Feeling Faith

Can I feel the faith I follow?

I persist every day in observing practices that give life to my soul and keep me connected to my Creator. I may waiver from time to time, but the rituals of remembrance including prayer and charity have become engrained in my routine. I remain steady sensing the support of these pillars as the changing current of life passes through me. I am grateful recognizing this rare blessing but question how deeply I can feel my faith. Can I feel my faith arousing passion for God and softening my heart to tremble as I summon or hear His name (8:2, 22:35)?

Can I readily forsake my bed to worship God out of reverence

and hope (32:16)? I peel from my sheets sluggishly just before sunrise simply to cross off an obligation and resume my peaceful slumber. I need to feel the excitement that springs me to my feet in anticipation of praising the Most Praiseworthy from the deepest sense of longing and respect. I want to feel this enthusiasm rejuvenating my resurrected soul from the weight of weariness or the worries of the day ahead. I need this feeling inspiring me every dawn to remain in meditation, treasuring to be among the witnessed reciting God’s revelations, imploring the Most Merciful for forgiveness, and continuing my glorification until the Lord of Daybreak fades the stars (3:17, 17:78, 51:18, 52:49). And when the same stars appear at night, I

must be eager to meditate once more to clear the troubles of my exhausted mind with the most beautiful names of my Lord (17:79). I need to feel the presence of being seen by the Seer nourishing my soul in praise of God until the death of sleep prevents me from forsaking my bed (26:218).

Do I remember God or am I reverently conscious of my Lord (23:57)? I need to feel an unending awareness that breathes with awe, moving me to glorify God as I first rise in the morning, during the light of His day as I seek His provisions, under His cover of night when I retreat, and at last as I retire (30:17-18).

Cont’d on page 2