AN IN FOCUS

PUBLICATION

Inner
Peace
BY AA PLUS CHAMPIONS
 ‫ﺑﺴﻢ ﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬
ْ ‫َﺎر‬
‫ك‬ ِ ‫ﺑ‬ ‫و‬
َ ‫ﻢ‬
ْ ‫ﱢ‬ ‫ـــﻠ‬ ‫ﺳ‬
َ ‫و‬
َ ‫ﻞﱢ‬ ‫ﺻ‬ َ ‫ــﻢ‬
‫ﱠ‬ ُ
‫ﻬ‬ ‫ﱠ‬ ‫اﻟﻠ‬
‫ﻋﲆ ﻧَ ِﺒ ﱢﻴ َﻨ ـــﺎ ُﻣ ﱠ‬
‫ﺤﻤ ﺪ‬

TOPICS PAGE

FROM THE DESK OF AIDA AZLIN 03

WHAT IS INNER PEACE TO YOU? 04 - 08

WHAT AFFECTS YOUR INNER PEACE? 09 - 11

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE OUR INNER PEACE? 12 - 20

FINAL WORDS 21

02
FROM THE DESK OF
AIDA AZLIN

"If it costs you your peace,

it's not worth it."

Inner Peace is something that we all covet - it is something

that you cannot inherit, borrow, or steal. It's priceless, and it's
power is life-changing and transformative. I remember
reading somewhere years ago that "if you have peace in your
heart, then you are the richest man in the world" and that never
left my mind.

But what really intrigued me about this concept of 'Inner

Peace' is that it is something that the inhabitants of Jannah
possess. Allah SWT describes in the Quran that the greeting, or
the welcome in the next life is only for one with 'qalbin saleem'
- a sound and peaceful heart (Qur’an 26:89), and if we all want
to be residents of His Paradise, then we need to strive to have
a qalb that is Saleem, that is at peace.
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I am grateful and honoured to present some of the thoughts

and reflections on this topic by the beautiful ladies that I am
proud to call my Sisters, my Family, my Champions. And it is
our intention that through this humble publication, all of our
hearts can take one step closer in finding tranquility, Amin.

All good is only from Allah, and all mistakes are entirely mine.

03
aaplus.co
 WHAT IS
INNER PEACE
to you?
WHAT IS INNER PEACE TO YOU?

We asked you what was your definition of

'Inner Peace' and here are some of your
answers.

1 - Contentment and
Gratitude

A number of you associated inner peace with having the feelings of

contentment and gratitude, no matter the circumstance. That despite
the chaos that is swirling in the outside world, when one remains
grounded and anchored with gratitude, inner peace will settle in one's
heart.

This is important to remember as life can be a mix bag - some days (and
some months, even) are not exactly a walk in the park. But
remembering the countless of blessings that Allah SWT has so
generously pour unto us can be the lifejacket that we need to help us
tide through any rough storms. Gratitude is the cure to all anxiety, just
like how the remembrance of Allah is the cure to tired hearts.

Being full and content with where exactly we are in our lives also
contributes significantly to our inner peace. We need to understand
that Allah SWT's plans for us are always pregnant with wisdom and
purpose and we are exactly where Allah SWT wants us to be.

So, breathe. You are needed right here, at this very moment, and you
also have all that you require, to get through today.
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2 - Clarity & Trust in Allah

The second component that most of you attribute to having inner

peace is having a clear understanding of the Qadr (Decree) of Allah and
having full Yakeen and Trust in Him.

When one holds on to the Truth that Allah SWT has absolute and
perfect control over everything in our lives, the easier it will be for one
to fight off the anxieties and worries that might burden one's day to day
thoughts. One of the Champions shared, "If you can trust
the bus driver to take you to your destination, and you can sit back and
relax on your commute without worrying if he should have turned left
or right, why can't you trust Allah SWT, the One Who has Full
Knowledge about everything, the One Who Loves you most, to take
perfect care of your life?"

A lot of us struggle with having inner peace because we don't

understand how powerful it is to be able to have full trust in Allah SWT.

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3 - Submitting & Surrendering
to Allah SWT

This factor is arguably the most difficult to do,

but will, without a doubt, immediately heighten
your inner peace.

Like one of the Champions shared, "When I live

my daily life according to the commandments
of Allah SWT, and I strive to submit to Him, to
be the best slave that I can be to Him, then I
will feel this calmness and peace within me.
That even if the world isn't happy with me, I'm
still at peace knowing that In Sha Allah, Allah
SWT will be pleased with me, and that is more
than enough."

When you carry out your life submitting to

Allah SWT and then surrendering all of your
affairs to al-Alim (the Most Knowing) and al-
Wadud (the Most Loving), the lightness that
you feel in your heart is simply indescribable.

