We believe that a true and comprehensive
understanding of Islam would not be possible without careful recognition of the
Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
Comfort Zone
" No great feat is achieved while remaining in one's comfort zone.
To break the olympic record, an athlete works a life time. Usain bolt, one of the fastest human athlete to embrace the tracks, appeared in 03 olympics and has embraced the track for less than 114 seconds to be 08 time olympic gold medalists. Usain bolt spent 17 years in training to run 114 seconds over 8 years in three different olympic events. That requires hard work, dedication, discipline.
Researches, scientists, developers, have sacrificed personal life, personal time, weekends, hobbies, better jobs, to invent the bulb, to create vaccines, to create the television, to land the man on moon.
Keep this correlation in mind and to link it backwards, if one is outside their comfort zone, one will achieve a great feat.
In Islam, different fuqahah and scholars, different school of thoughts have differences of halal, mustahabs, farz, sunnat etc. If you ask me, respecting all interpretations and opinions, the true litmus test of one's intention is, an act prescribed by Allah or his Rasool must be an act which will put us out of our comfort zone, for there is no act of reward which keeps us in our comfort zone. If the act keeps us in our comfort zone, then we must have confused the culutral values of that time with the sunnah of the prophet (SAW), as an example.
If i love to eat dates, does eating date make me follow the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW)? I am well within my comfort zone. If i dislike dates but i eat dates because i believe it is the sunnah of the prophet (SAW), in my belief i have put myself in some distress for the sake of the Prophet? Right or wrong is another debate, the essence and the spirit here is how much discomfort we take for the sake of Allah and his apostle.
To perform salat e Fajr one must wake up early morning and maintain discipline in life, a very difficult thing to do specially in winters. To perform 05 time prayers one needs to make an effort for cleanliness and time management. To give zakat one goes out of the way and gives away to someone without any need or demand for a favor in return. To fight in the way of Allah through Jihad one risks his life and property. To help others, one goes out of their way to earn a small deed. To spread the word of Prophet (SAW), one takes time out of his personal hobbies and dedicates it to a cause. Even listening to your old parents or caring for your young children are selfless acts which cause disturbance in our lives.
Following the rules of Islam and understanding those liabilities and responsibilities takes us outside our comfort zone. Compare living a carefree anarchist life with a dutiful life full of responsibilities.
If you are confused if an act is Farz, Sunnat, Wajib, Mustahib, etc, ask yourself if it takes you outside your comfort zone. No act of jazaa will be without some pain. "
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