Did you know everyone was born in a state of Islam?
I didn’t choose my gender… did you?
I didn’t choose my eye color or hair. I didn’t choose my country; my family, my language.
I was born in submission. I was born a Muslim.
But humans only remain in the state of natural Islam for a short time until our free will kicks in; Then it’s up to us what we do and what we believe.
You were taught to be a Christian, or a Jew, or an Atheist, or a Hindu, or a Buddhist or whatever you might have been as a child.
I used to go to Catholic church, because my family is Catholic.
But we all have had a spiritual spark embedded in us. Kind of like a homing feature.
It’s our intrinsic spiritual and moral disposition. In Arabic, it’s called the fitrah.
It is the reason why some people search for truth. They know there is something more to this life.
You probably had all kinds of big questions, like: Why are we here? What’s the purpose of life? How do we know if we are doing what we are supposed to be doing? What happens when we die? Why is there suffering? What is reality?
In some though, especially after time passes and questions go unanswered, that spark can be completely buried and forgotten.
There are other tools and evidence that support the fitrah though; if we are willing to look.
My unique fingerprint is a sign.
Snowflakes, fruits, the sun and the moon are all signs.
When I look in the mirror at the features I didn’t choose, I remember where I came from.
I remember where I am going.
Freely choosing to submit to the guidance provided by our Maker is like following the instruction manual for a machine. It doesn’t make any sense to use a refrigerator as a bookshelf or a computer as a chair.
I would’t use my lawnmower on my hardwood floor or my vacuum in my garden.
Following the guidance is like that. Using your existence for it’s purpose.
The sense of relief that comes with that is indescribable.
When you align your will with the supreme will of the one who designed us, you accept that you have curly hair, or brown eyes. You realize you couldn’t have been born to be a little taller or more attractive. You are supposed to be just how you are.
You then focus on the things you can control: choosing between good and bad actions, using your time wisely.
You can stop fighting what can’t be fought.
And the link between the two involuntary submissions: birth and death, is complete.