Striving

It's not just that people find it easy to forget the truth of the way things are,

and so forget the things that are really good for them.

Some things are good for you but are also hard to do.

The things that you want to do to make you feel good sometimes take a lot of work.

It's just like it is with our muscles.

When they are resting, and haven't done very much work for a while, we say they are cold

and it is painful to try to do too much with them.

It can even be dangerous and damage them to do too much with them when they are cold.

When they are cold they tear,

like ice that breaks.

They need to be warmed up so they are flexible,

and then they work much better.

But to get them warm takes work,

and to get them stronger takes even more work,

but the more work you do with them the stronger they get,

and the stronger they get the easier it is to do more work.

In the Qur'an God says "out of hardship comes ease"

the work that you put in makes things easier.

Just as with muscles, so it is with other things.

To be skilled in things takes practice, and practice takes time and effort

and patience.

If you want to be good at any sport or any skill, it takes work.

You have to keep on trying when you are bored and tired to learn to be the best at anything.

There are things we have to do in life that are not pleasant or comfortable.

And if everyone is to be happy, we all have to do our share.

This is the way that people get along as a society,

everyone takes the responsibility for doing some of the unpleasant things some of the time.

Everyone agrees to do some things that they would rather not have to do.

These unpleasant things that are our contribution to society are what we call duties.

Muslims accept that there are certain things that are their duty to their families, or their friends,

or to other muslims, or just to other people of the world.

They know that these things are not always fun,

but they accept that their duty must be done

even though it is hard for them.

The effort it takes to do your duty can be hard work.

To do good can be a struggle.

And in the world of Islam, that kind of struggle has a special name.

That name is Jihad,

the Arabic word meaning struggle,

especially the kind of struggle that is needed to do good.

But although it may be hard, muslims have to remember

that doing good is not only good for other people,

but is good for themselves,

both in this life and the next.