Sometimes, People Wonder Why and How I Keep Doing What I Do: Faith, Struggles, and the Purpose of Service

By

Abu-Ubaida SANI, Ph.D.
Department of Languages and Cultures,
Federal University Gusau, Zamfara, Nigeria
Email: abuubaidasani5@gmail.com | abu-ubaidallah@fugusau.edu.ng
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6447-4334 | WhatsApp: +2348133529736

Sometimes, people wonder why I keep doing what I do. They see the hard work, the numerous responsibilities, the many issues I manage simultaneously, and the different individuals, institutions, and companies I deal with. They see how I move from one commitment to another, often handling several matters at the same time, and wonder how I manage to keep going.

Perhaps some wonder where I find the energy. Others may wonder why I continue taking on responsibilities when I already have so much to do.

Honestly, there are moments when I ask myself similar questions.

There are days when the workload feels overwhelming, when several responsibilities demand attention at once, and when I quietly ask myself: When will I have some rest? When will I slow down and enjoy the fruits of my struggles? How long must I continue carrying so many responsibilities?

I am human, after all. I get tired. Sometimes, I feel demoralised. Sometimes, I wish I could put everything aside for a while and simply rest.

However, two important reminders continually help me regain perspective: a verse from the Glorious Qur’an and a Hadith that my mentor, Prof. Yakubu Aliyu Gobir, frequently recites to me.

A Qur’anic Verse That Changed My Perspective

One verse that has profoundly influenced how I understand life's challenges is found in Surah Al-Balad.

Arabic:

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ

Transliteration:

Laqad khalaqnā al-insāna fī kabad.

English Translation:

“We have certainly created man into hardship.”

Source: The Qur’an, Surah Al-Balad (90:4).

Since I learned this verse and reflected on its meaning, I have tried to prepare my mind for the realities of life. I have learned not to expect every meaningful pursuit to be easy or every effort to produce immediate results.

Life comes with responsibilities, disappointments, sacrifices, uncertainty, and struggles. Some challenges arise from our circumstances, while others come with the responsibilities we willingly accept.

For me, this verse serves as a reminder that difficulties are part of the human experience. Rather than interpreting every obstacle as a reason to abandon a worthwhile pursuit, I try to approach challenges with patience, faith, and a willingness to keep moving forward.

This does not mean that hardship should be sought for its own sake or that a person must work without rest. Rather, it reminds me that the presence of difficulty does not automatically mean that the work is without value.

Sometimes, we must learn to continue despite inconvenience while also recognising when we need rest, support, or a different approach.

A Hadith My Mentor Frequently Reminds Me Of

Beyond this Qur’anic reminder, another source of motivation is a Hadith that my mentor, Prof. Yakubu Aliyu Gobir, frequently recites to me.

Arabic:

خَيْرُ النَّاسِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ

Transliteration:

Khayru al-nāsi anfa‘uhum li al-nās.

English Translation:

“The best of people are those who are most beneficial to people.”

Source: Reported by al-Ṭabarānī in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsaṭ (5787); graded ḥasan by al-Albānī in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi‘ (3289).

These words encourage me to look beyond personal achievement and ask a more important question: Who benefits from what I do?

What is the value of knowledge if it does not benefit anyone? What is the purpose of professional advancement if it does not create opportunities to serve others? And what meaning can we attach to our efforts if they contribute nothing positive to the lives of the people around us?

These questions help me see my responsibilities from a different perspective.

Teaching is not merely about delivering lectures. It is also about helping students acquire knowledge and develop their potential.

Research is not merely about publishing papers. It can also contribute to understanding problems and finding solutions.

Working with journals, researchers, institutions, and companies is not simply about completing tasks or meeting professional expectations. It can create opportunities to support knowledge production, improve services, preserve languages and cultures, and help people achieve their goals.

Every worthwhile effort may have a benefit beyond what we can immediately see.

Perhaps some of the things we do today will help people we may never meet. Perhaps knowledge we share now will inspire someone years from today. Perhaps a project that seems small to us will become meaningful to another person.

Thinking about these possibilities gives my struggles a greater sense of purpose.

When I Feel Demoralised, I Remember My Purpose

There are moments when responsibilities seem endless. One issue is resolved, and another appears. One project is completed, and another begins. Different people need attention, different commitments require action, and different expectations must be managed.

At such moments, it is natural to wonder when everything will become less demanding.

But I have learned that motivation does not always come from seeing the end of a difficult journey. Sometimes, it comes from remembering why the journey matters.

When I feel discouraged, I remind myself that my efforts are not solely about personal success, recognition, or material achievement. They are also about the knowledge I can contribute, the people I can support, and the good I can help bring into existence.

This perspective does not eliminate exhaustion, nor does it make every responsibility easy. It simply helps me place the challenges within a broader understanding of purpose.

I also remind myself that meaningful service does not require me to do everything alone. Seeking assistance, working with others, delegating responsibilities where possible, and taking time to rest are all important parts of sustaining good work.

Perseverance is not the refusal to rest; it is the willingness to return to worthwhile work with renewed strength and purpose.

The Importance Of Benefiting Others

The Hadith my mentor frequently recites has become an important reminder that professional success should not be separated from service to humanity.

We may hold positions, earn qualifications, publish books, manage institutions, establish businesses, or achieve recognition in our respective fields. These accomplishments can be valuable, but their significance becomes greater when they translate into something beneficial.

A lecturer can influence generations of students. A researcher can contribute to solutions for social problems. A writer can preserve knowledge for future generations. An entrepreneur can create opportunities for others. A professional can help an institution work more effectively.

Not every contribution needs to be extraordinary or widely celebrated. Sometimes, helping one person understand something important, completing a responsibility honestly, or making a difficult process easier for others is meaningful in itself.

The important thing is to approach our responsibilities with sincerity and a desire to do good.

For a Muslim, this also means remembering that beneficial work should be accompanied by sincere intentions, ethical conduct, and reliance upon Allah. The desire to benefit others should not become an excuse for neglecting our health, family, or other obligations. Balance matters, too.

My Prayer For Our Struggles

I do not claim to have mastered the art of balancing every responsibility. I am still learning. There are things I could do better, moments when I could manage my time more wisely, and occasions when I need to remind myself that I cannot accomplish everything at once.

Nevertheless, I continue to draw motivation from the Qur’anic reminder that life involves hardship and from the Hadith that encourages us to be beneficial to others.

These reminders help me face challenges with greater patience and see my work as an opportunity to contribute something meaningful.

My prayer is that Allah grants us strength when we feel weak, patience when we face difficulties, wisdom in managing our responsibilities, and sincerity in everything we do.

May He bless our efforts, make our knowledge beneficial, accept our good deeds, forgive our shortcomings, and allow the people around us to benefit from our work.

Above all, may Allah make our struggles a means of drawing closer to Him, earning His mercy, and attaining eternal bliss in Jannatul Firdaus.

Āmīn, Yā Rabbal-‘Ālamīn.