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A personal awakening
Introduction:
At the age of 7or 8, I was told the story about Abu Talib, the uncle of Prophet Mohammad (SW). From that time, I had a deep remorse for him. I often wondered about the tragic fate of someone dearly loved by the Prophet (SW), who protected him from danger until his last breath. After many years, I finally think I figured out the psychology of Abu Talib—and it deeply connects to something I’ve struggled with too. At the heart of it all is serotonin, the “mother hormone” that quietly shapes our emotions and sense of purpose. So, let's dig into the depths of the connections.
Fear, Procrastination, and Misuse of Serotonin
When we procrastinate our work, there are a lot of reasons that accelerate it further. In my case, it was the fear of being judged by folks. I paused my homework by thinking about the quality of my writing, which was true indeed. Instead of facing the challenge and getting improvement, I chose not to work and was afraid of getting negative feedback. So the point is, if I do care about what people are going to think more than my original purpose, that means my serotonin is aligned with the people, not Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. This diagnosis shook me up and made me think of Abu Talib's story. He was also in this situation and couldn’t get out of the problem till the end of his life. Although Abu Talib was kind, loyal, and protective toward his nephew, the Prophet Muhammad (SW), he couldn’t openly support the truth of Islam because he was afraid of losing respect in the eyes of his people. Studies show that serotonin levels influence how we respond to social acceptance or rejection. When our serotonin is “tuned” to people’s opinions, we become emotionally dependent on validation to feel good and maintain the secretion of serotonin. So Abu Talib’s story is not just historical; it’s psychological and also biological.
Conclusion:
So realizing the similarity between me and Abu Talib, I understood that true purpose requires emotional intelligence —a shift from seeking approval to seeking alignment with higher values. To grow, I must welcome feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable. This is not just about productivity; it’s about neurochemical alignment—training my serotonin to respond to truth, not ego. I must keep working hard, keep pushing myself, and not let procrastination win.
(Crockett et al., 2010)
