening to them; I really do, but my appreciation of their music isn’t the subject of this post. So, let us not get into the debate of how lyrics can impact a believer’s emotional state.

I get your skepticism; how on earth am I writing about religious content while making reference to a song? However, if you dig deeper, then you will realize that I was merely inspired by the title and not the lyrics.

Anything can be a sense of inspiration if one’s heart is in the right state. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that listening to music is the way to go for the remembrance of God (Allah) all I am saying is that when I heard the title, I remembered God and that surprised me.

Moreover, I started observing my surroundings to understand what inspires me and everything came down to this – nature. I am inspired by life and everything that is living or anything that reminds of the essence of it. Simple things like: plants, landscapes, birds chirping, my hamsters’ behavior, and more make my day and remind of how great my creator is. For no scientist, can make a plant out of a seed.

If you are not where you would like to be this Ramadan then that is okay. However, what is not okay, is not trying or attempting to develop a relationship with your creator. You can take baby steps by observing the things that inspire you and linking them to God.

All this…

I AM GREEDY; I AM. I want all the best this life has to offer and the next one too. I am greedy but not for neither financial gain nor material success but rather for contentment. As the days change into seasons so does my contentment and level of satisfaction with my current reality. Not being melodramatic here or anything, but these fluctuations bother me.

My greatest fear is being dissatisfied with what God has blessed me with and always being in a state of “wanting more”. I pray that someday I will be the embodiment of how a believer should be, as described below:

“How wonderful the affair of the believer is! Indeed, all of his affairs are good for him. This is for no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is grateful to Allah, which is good for him. And if something bad happens to him, he has patience, which is good for him.”
Said by the Prophet (PBUP) as narrated by Suhayb ibn Sinān Ar-Rūmi

And heaven too…

To ponder or to worry is something human. We all pass our days worrying or thinking about something be it trivial or fragrant. There is nothing wrong with the act itself; however, the subject or the cause is a whole other story.

The older I get, the more I think about details or trivial things that got nothing to do with God. Only recently did I question myself: how different would my life be if I pondered more about God, the afterlife, and heaven? Because regardless of how beautiful this life is, I truly believe that it is temporary.

Heaven (Jannah) as described in the Holy book refers to a beautiful garden, full of greenery with flowing water. According to verse (ayah), 2-25:

And give good tidings to the ones who have believed and done deeds of righteousness that for them are Gardens from beneath which Rivers run.

In the past, I brought greenery into my space because it reminded me of life and the essence of living, growing, and evolving. But today, I look at my beautiful plants and think, hope, and pray for heaven.

The main takeaway I have for you is this: Obsess not only about what this life has to offer but also the next. Prepare for your afterlife in your own way by being righteous.

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