Why does practicing Islam feel so heavy sometimes?
Assalamu alaikum. I look at people around me who aren’t Muslim, and honestly, their lives seem much easier. I feel a bit envious when I see them just grabbing lunch or dinner whenever they want. Me, I avoid eating before duhr or magrib because if I eat, I feel bloated and it messes with my prayer. I know some Muslims do eat first, but I still end up jealous. I also get jealous seeing them have more study time. I have to pray five times a day, and because of my OCD, I pray really slowly. After class, I need to catch the bus home, but I have to pray first. Sometimes I miss the bus and then I have to spend money on an Uber. My roommates are Buddhists, and they don’t pray at all, so they have so much free time to study or do whatever. My religious life feels much harder now than before I learned more about Islam. I guess what I’m saying is, I worry a lot about my deen, while non-Muslims seem to focus on this dunya because they don’t have the five daily prayers. I want to focus more on this dunya too-like, I can see this world, but the afterlife is invisible to me. It’s tough, and I just needed to get this off my chest.