An Islamic Reflection on Turning Forty and Spiritual Maturity
Bismillah…
Turning forty in Islam is not merely about age.
It is about awakening, responsibility, and spiritual clarity.
Many people say that life truly begins at the age of forty.
In Islam, the age of forty carries profound spiritual meaning.
And I agree, with my whole heart.
Entering this age feels profoundly different.
There is a shift in direction that may not always be visible,
yet it is deeply felt within the soul.
Turning Forty in Islam and the Age of Prophetic Clarity
Islam itself honors the age of forty.
Turning forty in Islam is often seen as a threshold
into deeper accountability before Allah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was appointed as a Prophet at this age,
an age of spiritual maturity, clarity of intellect,
and a settled vision of life.
And I feel it.
My focus has changed.
I am no longer busy pleasing everyone.
No longer afraid to leave something behind
simply because it feels “awkward” to let go.
Not out of resentment.
But because at this age, peace is no longer a luxury,
it is a necessity.
At forty, something quietly rearranges itself.
What has been destined for you
will find its way to you,
no matter how difficult, how distant,
or how unreasonable it may seem to others.
At this stage of life, I am learning to prioritize
what truly matters:
benefit for myself, my family, and others,
without losing myself in the process.
Clarity does not mean closing my ears,
but learning which voices help me walk closer to Allah.
Not louder voices.
But truer ones.
Many people see forty as the beginning of decline.
Yet history tells us otherwise.
It is at this age that great movements begin.
The Prophet ﷺ began his mission at forty.
Most of the Companions were at that age or older,
yet their footsteps reshaped the world.
So, forty is not the age of fading productivity.
It is the age when meaningful productivity truly begins.
No longer searching for identity.
No longer experimenting without direction.
Now the path feels clear,
where this life is meant to lead, all the way to the end.
This was when writing returned,
not as ambition, but as calling.
Perhaps that is why Allah moved my heart
to focus deeply on writing now, not earlier.
Even though I had started long ago,
my attention was still divided then.
Alhamdulillah, today I truly feel
that I am standing on the right path.
This does not mean I am rigid or closed
to other possibilities.
It simply means this is where my primary focus now rests.
If I had truly closed my doors,
I would not be writing forty new dreams, would I?
The first forty years have passed.
Alhamdulillah, many dreams have been fulfilled by Allah.
Yet all of them remained within the physical world,
limited to Indonesia.
They had not yet reached the global stage.
So, for the next forty years,
I allow myself to dream again.
I write down forty new dreams
because I hold good expectations of Allah,
that He may grant me life until the age of eighty.
If you were given another chapter of life,
what kind of dreams would you write,
the safe ones, or the meaningful ones?
Forty dreams to pursue
in personal life, family, business, and da‘wah,
so that life remains alive with purpose,
not merely moving forward without soul.
And one of those dreams,
by the permission of Allah,
is now beginning to unfold:
to go international.
For years, I longed to publish a book globally.
The desire lived quietly in my heart,
yet I did not know the way.
Now, Allah Himself is opening the path.
And what moves me most deeply is this:
my very first international book
is about the Qur’an,
a Qur’an Reflection.
A longing to truly draw near
and connect with Allah
through His divine words.
For a long time, reading the Qur’an
often touched my heart.
Yet just as often, I felt lost:
What is the deepest meaning of this verse?
Long tafsir books sometimes scattered my focus.
Many verses did not remain alive in my heart.
Even when memorized,
without understanding, they faded easily.
Qur’an Reflection
is designed as a space of intimacy with Allah,
free from distraction.
If we are able to do deep work
for two to three hours without our phones,
then in sya Allah we are also able
to do deep heart work with the Qur’an
for fifteen to twenty-five minutes,
daily or weekly,
at the time most suitable for our souls,
without disruption.
I long for a book that allows me to be alone
with the Words of Allah.
Without notifications.
Without the outside world.
Without distraction.
Because intimacy with the Qur’an
requires presence, not performance.
And alhamdulillah,
that longing is now being realized by Allah.
This is one of the forty new dreams
that Allah has allowed to begin
at the beginning of this year.
And with Allah permission,
Alhamdulillah Qur’an Reflection have been launched in January 2026.
Now, Qur’an Reflection available on the Qur’an page, Allahu Akbar!!!
The Qur’an, the End of Times, and the Loss of Meaning
When meaning fades, rituals grow louder.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ warned the Ummah
about the condition of the end times
in a hasan hadith narrated from Thawban
(raḍiyallāhu ‘anhu).
Allah would remove fear of them
from the hearts of their enemies
and cast al-wahn into their hearts.
When the Companions asked,
“What is al-wahn?”
he replied:
“Love of the dunya and hatred of death.”
In another narration,
the Messenger of Allah ﷺ warned:
“Many are those who recite the Qur’an,
yet the Qur’an curses them.”
Not because of their recitation,
but because their actions contradict
what they recite.
This is not meant to frighten us,
but to awaken us gently.
Today, we do not lack people
who read and memorize the Qur’an.
What we should fear is when
our relationship with the Qur’an
stops at the tongue
and never reaches the heart or the deeds.
He said that a time would come
when Muslims would be numerous,
yet they would be like foam upon the sea.
The Etiquette of Engaging with the Qur’an
In the Islamic tradition,
scholars explain that engagement with the Qur’an
includes four essential aspects:
reading, understanding, practicing, and memorizing.
These are not rigid stages,
but interconnected paths
that strengthen one another.
Some begin with memorization,
then seek understanding.
Others understand first,
then memorize.
But the most important matter is this:
that the Qur’an truly comes alive within us.
This is why the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Convey from me, even if only a single word.”
“Knowing” here does not merely mean memorizing,
but understanding its meaning
and bringing it to life.
We often fall into the trap
of wanting to do many things,
only to lose their meaning.
We multiply acts of worship,
yet exhaust our hearts.
Whereas Allah loves deeds
that are small but consistent.
Allah does not look at appearance
or wealth.
Allah looks at the heart.
This is not about being rich or poor.
Charity is not exclusive to the wealthy.
Even those with little can give;
through effort, knowledge,
or even a sincere smile.
Even the Companions
each had their own signature acts of worship.
And every soul has its own unique path
toward closeness with Allah.
Voluntary prayers also vary:
tahajjud, witr, dhuha, rawatib.
Choose what you can perform
with love and consistency.
The same applies to dhikr.
There are many doors
through which we can return to Allah.
Our task is not to compare ourselves.
Our task is to find our own path back to Him.
If your strength is memorization, pursue it.
If your strength is charity, continue it.
If your strength is dhikr, remain steadfast.
Without feeling superior to anyone else.
Turning forty in Islam reminds us
that life is no longer about accumulation, but preparation.
Forty Dreams and the Final Call
Do you have forty dreams?
If all forty were fulfilled,
would that mean your final moment is near?
No one knows when death will come.
If my time arrives after those dreams are fulfilled,
Alhamdulillah.
If Allah extends my life,
Alhamdulillah, I will write new dreams again.
If Allah calls me back before they are achieved,
even the intention alone is already rewarded.
That is Islam.
No act of goodness is ever wasted.
So never grow weary of being a good person.
Even when your goodness
is not always repaid.
Not always appreciated.
Not always remembered.
Let Allah be enough,
the best place to place your hope,
and the best Giver of reward.