Surrendering to Allah SWT is essentially us

giving away all of our doubts, flaws,
insecurities, problems, anxieties, worries,
mistakes, and anything that has been
burdening us to the One who holds the Key to
all Solutions and Power.

And there's nothing more freeing than falling

into complete neediness to the One who loves
to be asked.
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02
4 - Solitude + Reflection

Another noteworthy definition of what Inner Peace is to some of you

was having ample time for solitude and deep introspection. To be able
to quiet not just the bustle of life, but also the chatters of your thoughts.
Some of you also mentioned that inner peace is when you can enjoy
your own company, in the dark, being unflinchingly true to ourselves.

And when priceless moments of Solitude happens, the beautiful by-

product of that is being able to deeply reflect and digest the signs,
lessons and reminders that Allah SWT is constantly giving us. And when
the soul gets "fed" with quiet contemplation, the heart and the mind will
in turn also get to enjoy inner peace, In Sha Allah.

08
WHAT AFFECTS YOUR
INNER PEACE
negatively?
WHAT AFFECTS YOUR INNER PEACE
NEGATIVELY

We asked you what are some of the things

that depreciates the level of one's 'Inner
Peace' and here's a round up.!

1 - Sins

Personally, this is one of the biggest factors that disrupts my Inner

Peace and most of you agree and could relate to this as well.
Transgressing against Allah SWT and His commandments affects our
inner peace because everything that He has forbid us to do is for our
own good and going against that brings us nothing but harm.

It is the fitrah (natural inclination) of our hearts that it is attracted to

light and goodness so when we engage in sins, it taints our heart and
affects the level of peace. When we sin, our faith and Iman also takes a
hit, and this, unfortunately, will affect other forms of our worship,
such as being late or missing prayers, feeling anger, envy and
resentment, which are all diseases of the heart, and being distracted
and disconnected from Allah SWT.

2 - Negative Self Talk / Self-Sabotage

Another pressing reason that disturbs one's inner peace is incessant

negative self-talk. The words and vocabulary we use to speak to
ourselves tremendously affect the state of our hearts. If we are
constantly putting ourselves down, complaining, and saying we are "not
good enough", it cripples our confidence and that negatively influences
our inner peace. The main trigger points for this are: spending too much
time on Social Media and comparing one self with others.
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3 - Overthinking

One of the other big barriers that stands in one's way of attaining inner
peace that most of us struggle with is overthinking. Wether it be caring
too much of what others are saying or thinking of you, worrying too
much about the future, or regretting past decisions, this act of
excessive dwelling doesn't just affect your inner peace, but can
incapacitate you.

4 - 'Running on Empty'

When we are sucked into the hustle and bustle of day to day life and
not take the time to re-charge, wether spiritually, mentally, or physically,
'burn out' happens. Unfortunately, we are all no stranger to that concept
especially in this modern day and age, where things are constantly "go,
go, go" all the time. When that happens, we find ourselves drained and
our inner peace will inadvertently also run on empty.

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HOW CAN WE
IMPROVE OUR
inner peace?
When you feel your heart is
malnourished and in disarray,
feed yourself with as many
sources of barakah as you can.
Sit in the banquet of Allah's
immense blessings and keep
the company of His Beloved and
His Friends, and your heart will
find lightness and tranquility
again, In Sha Allah.

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HOW CAN WE OUR IMPROVE INNER PEACE

Coming to the most important part of the discussion,

we then asked you what do you do to attain the much
coveted sense of peace. Here's a list of your wisdom.

1 - Spiritual

Stay in Sujood for as long as you can, pouring out all of your
thoughts and worries into the reassuring embrace of your Rabb.
Send Selawat unto our beloved Rasulullah SAW. Find comfort in the
beautiful memory of a blessed man SAW making dua for you all
night long till his tears soak his beard, SAW.
Busy your tongue with Zikir - the act of repeating Duas and Allah's
Names and being in remembrance of Allah SWT shines light to a
dark and troubled heart. Do this anywhere, anytime.
Renewing one's intentions - take the time to sit down and ask
yourself why do you do the things that you do. Connect it all back to
Allah as He is the One who possess all Strength and Power and it's
only in Him that you can be recharged and reminded of your true
purpose.
Run back to the Quran - the Book of Answers, of Healing, of
Reminders. Whenever possible, recite the beautiful Ayahs and read
the translation alongside it. If that's not possible, listen to it. Take
comfort in the fact that these words are from Allah SWT Himself,
sent directly to you.
Repentance. With the blessing of awareness that Allah SWT has
bestowed on you, strive hard to remove yourself from engaging in
sins by first coming back to Allah SWT with sincere repentance.
There is no shame in admitting your sins with Allah SWT, only
strength and love.

