Table of Contents
Tuesday
Sunday
Piety
As I try to be a devoted Muslim, I always carry around a certain amount of fear of Allah. Fear not in terms of horror, but rather in reference to veneration and reverence. Fear as in avoiding anything that will displease our Lord. In other words, fear as in piety and evading whatever harms me and others. I always ask myself, though: Why doesn’t it always work to keep me from sinning, to remind me of what I am supposed to do or not do?
The answer is: There isn’t enough fear. There is never enough!
You see, fear of Allah is a comfortable fear; warm and sheltered. It gives you a sense of accompanying something greater than yourself. You are never alone, and human nature dictates that we behave our best when others are around. Our behavior is always at its finest when surrounded by entities besides ourselves. So one can only imagine how our conduct would be if we always had Allah at heart, if we were always aware that He is watching and beholding every word we say and every step we take.
I strongly believe that enough fear will lead us to ample faith.
And pure faith will directly connect us to Allah?
So…
What stands between us and connecting to Allah?
I have to stop here and ask:
Does my heart skip a beat whenever Allah (SWT) is remembered?
Is my heart humble enough to submit to Allah (SWT) without question?
Does my heart revere Allah (SWT) to the extent of being aware of His Almighty presence whenever I perform any of my Islamic duties?
Is my heart adequately composed to restrain from getting angry for anything but Him?
We cannot keep on excerpting some elements of Islam over others. We cannot extract the ones that suit our needs and disregard the ones that don’t. It is very understandable that it is quite difficult to choose a new lifestyle, as it is also not optional to go on living as we were previously used to after learning what we have learned.
In order to overcome this ordeal, we need to build a bridge; a bridge that would yield to our needs and fit our lifestyle.
Some things in Islam are prohibited, and one would feel that they are just not avoidable sometimes. But, and although it might seem this way, it is not an abstract thing, it is not intangible. And it is totally achievable. In fact, we see people living according to Islam every single day.
Islamic teachings are performed by normal people every day, and not by supernatural beings. The Prophet (PBUH) taught us things that are not beyond our ability. He gave us keys and clues to various questions as well as a manual to guide and protect us. So no one can claim it is not attainable by the average person. Anyone with sanity and control can actualize the belief and abide by its codes successfully.
Of course, what makes humans so special and beautiful is the diversity found in each and every person. Allah (SWT), knowing all this, gave us the assurance that everyone will be held accountable according to his or her potential and capacity. That is exactly why one should compare himself to no one but himself, especially in areas of skill and proficiency. A person who cannot memorize a poetic verse, for instance, cannot be expected to recite the whole of Quran. In the same way, a person who has photographic memory should hone this natural flair and invest it in this act of worship.
{God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favor shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does. O our Sustainer! Take us not to task if we forget or unwittingly do wrong! "O our Sustainer! Lay not upon us a burden such as Thou didst lay upon those who lived before us! O our Sustainer! Make us not bear burdens which we have no strength to bear! "And efface Thou our sins, and grant us forgiveness, and bestow Thy mercy upon us! Thou art our Lord Supreme: succor us, then, against people who deny the truth!}
The Noble Quran2:286
Once we have tried our best to accomplish what Allah (SWT) entrusted us to do, we must always keep our faith in Allah Almighty’s plan, and be certain that whether success or failure was attained, the gains and losses that result from our attempts are only willed for us by Allah (SWT). Having embraced this notion, we will endure whatever befalls us, because we know that it is Allah’s purpose to subject us to tests in life.
The answer is: There isn’t enough fear. There is never enough!
You see, fear of Allah is a comfortable fear; warm and sheltered. It gives you a sense of accompanying something greater than yourself. You are never alone, and human nature dictates that we behave our best when others are around. Our behavior is always at its finest when surrounded by entities besides ourselves. So one can only imagine how our conduct would be if we always had Allah at heart, if we were always aware that He is watching and beholding every word we say and every step we take.
I strongly believe that enough fear will lead us to ample faith.
And pure faith will directly connect us to Allah?
So…
What stands between us and connecting to Allah?
I have to stop here and ask:
Does my heart skip a beat whenever Allah (SWT) is remembered?
Is my heart humble enough to submit to Allah (SWT) without question?
Does my heart revere Allah (SWT) to the extent of being aware of His Almighty presence whenever I perform any of my Islamic duties?
Is my heart adequately composed to restrain from getting angry for anything but Him?
We cannot keep on excerpting some elements of Islam over others. We cannot extract the ones that suit our needs and disregard the ones that don’t. It is very understandable that it is quite difficult to choose a new lifestyle, as it is also not optional to go on living as we were previously used to after learning what we have learned.
In order to overcome this ordeal, we need to build a bridge; a bridge that would yield to our needs and fit our lifestyle.
Some things in Islam are prohibited, and one would feel that they are just not avoidable sometimes. But, and although it might seem this way, it is not an abstract thing, it is not intangible. And it is totally achievable. In fact, we see people living according to Islam every single day.
