Assalamu Alaikum my dear friend,

A few days ago at a community gathering, I had a short but meaningful exchange with a brilliant young man. He came up to me, eager and thoughtful, asking how he could improve his life—his habits, mindset, spiritual connection.

I listened, gave him a few strategies, and tried to coach him with sincerity. Then he paused, smiled, and said something I’ve heard many times:

"Oh, but for you, it’s easy. You’re a coach."

I smiled back, and I wish I could have told him everything I wanted to say in that moment. But as community gatherings go, someone else jumped into the conversation, and we got pulled away.

So let me say here what I couldn’t say then:

Nothing is easy—until it becomes easier.

You see, the idea that something is inherently easy for someone else is often an illusion. What we see as "ease" in others is often the result of years of unseen effort. Consistency. Repetition. Struggle. Failing and trying again.

Take me, for example. I’ve been working out consistently for more than 15 years. Is it easy for me to get up and hit the gym now? No, not always. Some mornings, it’s still a battle. But it’s much easier than it used to be. Why? Because I’ve practiced. Again and again.

This applies to everything: eating healthy, sleeping well, managing emotions, building routines. I still have hard days. I still fall. But it’s easier now—not because life magically changed, but because I’ve been putting in the reps.

There’s a proverb that says, "Everything is hard until it becomes easy." Some say it’s Chinese, though that may not be certain. But even that version isn’t entirely accurate. I think the truth is:

Everything is hard, until it becomes easier.

Some things may never be truly easy. But with enough effort, they become less hard. That space between hard and easier? That’s called practice.

And what allows you to keep practicing, even when it’s hard?

It’s something called agency.

Agency is your belief that you have the ability to act, to influence, to make a change. It’s knowing that you are not a victim of your circumstances. That you can choose, decide, and direct your life—by Allah’s will.

When you build agency, you build the resilience to keep practicing.

When you build practice, you build progress.

And when you keep progressing, things start to become easier. Not easy—easier.

Allah subuhanawut’ala tells us in the Quran:

“Indeed, with hardship comes ease.” (Quran 94:6)

Notice He doesn’t say after hardship, but with it. Ease isn’t waiting on the other side. It’s wrapped within the hardship. It unfolds when we step in, when we stay in, when we practice despite the struggle.

And this isn’t just a worldly principle. It applies to our journey to the Aakhira too.

We sometimes think that Jannah will come easily, or that somehow we’ll slide in without effort. But the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once said:

"Jannah is surrounded by hardships, and the Hellfire is surrounded by desires." (Sahih Muslim)

So yes, ease comes. But only through struggle. Through perseverance. Through showing up, again and again.

So, whatever you’re struggling with right now—whether it’s waking up for Fajr, being patient with your kids, memorizing Quran, or building new habits—remember: it’s supposed to be hard.

But it will become easier.

And the more you act with agency, the more you'll show up for practice. And that, my friend, is the bridge between where you are and where you want to be.

May Allah subuhanawut’ala strengthen our resolve, deepen our trust, and make our paths easier through our effort.

With love and gratitude,
Rushdhi

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