The Deen can be a lonely place...

When making the Hijrah of the heart there will be plenty of times you will feel alone.  You may have to swim against the current and find it very difficult.  Your friends, your family, your work colleagues may be calling you to go against the will of you creator.  Everybody is happy when they see you living your deen and doing helpful things that benefit them, but when you stop going to places you used to frequent and become more mindful of your prayers, this can become inconvenient.  You may hear comments about your choice of dress or worse yet, you may be told to take it off!! You may be pushed into engaging in some activity you are not comfortable with.

What do you do?

When the Messenger of the All Mighty Allah was left by the retreating muslims in the battle of Hunanyn he (SAW) stood alone facing the enemy and shouted

Verily, I am the Prophet (SAW) without falsehood; I am son of ‘Abdul Muttalib.”(Bukhari V5)

He (SAW) is our leader, and what a LEADER.  In the face of unsheathed swords and complete panic the Messenger of Allah (SAW), stood firm and faced his reality head on with unflinching resolve.  He Rallied his troops and scored a decisive victory.  What we can take from this event is:

Don't be afraid to stand alone when Allah is by your side!

Sometimes you won't get an invite to places because you are too religious or someone may get annoyed because you have to interrupt the activity you are engaged in to pray Sallah.  Some people may stop talking to you and some people may never accept that you have changed.  This can be tough and lonely.  Remember Allah much during these times and fill your heart with quran, spend time with the righteous people get involved in beneficial activities, that benefit you and benefit those around you.

LIVE YOUR RELIGION

There are soo many great oppurtunities to earn the pleasure of allah.

Why don't you try...

To visit the sick

Feed the poor

Plant a tree

Take up a new hobby like horse riding or swimming

or Even enroll on a course to increase your own knowledge and teach others

Remember

This life is a test and Allah is testing you to raise you in rank

The help of Allah is always closer than you think.

{Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of Bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They encountered suffering and adversity and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah?" Ah! verily the help of Allah is (always) near!} 

[Al-Baqara - 2:214]  

Empathy

In order to make a real hijrah of the heart you must first open it. When you see fellow human beings suffering, something must turn in your heart, if it doesn't it may be that your heart has grown too hard. Soften your heart...Ponder the Quran and the creation of Allah the exalted, look at the state of the world around you and read about how people your own age are suffering. Too often we do not put ourselves in other people's shoes, yes people are annoying, arrogant and downright rude, but when you see someone in real difficulty and really suffering your instinct should be, "how can I help?" because tomorrow it could be you or me. We Should think... that could be ME, that could be my MOTHER, that could have happened in my HOME. Tragedies are all around us, sometimes as muslims we concentrate on our rituals and forget about our character and forget how much mercy and kindness Islam brought to the harshest of lands. We should be the kindest and most compassionate of people yet sometimes we can be so harsh. Oh how I love my leader, my hero, my prophet mustafa muhammed salallahu alaihi wa sallam. When he came back to the lands where he and his followers where persecuted for 13 years, Murdered, tortured, boycotted and abused, after entering in the most humble of ways he addressed the conquered people and said:

"antum tullaqa"

YOU ARE FREE

He did not exert revenge, burn any houses or kill anyone. he said:

YOU ARE FREE

Allahu Akbar!

So Why don't we show that same spirit and help people even if they have wronged us. When Islam penetrates your heart it changes your interactions and relationships in every way. Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

“You cannot be a true Muslim until you are kind among yourselves…Kindness is not this that you sympathize with your companion, but kindness is this that you think all men deserving of it.” [Tibrani]

Surah Al Imran 159-186