Journaling Is Powerful, but This May be Better for You

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Your journal is deeply personal.

It holds all your thoughts, secrets, insecurities, fears, desires, and maybe even tears.

It’s a place to unload bottled-up emotions, observe your thoughts, and reflect.

But what if I told you to stop journaling and try something different?

Replace Journaling with Talking to Allah ‎سبحانه وتعالى

A year ago, I stopped day-to-day journaling and began taking those intimate moments straight to Allah _ﷻ —the One who already knows them all.

After years of journaling, both physically and digitally, I haven’t written a single journal entry since. And honestly? I can’t see myself doing it again.

This practice transformed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

I now only do written tazkiyah exercises to work through particular and persistent thoughts or emotions to make sure that I am putting the knowledge I acquire into action.

Why I Stopped Journaling

I Was Looking for Connection

One day, I noticed that I kept writing in sha Allah, alhamdulillah, masha Allah, and astaghfirullah in my entries. Then I went back and started rereading my entries and thought, you know what? What if I just told Allah all of this directly?

I wanted to deepen my connection with Him _ﷻ so I would be able to recognize when He was communicating with me. I couldn’t help but realize that journaling was just me talking to myself, so talking to Him _ﷻ instead made it a conversation.

Talking to Allah _ﷻ about everything—big and small, important and insignificant—has strengthened my relationship with Him in ways journaling never did. This helped me to respond to His _ﷻ responses, again—making it a conversation.

Missed Days

When life got hectic, I would miss days and then use my next journal entry to “catch up,” summarizing what happened and why I skipped.

But now, I can easily talk to Allah _ﷻ as I lay in bed before doing my nightly du’as and adhkar.

I also do so while unloading the dishwasher, walking through the park, driving, or waiting in line at the grocery store. It doesn’t matter because He’s everywhere, and He _ﷻ can hear me even when I haven’t said a word aloud.

I Didn’t See Enough Progress

Journaling allowed me to vent and get things off my mind, but nothing really changed. I felt the need to reread my journal entries in order to see my progress over time because it felt slow or minimal. But when I stopped, I couldn’t help but notice the changes because they were so drastic.

Now, I do keep a life calendar in Notion that I call my “Pensieve” (if you’re a Harry Potter fan, you get it). So if you use your journal to track big life updates, you can still do that. Or you can add those big moments to a calendar as a way to reflect on the blessings of Allah _ﷻ.

This practice can be as flexible as you need it to be.

What Changed When I Made the Switch?

Increased Taqwa:

Talking to Allah _ﷻ forced me to approach Him with reverence and mindfulness. I became conscious of my thoughts and my words and, as a result, my actions, ensuring they reflected humility and my role as His servant. It made me aware of the sins I committed before Him.

Stronger Connection:

He _ﷻ became my consultant, my best friend, my therapist, and my teacher.

This included Allah _ﷻ in:

• My healing and emotional regulation

• Reshaping my thoughts and habits

• Detaching my heart from the dunya

• My search for knowledge

• My decision-making and everyday life

Witnessing His _ﷻ Names:

Through regular conversations with Him _ﷻ, I witnessed His responses to the things I would tell Him—even the little things! It allowed me to truly witness His _ﷻ Majesty through a variety of His attributes.

How You Can Start

It’s simple:

Pause Before Journaling:

Next time you feel like journaling, take everything you were going to write down and tell it to Allah _ﷻ instead. The more you do this, the more you'll find yourself telling Allah _ﷻ everything. There will be times when you won’t even ask for anything—you’ll simply talk to Him _ﷻ and check in, even though you already know He knows.

Be Real:

Share your fears, goals, and random thoughts. Allah _ﷻ already knows, so speak from the heart. You can’t trick Allah _ﷻ into thinking that you feel something you don’t. He is the only One with whom you can truly be 100% yourself, so really capitalize on that intimate relationship. He’s closer than your jugular vein and He knows what’s in front of you and what’s behind you.

Be Consistent:

Do this daily, and watch how your relationship with Allah _ﷻ deepens and how your perception of this dunya changes.

