Yasmin Mogahed – Why aren’t my prayers being answered!

			The idea that a lot owes me right? This idea that how could Allah do this to me? And then we go on
and we we compare ourselves in our lives to other people. So this this type of thinking of Why me?
And why hasn't a law given me what he gave that person? or Why did he give that person and not give
me this questioning of the, the the will of Allah subhanaw taala in of course in Islamic context,
and and this idea that but, but I am entitled to Xyz, I am entitled to have these things from Allah,
that that type of thinking is extremely toxic, it's extremely poisonous, and destructive to our
mental strength, it's eating away at your, at your psychological resilience, essentially. But if we
		

			look at it from a, from an Islamic lens, not only is it taking away from your mental strength, this
type of thinking, but it's actually it's an indication that we have a disease internally, when we
are when we are angry against Allah subhanaw taala his decisions when we say it's not fair, or when
we believe that we are entitled to something from Allah subhanaw taala that is an indication that
there's something wrong, internally that that this is an indication of a lack of sub This is This
means that we have failed this test, as we know islamically that Allah subhanaw taala he gives and
he takes, and Allah knows everything and he knows every factor and and when Allah chooses to give
		

			and when Allah chooses to take Allah knows best, and Allah does it with wisdom. I think a lot of the
way that we are using social media is very unwise, and I hope that inshallah, in the future,
collectively we'll start to learn that, you know, what are some more wise ways to use social media,
but right now, unfortunately, everything is kind of at a peak of like, here's a way to
		

			I don't want to use the word show off, because I don't know anyone's intention, you don't know
anyone's intention, we can't say, oh, that person is trying to show off because that's something of
the heart. But it is that it is a stage for displaying one's one's blessings, it's a it's a, it's a
it's a, it's a space to to blast our blessings. And unfortunately, people really are maximizing
that, you know, with photos, right. And, and, and, and locations and everything like, I mean,
		

			people won't eat a won't eat a sandwich before they first take a photo of it and post it right. It's
like you can't eat until everyone's first seeing the photo of what you're about to eat. So it's a
it's a strange kind of on It's a strange culture we're living in right now.
		

			But But what I'm saying is that there is a price to pay, and there is a price that we are paying.
And one of them is the fact that we are set, we are putting our blessings in harm's way in a sense,
because the prophets I sell him told us that any blessing can be envied. And he so he advises us to
be discreet. But now the other side of that equation is what happens to the person on the other side
of the screen. And and that's, you know, kind of where, where we have to sort of manage this.
Because if we are constantly looking at other people's lives and other people's blessings, and then
comparing them to our own, it brings about it can bring about envy. And then here's the other
		

			problem. It can also bring about in gratitude for our own blessings. And going back to the the the
point I was making, that every individual has both blessings, and tests. And so the reason why we
envy another person is because we see their blessings, but we don't see their tests. And so this is
how we actually contribute to our own suffering and our own misery really, and our own unhappiness.
And this weakens our mental strength, the ability to have resilience is is actually damaged by these
very, very toxic mental habits. So these mental habits become, you know, toxic, not just
psychologically but they are also toxic, spiritually as well. So again, the first one was this
		

			feeling of victimization that Oh, woe is me, everything is unfair. Why is God doing this to me? How
could you do this to me resentment towards Allah subhanaw taala feeling a sense of entitlement that
I I deserve to get this thing you know, this attitude we sometimes have, May Allah forgive us, but I
may do I, you know, like, I may die for it, which means it better common, and it better come in the
form that I asked and it better come
		

			On the timescale that I wrote, right, whenever, you know you, you get this sort of this attitude
sometimes where you're like, but god but Allah, I asked for it, you know, it's like, as if we're in
charge, right? We're in charge of what Allah does, when he does it, how he he passes out his
blessings. And it's like, but I but I said it's almost like, I mean, this is Allah subhanaw taala
we're not talking to a child like, Did I tell you to do you know, to clean your room? Like who are
we talking to in this way? Unfortunately with sometimes we don't have that with Allah subhana wa
tada we act as though it was working for us. I was a bit let you know, it was not a genie in a
		

			bottle. You know, give you my wishes. You know, like, I I own you, and you better give me what I
asked for, and you better give it to me when I asked for it. This is a very, very, very bad
attitude. And it's a very poisonous attitude. This isn't the way we deal with Allah subhanaw taala
we don't make demands to Allah subhanaw taala depending on where the beggars remember, that allows
the king right? We're not in charge. We're not the ones who Tell, tell Allah what to do. Yes, Allah
subhanaw taala here is our da, but that's because that's out of his mercy. But Allah Subhana Allah
is the way in which Allah gives us our draw. And the timescale by which Allah chooses, that is for
		

			Allah subhanaw taala we don't dictate these things. And so what sometimes people, unfortunately, we
have this weakness, where we sort of tried to use religion, you know what I mean? Like, like, we're
using it to get the material things that we want. And, and, and, and, and it's fine to make dua for
nice things, right? It's okay to make dua for for dunya, as long as obviously, it's halen. But we
have to be careful, because the ultimate objective is not dunya. Right? It's almost like our
ultimate objective is dunya. It's like, I want a big house, I want this type of spouse, I want this
much money, I want this much status. So let's see, how am I going to get there? Well, I heard that
		

			we can use religion to get there. You know, there's this thing in religion that we can use called
drop. And let's let's use that to get to our ultimate objective.
		

			And then, and here again, there's nothing wrong with making to offer these things or banner ads, if
adonia has enough of an asset it has a network can either have or not, or law give us good in this
life, give us good in the next life and protects us from the hellfire. Great. But here's the problem
is what is our attitude when we don't get our demands? How are we asking Allah subhanaw taala? And
then how do we behave when we don't get our way? That's a very telling, right? Who is in charge
here? Like, like, who is in charge? Are we in charge there is a lot in charge. Remember, we need to
stay in our lane, right? We need to remember that we are the beggars. We are the beggars that's why
		

			it is like this, because you're literally begging from Allah subhanaw taala we're the beggars and
he's the king national for Korra We are the poor and he is the rich will enter the honey right and
pull money you will not know for Korra You are the rich, you are the one who doesn't need anything
or anyone and we are the poor, we are the ones who are begging. So we just have to really know our
place. You know, like stay in our lane a little bit. It was not working for us. Okay, we are working
for Allah subhanaw taala and it is out of his generosity that he gives us our it isn't like he owes
us this is the attitude we have to understand that this attitude of but but I asked why did he give
		

			he owes me that is poisonous, you know, and we have to be very, very mindful of not having that
attitude that that Allah owes us something. Looking at ourselves as either powerless victims or
entitled both of these are toxic. Both of these are toxic. And then lastly, comparing ourselves to
others absolutely toxic. We need to realize that we have blessings and tests and so do others.
Everyone has both blessings and tests. Do not focus on other people's blessings and think that they
don't have tests. And definitely do not focus on only your hardships and forget your blessings.
Because if you do that you will fall into in gratitude and despair. always focus on what you have
		

			and it will grow at some point no matter how hopeless as long as Allah subhanaw taala has still
given us breath, then there is still hope and we can always get back up and we can always come back
to Allah Subhana Allah and Allah can always change our condition. Never ever think that anything is
permanent in this life. Nothing is permanent in this life. Whether that is a, you know a condition
that you that you like or a condition that you don't like, This life is over.
		

			always changing and so never ever feel helpless or hopeless. If If there's something about your
condition that you don't like, it can always change Allah subhanaw taala is the Turner of hearts and
Allah subhanaw taala is the Turner of condition. Remember that all Allah has to do is say be and it
is