Life Is Not About A Quick Hack

Why this generation is exhausted by waiting — and what the Qur'an reminds us.

28 Dhul Qa’dah 1447H

As-salaamu ‘alaikum.

How many of us feel that if just one thing gets solved, life will finally settle?

Getting that job.
Marrying someone.
Healing a relationship.
Recovering from illness.
Paying off debt.

These are real and important matters, and we should actively work towards solving them. But beneath all of this, our generation is also facing a deeper crisis: the crisis of instant gratification.

We want answers immediately. Relief immediately. Success immediately.

And when we scroll through social media, watching everyone else seemingly thrive, the pressure compounds. We begin comparing our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel, and slowly, the heart grows restless.

Life Is a Journey

There’s a famous saying:

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.”

Islam reminds us that each of us is on a journey, and Allah ﷻ has designed a unique path for every soul. SubhanAllah.

Whenever I drive somewhere with my kids, they constantly ask me: “Are we there yet?”. I have to explain that we still need to cover the distance, pass certain places, maybe stop for fuel — and only then will we reach the park, museum, or friend’s house.

Pause for a second — what's the destination you've been pushing for?

Our lives are no different!

Nothing is random.

Every turn, every delay, every closed door, every detour is part of the route Allah ﷻ has written to bring us where we need to be.

Allah ﷻ says:

“And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He alone is sufficient for him. Certainly Allah achieves His Will. Allah has already set a destiny for everything.”
— Surah At-Talaq (65:3)

SubhanAllah — Allah has destined each of our journeys. Often, the change we wish to see requires time for Allah’s plan to unfold.

A Conversation I Couldn’t Forget

About a year ago, I needed help with a deep clean at home. A friend referred me to a service, and on the day of the appointment, a man appeared, and he was a brother of Palestinian origin.

As he worked, we spoke about Palestine, his story, and life in general. Then, in the middle of the conversation, he said something I still think about often:

“Everything you see right now and think is yours — it will go. This house, this family, this car. All of it.”

That sentence stayed with me.

What is the one thing you're holding on to right now?

This dunya was never meant to be the problem-free part of our journey. In reality, it is the bumpiest stretch of the road — and it is the stretch that determines where we ultimately end up.

The tests will keep coming.

But every test is also an invitation to grow into the next, better version of ourselves.

How Do We Live Through Constant Tests Without Constant Stress?

Allah says:

“Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds.”
— Surah An-Nahl (16:97)

The scholars explained that this “good life” refers to tranquility in this world, halal and wholesome provision, the ability to continue doing good in every circumstance, and ultimately success in the Hereafter.

In other words:

No matter which phase of the journey you are currently in, you can still live a good life if you intentionally seek to please Allah ﷻ through your actions.

Try Reframing the Test

Pick one difficulty you're carrying right now.

Now, instead of asking:

“Why is this happening to me?”

Ask:

“How can I please Allah ﷻ through this situation? What good can I do from inside this test?”

For example, if you are carrying heavy debt, instead of drowning in stress day and night, you could:

• Reflect on Allah’s Names: Ar-Razzaq (The Provider), Al-Fattah (The Opener), Al-Ghaniy (The Self-Sufficient)

• Increase in istighfar — Allah opens doors through it

• Earn more through halal means: your job, a side hustle, or wiser financial decisions

• Give in sadaqah, even if small, to bring barakah into your wealth

• Make things easier for someone else financially — Allah will ease matters for you

• Spend properly on your family and fulfill their rights

• Make sincere du’a to Allah ﷻ to free you from debt

…and the list can continue.

Debt is a test, and one day — bi’idhnillah — you may repay it fully.

But while you are inside the test, you earn the reward through how you walk through it.

Then Allah ﷻ grants contentment, opens the way out, and replaces hardship with something better.

Allah knows best.

A reminder to myself first: This life is never about our achievements or losses; it’s about how we navigate the journey between those outcomes. The true reward lies in every moment of this journey, in the choices we make (doing our part), and in fully surrendering to Allah’s timing for the eventual outcome.

What To Do Practically

Whatever season of life you are in, seek knowledge about how to please Allah ﷻ specifically within that struggle.

Learn:

• What Allah has commanded in this area

• What He warned us against

• Which actions bring barakah into the situation

Then build a simple system around those actions.

It does not need to be some massive self-improvement overhaul like modern productivity culture often pushes.

Keep it simple. easy to do. Repeatable.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds, for the best of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if little.”
— Ibn Majah

The Real Point

We grow into our next best self not through shortcuts or life hacks, but through intentionally building systems that help us consistently do more good.

That is the real work.

That is the journey.

The Sacred Window We’re In Right Now

While the world around us is noisy, let us not forget the sacred season we are already passing through.

We are at the end of Dhul Qa’dah — one of the four sacred months — and entering the once-a-year sacred sequence of:

• Dhul Qa’dah

• Dhul Hijjah

• Muharram

These are months in which good deeds carry greater weight, and sins become more serious.

This is the season to prepare your best self for the journey ahead.

So ask yourself:

How can I move through this test with less stress, more barakah, and greater closeness to Allah ﷻ?

Take a few quiet minutes. Reflect deeply. Seek beneficial knowledge. Write down action points.

Start small — but start sincerely.

Build what matters with your time.

An Invitation: The Productive Muslim Cohort

If you’d like a practical, time-tested framework built specifically for Muslim professionals — one that helps you live with less stress while continuing to grow spiritually — I’d love to have you join us.

The next live cohort starts next Monday, during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, insha’Allah.

The Productive Muslim Program was founded by my beloved mentor, Mohammed Faris — author of the bestsellers The Productive Muslim and The Barakah Effect. Hundreds of professionals around the world have walked through it. I am teaching it as an amanah, as a certified Productive Muslim trainer, to bring it to as many of you. insha’Allah.

This is for you if…

– You’re a Muslim professional juggling work, family, and deen — and feeling thin.

– You’ve tried productivity systems before and they didn’t fit your spiritual life.

– You want a framework built from Qur’an and Sunnah, not from Silicon Valley.

“I realised that much of what we consider normal — stemming from hustle culture — is why we feel so drained. I learnt that deep inner peace is itself a form of barakah, and that it comes from Allah ﷻ. Now I have practical tools to build toward it. Alhamdulillah.”

— Past student at TaQwa Minds, Productive Muslim Program

What you’ll walk away with

In five days of live teaching followed by five weeks of guided practice, you’ll have a system you actually use — and a clearer sense of how every part of your life is connected to Allah ﷻ and how to bring Barakah into it.

This sacred season is your chance to reset. If you’re ready, I would love to walk with you.

May Allah ﷻ make these days a turning point for all of us.

— Haneef Shijaz
TaQwa Minds

If this post inspired you, share it with someone who could benefit from it. May Allah reward your efforts. Bismillah.