Some mornings I wake up ready to conquer.
The Qur’an is opened, the prayer mat is warm, and my to-do list bows to my discipline.
Other mornings, I hop from one podcast to another, one business video to the next, one football highlight reel to another - all without realising the time.
And then minutes bleed into hours, and I tell myself I’ll catch up tomorrow.
And tomorrow never comes. Of course we know that time is limited. And that every minute that passes is a minute you will never see again.
So, I have a question for you. Have you ever been through such a phase before?
You know, the feeling.
Where one day you’re disciplined with our routines. The next, you break your own promises.
One day you’re careful with our money, inching toward your financial goals. The next, you sabotage yourself with impulse and regret.
One day you’re laser-focused, unshakeable in purpose. The next, you’re distracted for days and can’t find your way back.
This is the back and forth of our inconsistencies.
It feels like walking forward, only to slip back two steps.
Progress and relapse. Momentum then collapse.
But what if this is not a curse? What if it’s part of the design?
The Ebb and Flow of Our Faith
The Prophet ﷺ once told his companions:
“Faith wears out in your heart just as clothes wear out. So ask Allah to renew faith in your hearts.”
(Narrated by al-Hakim)
Even faith, the greatest treasure of the believer, has its waves. Sometimes strong and unshakable, sometimes fragile and worn out.
The companions themselves admitted this.
A companion by the name of Handzhalah (RA) once cried, fearing hypocrisy. He told Abu Bakr (RA):
“When we are with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he reminds us of Paradise and Hell until it is as if we see them with our eyes. But when we leave, we become busy with our families and wealth and we forget.”
Abu Bakr (RA) replied, “By Allah, we feel the same.”
So they went to the Prophet ﷺ with their concern.
The Prophet ﷺ reassured them:
“By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, if you remained in the state you are in when with me, and in remembrance, the angels would shake hands with you in your beds and in your roads. But, Handzhalah, there is a time for this and a time for that.”
(Sahih Muslim)
There it is. As you can see, even the best of generations felt the swing of presence and absence, focus and distraction, discipline and lapse.
The difference? They acknowledged it and sought renewal.
Tidal Movements
Think of your inconsistencies as the tide.
The ocean never stands still. Waves rush forward, waves pull back. Yet, slowly, the tide rises.
Your life is like that.
Some days feel like receding waters. You fall short. You drift. You break your streak.
Other days, you push forward, catch momentum, and surge.
But if you zoom out, you’ll notice something powerful: the overall tide still rises.
Inconsistency is not always regression. Sometimes, it is the rhythm of being human.
Allah designed our souls to expand and contract. To stretch and to rest.
The goal isn’t to avoid the ebb and flow.
The goal is to ensure the general direction of your tide is still upward, still closer to Allah, still closer to the person you want to become.
Why Inconsistencies Hurt You So Much
Inconsistencies sting because they expose our fragile willpower.
We like to think we’re in full control. That once we decide, we’ll never break.
But then we break.
And shame enters.
That shame can turn into despair:
“What’s the point of trying? I always mess it up anyway.”
This is where Shaytan whispers. His trick is not just to make you slip. His trick is to make you believe the slip means you should stop walking altogether.
But Allah reminds us otherwise:
“Do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.”
(Surah Az-Zumar 39:53)
So you need to appreciate that a slip is not the end of the path. It is part of it.
The Science of Renewal
Psychologists call it the “fresh start effect.”
I’m sure you can relate to this. You know how we, as humans, naturally reset when a new week, new month, or new year begins. That’s why New Year resolutions feel attractive - though they often fail.
But Islam gave us built-in fresh starts long before. Because…
Every Solah is a reset.
Every Jumu’ah is a reset.
Every Ramadan is a reset (my personal favourite!)
We are not expected to be perfect. We are expected to keep returning.
That is the meaning of taubah. To return. To turn back again and again.
The one who constantly turns back is more beloved to Allah than the one who thinks he never falls.
The Adaptations of an Archer
Imagine an archer aiming at a distant target.
Rarely does the arrow fly perfectly straight. Wind pushes it, gravity pulls it.
So the archer keeps adjusting… Slightly left. Slightly right. Over and over. Until he feels it is perfect for the wind conditions of that specific moment.
If the archer stopped correcting, the arrows would scatter uselessly.
But with constant re-adjustment, the arrows eventually cluster nearer to the bullseye.
That is your life. You will never fire one perfect arrow of consistency.
But if you keep correcting, adjusting, and keep coming back, you will inch closer to your purpose.
The Weight of Habits
Now, let’s talk practically.
Why do our routines fail?
Because discipline is fragile when it relies only on willpower.
So what’s the solution? Your habits must be anchored. Some examples:
Anchor your Qur’an reading to an existing habit (e.g., after Fajr, before you even check your phone).
Anchor your savings to an automated transfer, not just your “good intentions.”
Anchor your focus by blocking distractions, not just “trying harder.”
Anchoring habits transforms the back-and-forth into smaller swings. The tide still rises, but with fewer jolts.
Returning to Allah
At the heart of all inconsistencies is forgetfulness or absent-mindedness (ghaflah).
We forget why we’re doing what we’re doing.
That’s why the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Renew your faith.”
“How, O Messenger of Allah?” they asked.
He said: “Say often, La ilaha illAllah.” [Musnad Ahmad]
Dzhikr (remembrance) is the rope that pulls us back from our distractions.
The back-and-forth doesn’t go away. But remembrance shortens the time it takes for you to return.
Like a Compass
Think of life as a long journey through a forest.
You will veer off the path. Sometimes left, sometimes right. Sometimes far.
But if you carry a compass, you will always find your way back.
Allah has given you that compass: the Qur’an, the Sunnah, the daily prayers.
As long as you keep checking your compass, you will never be truly lost. You may wander, but you will return. You may falter, but you will rise.
Consistency, then, is not about never breaking.
It is about always coming back.
So the next time you fall into distraction, wasted time, and broken routines - do not despair.
Remember the tide.
Remember the archer.
Remember the compass.
Your inconsistencies are not evidence that you are doomed.
They are reminders that you are human.
And being human is exactly who Allah designed you to be.
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.”
(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:286)
The burden isn’t to be perfect.
The burden is simply to return.
Keep Striving,
MW
PS: Sorry for the delayed newsletter. I was travelling and had a long week, and a full weekend. Thanks for the continued support!