Have You Ever Been Told That You’re Not Good Enough? – Dr. Abdul Wahid Yusuf

Have you ever been told… you’re not good enough?

That your dreams are too big… your faith too weak… your efforts too small?

And maybe… just maybe… you started to believe it?

That voice in your head started whispering: “You’re not worthy.” “You’re not capable.” “You’ll never be enough.”

Let me tell you something—you are not alone.

Even the greatest men and women to walk this Earth—after the Prophets—heard those same words. They were told they were nothing. That they would never make it. But they had something powerful—certainty in Allah, and trust in the path of truth.

Take a look at Bilal رضي الله عنه. To the Quraysh, he was a nobody. A slave. Shackled. Beaten. Humiliated.

Abu Jahl screamed at him: “You are nothing, Bilal! Who do you think you are?” But Bilal didn’t respond to insults. He didn’t let humiliation define him. He raised his voice with one word: “Ahad! Ahad!” — One! One!” That one word shook the earth. It turned a slave into the Mu’azzin of Islam—the man whose voice would call kings and empires to pray.

And do you know what the Prophet ﷺ said about him?

“I heard your footsteps ahead of me in Paradise, O Bilal.”

They said he wasn’t good enough. But Allah said he was among the best.

There was ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه. Before Islam—feared, harsh, and ready to kill the Prophet ﷺ.

Who would have thought he would become the second greatest Caliph in Islam?

Yet even he once wept to Hudhayfah and said:

“O Hudhayfah, do you think Allah will forgive me?”

This was ‘Umar! The one about whom the Prophet ﷺ said:

“If there were to be a Prophet after me, it would have been ‘Umar.”

Even he feared he wasn’t enough. But he never let doubt define him. He let Allah’s promise uplift him.

One day, Ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه climbed a tree. His legs were so skinny, the companions laughed. The Prophet ﷺ stopped them and said:

“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul—those legs are heavier than Mount Uhud on the scale!”

See, people may laugh at your looks. Your background. Your lack of prestige. But Allah weighs something else: Your taqwa. Your sincerity. Your effort. And maybe right now, it’s not others’ voices holding you back. It’s your own. “I’ve sinned too much.” “I’ll never be a good Muslim.” “I’ll never change.”

But Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“The door of repentance is open until the soul reaches the throat.”

If you’re still breathing…You’re never too far gone. So if you’ve been told you’re not good enough…Let this be your turning point. Not because people believe in you. But because you believe in Allah’s mercy, His promise, His plan.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

“We have certainly honored the children of Adam.” (Surah Al-Isra, 17:70)

You were created with honor. Now walk with it. Whenever you hear that whisper again—“You’re not good enough…”Remember: Bilal was told he was worthless. ‘Umar doubted he was forgiven. Ibn Mas’ud was mocked for his body.

Even our beloved Prophet ﷺ was accused of madness. But Allah chose them. And right now, He has chosen you—to be here, to hear this message, in this very moment. So stop believing the lie. Start living the truth.

Allah says:

“So do not weaken, and do not grieve, for you will be superior if you are believers.” (Surah Aal-Imran, 3:139)

You are not only good enough.You are exactly who Allah created you to be. A believer—with limitless potential. So rise. Believe. And live like it. Because Allah has honored you. And nothing—no one—can take that away.