Overthinking
Ugh, it could kill you.
You sef, you know. Those days that don't to go your way, when one small thing falls apart and suddenly everything becomes unstable. Before you know it, you're already thinking far, you're lost in thought like an old man who lived an unfulfilled life. I've been there, we've all been there. You begin to wonder what went wrong? What's going on? How did we end up here? You think the unthinkable as though everything depends on your planning and control, as though your anxiety holds the universe together, but it doesn’t. Provision has never been your responsibility. You were never in charge of sustaining your life. You were never in charge of anything at all, except that which Allah willed.
He reminds us in the Qur’an:
“Indeed, Allah is ar-Razāq, the Possessor of firm power” (51:58).
All of it, every detail, is in His hands, not yours. You have never provided for yourself on your best day; how could you expect your worry to provide what only Allah can? Look at creation: The ant carries a crumb heavier than its body, walking with purpose, without panic, without worrying too much about the next five steps, trusting the system of life it does not fully understand, yet Allah says:
“There is no creature on earth except that upon Allah is its provision” (11:6).
The hen scratches the soil and gathers her chicks beneath her wings; she does not know what tomorrow will bring, yet her offspring are fed, day after day, season after season. They do not overthink, they do not doubt, and still they survive. You, with intellect and a heart full of longing, often forget the One who controls it all.
Even the Prophets, closest to Allah, experienced fear, uncertainty, and doubt, yet they placed their hearts where they belonged. Mūsā عليه السلام stood before the sea with an army behind him and nowhere to run, yet he anchored himself in faith:
“No, indeed with me is my Lord; He will guide me” (26:62).
Maryam عليها السلام, exhausted and alone, gave birth beneath a palm tree, terrified for herself and her child, yet Allah instructed her to do what was in her power and promised the rest:
“Do not grieve… shake the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop fresh ripe dates upon you” (19:24–25).
See? They acted with what was in their hands and surrendered the impossible to Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “If you were to rely upon Allah as He should be relied upon, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds; they go out hungry in the morning and return full in the evening” (Tirmidhī).
The birds do not overthink, they do not run scenarios of failure in their heads, yet they are fed. Overthinking keeps you stuck, moving in circles, building futures Allah never asked you to carry, perhaps you're not even in it (May Allah grant us beneficial time), convincing you that the weight is yours alone.
Shaytān thrives in these moments, reminding you that the world depends on your worry, that the outcome rests on your shoulders, that you are powerless.
Allah corrects us: “You do not will except that Allah wills” (76:30).
Omo, you have never been in control, not of your provisions, not of time, not even of the breath you just took. What you are asked to do is simpler and harder at the same time: return to Him, again and again, anchor yourself in faith, act on what you can, and leave the rest.
When your thoughts spiral, bring yourself back. Focus on the moment you are in, the breath you are taking, the sustenance that has already reached you. Repeat
Hasbiyallāhu lā ilāha illā Huwa, ‘alayhi tawakkaltu wa huwa Rabbul‑‘arshil‑‘azhīm.”
حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
“Allah is sufficient for me; there is no deity except Him. On Him I rely, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne.”
Surah At‑Tawbah 9:129.
Move forward with the next right step, not the next twenty, and place the rest in Allah’s care. Stop carrying the future; stop pretending the universe bends to your worry. I rememberone saying, “Do not think (too much) about the future, reason it (acknowledge, accept and appreciate that Allah has it in control and would have mercy on the efforts you make)
Don't let Shaytān deceive you. You were never meant to carry the weight, except the weight of returning to Allah and trusting Him.
Stop overthinking it, ‘cause it could kill you.