Salam, Fatima.

Thank you for putting confidence in us to help you with your problem. It is a common thing for all of us to go through times of what seem to be a decrease in our level of faith. You are not alone in feeling this way.

True believers always have this concern that they are not living up to Allah's expectations. They always feel like there is room for improvement in their deeds and intentions.

Sometimes they even feel that they may be becoming hypocrites because they know the importance of pure intentions and right actions in everything they do so that Allah will accept them and reward them.

It is obvious that you are feeling down at this point in your life, but you do not have to feel that way.

If a person's heart had truly dried up, do you think they would feel bad about it? Does the person with a hard heart cry because of it? Crying because of a desire to be close to Allah and to have a stronger faith is not something that they would be concerned about. Crying for fear of having weak faith is actually the best sign that you have strong faith.

There are some very good signs that your faith is strong. You are attending Islamic classes, you attend the mosque regularly, you read the Quran regularly, you pray regularly and you are constantly worried that you are not doing enough.

These are excellent ways to draw closer to Allah and I ask Him to give you the strength to keep these things the foundation of your daily life.

The problem I see from what you have shared about your habits, is that you may be overexposing yourself to the formal methods of worshipping Allah (prayer, Quran, and so on) and not spending enough time on other things in life that are also beneficial and enjoyable.

You are quite young to be spending most of your free time in the mosque. Although I am not trying to discourage you from visiting the house of Allah, or attending classes, there are other ways to worship Allah that may feel as rewarding as reading the Quran, for example, or fasting on a Monday.

You mentioned a very good concern that you wish to be a strong person who is humble and always in worship. The way to do that is quite simple. Anything we do in this life can become an act of worship if we stick to two simple rules; it must be intended to please Allah and it must be a good action.

Something as simple as taking a leisurely walk outside, for example, can be a form of worship if we do it in Allah's name and if it is good according to Islam. If our intention in going for a walk is to get some healthy exercise, then all we have to do is to start our walk by saying, "Bismillah" before we head out.

Exercise is a requirement in Islam because we have to protect the body that Allah gave us. The entire time we spend on our walk is now considered an act of worship because we did something good and we did it in Allah's name.

What is even better is that going for a walk is quite an enjoyable activity. If a person is interested in other activities, it is easy to do them and be in worship at the same time, so long as the activity is good according to Islam and the intention is to please Allah.

If we can find a good Muslim friend who has the same goals to be close to Allah, this can be an even greater way to enjoy life and worship Allah as much as possible.

Allah created us with many needs and interests. He has commanded only what is beneficial to us and has forbidden only what is harmful to us. Islam recognizes that all of His creation is good and there are only a few things that have been forbidden to us.

So, really there are many, many ways to worship Allah and do good deeds outside of the five pillars that we all know about. Prayer, fasting, zakah and Hajj are called pillars because they are the framework or supports of our lives. But we all know that a house has more than just pillars in it to make it livable and beautiful.

A house has walls, windows, doors, floors, furniture, decorations, etc. that make it such an enjoyable place to live. If the house we live in only had pillars and a roof, what kind of house would it be?

If our life in Islam is only prayer, fasting, zakah, etc. and we have no time for the other necessities of life, what kind of Islam would that be? Is that what Allah has commanded? In the Quran we find guidance in every aspect of life because there are many important things outside of formal worship that we need to dedicate our time and attention to.

Allah wants us to enjoy the life of this world as much as possible. But the only way to do that is to follow His guidance. He knows us better than we know ourselves and knows what in His creation will be good for us and what will be harmful. That is why he sent Islam to mankind.

Out of His infinite mercy he shows us how to have the best of this life and the best of the Hereafter and how to be saved from the Hellfire.

*{And there are men who say: "Our Lord! give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire.}* (Al-Baqarah 2:201)

This verse in the Quran teaches us that there is much goodness in this world and it is for us to enjoy it within the generous limits that Allah has set for us. He loves the believers and only wants them to be happy and successful in this life and the next.

It also teaches us one of the best supplications that we can make on a regular basis. If we are granted this request, the best of this life and the next, what more could a person ask for?

I hope this has been helpful to you. You are on the right track, sister Fatima. I think you just need to make that track a little wider so that you enjoy the journey a bit more. Please keep in touch.

Salam.

Useful Links:

Looking for Faith

Struggling With Faith: Is God Really Perfect?

Doubts About Faith

About Supplication & Strengthening Faith

Criteria for True Faith

When Faith is Shaken…

Good Deeds = Longer Life?

 Getting to Heaven