Five Ways to Achieve Inner Peace

Summarized by Samah Syed from the ‘Gateways of Relief and Assistance’ webinar by Shaykh Tameem Ahmadi.

It is in the nature of this worldly life that it will be filled with trials and tribulations for every individual, old or young, rich or poor. Allah Most High states in the Qur’an:

“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned” (Qur’an, 42:30)

Thus, we should understand that any calamity that befalls us is often a consequence of our wrongdoings and ultimately this is a calling for us from Allah Most High to turn back to Him. Although we must turn to Allah in both good times and bad, it is especially natural for the human in his desperate and broken state to wholly and completely turn to His Lord in need.

Here are five ways through which we can attain nearness to our Lord and thereby attain ultimate peace of heart in times of trial and tribulation:

#1 Du’a

Allah Most High says in the Qur’an:

“And your Lord says: ‘Call on me; I will answer your prayer’ (Quran, 40:60)”

Du’a is a direct link to our Creator and is an act of worship that can be done at anytime and anywhere. It is a means by which we can pour our hearts out and rest assured that our affairs will be taken care of by the King of kings. It is stated in a hadith that when Allah Most High sees the hands of the slave lifted up to him He feels shame that He should leave that person’s hands unfilled (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi). We should therefore keep making du’a with a firm conviction that Allah Most High will most definitely answer it. We must never be despondent and complain that Allah is not answering our du’as. When we ask Him, either Allah gives us exactly what we want, or He doesn’t and instead stores something better for us in the hereafter or He removes some calamity of this life by means of that du’a. Thus, making du’a is a “win-win-win” situation.

#2 Reciting Qur’an

In the Qur’an there is an invitation of Allah, therefore we should accept the invitation, the way a guest honors the invitation given to him by his host. Abundant recitation of the blessed Book of Allah brings about nur (light) and barakah (blessings) within a person and allows one to attain peace of heart and mind. For every letter we recite, Allah Most High grants us ten hasanat (rewards). The Qur’an is said to be the rope of Allah, and just as a rope is used to pull a fallen individual out of a dark well, the Qur’an is a means of pulling us out from the darkness of all our worries and difficulties.

#3 Dhikr

Allah Most High says in the Qur’an:

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest (Qur’an, 13:28).”

Allah Most High states that He is with us whenever we remember Him. Thus, what better method of dealing with our sorrows and anxieties than being in the company of our Creator? When we engage in abundant dhikr (remembrance), depression and worry is taken away from the heart and happiness is brought into the heart. We drive away Satan and attain Allah’s pleasure. Our bodies and hearts are strengthened and a nur (light) develops in our hearts and faces. Dependent upon how much dhikr we make, we develop a proximity or closeness to Allah and a mahabbah or love for Allah also forms in our hearts.

Dhikr can take many forms, the most common of which are tasbih (SubhanAllah), tahlil (La ilaha il Allah), tahmid (Alhamdullilah), takbir (Allahu Akbar) and istighfar (Astaghfirullah). It is stated in a hadith that just as iron rusts, so too do our hearts and therefore just as iron needs polish, the polish for our rusted hearts is abundant dhikr. Thus we should make use of these “polishes” so that our hearts are constantly renewed and refreshed.

#4 Salah

Allah Most High says in the Qur’an:

“And seek help in patience and As-Salat (Qur’an, 2:45).”

Salah or prayer is our daily connection with Allah and has been referred to as the mi’raj or ascension of the believer. Whenever Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had any trouble or concern he would quickly resort to salah to gain comfort and clarity. Our daily prayers are our links to Allah and it is in salah where we are the closest to Him. Our prayers (salahs) attract rizq (provisions) and serve as protection for our wealth and material well-being.

#5 Salutations upon the Prophet (ﷺ)

Allah Most High says in the Qur’an:

“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. Oh you who believe! Send blessings on him, and salute him with all respect (Qur’an, 33:56).”

Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) once came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked him how much of his du’a should include salutations upon the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) told him he could include as much as he pleased and if he did more then it would be better for him. Ubayy ibn Kaab (may Allah be pleased with him) then asked him about dedicating a quarter of his du’a to salawat (salutations upon the Prophetﷺ). Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) gave him the same reply again. He then asked him about half and then two-thirds until he finally asked if he should make his entire du’a dedicated to sending salawat. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) told him if he did this then all his worries would be taken care of and all of his sins would be forgiven (Ahmad, Tirmidhi). Thus, we should make it a habit to send abundant salutations on Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) every day, especially on Fridays. By doing so we would have opened yet another gateway of bringing tranquility and contentment to our hearts.

Originally appeared on rayyaninstitute.com