Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Take Action...

Doubt and fear begin to grow—it’s that simple. Every time I get inspired to start something, the "what ifs" somehow creep in. That inner voice can be so strong and overwhelming that I end up thinking, Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t even bother. All I can hear is, Fear, fear, fear.

I get inspired often, but as much as I consider myself a realist (which sometimes means giving yourself countless excuses not to act), those persistent "what ifs" often hold me back. For the past two years, however, I’ve been on a conscious Tawakkul journey—learning to trust Allah completely and leaving my affairs in His hands. Last year, I prayed for everything I wanted but surrendered the outcome to Him, trusting He would bless me with whatever was best. It’s funny looking back now, but that was my understanding of Tawakkul at the time.

Did Allah respond? Absolutely. He answered my exact du’as and gave me everything I asked for, which I’m truly grateful for. But then I remembered the ayah: “We will certainly test the believers with everything...” (Quran 2:155). Oh, I was definitely tested with the very things I asked for! It made me question whether I had gone about everything the right way in the first place. It was a classic case of "be careful what you wish for."

Still, I didn’t feel regret. I was simply working on strengthening my Tawakkul muscle. Whenever I felt uncertain, I praised and thanked Allah for the blessings He had sent my way. I reminded myself that both good and bad can be sources of trial, and I asked Allah to help me avoid the negatives.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong with asking Allah for specifics. But in my case, it was a lesson that “all that glitters is not gold.” I realized that Allah was trying to teach me something valuable. Since then, I’ve changed the way I approach my du’as. It feels like I used to give Allah a checklist of everything I wanted. But this year, I’ve completely submitted. Now, I ask, “Oh Allah, use me to attain Your pleasure, and grant me clarity to know right from wrong.”

The first inspiration I received was to help others with the Qur’an. I thought, Wow, really? I had always felt this calling, but fear and self-doubt kept me from acting on it. I’d tell myself, What do I even know to teach the Qur’an? This time, it was different. The call was clear and strong, almost like a command. Since I had committed to making this year about transformation, courage, and action, I knew I had to follow through.

I grabbed my journal, wrote down everything on my mind, and called a friend—who happens to be a coach—to ask some important questions and make sure I was ready. Then I went ahead and launched The Qur’an Project. It has been one of the best things that’s happened to me, bringing a peace of mind I can’t even describe. Alhamdulillah. When I set out to launch, I thought I had all the clarity I needed. But Allah hasn’t stopped inspiring me since then—it’s been clarity upon clarity, day after day.

So, what’s the point? You might think you know it all, but if you don’t take action because of the doubts and excuses in your mind, the idea will fade away, leaving you stuck. Get moving on that idea. Do your research, take action, and ask Allah to guide you. Watch how things start to work out—maybe not exactly as you imagined, but you will learn and grow, insha’Allah.

May Allah help us lead good, fulfilling lives. Ameen.
See you in my next post, insha’Allah.