In today’s society, we have access to everything we need right at our fingertips. Cooking is optional because we can eat out, and shopping is as simple as typing what you need into the search bar and clicking add to cart. Boredom? Optional: pull out the magic box in your pocket and scroll for a bit. But, wait, why are we so unsatisfied and apathetic? Within all of the conveniences around us lies a trap that far too many of us fall for: “When life weighs down on us and society starts to rot, escape rather than fight.”

What this leads to are cheap thrills that don’t bring long-term satisfaction, leading to the need to dive further and further in, in other words: addiction. The long-term effects can be devastating, including decreased attention spans, overspending, memory and sleep issues, all confirmed through numerous scientific studies.

Can we break out of this?

To start unpacking this, let’s reflect on the following verse:

“Even then, your hearts became hardened like a rock or even harder, for some rocks gush rivers; others split, spilling water; while others are humbled in awe of Allah. And Allah is never unaware of what you do.” 2:74
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

This verse is a stern warning, but consider the statement about rocks splitting. Rocks take time to break down, but slowly, through rain, storms, and the action of rivers, they crumble. Even the most stubborn of stones, or our own problems, can break down due to Allah’s will and the right effort. As long as we’re breathing, we have the chance to turn things around and start anew.

Tips

“‘O Messenger of Allah! Shall I tie it and rely upon Allah, or leave it loose and rely upon Allah?’ He said: ‘Tie it and rely(upon Allah).'” – Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2517

Knowing Allah can solve all of our problems is a powerful start for regaining control of our nafs and finding true fulfillment, but As-Shafi (The Healer) didn’t create us to sit around and ask Him for everything without putting in work. The dunya isn’t meant to be a playground. It’s a place of training, of education, and examination. We can’t expect to see improvement if we’re not participating. So here are some simple tips to start taking steps away from festering in comfortable misery.

Change our environment

Let’s examine a Greek moral parable (myth): Odysseus and The Sirens.
A man was sailing home after the Trojan War and was warned about the sirens, mythical creatures that use their voice to lure men to an untimely death. Curious, Odysseus decided that he wanted to hear them. However, Odysseus knew that he wasn’t any better than all the other captains who were fooled by these temptresses, so what did he do? His plan was simple: he instructed his crew to put wax in their ears and tie him to his ship, and no matter what happens, don’t untie him. When the moment of truth arrived, he was safely able to hear the siren’s song, allowing them to get home in one piece.

The story is not an Islamic parable, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use the lesson within to our benefit. Understanding that our willpower is limited, especially after being bombarded by temptation for so long, acknowledging this limitation means that to maximize our success, we adjust our environment so we can’t fall into the habits that are hurting us.

Examine the effects Halal pleasures have upon us.

“And Allah has made your homes a place to rest, and has given you tents from the hide of animals, light to handle when you travel and when you camp. And out of their wool, fur, and hair He has given you furnishings and goods for a while.” -16:80

Allah gave us blessings in the dunya out of his infinite rahma (mercy), but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t utilize restraint. Allah warns us against extravagance because they builds arrogance or leaves us hollow. So we should pause and reflect on what indulging in something will do to our imam. Will a new phone show arrogance? Keep your old one. If a specific game is making your phone time spike too much? Delete it.

I know this is difficult to do, especially at first, but the blessing in jihad (struggle) is that every trip-up, scrape, and molecule of frustration or pain is rewarded.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” -sahih bukhari

The path towards a better life is worth any challenge we may face along it. Hope for fixing this spiritual rot starts with baby steps, but with consistency, it can snowball into a complete spiritual awakening.