Skip to main content

The Black Hole Every Muslim Knows

 



Guilt-shaming for simply being born into today’s world feels like the national sport of an average Muslim family. Everything wrong with the world gets traced back, somehow, to the actions of Muslims. It’s as though just existing is enough to doom us. And before you know it, this guilt spirals into a black hole—a suffocating void with no light, no escape. It’s as if being a Muslim means you’re destined to live in the dark, and eventually, you’ll be thrown into the deepest pits of the Fire. Because there’s no way out, right?

Except there is.

The way out isn’t about escaping the Fire (because, well, you don’t get to decide what happens in the Akhirah). It’s about escaping this—this crushing, self-inflicted mentality. The real escape begins when a believer realizes one thing: you were created exclusively by Allah. For Allah. And in His infinite wisdom, He designed every single one of us differently. My fingerprints aren’t like yours. My deeds won’t be judged like yours.

It’s humbling, really. And maybe that’s the point. You’re not in some grand race against “better” Muslims. Just because you don’t have a mountain of knowledge or a PhD doesn’t mean you’re unqualified to give Dawah. It doesn’t mean your efforts don’t count.

لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ
Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be to its own loss.

The final ayah of Surah Baqarah spells it out so clearly: every soul will be held accountable only for what it can bear. Each soul has its own threshold, its own capacity for good. Your Dawah might be as simple as reflecting on half an ayah from the Quran, while someone else’s might be backed up by libraries of fiqh and hadith. But that doesn’t make yours any less valuable. Your ability to invite people to Deen doesn’t come with a prerequisite of high standards set by others.

The spiral into the black hole—though is tricky. And the more you let yourself sink into it, the more impossible everything feels. The more you convince yourself that making an effort is pointless because, surely, that’s only for scholars and extraordinary people. Not someone like you. But here’s the thing: this Muslim culture of labeling ourselves as doomed in Allah’s eyes—calling it “humility” (an interesting theory, to say the least)—didn’t even start with Islam. It comes from Christianity, from the belief that Adam and Eve were sent to Earth as a curse, as punishment.

But the Quran? It offers something completely different. Something more logical. Something more beautiful.

۞ وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍۢ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًۭا
Indeed, We have dignified the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, granted them good and lawful provisions, and privileged them far above many of Our creatures.

Think about it. If Muslims were nothing more than the byproducts of Hazrat Adam (AS)’s mistake, why would Al-Wudood—the Ultimate Source of Love—create opportunities for us to seek His pleasure? If the highest form of worship was reserved for the first Muslims, the Sabiqoon, why would the world continue after them? Why would the Quran be timeless, meant for every generation to come?

Why would Al-Rahman even plant the idea of an escape from the black hole if there wasn't a way out of it?

Comments

Popular Posts From This Blog

Is My Career Anxiety a Genuine Conscience?

  Job-search depression, anxiety around choosing a major, impotent to comport yourself to keep poise between class times and work days – Is Career Anxiety a real thing ? Do these unceasing feelings of apprehension related to career goals, engender a reflex? It hits when you least expect it.  It hits on a crisp, gloomy winter morning – the day after your last midterm assessment – when you are all nestled up against the warm comforter, binge-watching Gilmore Girls . It hits during the summer break when you exert yourself to visit job fairs and update your resume. It hits during your grad week, when you are on a getaway trip to the beach, soaking in the warm sand under the sun. It hits on the day after your convocation, while your mind’s still floating in bliss. It’s brutal. It’s convoluted. It makes you employ yourself with spiraling thoughts – self-doubts, feelings of anger, and frustration. Career Anxiety is as real as the violets of April days – as real as it can ever be. ...

Why Weakness is Your Superhero Origin Story

  The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah proved to be a period of immense introspection for me. One of the most profound realizations dawned on me during a  tadabbur  session, as I reached the final verse of Surah Hajj. The verse reads: "Strive in the way of Allah with a striving worthy of Him. He has chosen you and has not placed any hardship upon you in the religion. Follow the religion of Abraham, [your] father. Allah knows what you do." (Quran 22:78) What struck a chord with me most was the call to strive in Allah's way , but in a manner worthy of His Majesty and Grandeur . Here I was, questioning how someone as vulnerable and insignificant as myself could be entrusted with such a task. Then, the verse itself provided the answer: "He has chosen you." Allah, the All-Wise, had chosen me for a task that initially seemed insurmountable. Yet, as I continued reading the verse, it offered consolation: "He has not placed any hardship upon you in the religion....

Are We Really Celebrating Independence Day?

  Despite 75 years of its independence, is Pakistan an independent state for women, trans, and the white portion of the flag? Independent (Adj.): Freedom from outside control and authority. The word “independent” signifies the presence of freedom; freedom to live, freedom to speak, and freedom to act. The word “freedom” signifies the presence of power, liberty, and permanent well-being. These terms usually generate positive feelings and reactions in the minds of the majority. Any state or land which is declared independent and practices self-government is often looked upon as a free nation where people have rights over the government. They exercise their freedom and liberty and this, in turn, gives them power or the upper hand. Sounds good to read, right? But have you wondered about the fact that some countries despite being labeled “independent” do not enjoy the benefits of being “independent”? Unfortunately, Pakistan is the very same country whose “independence” is celebra...