The Garden of Positivity

The Garden of Positivity: How a Muslim Learns to Trust, Thank, and Let Go

In a world that often feels heavy with worry, Islam offers a gentle, luminous path toward peace.

That path does not begin with forcing a smile or ignoring life’s difficulties. Instead, it begins with a single, breathtaking thought—a thought about Allah Himself.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) narrated that Allah Ta’ala said: *“I am as My servant thinks of Me.”*

Imagine that. The Creator of the heavens and the earth is waiting to meet your expectations. If you think He will abandon you, you will feel abandoned. But if you think He is Merciful, Caring, and Close—you will find Him exactly as you imagined. 

This is *ḥusn al-ẓann billāh*: holding a

beautiful opinion of Allah. It is the first seed of positivity. Before any prayer or any action, a Muslim is asked to simply think well of their Lord. And from that beautiful thought, everything else begins to grow.

Hand in hand with this good thought comes gratitude. When you truly believe that Allah is good to you, your eyes naturally open to His gifts—the coolness of water, the sound of a loved one’s

voice, the breath in your lungs. Gratitude is not a chore; it is the joyful echo of trust. A thankful heart is a light heart.

But life is not always easy. Trials come. Desires clash with reality. What then? This is where the soul learns one of its most delicate arts: *tawakkul*—gentle, complete reliance on Allah. In Malay, we say *berserah pada Allah*. It is akin to the concept of *Wu-Wei* in Taoist thought: the grace of letting go. Not giving up, but rather doing your best with a calm heart, then releasing the outcome into Hands much wiser than your own. You plan, you strive, and then you whisper: “Ya Allah, I trust You with this.” There is immense relief in that letting go.

And whatever happens next—victory or delay, ease or hardship—the believer trains themselves in *qanā‘ah*. This is not dull resignation. It is the luminous quality of being *in gratitude always*. Qanā‘ah means finding enough in what you have. It means saying, “This is from my Lord,”

even when the gift comes wrapped in a trial. With qanā‘ah, the heart stops running after mirages and begins to taste the sweetness of now.

Throughout every moment of this journey, from morning to night, a Muslim carries *taqwa*. Taqwa is often translated as "fear of Allah," but more beautifully, it is a loving, constant awareness of Him. Like a child who behaves kindly because their parent is watching with affection, the believer lives gently because they know Allah is near. Taqwa keeps the heart soft.

It prevents gratitude from becoming pride, and trust from becoming laziness.

And here is a tender truth: Allah loves the strong Muslim. Not harsh or arrogant, but strong in character, strong in hope, strong in resilience. Allah wants you to succeed—in this world and the next. He is not waiting for you to fail. Just listen to the *adhan* five times a day. The mu’adhdhin 

does not only say, “Come to prayer.” He also calls out, “Come to success.” Every single day, five times, Allah invites you to a success that begins in the heart and extends into eternity.

So, dear reader, think well of your Lord. Be grateful. Try your best, then let go. Be content with what comes. And walk through your days gently aware that you are never alone.

That is positivity in Islam. Not a surface smile, but a deep, unshakable peace—rooted in trust, watered by thanks, and shaded by the mercy of the One who said, “I am as My servant thinks

of Me.”

- Kamal Hisham, 5th May 2026