Navigating through moments of weakness in faith
As-salamu alaykum, everyone. I pray you're all in a good state of Iman. I've always considered myself firm in faith, but lately, I've hit a rough patch. There are days when praying feels like a struggle, and I sometimes even miss my Salah, which never used to happen. It truly brings me down, especially when I fail to wake up for Fajr – it's disheartening because I was once so consistent with Fajr and night prayers. This situation makes me feel undeserving of any goodness since I can't even keep a promise to myself regarding my prayers. The shame runs so deep that I don't feel I can talk to anyone about it. With each day, I wrestle with self-loathing; even when I make up missed prayers, I still feel inadequate. These negative thoughts are exhausting, and I know, as Muslims, we're encouraged to maintain positivity and have good thoughts about Allah, yet I find myself trapped in this cycle, fearing Allah's disappointment. I'm reaching out to ask: how can I break free from these negative self-perceptions and feelings of worthlessness? I understand life has its ebbs and flows, but I would sincerely appreciate any advice to help me through this.