Assalamu Alaikum
just wanted to ask - If you don't mind responding - what did you learn that made you feel better about the situation? I mean, when I first learned that almost all my friends and almost everyone I see on a dayly basis is going to hell because they are not muslim, it depressed me to no end. This was 7 years ago. Now (im 23), and I am still very depressed about it. Will you please tell me, what you learned about life that made you not feel so about about this? I'm asking you this as an honest question - im not trying to make you feel guilty or anything so please don't think that.
Subhanallah, i rewrote this like 3 times; they were very long each time, but just to sum it all up:
What did i learn about life?? Life is the shortest time you will ever come upon. The hereafter is much longer, it is eternity. How long do we live, i mean whats the longest, 100 years maybe?? divide that by infinity it will come out as zero..that is how much this life is worth next to the afterlife.
Why hold on to a second that was not meant for you, when you can own an eternity?
I Grew up not knowing who Allah was, what Quran was for, or why i had to learn Quran when i had no idea what i was reciting. I used to think that it was only old people that had to be religious because they were going to die soon so they had to be good and make their religious duties.
After a long time after, I became curious in learning more about my religion. I would find myself in the same state as you are..crying over people that i loved because i knew that they werent complying with the religion as they should be therefore they will be severly punished for it. After a while you know that its their choice and no matter how much you beg or tell them, only Allah can guide them. This is their choice and they will be trialed for it justly.
You have been given an occupation and duties to fulfil that occupation.
Everyone has. Islam is such an easy religion to follow, it is when you are distracted away from the truth, it becomes hard.
I know for a fact that right now you have a very low iman, because you are willing to give up your beliefs for the sake of worldly pleasures (your family) when they have not given up anything as great for you.
We see everything that has been created, yet when we are distracted by these things we forget about the creator. We expect that this creator will continue to create for us to keep us in pleasure...yet that is all that we expect and do we ever give back?
You end up with everything, without a higher status in your life, you are truly empty. Allah has given us everything that we need to comply with our duties, and ON TOP OF THAT he has given us everything we want. The least we can do is what He asks of us, and its not like he asks us to give up what we cannot give, He is so merciful and just that we are excused for soo many things and forgiven for so many things even when we are not aware.
"Which favors of thy Lord will ye deny?"
If your family knows about Paradise and Hell and what is done to be entered into them, then the rest is between them and Allah, dont be depressed over it.
I dont remember what the situation was, but a very gud friend of mine told me that she doesnt expect getting into jannah, and when i asked her about this she said no one should, because if we did we wont strive to do our best or please Allah, those who expect Jannah are most likely sinning, faith doesnt come out from just the shahada.
And Allah made it so that we sinned because that way we wont feel superior over each other, we can have humility, and we learn to ask for forgivness. If we were sinless we would never feel we were doing anything wrong, we would have to much pride, and there wont be any reason for life.
There are many things that turned my heals upon the path of righteousness and now and then i may take a wrong turn but once i realize this i walk right back upon where i was.
We are all created by One, and have One goal, but different paths.
For you to feel less depressed, i suggest you strengthen your iman, and to do this you have to look deep within yourself and do a lot of thinking, because you have some ignorance and are not clear upon how you are supposed to percieve life.
Also you say that you feel depressed knowing that your friends will go to hell.
Yet how do they feel about it, are they as depressed as you? on another note, you do not know how your friends will end up.. Only Allah does so why concern yourself with which you do not know?
sorry for this being so long...didnt intend it to be :-[
Fi aman Allah
w'salaam