5 Ways to Avoid Religious Burnout: Finding Inner Peace in a Chaotic World

Protecting Your Faith from the Pressures of Life

How to protect ourselves from religious burnout!

Due to constant pressure in life, and what seems like: “never ending trials”, the exposure to Haraam (prohibited things), the competition to amass worldly luxuries and comfort, many people get tired, burned-out, and they take their frustration out on Allaah and His religion. This leads them to become careless or totally abandon their religion.

The religious burnout begins when a person starts thinking as, “I” and “me”. “Why am I suffering?”, “Why does he have it and I don’t?”, “When will this end?” etc.

🌴 To avoid this one has to contemplate:

1️⃣ First and foremost, stop thinking that the world revolves around you. Your creation is for a purpose, and your living and your death should be for a purpose, and that is, “the worship of Allaah عز وجل”:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

{And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.}

📚[Surah al-Dhaariyaat (51): 56]

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

{Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, Lord of the worlds.}

📚[Surah al-Anaam (6): 162]

2️⃣ Allaah تعالى did not promise a permanent comfortable life to anyone on this earth, not even to His Prophets and Messengers عليهم السلام:

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born an orphan, his mother passed away while he was still young, months would pass by and all he would have is dates to eat and water to drink. Except for Faatimah رضي الله عنها, all his other children passed away in his lifetime. He would sleep on bedding made of palm fiber which would leave traces on his body.

Nooh, Ibraaheem, Yaqoob, Yusuf, Ayyoob عليهم السلام and others went through sever trials.

3️⃣ You will tested to the vey core:

حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ

{Or do you think that you will enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along with him said, “When (will come) the Help of Allaah?” Yes! Certainly, the Help of Allaah is near!}

📚[Surah al-Baqarah (2): 214]

So, be in this world like a traveler, who stopped under a shade for taking rest and then he moves on, and don’t attach yourself to the world too much. As the Prophet ﷺ had said. 

📚[Saheehain]

4️⃣ Do not be of those, who when something of the treasures and comfort of this world is given to them, they become pleased, but when it is taken away from them, they become displeased:

فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ ‎* وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ

{As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and gifts, then he says (puffed up): “My Lord has honoured me.”But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life, he says: “My Lord has humiliated me!”}

📚[Surah al-Fajr (89): 15-16]

Allaah تعالى also mentioned:

فَإِنْ أُعْطُوا مِنْهَا رَضُوا وَإِن لَّمْ يُعْطَوْا مِنْهَا إِذَا هُمْ يَسْخَطُونَ

{If they are given part thereof, they are pleased, but if they are not given thereof, behold! They are enraged!} 

📚[Surah Tawbah (9): 58]

Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝Perish the slave of Dinaar, Dirham, Qateefah (thick soft cloth), and Khameesah (a garment), for if he is given, he is pleased; otherwise he is dissatisfied.❞

📚[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2886, 2887, 6435)]

5️⃣ Be grateful if you receive and be patient if you don’t