AhlulBayt (AS) International News Agency — ABNA: Hojjat al-Islam wal-Muslimin Muhammad Hussein Amin, a writer and religious researcher, in a piece written exclusively for ABNA, addresses the question of why some people, despite being religious and performing various acts of worship, still do not experience deep tranquility of heart.
We Are Religious, Yet Anxious and Restless: Where Did We Go Wrong?
Muhammad Hussein Amin / Writer and religious researcher
Religiosity Is Not Always Equal to Tranquility
A person may pray, fast, attend religious gatherings, and even possess abundant religious knowledge — yet his heart may still be caught up in comparison, fear of the future, worry about others' judgment, and regret over the past. Here we must distinguish between "outward religiosity" and "tranquility-giving faith." Faith affects a person's soul when God is not merely the subject of his worship, but also his support and refuge.
The Holy Quran says:
«الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ»
"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured."[1]
The subtle point of the verse is that it does not say whoever merely utters God's name will no longer have any worry. In the interpretations of the Holy Quran, "remembrance of God" is not merely saying a few verbal remembrances; remembering God means that a person takes God, His promises, His power, and His presence seriously in his life. Some interpretations also make clear that true remembrance can lead a person to trust, gratitude, avoidance of sin, and right action.[2]
Sometimes We Want God, But We Do Not Let Go of Control Over Our Lives
One of the roots of restlessness is that a person asks God for help, yet still wants to determine the outcome of everything himself. He wants to pray, but wants exactly what he himself has designed to happen; he wants to trust, but accepts no possibility of his plans changing. Such a person may pray a great deal, yet still be inwardly at odds with divine destiny.
In one of the supplications transmitted from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), there is a very beautiful phrase: «وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَا بِالْقَضَاءِ» — "I ask You for contentment with Your decree."[3] Further in the same supplication, God is asked for a "sound heart" and "steadfastness in affairs."
Contentment with destiny does not mean giving up effort; it means that after doing one's duty, a person does not tie himself to the outcome. In other words, strive, plan, pray, consult; but if the result goes against your wish, do not collapse. In this same supplication, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) also asks God that if life is good for him, he remain alive, and if death is good for him, God cause him to die.[3] And this is a clear and complete example of the height of relying on God and being content with His will.
How Did the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) Remain Calm on the Hardest Days?
The life of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was not a life without suffering. He was rejected, boycotted, lost loved ones, faced threats and danger in wars, and carried the heavy burden of guiding a society. So prophetic calm did not mean the absence of problems; calm means that the problem does not become the ruler of a person's heart.
The Quran speaks of "security" and guidance for believers who are connected to God:
«الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ»
"Those who have believed and have not mixed their faith with wrongdoing — those will have security, and they are rightly guided."[4] This verse shows that inner security is tied to a faith that has distanced itself from contamination and contradiction — and in truth, faith is not mere talk on the tongue, but a concept rooted in a person's soul.
In another narration found in Al-Kafi, the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) supplication after prayer is transmitted: "O God, I ask You... steadfastness in affairs... and I ask You, O Lord, for a sound heart and a truthful tongue." Note that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) does not only pray for calm; he also asks for "steadfastness," a "sound heart," and "truthfulness." Prophetic calm is the product of a lifestyle, not a fleeting feeling.[5]
The Problem Begins Where Worship Increases Anxiety!
Sometimes a religious person, instead of making worship his refuge, turns it into a means of constant self-blame. He is always afraid he has fallen short, always compares himself with others, and even after worship feels it is not enough. Such a state is far from the spirit of prophetic upbringing.
In the logic of the Quran, the remembrance of God should bring the heart to stillness; and in Shia interpretation, regarding the verse «أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ», it has been explained that the remembrance of God is not merely verbal remembrance, but remembrance of God's power, blessings, forgiveness, justice, and promises; such awareness gives a person hope, trust, and tranquility.[2]
So if our worship constantly leaves us trapped in arrogance, pessimism, anxiety, and belittling others, we must reflect on the quality of our religiosity. Perhaps we perform the worship, but have not yet lived its meaning. Prayer is meant to remind a person of God; fasting is meant to train his will; supplication is meant to deepen his relationship with God. If these acts become empty from within, their form may remain, but their formative effect fades.
The Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) Calm Came from "Relying on God," Not from "Having No Problems"
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did not teach us that a believer is one who never grieves. He was a human being who wept, felt sorrow, and was affected by calamities; but grief did not separate him from God. This point is very important: Islamic calm is different from being unfeeling.
A calm person may weep; may worry; may plan for the future and even have his heart broken by a bitter event. His difference from a restless person is that in the heart of this storm, he has a support. He knows not everything is in his control, and this acceptance removes part of the heavy burden of life from his shoulders.
In that same prophetic supplication, a very telling phrase appears: «أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ» — "You are the One who advances and You are the One who delays; there is no god but You."[3] This means the believing person does not see every delay as defeat, every loss as the end, and every failure to reach as misfortune; because he believes the story of life is not limited to his understanding of today.
Perhaps Tranquility Is Exactly What We Have Asked God for Too Little
We usually ask God for many things: success, health, money, marriage, children, work, victory, and relief. But in the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) supplication, requests such as a sound heart, steadfastness, contentment with destiny, gratitude for blessings, and truthfulness of tongue also appear.[3][5]
Perhaps the secret of tranquility lies right here: sometimes we pray a great deal to change the world around us, but less to change our own hearts. We say, "O God, let this happen"; but we say less, "O God, if something else happens, give me patience not to break." We say, "O God, solve the problem"; but we say less, "O God, keep me upright in the heart of this problem."
The Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) way of life teaches us that true faith is not meant to separate a person from life; it is meant to make him stronger in the heart of life. The believer's calm is not the calm of a stagnant swamp; it is the calm of a ship that recognizes its captain amid the waves. The sea may be turbulent, but his heart knows whom he has relied upon.
So if someone, despite being religious, has no tranquility, he should not immediately be told, "Your faith is weak" or "Worship more." Perhaps we should ask: Do I only worship God, or have I truly relied on Him as well? Do I have remembrance only on my tongue, or do I remember Him in my decisions and worries too?
The Quran has promised: «أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ». This tranquility is not a promise to remove all problems; it is a promise of finding a support that does not leave a person alone amid problems.[1] And perhaps this is what the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) way of life shows us more than any sermon: a person of God is not necessarily a person without worries; he is a person who, in the heart of worries, is not without refuge.
Footnotes
[1] The Holy Quran, Surah Ar-Ra'd, verse 28: «الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ». For interpretation and explanation of the meaning of the heart's tranquility in light of the remembrance of God, see: Makarem Shirazi, Tafsir Nemuneh; also the explanation and clarification of this verse in Shia interpretive sources.
[2] For clarification of the concept of "dhikr" as beyond verbal remembrance and its connection to trust, gratitude, hope, and avoidance of sin, see: Tafsir Nemuneh, on verse 28 of Surah Ar-Ra'd; also An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur'an, vol. 8, the section interpreting verse 28 of Surah Ar-Ra'd.
[3] Sheikh Saduq, Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 1, chapter 47, hadith 960; in this narration, the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) supplication after prayer is transmitted, and phrases such as «وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَا بِالْقَضَاءِ» and the request for a "sound heart" appear.
[4] The Holy Quran, Surah Al-An'am, verse 82: «الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُم بِظُلْمٍ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ». For an explanation of the link between faith, security, and guidance, see: Lubb al-Lubab, the section related to the remembrance of God and the heart's assurance.
[5] Muhammad ibn Ya'qub Kulayni, Al-Kafi, vol. 2, The Book of Supplication, the chapter "Supplication after Prayer," hadith 6. In this narration, the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) supplication after prayer is transmitted with the requests for "contentment with destiny," "steadfastness in affairs," and a "sound heart."
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