In everyday of our lives, we make decisions. From small decisions like what to eat for lunch and what to wear for today, up to the crucial decisions regarding the future and relationship with other people. The bigger something matters in our lives, the decision making process becomes more difficult. But as a Muslim, we should not contemplating too much when we want to make a decision, because Allah SWT will always be there to guide us.
The best ways to make good decisions in Islam is by involving Allah SWT in every step that we take. For He will always protect us for things that may cause harm to us, and He will bless us and guide us to the right path. Here are the practicable ways to make good decision in Islam for life.
1. Seek for a Guidance from Allah SWT
Don’t ask anyone first but Allah when you want to make a decision. Seek His guidance through the istikharah prayer when you have to choose between two choices and you don’t know what to do. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
“ O Allah, I plead for your guidance with Your knowledge, I plead strength with Your power and I plead Your virtue.” – Bukhari
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2. Search for Reference from Other Sources
When the your problems is something more general, you should gather more information from other source. As now the internet is in its peak, make the most of it. The more reference we search, the more information we know. It would be better if the sources are the expert on the related fields.
3. Keep the Positive Thoughts
We often hesitate and afraid to make a decision because we are affected by negative things. This should be kept away from the mind, because it will become a very bad suggestions that might manifest itself into reality. Fill the mind only with positive thoughts and be optimistic that the decision is the best.
4. Ask for Your Parents’ Advice
After Allah SWT and our Prophet, there comes our parents. They should never be left out in the decision making process, since Allah’s SWT blessing comes from our parents’ blessing. The parents’ blessing miraculously make everything easier.
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5. Bring Allah SWT in Every Step
Make sure that Allah is involved in every little step of your decision making process. Don’t forget to stay basmalah because Allah SWT will give His best protection and shelter to us.
“Then I will come upon them from the front and from the rear, and from their right and from their left. And You will not find most of them thankful.” – Al A’raf (7:17)
6. Take the Risk
Step out of your comfort and challenge the risk. Sometimes by taking more possible risk, the more goodness we could gain. Risk could also be something we don’t like or we tend to avoid.
“It may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good for you.” – An Nisa (4:19)
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7. Always Have a Back Up Plan
Don’t underestimate the power of a back up plan. Not everything we planned turn out as we wish them to be, so we must be prepared when something bad happens. It did help us to think clearer in a difficult situation.
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8. Let Allah Take Care for the Rest
Do your best, everything within your power to make the best decision. After you decide on something, let Allah take care of the rest. He always knows the best for you, and when you eventually come to a disappointment, then there must be something better.
9. Seek for Advice from Experienced People
There must be someone who has similar experience like us, or has been in the same situation. These people will help you to make good decisions. From them we can get the bigger picture and help us to predict what might happen when we have made our choices.
10. Don’t Let Go of the Dhikr
Bring Allah SWT and the Prophet everywhere you go. Never let your mouth dry from dhikr. There are many form of dhikr, all of them are equally good. Dhikr give us strength, joy, and happiness.
“Believers, remember Allah much. And glorify Him morning and evening.” – Al Ahzab (33:41)
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11. Do More Sunnah
Sunnah means not only prayers but other deeds that the Prophet used to do in the past such as fasting, doing charity, and pay zakat. All the good deeds will bring enlightenment and clearance to your mind, so the best decision will comes out of it.
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12. Don’t Rush the Decision
Take your time and there is no need to make decision in such a rush. The hastiness is the doing of Shaytaan, so nothing good of the decision will happen. To make the right judgement, we need to think calmly and slowly.
13. Think with a Cool Head
Don’t involve anger or emotion when we are about to make a decision. Even for the smallest decision which the impact won’t be so big for our lives, we need to cool our head down. When someone make a decision when he is angry, later he will surely regret it.
14. Be Sure of the Decision You’re About to Make
After going through the process and finally make the decisions, be sure that what you decide is for good. Make sure that it won’t cause harm to anybody and that you made it with a good intention at heart.
15. Believe That Allah Knows Best
Be prepared for the worst always. But keep away the negative thoughts. When everything turns out as something we don’t expect it to be, believe that Allah knows what’s best for us.
So those are all the ways to make good decisions in Islam. No matter what we are going through, we must put Allah SWT in it. Everything that we did with the remembrance of Allah SWT will never failed us. Because Allah SWT knows, and we don’t.