When to Quit Your Job - Besides the Obvious Reasons

     You might be thinking, "why would I want anyone to tell me when it's time to quit my job?"

     And you're right to be wondering. Because no one should really dictate to anyone else how to live and make importance decisions in their life. Oftentimes however, we lack the ground rules to help us make such decisions. In the fear of change, we may choose to stay in the guaranteed under the illusion that life right now is probably a lot better than anything else that's out there, and that being in the job that I'm in right now is better than no job at all. 

     But when we prioritize this rational, we may begin to slowly lose the most basic substance of our humanity, which is our motivational soul. In comfort of the routine, overtime we may compromise some of our previous priorities and important values for the sake of either money, social competence, and fear of confronting our bosses and coworkers. 

    You may argue that for a satisfying life, one must not always expect others to adhere to his/her norms but must seek ways of making this slow change tolerable. I personally think that it is a careful balancing act. However, I do believe that if our most significant values to our self-concept are dissolving for the sake of garnering social points, we've committed some shirk in the process.

     Think about this, as Abeed on this earth, we are guided to a moral foundation based on serving Allah (subhanahu wa ta'alaa). The moment we compromise that foundation for the sake of pleasing other human beings and our selfish desires, we falsely lead ourselves to believe that only we are the important determining factor that controls our destiny and that Allah's role in my blessings and livelihood is only secondary to mine. 

     "He who seeks chastity, Allah will help him to be, and chaste he who seeks patience Allah will bestow patience upon him” [Al-Bukhari]

   The Hadith above teaches us one important lesson, which is that when we choose to abandon something in the fear of displeasing Allah, we are guaranteed to special care from the Al Mighty Himself. Just imagine being forced on the streets but choosing not to beg. It's certainly a difficult concept to grasp. So we let shaytan sometimes tell us to do bad for the sake of good, and that this is the only way we can live.This is in other words, to do with our hands what we believe Allah is not capable of. And that of course is an entirely false idea we need to identify and quickly steer away from.

     So, how do I balance between compromising and withholding when making my decision to quit or remain in my current position?

     What I can say based on the above is that the bottom line is, if I feel that my job is altering my feelings towards my previous values before attaining this job, there might be a problem. The solution may be to become more assertive. But oftentimes, to withdraw oneself from a negative workplace is the best option if the majority is not likely to respect or tolerate the way you choose to live.

     Add to that, I believe that compromise on the materialistic is oftentimes necessary and may be Allah's way of humbling you. If you feel that this compromise will be reflected in the livelihood and sustainability of your home then that's another story. Part of our duty as Muslims is to serve our families and make sure that their basic needs are met. Sometimes, we may quit also because we have interest in expanding our experience and advancing our careers.

     You may have other reasons for wanting to quit your job. They may not all be reasons you are comfortable disclosing to anyone or feel that they are worthy of such a decision. However, it is your job and it is therefore your decision to make. If you feel a sense of discomfort and unbelievable amounts of stress so much so that it is effecting your mental health and relationships in the home, that can be in itself a sole legitimate reason to quit.

So to conclude, this is your decision to make and if you've given it some thought and believe the only thing standing in your way is fear of change, do not hesitate. Have faith in Allah, make your decision and live your life to please Him and Him only and you will see better in upcoming days inshallah.


Your sister,

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