Consciousness, absentmindedness and sleepwalking through life.

Rabb-ishrah li sadri, wa yassir li 'amri, wah-lul 'uqdatam-min-li-sani, yaf-qahu qawli.

Ever noticed how we’re just sleepwalking through life? or have you been too absentminded to notice; How we aren’t paying attention to the things around us because we’re too distracted by our phone, too busy scrolling and when we’re not we’re too busy thinking about the next distraction. These distractions are having a profound effect on our consciousness.

Our inattentiveness is the reason why we sometimes forget to say BismiLlah before eating and AlhamduliLlah after. And why we forget to say the azkar for entering/ leaving our house/toilet. We even pray absentmindedly. That’s why sometimes we forget what rakaah we’re on or what surah we read in the first rakaah. Sometimes we even forget to recite a surah after fatiha because our mind isn’t there. We’re praying but our mind is on the next distraction.

If you believe you’re a conscious, present-minded person, then you shouldn’t have any trouble remembering what surah you read during fajr prayer today.

So tell me, How can we be Allāh conscious, when we ourselves are not conscious? When we aren’t even conscious of our own environment?

Have you ever observed how the sky transitions from blue to black as the sun sets, or from black to blue as the sun rises, and the various colors it morphs into? Yet it occurs everyday.

Or how beautiful the stars are as they’re sprinkled across the black sky complementing the moon.

Even as you eat, do you appreciate your food? Take in the aroma? Carefully chewing each mouthful and thanking Allāh for today’s meal as they’re many out there with no food to eat?

When last did you sit down and contemplate Allāh’s many creations that surround you? or even appreciate His many blessings towards you? Like your eyes, ears, legs, hands etc. can you imagine a life without them? Many were born without one or two of these yet Allāh blessed you with them. Or Is it after you lose them that you’ll realize what blessings they’re?

A lot of things we take for granted, are luxuries for some people. Like simply being able to walk, to see, to hear. SubhanaLlah.

Are you aware of the many processes occurring in your body right now? Like Our hearts and how it beats about 100,000 times a day just to keep us alive? or our cells and how they work together to ensure the full functioning of our bodies? or what happens to the oxygen you just inhaled?

Subhan’Allah we’re alive and healthy yet we aren’t truly alive. We’re unconscious, ignorant of why we’re here and how to manage our precious time.

Shaytaan is not only stealing our time but also our consciousness!

A little Daily exercise:

1. Get a journal or you could simply use your notes app. Take a moment off your screen and observe your surrounding. Write down what you see, what you hear, what you observe and what you feel.

2. About 30min to an hour before Salah drop your phone and rid yourself of any distraction. Read the Quran, do your Dhikr, check the meaning of the dua you say in your Salah; when you’re in sujud or in rukuuh etc. Take your mind off the dunya and its affairs and think only of Allāh, why you’re here and the importance of salah. This should help you stay more alert while praying.

May Allāh guide us and keep us on the straight path.

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuhu.