Getting in Spiritual Shape. #Prayer #Charity

If you've ever been in really great physical shape, I mean, great cardio. Muscle tone. Perfectly fitting clothes. Contentment. Only to look up and find that you've lost your way, back to being out of shape-- the kind of shape that has you buying new clothes to fit your expanding waistline, and even making statements like "being fat isn't so bad, this donut is really good". It's then you might realize that the goal worth working for was a goal worth working to keep.


But, what does this have to do with faith? What does a fit body have to do with spiritual matters? Simple. For every endeavor, every interest, you will find common places and activities for those seeking excellence in that thing. Case in point: to get the great body that's thrown in our faces every single day of our lives, on billboards, ads on our cellphones & computers, commercials on television shows, and magazine ads we're likely to settle on the local gym as the place to start our journey toward that goal.

Step inside of that gym. Look around, and you're sure to see people at varying spots on the fitness curve, working their way toward their goals. From the beginner, to the intermediate, to the die-hard workout warriors, the common thread is the WORK which they've all committed to; they use the exercise machines, the scales, and the mirrors to guide and motivate them on their way. They congregated in this shared space to achieve their individual goals and once that goal is achieved they remain there to keep the gains they've made.

 Regarding the spirit, where is the mirror we look into to note how we have grown heavy with apathy, arrogance, and selfishness? Where is the scale to show the trudging weight of sin piled on our souls? Being able to look within ourselves to see our own excesses and shortcomings, and then finding that common space needed to begin the work of righting our souls, is largely an effort of honest self appraisal. And just like those working on their physical bodies, those seeking to transform their spiritual selves must also commit to the exercises and the behavior that would bring them the results they want.

So, what are the exercises of the spirit? Where are the spaces where you'll find those committed to the development of their spiritual selves? Where are the spiritual gyms?

"Those who rehearse the Book of G-d, establish regular Prayer, and spend (in Charity) out of what We have provided for them, secretly and openly, hope for a commerce that will never fail." Qur'an 35:29

The exercises are prayer & charity. The gym is the world, specifically every occasion where your voice, your hands, and your heart can be used to right a wrong, spread light on darkness, or lift a burden from another soul; those who commit themselves to lessening the burdens of others, find their own burdens lightened, and it's worthy to note, that when people come together committed to righting wrongs, spreading light on darkness, and lifting the burdens of oppression off of the afflicted, the results can be astounding.

Whether physical or spiritual, having a mental picture, a vision, of the type of shape you want to be in is key. Because, after the vision has been adopted then the workouts begin, the weekly weigh-in's, the meal planning, etc. As a Muslim, I have a specific mode of prayer--- particular to my faith tradition, but whatever your faith tradition may be, as a Believer, prayer lies at the center of faith. And our faith is punctuated through the charity, the service we give to the world.

We can't be people of faith without a tangible expression of that faith, so with that realization keep the following in mind:

1. Begin each day with prayer; this sets the course for your day, and will serve as your mirror.
2. Find (or start) a charitable effort, and commit yourself to that. It's not about the size of the effort, but about being consistent in that effort.  
3. Look for the opportunities to give of yourself that inevitably come across all of our paths; start from the inside out, family, friends, local community, larger community.

Once on the path, you'll find that there is no getting off of it. There is no such thing as putting in the work, getting results and being able to walk away. Walk away, and results go away. I'm praying that whatever you do, on whatever scale, you are successful and that you are blessed to do even more. May your faith be strengthened through your words and deeds. 

May G-d's peace be on you,

Tariq