Countless times the Holy Qur’an guides us about itself being a book of blessing and mercy, so that we can be alert and mindful at all times of the consequences of our actions. Allah promises to us that if we follow His commands, do good deeds and remember our motive of coming to this earth then Allah will most definitely show His mercy to us and even reward us immensely here and in the here-after.
Indeed, Islam was termed as ‘complete’ after the revelation of Quran and the arrival of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Following the footsteps of our beloved Prophet ﷺ and the teachings of the Quran can assist us in gaining a deeper understanding of how to become better Muslims and a humbler version of ourselves. Showing respect to our Prophet and accepting Him as Khatemun-Nabiyyeen, the last of the Prophets, is deemed an essential part of Islam.
True Islam believes in diversity, equality, brotherhood, and has no room for racism or bias on the basis of color, gender, ethnicity or background etc. Islam is a religion of peace and is a blessing for all mankind, allowing them to see hope at the end of a dark tunnel of suppression, injustice and hatred, maintaining an equilibrium of sanity and composure.
We witness this Holy month of Ramadan once a year in order to shape our behavior for the next months to come. fasts are mandated obligatory for us so that we may become righteous, better practicing Muslims, an asset to the society, and a source of goodness for our own selves and others around us. The rewards and returns of the good deeds exercised in this month multiply manifolds, urging the Muslims towards an abundance of good-doings.
Our task is to inculcate the Sunnah and the Quran in our daily routine activities, empowering ourselves with unlimited energy to climb up mountains and sail through deep oceans, recharging ourselves through seeking forgiveness and repenting over sins committed or mistakes made. Realizing that the Creator of the universe has the supreme control over things that we face in routine in our lives, with us being all so weak and powerless, surrendering to His will over events encountered.
Allah, The All-Knowing and Wise, has made it clear to us to treat the less privileged with honour and respect, accepting that it is only Allah’s will that we might have more than others. There are means of charity, zakat or sadaqah are there so the wealth is distributed to those in need. In numerous places in the Holy Book it is mentioned to treat our servants as our brothers, feeding and clothing them well, and being kind to them to earn the pleasure of the Almighty.
We come across events which may not be in accordance with our liking, and stimulate in us a feeling of dislike and anger. The focus and objective of our goal in life is a major factor in our inclination towards good or bad. The moral compass residing in us instills an obligation to refrain from committing sins, but if we lose a sense of weighing the goodness or evil in the choices we make in living this life, consequently we end up in exhibiting anger and rage to express lack of control over the incidents that transpire. Indeed, someone who forgets his values in those moments must revisit his faith and trust in Almighty, and should strengthen his iman so that Allah may empower him to gain total control over his anger.
The race to win the best of all things material will never come to an end. This will continue as long as we breathe our last forcing us to stay in tension, aspiring things we don’t have control over to bring in our possession. Being grateful to the Almighty for each and every thing we possess, for all His blessings can lead to a better and more enduring life ahead in the hereafter, in sha Allah. It shouldn’t matter if we don’t live the most favourite version of our lives in material terms, rather, accepting the mortality of this dunya being a temporary resting place while the afterlife being a place much desired should be the case.
The salah needs to be filled with our heart, mind and soul, being fearful of standing in front of Allah, while humbly praising Him and aiming for jannah in the hereafter, in sha Allah. The khushu and khudu, the humility, the devotion, the submissiveness, the humbleness of our limbs, the alertness of our body parts, these are the required elements of a salah which Allah almighty will accept in the akhirah. The true essence and spirit of salah revolves around the presence of khushu and khudu, meaning inward and outward submission and devotion respectively, praising Allah and communicating with Him with our deepest interest and love. The heart remaining free of any worldly worries and tensions while our body exhibits submission of even the tiniest body part.
Modesty is a quality every Muslim should possess, our behavior with family, relatives, friends should be enveloped in a seal of haya, signaling to others that indeed indecency isn’t part of our iman. Saving our eyes, and ears from watching vulgar content, which is available so easily today, is a tough call that we need to take immediately. At a time so critical, our kids need guidance in how to act responsibly in behavior, appearance and thinking.
Where did the halal / haram rizq teachings disappear from our conversations? There is indeed great reward for a person who ignores a path leading towards haram earnings and makes sure to stick religiously to a difficult life but earning halal rizq only. In the Quran and Hadith are the guidelines for our daily living, if we don’t gain a better understanding then its our loss for sure. Allah has mentioned various times as to how to earn a living, how to spend, how to save and how to spare for helping others. This life is a trial, every breath we take, every action we take is noted down and will surely impact our akhirah. Earning fairly, and legally should be our topmost priority, there should be no other way about it. As of course, the contentment and satisfaction of nourishing the soul with halal rizq has endless rewards in sha Allah.
No one is advised by Allah to just sit down and wait for fate to take its course. Allah says to us to have faith in His choices for us, to make effort and after a reasonable effort, lie down and reap what we have sown. In this life, there would be trials, blocking our vision, our faith, making us think how we would survive and from where sustenance would reach, assuming that we are ‘done’. But, behold oh forgetful creation of Almighty Allah, He says to us to have faith in Him, trust Him, and He will open doors for us which weren’t even there in the first place.
Allah is most forgiving, He loves us immensely, forgives us the moment we think of taubah, He blesses us with his worldly bounties and then asks us to spend on ourselves, our families and also on those in need. I am not saying that spending on yourself beyond very basic needs is a sin, not at all, but there should be drawn a line on where the spending and saving should end and parting away from it should begin.