It’ll feel strange at first because conversations with Allah _ﷻ are different from conversations with anyone else. His _ﷻ responses require mindfulness and trusting your gut because He’ll communicate through it.

Here’s an example:

I was triggered by something that was texted to me. I didn’t know if the person intended to hurt me by sending it. While trying to calm down, my chest was tight, my breath was shaky, and I was struggling to slow my heart rate. I said:

"Ya Allah, You know their intentions, I do not. I don’t know how they’re expecting me to take this, but my Lord, am I overreacting?"

Instantly, my heart rate slowed, and I was covered with a calmness.

I replied, "Okay… 😮‍💨 thank you, Rabbi," and proceeded to respond to the message with grace and forbearance, masha Allah.

This is one of many instances where I got an instant response. Other times, His _ﷻ answers came later—it really depends on what I was talking to Him about.

When I’m stuck on what’s the best move to make, He _ﷻ gives me a strong sense of clarity when I start to get on the right track. Or sends me certain messages over and over through relevant videos, emails, or other means.

I often read the Quran out of order and ask Allah _ﷻ to make a certain surah stand out to me to read in that moment based on what He knows I need to learn or be reminded of.

Review Your Journals:

Look back at old entries and ask yourself:

• Is this something I’d feel comfortable saying to Allah _ﷻ?

• Is it rooted in gratitude, obedience, or negativity?

If your journal entries are filled with doubts, ingratitude, or a focus on what’s “wrong” more than what’s right, it might be a sign to give this a try.

The Benefits

Cleans Up Your Speech:

You learn to filter your words with reverence for Allah _ﷻ. You don’t talk to Him _ﷻ the way you would talk to anyone in this dunya because Allah is Greater. You’re comfortable but also mindful of your complaints.

Increases Your Awe and Good Thoughts of Him _ﷻ:

Witnessing His responses builds your trust and certainty in Him because you know that when you call on Him, He always responds. You see His wisdom and mercy in action.

Humbles You:

Constantly talking to Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} reminds you of who you are—and who you’re not. It keeps you honest because you know that He already knows you, so you can’t convince Him to see you in a way that’s untrue.

Closeness:

It helps you to create a bond with Allah _{‎سبحانه وتعالى} that gives you the strength to hold on to Him _ﷻ even when everything around you is crashing down because, alhamdulillah, you know that it’s Him who is keeping it from crashing down on you.

Why This Works Better Than Journaling

No Limits:

People typically journal only once or twice a day. Conversations with Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} can happen as often as you need—anytime, anywhere. No waiting for a quiet moment or the right setting. You don’t need to be in a state of wudu (though if you can, do so). You don’t need to have your hands up like when making dua. All you need to do is talk (or think).

Easy:

You don’t have to worry about hand cramps, messy handwriting, forgetting your thoughts mid-writing, or your hand not being able to keep up with your mind.

You don’t have to carry your journal and pen everywhere or log in.

Tests Your Iman:

It will reveal any hidden limiting beliefs you may have about Allah _{سبحانه وتعالى} , especially if you feel that doing this won’t be enough for you. Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} says He will respond and that we, too, need to listen to Him. He tells us that through His remembrance, our hearts will find rest. You only need to fully believe what He tells us.

I know giving up journaling might feel scary or impossible. But anything you sacrifice for the sake of knowing Allah _{سبحانه وتعالى} better will only bring you closer to Him.

Journaling is often a way for people to connect with themselves and to learn about who they really are.

Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} tells us that if we remember Him, He’ll remember us, and to not be like those who forgot Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} because He then made them forget themselves.

If you’re truly wanting to connect with and learn more about yourself, then know that you have to go through Allah ‎_{سبحانه وتعالى} first. This is just one way of doing so.

Take your most personal thoughts and give them to Allah _{سبحانه وتعالى} so He can guide your heart toward what pleases Him and watch how He _ﷻ comforts you in ways you hadn’t thought possible.

Trust me, it’s worth a try.

As-salamu alaikum, until next time, in sha Allah.

—Khalisa