Trying Counts: You’re Not Failing, You’re Human

You can love Islam with every fibre of your being and still struggle with your practice. You can adore the deen and still find it hard to wake up for Fajr. You can long for closeness with Allah and still slip into old habits, still be healing from wounds you never speak of. This does not make you a bad Muslim. It makes you human. And this is exactly who Islam was sent for.

Being a practicing Muslim does not mean being perfect. It means you are trying. It means you are holding on to Allah in your own quiet ways. It means that even when your heart is tired and your limbs are heavy, you are still yearning to do better. And in the sight of Allah, trying counts. Effort counts. That longing you carry in your heart for Him counts.

In a world that rushes to shame, label, and measure your worth by outward perfection, remember that Allah sees your intentions. He sees your efforts. He sees the tears you never cried in public and the prayers you whispered in silence. He sees the struggle. He sees the desire to be better even when you fall short.

We all have phases. You are not always going to be in a place where you can recite long portions of the Qur’an every day. There will be times when your days are filled with distractions and responsibilities. Work, children, illness, emotional heaviness — they all impact your capacity. Sometimes it is hormones. Sometimes it is a season of grief. Sometimes it is just life.

That does not mean you have failed. That does not mean Allah is displeased with you.

Allah knows. He is Al-Khabīr, the One who is fully aware. He knows what is happening within your body, your mind, and your heart better than you do. He knows the moments you wish you could do more. He knows the heaviness you are carrying. And He never demands from a soul more than it can bear.

Even if all you can do in this moment is the bare minimum, even if all you can manage are your five daily prayers and a few whispered adhkār before bed, know that it is seen. Know that it is enough. The small acts done with love, done with sincerity, are more beloved to Him than large actions done without the heart.

And remember, you can still connect with Allah in the smallest of ways.

In a moment of awe as you look at the sky.

In a breath of gratitude as you sip your morning tea.

In the kindness you show your child.

In the patience you extend to yourself.

In the stillness when you just say “Ya Allah” and sit with it.

These are acts of worship too. These are moments of connection too.

So please, do not judge yourself. Do not compare your worship to others. Do not listen to the voice that says you are not enough. Instead, return to the One who named Himself Ar-Rahmān. The Most Compassionate. The One who multiplies rewards, who loves you through your imperfection, and who accepts every sincere effort — no matter how small.

This journey is not about perfection. It is about presence. It is about trying. And it is about never giving up on your connection with the One who has never given up on you.

May Allah grant us hearts that are always drawn back to Him, no matter how many times we fall. May He make our struggles a means of drawing closer to Him and our efforts a light for us in this life and the next. Ameen.