6 Days of Shawwal- Day Four

Over the next few days as I fast my 6 days in Shawwal, I will desperately cling to the spirit of Ramadan by reflecting and remembering all the important lessons I learned.
(read why http://ilmthejourney.blogspot.com/2012/08/6-days-of-shawwal-day-one.html)


Day Four: Guarding ourselves

Different things affect us subconsciously. We might not believe that something we are listening to or watching would have any significant effect but it does. Whatever enters our body, our being, leaves an impression.

This Ramadan, I wanted to get rid of all the excess noise. So I cut out listening to all types of music, watching movies and TV shows. I wanted to free up my time and my mind for studying the Quran, extra dhikr and prayers. I needed to be able to focus strictly on Ramadan and accomplish all the goals I had set for myself. Think of it this way, its the same way we tend to deactivate our Facebook accounts during finals. We don't want any distractions, we want to focus on the task at hand. During Ramadan, my "Facebook" was all the entertainment stuff I was fond of.

During the month, I was able to focus on Allah and get so much done. I never realized how lazy all those things made me. I was completing chapters in the Quran at a pace I hadn't before. I was spending more time building my relationship with my creator and being filled with love and peace. My mind felt free. My thought process became different. My mentality was not clouded. My demeanor began to reform. Even my speech, began to change. I am not saying that I just transformed overnight. No! I am still in that process, InshaAllah. However, I was noticing that what I was dedicating my time to was beginning to influence me for the better. I was surrounding myself with Allah and I was being changed by Him. And this is a change I am trying to continue. InshaAllah.

Now that Ramadan is over, I am not rushing back to the music or the movies or the TV. I don't want to lose this frame of mind, this change. I need to be vigilant in selecting the things that impact me. If I constantly listen to songs about sex and such, like majority of our current songs, its going to impact my mind and seep into my heart. If I watch movies, with heavy sexual content, it not only going to biologically impact my body but also my mind and heart. Not necessarily that I might begin to do these things but I might begin to accept them.

The most important thing is awareness. And that's what I learned. We need to be more aware of all the stimulants surrounding us. And be able to pinpoint what we should guard ourselves from. I'm not saying stop all your listening or watching, thats not the point. The point is that we need to restrict ourselves from certain things and each individual is the best guide for that.There are some people who cut it all out completely, mashaAllah. We are not all at that level, but we ALL need to monitor and restrict ourselves from the stimuli that will negatively influence us.

InshaAllah, I will continue to guard what I feed my soul. May Allah make it easy for me and all of us. Amin.