If the current state of this Ummah is not propelling us towards change - working on our relationship with Allah subhaanahu wa ta'ala, seeking beneficial knowledge and acting upon it to the best of our capabilities, abstaining from sins and forsaking bad habits for the sake of Allah, forbidding evil and enjoining good in every aspect of our lives, seeking contentment in the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah and living by the standards set by Allah, shunning the customs and practices of the West and its ideologies - then we haven't really internalised the hadith of this Ummah resembling a body and we're still lacking in our efforts to help our brothers and sisters who are suffering globally.
Pick up one act of worship that you're not accustomed to doing and start engaging in it on a daily basis. Start slow. If you haven't recited the Qur'an in a long time, this is your gentle reminder to renew your relationship with it even if it means reciting an ayah or a page today. If you only offer the five daily obligatory prayers, add two raka'at of voluntary salah to your routine. If you aren't habitual to saying the daily morning and evening adhkar, pick one and remain steadfast in it. Increase in istighfaar. Increase in tawbah. Maybe start smiling more, work on relationships that have been strained, increasing your vocabulary of kind words, forgiving others frequently and overlooking the faults of people, focusing on the good. You represent one limb of this body (Ummah) and if you feel you're powerless and incapable of an incredible change, then I beg to differ. By working on your relationship with Allah and your character, you are helping in the process of healing this Ummah, bi'idnillahi ta'ala. When we're constantly focusing on our limitations with respect to bringing a change, or the outcome of a situation, it diverts our attention from the efforts that you and I are capable of investing in. We forget we're only responsible and accountable for our efforts and not the result it entails. The result is the affair of our Creator who possesses the power to bring about a change with the utterance of a word - kun. When we shift our focus to the efforts, it drives us towards action, dispels all notions of hopelessness and powerlessness and keeps us motivated to strive harder fi sabilillah. By restructuring our thoughts in this manner and rewiring our way of thinking makes that small donation seem enormous, intensifies the strength and power of those countless du'as for our brothers and sisters, and amplifies the voice that is creating awareness. It magnifies those seemingly small actions that have the potential to strengthen this Ummah not overnight but somewhere down the line, bi'idnillahi ta'ala. It's time we reassess our priorities and hold ourselves accountable before we're held accountable.
