Faith Cannot Reside Where Doubt Lives

As-salam alaikum my beautiful sis!

I hope this meets you in the best of iman and health in sha Allah.

To be wavering or undecided in mind is to be unstable. It is to simultaneously move in opposite directions expecting to move forward, only to find yourself regressing. It is like sand on the beach that is easily blown by the wind; it has no roots or anchor and is easily swayed.

Doubt is something that shaytan capitalises on. Whispers of uncertainty that invoke fear, a lack of trust in Allah, and disbelief in Him. The shaytan chips away at our hearts by planting seeds of doubt, and then he leaves us to water them by overanalysing and overthinking these thoughts. The “what ifs” that spin in our heads, the doubt that lingers in our hearts, the unlikely scenarios we imagine in our minds all kill our iman, and we might not even realise it before it’s too late.

Now, shaytan is patient in leading humans astray. He takes his time and works in stages. Doubt doesn’t linger in your heart for the big things if you don’t allow it to linger in your heart for the small things. What do I mean? Look at your daily routine. When you do wudu, do you re-do it because you doubted if you washed your feet properly? When praying, do you obsess over the exact precision of facing the Qibla? When you’re doing something for the sake of Allah, do you feel the need to verbalise your intention? Repeating it over and over again to make sure your intentions are pure? Your intention is in your heart and is what drives you to do an action in the first place. Yes, we can renew our intentions and ask Allah to purify them, but intentions are not by words; they are by the state of the heart, which is internal. These are some of the subtle ways shaytan whispers to us to foster the growth of doubt. If he sees you paying attention to them and falling into his trap, he comes back with more ammunition.

Allah is clear and truthful in His ways. He does not instil doubt in us but rather, He guides us to the clear path. He is Al-Haqq, The Absolute Truth, the One who is the embodiment of truth. He tells us about the Qur’an, His Words, “This is the Book! There is no doubt about it - a guide for those mindful of Allah.” (Qur’an 2:2). But for some of us, including me, it can be hard to determine what path is the truth. So many voices of reservations and doubts, what if one of them is true? This is something I think overthinkers in particular may struggle with. As Muslims, we just want to do what is pleasing to Allah, and so, out of fear of displeasing Him, we fuss over the basics of every action we do.

One thing I’m working on, is to pause when Allah allows me to notice I’m entering that cycle again. It truly starts with the little things that you currently obsess over, notice those patterns and choose certainty over doubts in those moments. The little things add up to the big things. In addition, make istikhara (the prayer of guidance) your go-to, and do not doubt the outcome of that prayer. Trust, certainty, and faith are key. At some point, you have to choose to believe, it’s really up to you. And this cannot happen if doubt sits comfortably within you. You are your habits, so look to them. Are they laced with doubts or filled with faith?

As Allah has taught me, words are truly powerful. The words you choose to address yourself and situations with matter. So, maybe after reading this newsletter, you realise the pockets of doubt that exist in your heart. Rather than shaming yourself for them and using negative words to label yourself, ask Allah to guide you, to choose for you, and to help you follow the feeling in your heart that is the right path. Ask Him to allow the voice of support and clarity to grow stronger in your heart and to silence the voice of doubt. Then, say to yourself, “I’m not blameworthy for wanting to please my Lord, I’m just a human who needs her Lord’s guidance and I acknowledge my weakness to Him.”

Allah teaches us a beautiful du’a in Surah Ali ‘Imran, “Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver ˹of all bounties˺.” (Qur’an 3:8). This du’a is so important and crucial because we are not guaranteed to remain on the straight path today, much less tomorrow. May Allah protect us from disbelief and deviation. May Allah cause us to die as Muslims in full submission to Him. Ameen.

So, sis, I present you with a choice. The voice of certainty or the voice of doubt, what voice do you listen to? You choose.

With love,

Latifah.

Founder, Tifah & Co.