I’ve always wanted to be sincere in practising God’s religion, Islam, and of course I still want to. By definition, a Muslim is “the one who submits to the will of God Almighty”, and not simply “a follower of Islam”. The Sahabah (companions of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) absolutely fit in the category of those who fulfill the criteria of true believers. They willingly submitted to God’s will, giving up their lives, desires, wealth, and tribal honor for Islam. The likes of them would never hesitate in spending in the way of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alaaa); graciously giving huge sums in charity, their bodies sustained agonizing wounds, they boldly stood up to the torture of oppressors, their souls throbbed with the pain of losing their homes, families and long-held relationships, yet they gave it all in return for the sole Pleasure of their Lord. And, indeed, those are the successful: the best of the generations to have ever lived on earth.
In yearning to be like them, I’ve learned that true peace is in seeking to know God Almighty, in order to sincerely submit to Him. If you choose to take the path leading to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alaa), then you’re sure to find your way, be it through a thick forest, a violent storm, or the middle of a sea. The light of God’s guidance illuminates the heart and revives the soul, bringing it back to light from darkness. The must-have tool in this journey is the Noble Qur’an, the blessed words of God Himself, a means of guidance to all of humanity. Ever wondered what it means to know Allah (‘azza wa jal)? How much it matters? Honestly, it is beyond measure. To simply say it matters a lot is an understatement, because in fact, it matters most in life. With each hour slipping away from us, taking us closer to our ultimate fate, we should become increasingly concerned about truly seeking Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alaa). We have the time span of an entire life on earth! Alhamdullilah. In spite of the maximum time that a mortal human being can have, there were many whose lives got terminated while they were still drifting in darkness of their ignorance without sparing a single minute to reflect on the One who created them. However, on the bright side, there were our pious predecessors who directed their lives along the path of light, under the Guidance of Allah (‘azza wa jal).
It’s an uphill battle. Darkness vs Light. We’ve got a lifetime. The choice is ours.
***
Here’s an exercise. Ask yourself the following questions:
1) Am I fearful of Allah?
2) Do I humbly stand in prayer for all the five prayers?
3) Do I avoid ill speech (using bad language, cussing, backbiting, slandering)?
4) Do I abstain from illicit relations?
5) Do I keep my promises?
6) Do I believe in the signs of my Lord, and reflect on it?
7) Do I give in charity without boasting about it?
8) Do I hasten to do good and avoid evil?
Assalaamu ‘Alaikum,
Sister, MashaAllah, it is wonderfully written!
JazakAllah for the reminder.
May Allah strengthen our imaan, Aameen.
Wa ‘alaykumussalaam wr wb sis,
Jazakillahu Khayran for the kind words.
Ameen to your dua’a!!!
To add to the closing line – we have a lifetime, but none of us knows how long that lifetime will last.
I think it’s important to also remember that it doesn’t have to be 24-7 salaah, Quran, etc (i.e. the recognised formal means of worship). The life of a Muslim should be one of balance – and that most definitely includes having fun (as long as it’s halaal fun).
I would guess that many people are put off by advices such as these because of this issue – that it seems impossible to live a ‘pious’ life, because it’s just too serious and there’s nothing light in it.
May Allah guide us all to balance, sincerity, and success in both lives.
Assalamu’alaykum wr wb,
Yes, definitely, I agree with you. A Muslim should maintain a balance in life. There are many places in the Qur’an where Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alaa) says that He has made the religion easy for us, for instance, “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship” (2:185). Thanks for the reminder!
However, the purpose behind this post was to prompt people to reassess their relationship with Allah. Although, we’re quick to pray, fast, or do other acts of worship, what’s lacking is our consciousness of the reality of this worldly life. Oftentimes we get so much engrossed in this world that it’s difficult to maintain the connection with our true reality. We forget what is truly required of us, that we’re in fact in a test (the life on this earth is a test), our duty is to worship Allah as He (subhanau wa ta’ala) deserves to be worshiped, and that our biggest concern should be the Hereafter. If we remain pleased with our efforts and don’t see a need to improve ourselves then our good deeds might eventually turn into mere lip service, which is not right. We’re not perfect, and can never be, but we can at least try.
The highlight of the post was “knowing Allah,” which is important to maintain a balance in life. It’s like when you know that Allah is the Most Forgiving, you’d not get discouraged on committing an error, as knowing Allah’s Attribute of forgiveness it’d assure you that you have a chance to repent to Him alone and correct your wrong. Whereas, being deprived of this knowledge prompts one to seek alternatives (eg: the prohibited forms of supplication, like asking some pious person to intercede on your behalf etc), or lose hope in ever being forgiven. “Total submission” to Allah only comes when one completely knows Him. If not, there are more chances of one losing his way.
But yeah, I agree that such posts might put off some people. But that was really not my intention. I’ll be careful next time inshaAllah to clarify my stance and write a comprehensive post. JazakAllahu Khayran. Really appreciate your comment.
Ameen to the dua’a!!
This was really beautiful! It’s an uphill without a doubt. BarakAllahu fik! I loved esp. “If you choose to take the path leading to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’alaa), then you’re sure to find your way, be it through a thick forest, a violent storm, or the middle of a sea. The light of God’s guidance illuminates the heart and revives the soul, bringing it back to light from darkness.” Glad I came across it, I tweeted those phrases.
Salaam,
Thanks! Really glad you found it beneficial. Jazak Allahu Khayran for stopping by.
This might be of interest to you, I wrote it a while ago. http://tariqthepilgrim.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/attaining-sincerity/
That’s great, will definitely check it out inshaAllah!