We find ourselves prisoners of a system that is antagonistic to our soul. That’s just the nature of our lives unless we can be entirely free from external social control. At home, we find ourselves with parents who have unresolved trauma to take care of. We often become a target of their emotional, psychological abuse. Then, we become a part of an educational system that is geared towards creating more compliant, agreeable citizens out of us rather than inspiring creativity or originality. There’s a terribly repressive political system, corrupt bureaucracy, a society that’s given away its freedom in lieu of prime-time entertainment and material excess. Often, we find ourselves asking, “Where is my choice?” “What is the truth?” “Why is there so much dishonesty, treachery, and corruption around?” “How did we arrive at this juncture?”
In this madness, if you manage to live your truth, even if in the smallest way, with whatever little purity of intention, however imperfect a love you can give Him, He accepts and responds. And often his response includes giving you more courage, more purity of intention, and a love that’s much deeper than before.
Perhaps this is the meaning of the Hadith of Prophet (SAW): “Allah the Almighty said: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a cubit, and if he draws near to me a cubit, I draw near to him a fathom. And if he comes to me walking, I go to him at speed.”
Art of Longing 