Effort
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٩ وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُۥ سَوْفَ يُرَىٰ ٤٠ ثُمَّ يُجْزَىٰهُ ٱلْجَزَآءَ ٱلْأَوْفَىٰ٤١
“And that each person will only have what they endeavoured towards – and that the outcome of˺ their endeavours will be seen ˹in their record – then they will be fully rewarded”
Surah An-Najm 53:39,40,41
It is important to recognize the significance of prayer and reliance on God, and it is simultaneously important to put in the effort. We are gifted with a mind, heart, and body, the heart to pray and connect, the mind to absorb the signs and formulate a plan, and the body to act upon those plans.
Prayer gives direction, and movement brings revelation. When the heart, mind, and body act in harmony, we begin to see the Divine inspiration we received in our soul manifest into reality. In that state, effort itself becomes worship, and every step, no matter how small, is seen by the One who sees all.
Prayer and surrendering to God should not lead to passivity; rather, they can fill us with the power to see a clearer path forward. Along this journey, we may witness receiving beautiful gifts effortlessly.
Understanding this sacred balance between surrender and action allows us to witness true transformation. We are invited to show up, to take that inspired step, and to move through life as co-creators, hearts anchored in faith, hands active in the world, knowing that every sincere effort is seen, known, and multiplied by the Divine.
We should also tune into the idea of striving as inner striving on our spiritual path. Effort can be both external and internal, a dance between the seen and the unseen.
“My heart bowed down in worship, while my body turned your voice into action”
Deena Fadel
Reflect and journal on different areas of your life. You may choose from the following:
Write down different thoughts on how you can exert more effort in each area, and imagine what each aspect of your life would look like if you implemented these steps.
Then, write out an action plan for each section.
Each night before you sleep, pray with this vision in mind. Pray using the Divine Names ‘Al-Hayy Al-Qayyum’ (The Eternal, The Self-Sustaining), and ‘Al-Qawī’ (The Strong One), seeking the strength to make these actions a reality.
“It was this combination of passion and perseverance that made high achievers special… they had grit.”
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance – Angela Duckworth
“Genes can not make you successful if you’re not doing the work. Until you work as hard as those you admire, don’t explain away their success as luck.”
“People get so caught up in the fact that they have limits that they rarely exert the effort required to get close to them.”
Atomic Habits – James Clear
“For me, running is both exercise and a metaphor. Running day after day, piling up the races, bit by bit I raise the bar, and by clearing each level I elevate myself. At least that’s why I’ve put in the effort day after day: to raise my own level. I’m no great runner, by any means. I’m at an ordinary – or perhaps more like mediocre – level. But that’s not the point. The point is whether or not I improved over yesterday. In long-distance running the only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.”
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running – Haruki Murakami