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1 - Spiritual (Contd)

Rise in the early hours of the night for Tahajjud - a prayer made
during this time is like an arrow that never misses it's target. (Imam
as-Shafi'i)
Engage in acts of Charity as it "extinguishes sin as water
extinguishes fire.” (Tirmidhi)
Strive to always be in a state of Wudhu as it acts as a shield /
protection.
And of course, make plenty of Duas for Allah SWT to grant us inner
peace. To ask from Allah SWT, al-Karim (Most Generous), to expand
our chests, pour light in our hearts, and to remove all forms of
darkness and ill feelings.

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In the heart are disorders that cannot be
remedied except by responding to Allah.
In it is a desolate feeling that cannot be
removed except by intimacy with Him in
solitude. In it is sadness which will not
leave except by happiness with
knowing Him. In it is anxiety that is not
made tranquil except by gathering for His
sake and fleeing to Him from His
punishment. In it is a fire of regret which
cannot be extinguished except by
satisfaction with His commands,
prohibitions, and decrees, and embracing
patience with that until the time he meets
Him. In it is a strong desire that will not
cease until He is the only one who is
sought. In it is a void that cannot be
filled except by His love, turning to Him,
always remembering Him, and being
sincere to Him. Were a person to be given
the entire world and everything in it, that
would never fill the void.
- Ibn Qayyim

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2 - Self + Solitude

Make it a daily habit to start your day with positive affirmations such
as, "I am Allah's and He has given me everything that I need to get
through today. Everything will be more than OK!"

Set boundaries - take back control by setting healthy boundaries

with the people around you. This will allow you to interact with
respect and kindness, but without giving other people the ability to
affect or control your thoughts and state of mind. If certain
individuals affect your inner peace, feel free to mute / unfollow /
block or just take your time away so that you reclaim your peace.

Spend time in Solitude - when it's just you and Allah SWT, it's easier
to slow everything down and silence the voices in your head. Keep
your phone away, and just be present in the moment.

Honour the time that you have with yourself and Allah SWT by being
present and vulnerable with your Majestic Company. Steady your
breath, close your eyes, and just inhale and exhale with every Zikir of
"Allah". Cry everything out to Him.

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3 - Productivity

As "unromantic" as it sounds, being productive, disciplined

and having a routine helps a lot with our state of inner
peace.
One of the best ways to increase productivity is to pray on
time. There is wisdom in the timings of our Prayers and if we
are having regular and consistent check-ins with our Rabb,
our hearts will also be spiritually full and happy.
When you take an extra effort to have a schedule and plan
your time, you can also prevent "burning out" as you'll be able
to schedule ample time off to re-charge and recuperate.
Schedule your day around the 5 daily prayers - when you
take care of Allah's Rights, He takes care of your affairs in
this world and the next!

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4 - Rest in Nature

Spending time around Nature and appreciating its

beauty does wonders in bringing peacefulness in our
hearts.

Take a pause and rest when you are feeling too

overwhelmed. Gaze up towards the skies and the
clouds and just let your heart, mind, body and soul
breathe.

Being near the sea and listening to the sound of

waves helps as well. Our beautiful Mother Nature is
the original ASMR and the best part? Every single
thing in Nature is actually making Zikrullah. They are
all remembering Allah SWT, and perhaps that is why
we immediately feel at peace around nature.

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5 - Activities to Do

Focus on your breath and smile for a minute straight!

Spend time and surround yourself with companions who will remind
you of Allah SWT

Listen to podcasts / watch videos that will uplift you and remind you
of Allah's Mercy and Love

Go on a Phone + Social Media Detox

Wake up early and seek Allah’s company from the crack of the
dawn, talk to Him and set your goals for the day

Journal your reflections down at the end of the night to offload

heavy emotions and thoughts

Sweat it out and take part in your favourite outdoor activity. The
perks and benefits of exercising is endless

Daydream about Jannah - imagine meeting Allah SWT and

Rasulullah SAW for the first time, and being re-united with the ones
you love in this world

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final words:

I shared in our first initial discussion that

there are three things that affects my inner
peace: being in sin, the effects of social
media, and being overly concerned about
the thoughts of other people.

But Allah SWT is Most Generous and Most

Merciful as He has given me a whole lot
more than 3 ways to reclaim and instil inner
peace in my heart, as this humble PDF has
proved to show.

Whatever ways it is you choose to do to

protect your Inner Peace, I pray that may
Allah SWT allow you the strength and
discipline for you to constantly include it in
your daily routine.

May we all be people with Qalbin Saleem, and

as much as we protect our own Inner
Peace, may we also not be the cause of
someone else's inner peace being waned.

Like Rasulullah SAW said, “Spread peace

and you will receive peace.”

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