Getting out of the Comfort Zone

Waking up this morning by the shrill music of my hand phone alarm, I groaned sleepily. Yet, as the loud sound bugged my sleep again and again, I forced myself to look at the time. As sleep wore off, I remembered the purpose of the early-morning call.

Mentally motivating myself to wake up, I finally get out of the comfort of my bed to the washroom and get ready for Solah. Yes, that’s the purpose of the early-morning call. Admittedly, I have not been doing much Qiamullail lately. Perhaps since I am studying until late at night, it has been more and more difficult to wake up in the early hours to pray. The comforts of the bed and the ‘nafs’ inside told me to carry on with my beauty sleep. To pamper myself for a while more until fajr for the Subuh prayer.

Yet, I realize that somehow or other, the old trend had to go. I have to stop cherishing my sleep too much, and to pamper my nafs less. Studying hard, that is a must. But it is only for this temporary world. Qiamullail is also a must (although not wajib). This is because the latter is both for my happiness in this world and the hereafter.

In this world, a calm heart can only be found if one is close to the Creator, and always have Him to turn to at every point of life. And it is mostly in the early hours, and the earliest moments of the day, that we can strengthen this relationship. At a time when everyone else is in dreamland, confined to the comforts of their beds. This is a time when Allah seeks out those who are searching for Him, for His help and guidance, for forgiveness and repentance. No, it is not that He would not listen at other times, it is just the best time to pour our hearts, as He said in numerous verses of the Quran, He is nearest to His servants then.

Today I had decided. I decide to change my study style, hopefully until the finals, and until I graduate. To stay-up less, and wake up earlier instead. So that I can study after qiam. Sure, it is not a norm yet, and will somewhat be difficult. But I know it is time. Time to get out of my own comfort zone. For one of the many things that I had learnt in this road of self improvement thru tarbiyyah is that sometimes, you just have to force yourself. To get out of the comfort zone, and push yourself to become a better person, to be a better you.

I posted this, not to tell everyone of what I did this morning. No, not to brag of my resolves. Just so that all of you can make a du’a that I can be Istiqamah in the amal, and have strength to improve myself. Also a call for us all, to try our hardest to improve ourselves, in any way we found possible, in all aspects available, be it in terms of ibadah, akhlaq, studies, Islamic knowledge, in our day-to-day interactions, and even in our work for Islam.

Lastly, remember that a butterfly will not be beautiful had it not come out of its cocoon. Nor will a person. If we stay happily in our bed of comforts, we will not go out far. A person will be beautiful, a true character only if he worked his way into becoming a mu’min and muttaqin, despite the many trials and setbacks. May Allah give us the strength to increase ourselves, our faith, imaan and knowledge in this path towards Him. Ameen…