The world we live in is not conducive to attaining an optimal level of spirituality. That’s a fact of life that many Muslims either overlook or ignore entirely.

Let’s face the facts. We’re constantly bombarded with half-truths, fiction-over-fact and an overall disregard for religious matters whether in daily life or on social media. It’s difficult to escape and even harder to quiet those voices that seek to destroy your spiritual nature that pulls you back to your Lord.

As Muslims, many of whom live in non-Muslim societies, this is a great test. Holding onto your spirituality, and even increasing it, requires a deep commitment to your faith and a willingness to go the distance for the sake of Allah and your own salvation.

The time is now. None of us know what tomorrow will bring as we prepare for Ramadan to approach. How many of us can guarantee we will be alive to welcome it?

Your spirituality is your responsibility to grow and nourish like a newly planted seed, thirsty for rain and sunshine. It’s also the responsibility of the Ummah to help those Muslims who are faltering in their spirituality and set them back onto the path.

Get Your Head into the Game

If you’ve ever watched sports or even played on a sports team, then you’ve heard this saying ad infinium: “Get your head into the game!”

It’s usually the plaintive wail of a desperate coach trying to get an important player to focus on the game and win it! However, this can also be applied to the spirituality of a Muslim.

Attach Your Heart to Allah

Allah Almighty has guided humankind to seek an audience with Him five times a day through the obligatory prayers, which is in addition to the limitless opportunities available through optional prayers.

Through the Islamic prayer, the heart becomes attached to Allah as you connect with the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful in this beautiful act of worship.

However, you can deepen this bond and increase your spirituality by living in a state of Taqwa. Translated in English as “God-consciousness”, Taqwa also means piety and a fear of displeasing Allah which is akin to love.

Forsake Your Bed

The only place most of us want to be at the end of a long day is in bed. After all, we’ve made our bedrooms into comfy havens that are sanctuaries of rest and relaxation which are far removed from the rigors of daily life.

However, too much of anything can be detrimental. And sleep has a way of sapping the spirituality from a believer and, over time, it can lead to laziness.

A great test lies in the comfort of your bed. In many ways, that comfort is a distraction from your Lord, Most High. Just imagine how much your spirituality would increase if you forsook your bed, just for an hour, to engage in acts of worship to glorify your Lord.

Known as Qiyam-al-Layl, it is a time during the night where a believer reads the Quran, prays or engages in Dhikr, or the remembrance of Allah.

The spirituality of a Muslim is rooted in the heart and, as it blooms, the branches will grow and flourish in faith and obedience to the One and Only – Allah.