There is a phase in a servant's life journey that is rarely discussed. A phase where we have tried to be good, yet we feel further away from comfort. Instead of peace, rejection comes. Instead of blessings, loneliness is felt. Sometimes, it even feels like punishment rather than honor.
You have tried to be obedient—praying on time, improving your character, maintaining boundaries, leaving forbidden work, rejecting sinful invitations—but life feels lonelier, heavier, and more painful. Even your prayers, uttered with tears in the last third of the night, remain unanswered.
In the midst of that silence, a small voice within begins to ask:
“Is all of this in vain?”
Being Good Doesn't Always Bring Comfort
Sometimes we imagine that once we choose the right path, life will immediately become easy. But reality doesn’t always follow that. Allah never promised that the path of goodness would be free from trials. In fact, quite the opposite:
“Do people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe,’ and they will not be tried?”
(Qur'an, Al-Ankabut: 2)
Faith is not merely a declaration, but a sacrifice. Trials are part of the purification process of faith. Allah wants to see if we worship only when granted blessings? Do we remain steadfast when blessings are taken away, or do we revert to our dark past out of disappointment?
Spiritual Burnout Is Real
Burnout doesn’t only happen at work. It can also appear in acts of worship. Known as spiritual burnout, this happens when we feel exhausted from trying to be obedient servants but feel unappreciated—by people and by fate.
This burnout often arises after a long struggle that doesn’t yield tangible results. Prayers unanswered, a spouse not yet found, debts unpaid, income still tight, family unchanged, or a heart that remains dry despite constant remembrance.
At this point, you feel like you are running in place and begin to ask yourself, “Am I really on the right path?” The answer is yes. But you are climbing a steep hill.
Allah Sees Your Fatigue
When you are trying to rise from your past, striving for hijrah, trying to purify your intentions, then stumble, cry, and feel alone—believe that Allah is watching it all. Even when you can’t speak, Allah knows the contents of your heart.
“And your Lord never forgets.”
(Qur'an, Maryam: 64)
Allah does not look at the outcome. He looks at the process and the intention. You may not yet have reached the success you envision, but in Allah’s eyes, you are already higher than before because you are striving.
Every time you hold back anger, every time you yield for the sake of the Sharia, every time you forgive though your heart still aches—these are all forms of jihad. And for ordinary people like us, jihad is not on the battlefield but within the heart.
Your Goodness Is Not Always Understood by Others
When you choose not to go with the flow, reject toxic culture, dress modestly, avoid gossip, and guard your gaze—you may be seen as strange or even alienated. But this is not a sign you are on the wrong path. It is a sign you are leveling up.
Sometimes, the closer we get to Allah, the fewer friends we have. It’s not because you are bad, but because Allah wants to cleanse your circle from those who don’t bring you closer to Him.
“Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will replace it with something better.”
(Hadith Ahmad)
Giving Up Is the Devil’s Temptation, Not the Solution
The devil is cunning. He doesn’t always tempt with sin. Sometimes he whispers exhaustion. He waits for your weakness and then whispers, “See, life is harder since you became good. Go back to how it was.”
Yet, you were not happy back then either. The difference is that then you were far from Allah, and now you are close. So hold tight to that closeness.
Conclusion
If you feel like giving up, it doesn’t mean you are weak. It means you are human. But don’t succumb to that feeling. Because when you hold on one more step, that step could change everything.
Know that Allah never wastes the tears of His servants. Maybe people don’t understand your pain. Maybe they laugh at your hijrah. But Allah keeps it all, reserving it for the most opportune time.
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