Monitoring Our Tank of Faith!

Saw this in an email and thought it was worthwhile sharing!


Monitoring our tank of faith!

These days I have been listening to a series of lectures based on the
topic of how to become an excellent teacher of Quran. Surprisingly I
have learned things which I had not even expected. For example, the
concept that external problems or hurdles are not the real obstacle in
the way of success… Rather it is our sins which have the most damaging
effect on our lives. This reminded me of the countless times I have
told others that I could not do such and such thing or could not
complete the target I had in mind because of this problem or that
hurdle… sometimes blaming people, other times crying over health
problems… always a string of excuses which are nothing more than that…
excuses! Because If I had truly wanted to do something and sincerely
asked Allah, then why would he not let me do things which I want to do
only for his sake? Surely there must be something wrong inside my own
self?

I remember a few years ago I had gone to visit my parents. The next
morning there was no water in the taps… very strange!!! Because the
night before they had got the water tank refilled… so where did those
gallons of water disappear? Plumbers were called and they began
digging to find the leakage… the whole house was in an uproar, with
people coming in and out… nothing else could be done because
everything depends on water. Finally the broken pipe was discovered
and repaired, the tank was filled again and life restored back to
normal.

But when the same story happens with our tank of faith and knowledge;
it never becomes an issue of concern. We fill our hearts and minds
with the knowledge of Quran and Hadith… but the next day when we face
any situation and open the tap, nothing comes out… no patience, no
gratitude, no kindness with others… where did all the knowledge go? No
body is worried… no one tries to find the leakage of the heart…

But we must realize that just as life stops if there is no water,
similarly the soul dies if there is no faith… our very survival
depends on it… so if the knowledge is not coming out in deeds then it
means that there is some serious leakage problem. For me it remained a
mystery for many years but Alhamdulillah I just found out that every
sin for which we do not feel guilty nor do taubah nor correct it… then
it creates a crack in our heart from where faith keeps dripping out
and we don’t even realize it. So whenever we feel lack of motivation,
lack of energy, then immediately we should pray to Allah to show us
where we went wrong and then honestly and sincerely ask Allah for
forgiveness. So as to mend the crack and ensure that our tank of faith
remains full.

May Allah protect us from our self conceit and give us insight with
which we might realize our mistakes and correct our ways. Because no
one else can do it for us. Each one of us has to be responsible for
his own life.