Islamic teachings are performed by normal people every day, and not by supernatural beings. The Prophet (PBUH) taught us things that are not beyond our ability. He gave us keys and clues to various questions as well as a manual to guide and protect us. So no one can claim it is not attainable by the average person. Anyone with sanity and control can actualize the belief and abide by its codes successfully.
Of course, what makes humans so special and beautiful is the diversity found in each and every person. Allah (SWT), knowing all this, gave us the assurance that everyone will be held accountable according to his or her potential and capacity. That is exactly why one should compare himself to no one but himself, especially in areas of skill and proficiency. A person who cannot memorize a poetic verse, for instance, cannot be expected to recite the whole of Quran. In the same way, a person who has photographic memory should hone this natural flair and invest it in this act of worship.
{God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear: in his favor shall be whatever good he does, and against him whatever evil he does. O our Sustainer! Take us not to task if we forget or unwittingly do wrong! "O our Sustainer! Lay not upon us a burden such as Thou didst lay upon those who lived before us! O our Sustainer! Make us not bear burdens which we have no strength to bear! "And efface Thou our sins, and grant us forgiveness, and bestow Thy mercy upon us! Thou art our Lord Supreme: succor us, then, against people who deny the truth!}
The Noble Quran2:286
Once we have tried our best to accomplish what Allah (SWT) entrusted us to do, we must always keep our faith in Allah Almighty’s plan, and be certain that whether success or failure was attained, the gains and losses that result from our attempts are only willed for us by Allah (SWT). Having embraced this notion, we will endure whatever befalls us, because we know that it is Allah’s purpose to subject us to tests in life.
Tuesday
Selfish?
So many people lead a senseless life.
They are not aware of it, though. They go on believing that they are serving a worthy purpose. They follow it thinking their journey is worthwhile and are completely oblivious of the fact that it is taking them nowhere. This pettiness is tormenting them in such a way that they do not feel it directly, but affect them gravely.
It will eventually dry their soul; they will continue living without being able to fill it again because of the irreparable damage. When they carry on, they would only be giving their bodies’ full, leaving the soul to wither and die. What they have previously believed to be indispensible turns out to be leading them to a dead end.
To add value to their lives, they need to add substance to it. How can they do that? By pointing the senses to another direction; committing to supporting others rather than being selfish; reserving some time to relieve other people rather than being engrossed in their own well-being only.
Let us open our hearts to others, open our hearts to see the miseries of others, and understand the choices of others. It is only when we do that we can create a balance between benevolence and self-indulgence.
When we reach the asceticism that is required in Islam, we can create the harmony within ourselves. Why? Simply, because we would not be so consumed with what we want, and instead we would be willing to give from what we cherish the most.
“You will never receive piety until you spend what you love best”. Prophet Mohammed(PBUH).
We would not be refraining from lending a helping hand, and would be yearning to contribute to someone else’s deliverance...
The harmony I am talking about here is that between selfishness and selflessness. Yes, selfishness will not dissolve completely; it will only be redirected to suit the values of the faithful. Allow me to suggest how. You see, in the end, you would be seeking Allah’s acceptance, as you would be aspiring for your final abode to be exceptional, and that would be something you would never renounce.
Hence, this would be the closest you would get to selfishness.
They are not aware of it, though. They go on believing that they are serving a worthy purpose. They follow it thinking their journey is worthwhile and are completely oblivious of the fact that it is taking them nowhere. This pettiness is tormenting them in such a way that they do not feel it directly, but affect them gravely.
It will eventually dry their soul; they will continue living without being able to fill it again because of the irreparable damage. When they carry on, they would only be giving their bodies’ full, leaving the soul to wither and die. What they have previously believed to be indispensible turns out to be leading them to a dead end.
To add value to their lives, they need to add substance to it. How can they do that? By pointing the senses to another direction; committing to supporting others rather than being selfish; reserving some time to relieve other people rather than being engrossed in their own well-being only.
Let us open our hearts to others, open our hearts to see the miseries of others, and understand the choices of others. It is only when we do that we can create a balance between benevolence and self-indulgence.
When we reach the asceticism that is required in Islam, we can create the harmony within ourselves. Why? Simply, because we would not be so consumed with what we want, and instead we would be willing to give from what we cherish the most.
“You will never receive piety until you spend what you love best”. Prophet Mohammed(PBUH).
We would not be refraining from lending a helping hand, and would be yearning to contribute to someone else’s deliverance...
The harmony I am talking about here is that between selfishness and selflessness. Yes, selfishness will not dissolve completely; it will only be redirected to suit the values of the faithful. Allow me to suggest how. You see, in the end, you would be seeking Allah’s acceptance, as you would be aspiring for your final abode to be exceptional, and that would be something you would never renounce.
Hence, this would be the closest you would get to selfishness.
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