It is essential to get honest with ourselves.
Is the da’wah really harsh or are our egos just bruised? Are we really striving? Are our clothes and photos from this Eid any different from last year’s? How different are our Instagram feeds from last year? Are we really trying our best?
Imagine a situation where we make a post and not a single person interacts with it. We could make another one tomorrow to see if it’d gain any recognition, but would we continue if the posts kept going unnoticed?
We probably each have an audience that we would like to impress. And this — seeking validation — is an indirect manifestation of our insecurities; the desire to stay relevant, or to match up to or outdo someone else.
It could be a part of our content or a means of ‘self-expression’; we could want to show off our flawless skin, makeup or outfit of the day, but the accolades and compliments won’t matter as we stand before the Only Ruling Judge on the Day of Resurrection.
We need to dig deep within and ask ourselves why we feel inclined to display ourselves to the public. How important are any of our reasons compared to what’s at stake?
“…and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance,…”
Al-Ahzab - 33:33