Thursday, 26 Oct 2023

Assalamualaikum. I'd like to talk about the benefits of doing ibadah, at least the short-term ones. When I was a kid, I was told that it was pertinent to do ibadah for the sake of getting pahala and avoiding hell if we were not doing it. I mean, it can be one of the reasons to do them, but as humans, we are more inclined to pursue something in an even more motivated way when we can experience the benefit almost right away. That's just how our brains work in terms of the release of dopamine. Obviously, the reward of pahala is not something that we can experience now in this world, which is why there are so many who take their salah for granted and approach the pursuit of salah lightly. Personally, I was one of those people before until I changed my mindset. I now view doing ibadah differently, as in I seek the short-term benefits that I can obtain while maintaining the long-term benefits of it all, in addition to pleasing Allah at the same time. You just have to look at how doing salah, for instance, improves the quality of your life. For example, I notice that when I postpone doing my salah, the time at which I should be performing salah is wasted on something useless, something that is not beneficial to me. Furthermore, I am more likely to do something bad, commit a sin, for example. In contrast, if I do my salah on time and properly (with khusyuk), I become more productive afterward, with my mood improving in a way that it cannot if I hadn't performed salah in a delayed manner. My decision-making process is better as they are guided by Allah, making decisions that can improve my life, not just spiritually, but in other aspects of life.

We might not realize how much doing salah properly and in a timely manner affects us, changing us personally. Specifically, our hearts will soften, enabling us to empathize more effectively. As I've mentioned before, our cognitive process and our decision-making process are eased. I remember a story where two of my cousins were fighting over something that I cannot remember exactly. The elder brother of the two was doing his salah (bear in mind that he is the tougher one of the two, thus his personality of being a tough guy may prevail more than being a scared little kid). His little brother, out of nowhere, kicked him when he was in the state of ruku', and shortly after, the elder brother cried like a baby. I didn't expect that reaction from him, to be honest. One would think that if you got punched by someone unwarranted, you'd be angry and would want to retaliate. But not in this case. Our hearts would soften in a way that violence is not an option. That incident is still fresh in my mind and has had a lasting impact on my life despite being only an observer.

My point is, the next time you feel lazy about doing your ibadah, try thinking of the short-term benefits that you can gain so that it can motivate you more. It's working so far with me. But be careful not to set your intention just to obtain those benefits rather than doing it ultimately for Allah.

Full video: