Worshipping & Sinning

I begin in the name of Allah The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

My intention in writing this post is not to offend you neither is it to critisize or pass blind judgements. But rather, I hope to inform you of a misunderstanding that we have adopted with how we practice Islam.

It is indeed very true that we pray and hope to become amongst the pious and accepted servants of Allah (swt). However I ask you, what course of action are we actually taking for this?

We go to the mosques or at home pray our daily Salaahs, Alhamdulilah may Allah (swt) reward us for this deed.
When the Month of Ramadhan comes, we fast with sincerity, Alhamdulilah may Allah (swt) reward this deed also.
We desire and when given the means, we endure every form of hardship and perform Hajj, Alhamdulilah, may Allah (swt) reward this deed too.
Occasionally, we recite the Quran, we do Dhikr, May each of these deeds be accepted by Allah (swt)

However, we do not realize that just as it is important to perform Ibaadah (worship) of Allah (swt) it is equally important to stay away from sin.
Let me give an analogy to explain to you, the severity of not avoiding sin.

If an individual desires to enter a garden but the gate of the garden is preventing him from doing so, then he will have to seek the key for the gate of the garden, and once it is open, he will be able to enter in with ease.

Similarly, one can assume that a gate exists between a servant and his Lord. If the gate is open then the servant can easily attain the nearness and acceptance of his Allah (swt). If the gate is closed, he shall be void of receiving Allah (swt)'s nearness and acceptance.
This gate represents an individual's sinning. If one exerts himself to eradicate sin from him then this gate is wide open and the path to reach his Lord has now been eased.

Likewise, the individual who continues with his sinning, who does not keep his gaze down, does not avoid intermingling in person or on the internet, who does not save himself from listening to music, who is involved in watching improper films and shows, who backbites and slanders, involved in every other kind of sin, then know that this gate that reaches you to Allah (swt) Who is always waiting to forgive our sins and soothe our sorrows is closed.
If your death was to come when the gate of Mercy was closed, what would be the consequence?

Shaytaan has succeeded in fooling us into thinking that as long as we are performing our worship we are counted as Allah (swt)'s accepted servants. How can Allah (swt) accept us when we continue to disobey him by sinning and make no intention of instantly repenting and refraining from the sin? When will we remove such folly from our minds?

I will end by giving you an example given by a respected Shaikh.
On the one hand there is an old man who is travelling and is telling all his companions to perform Dhikr (remembrance of Allah swt) and is involved in such Dhikr himself. However, this man is not keeping his gaze down, but sinning by looking at women passing by.
On the other hand, there is a young gentleman who is involved in no such Dhikr and neither is he telling anyone to do Dhikr, however, when women pass him by he ensures that he does not look at them even though he is desperately inclined to do so.
This act of suppressing his unlawful desire of gazing at the women has earned him a very high status.

Know, that the latter even though he was not involved in any form of optional Ibaadah (worship) is far far greater and superior in rank than the former individual.
Moreover, the former individual has gained nothing through his optional worship because he disobeyed Allah (swt)'s command.

If we are still involved in sins then let us not become dissapointed or lose hope. This is because Allah (swt) will accept our repentance. Our task is to repent, with sincerity, and make a firm intention that I shall not do such a sin again.
The respected Shaikh states that by holding on firm to our obligatory duties like praying daily salaah etc. Aswell as staying away from sins, one becomes a very dear and loved servant of his Lord.

Oh Allah (swt) forgive our past sins and save us from committing any more sins in the future. Oh Allah (swt) help us to perform our obligatory duties to the best of our ability and forgive our shortcomings. Oh Allah (swt) make us Your close, accepted servants. Oh Allah (swt) when the angel of Death comes to take our souls, ease our pain and call us towards You like a dear friend calls another.
Ameen.

Desire

I begin in the name of Allah , The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

It is a plain fact that when one desires doing any act, the effort and struggle towards accomplishing such an act becomes bearable. One does not have to be supervised and constantly instructed to carry out the task.
Let me give you a simple example: when one feels hungry, the desire of the individual is to satisfy that hunger and therefore food will be sought. Another person does not need to remind the individual to fulfil his hunger.

Similarly, our desire towards obeying Allah (swt) should be likewise. We must feel hunger in fulfiling the commands that Allah (swt) has prescribed for us. Another person should not be needed to constantly remind us about our duties to Allah (swt).

Just as the stomach aches and rumbles upon feeling emptiness, our hearts must also ache when the obedience and remembrance of our Merciful Lord is forsaken. Upon the stomach being filled with food, the body feels satisfaction and strength, similarly, when the heart is filled with devotion and submission to the Lord, a spiritual satisfaction and strength is also felt.

Such a desire can be created by avoiding becoming too attached to this temporary world. By thinking of our actual and eternal place of dwelling in the gardens of Paradise, one begins to feel detached from this false temporary world.

Sadly, our state has become on the contrary. The example of our behaviour in this world is clealy illustrated by Shaikh Rumi in a story. And with this story I shall end:

Shaikh Rumi explains a story about a crocodile who possesses large gaps between his teeth. So, when this reptile eats meat, peices of meat become trapped between these gaps in his teeth.
When the crocodile begins to feel hungry again, he moves near the water, opening his mouth very widely and remaining motionless. Upon seeing such a sight, an ignorant bird comes near and picks a peice of meat from the mouth of the crocodile and flys away. The bird does this several times and falsely assuming that danger is not near, decides to remain near the peices of meat inside the mouth of the crocadile. Other birds see this bird and flock in the same space for food. Now that the crocodile has fulfiled his aim, he conveniently closes his mouth, eating the many birds that had climbed into his large mouth!

The sly, luring crocodile represents the world of temptations that we live in. The foolish bird is an example of the way we behave in this world. We become deeply engrossed in the world, deeply attached and deluded by the temptation of this temporary world, behaving like we will remain in the world forever. When death strikes, we are woken from such a fallacy, but then, the moment of remorse is too late.

Oh Allah (swt) create in us a deep desire and yearning to practice Your every Command. Create in us a desperate hatred with every form of sinning. Oh Allah (swt) save us from becoming attached to this temporary world. Oh Allah (swt) make us desire our abode in Paradise, hence easing the task of working towards attaining Paradise. Oh Allah (swt) give us death when we are prepared and when are heart are filled with love for You.
Ameen.

Passing moment

I begin in the name of Allah (swt), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

We have heard this many many times yet we remain irresponsive. We hear and read the words from the Scholars of Islam yet we ignorantly dismiss everything we are told. Perhaps we do not understand? Or perhaps we are simply behaving like stubborn individuals who insist on following the path of the accursed Shaytaan?

Dearest Readers, we must understand that our stay in this world is extremely short. In approximation, we may live for up to sixty or seventy years, maybe less. Throughout these years we are given the opportunity to worship our Lord and live our lives in accordance with the Islamic Law.

Pause a moment to think about this. For worshiping our Most Benevolent Creator and living our lives as Islam has commanded for a very short span of time, we have been given the glad tidings of eternal bliss in the hereafter!

Do we remotely understand this simple concept? We have been given this passing moment which we call life, to strive against our unlawful desires and strive towards what Allah (swt) has commanded. The result of which is ever-lasting joy in the gardens of paradise.

On the contrary, if we spend these very few years of our lives, away from the beautiful teachings of the Prophet (saw), away from what Allah (swt) has commanded, and instead succumb to the temptations laid out by our nafs and Shaytaan, then this short moment of so called 'pleasure' shall result in unendurable hell fire.

Ask yourselves, is it worth it?

By following the commands of Allah (swt) and resisting unlawful tempatations we will attain peace and tranquility in this life and most definitely in the eternal hereafter.
But if we follow our nafs and Shaytan, yeild in to false unlawful pleasures of this temporary world then we shall receive utter dissatisfaction in this world and most certainly in the hereafter.

I end by making a supplication: Oh Allah (swt) aid us in follow Your Commands and in practicing the teachings of your Beloved Prophet (saw). Oh Allah (swt) save us from every act that incurs your displeasure. Save us from every type of sin. Oh Allah (swt) grant us undeserving servants, Paradise. Oh Merciful Allah (swt) protect us from the hell fire, for it is a fire we are unable to endure. Oh Forgiving Lord, truly you love to forgive. Forgive us. Ameen.

Transgressing

I begin in the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

There is a misunderstanding that we possess regarding the Month of Ramadhan, through which we continue to deceive ourselves into thinking that we have earned good deeds in this Month when we have in actual fact earned nothing but the Wrath of the Almighty.
It is for this reason that when the blessed Month comes to a close, and the day of Eid-ul-Fitr arrives, many of us are engaged in major sins. Such sins taking place are a form of proof that we did not utilize the Month of Ramadhan efficiently and were unable to gain the nearness and Mercy of Allah (swt).

We are aware that we must utilize this Month by remaining steadfast on our prayers, fasting with abstinence, keeping our tounges busy with the remembrance of Allah (swt), reciting the Quran and so on. However, are we aware that it is even more vital that we strive to keep away from every type of major and minor sin? Do we realize that just as we abstain from eating and drinking we must be abstaining from every other type of sin (For example: in particular zina of the eyes, backbiting, slandering, telling lies etc)

Hazrat Abu Hurayra (ra) has related the following hadith from the Prophet (saw): (to the nearest meaning)

'Many of those who fast obtaining nothing through such fasting except hunger, and many a one performs salaat by night but obtains nothing by it except the discomfort of staying awake.'

Let us ask ourselves, are we amongst this unfortunate group, who, despite fasting and engaging themselves in nightly prayer, receive no reward whatsoever?!
The reason behind this is that even though we fast and pray salaah, we simultaneously continue to sin. Whilst we are in the state of fasting, we are also engaged in swearing, talking ill of others, lying, gazing at non-mehram men/women etc.
To put it simply, even though we are refraining ourselves from eating and drinking, we are not refraining from sinning and carrying out those deeds that incur the displeasure of Allah (swt).

I end by providing a few words of advice, which will Inshallah allow us to become amongst those who are accepted and forgiven by the Merciful Lord.
Remember that just as we strive to do Ibaadah in this Month, we must try even harder to avoid sinning. As an example, sins of the tounge which are easily done (such as backbiting, lying, speaking disrespectfully to one's parents, etc.) can be prevented by observing silence or keeping ones self occupied with Ibaadah.
By renouncing our desires to sin in this Blessed Month, not only will we gain the nearness and acceptance of our Lord, but it shall also become easier to avoid sin in the remainder months through the Mercy of Allah (swt).

Oh Allah (swt) forgive our sins and cleanse our hearts. Prepare us for the coming Month of Ramadhan. Give us the ability to perform extra Ibadaah as well as to avoid every type of sin. Oh Allah (swt) save us from backbiting, save us from slandering, save us from lying, save us from every form of zina, save us from jealousy, save us from pride and every other sin that we do. Oh Allah (swt) forgive our sins that have been done in the past. Oh Allah (swt) make this Month a means of gaining Your nearness, make us Your beloved and Oh Allah (swt) make us live every moment in accordance with Your Law.
Ameen.

Treatment towards the creation of Allah (swt), Part II

I begin in the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

This post will only consist of one hadith which has been related by a particular Shaikh. However, this single hadith is enough to instill in our hearts fear regarding the way we treat others. One should atleast read the following article, regardless of whether the hadith has been heard before or not.

To the nearest meaning this hadith is being related:

(Note- a Muflis is one who is a pauper. On the day of judgment, the currency that will make a person rich or poor will depend on ones deeds. If one has led a righteous life, doing many good deeds, then this individual will be considered rich and wealthy)

The blessed Prophet (saw) asked his noble companions (ra) that, do you know who will be a Muflis on the Day of Judgment?
The noble companions (ra) replied that according to our understanding, a Muflis will be that individual who never engaged himself in good deeds.
(i.e. that person who never remembered Allah (swt) and dismissed the Laws set by Islam. That person, who did not fast, pray his daily Salaah etc.)

The Prophet (saw) said that a Muflis will be that individual on the Day of Judgment whose book of deeds will be filled with abundant good deeds!
However, this individual will have oppressed the rights of many beings. Different kinds of people will come to this Muflis and demand that they be compensated.

One will say to the Lord that this individual spread lies and slandered about me, another will say to the Lord that the person unjustly consumed my wealth, dealt with me harshly, another will say: this person swore at me, abused me, grieved me, etc.
In return, all these people will be given the oppressor's good deeds as a form of compensation.

Finally, this Muflis, will not have any good deeds left and still many people whose rights had been abused in the world by this individual, will be waiting. These people in waiting will be told to put their load of sin on that Muflis. This will continue untill every individual will be compensated for his/her rights that were abused.
This Muflis, who at first came with surplus good deeds will become a person with no good deeds - a pauper, and the person will carry the burden of the sins of other people, resulting in him being thrown into hellfire

In conlusion, I ask you dearest readers, on the Day of Judgment when every person will only be concerned about their own good deeds, when not even a mother will be willing to spare her child a single good deed, when even those pious people who spent their whole lives in worship of Allah (swt) will be worried about the lack of good deeds that they did, on that Day, Are we willing to have our deeds given away to the people we have hurt, spread rumors about, spent time backbiting about, thinking badly of etc. Are we willing to carry the burden of other peoples sin whose rights we oppressed in some way or the other? Surely not. Let us wake and respond to this warning that the Prophet (saw) has given us in the above hadith before it becomes too late.
Be very cautious in how you treat others, be very cautious in how your words can wound others, be extremely cautious in avoiding backbiting and slandering others. For, these are actions that can be very easily done, and if we do not make an effort to avoid them, then it will be on the Day of Judgment that we will have to compensate those we oppresed.

Oh Allah (swt) we beg You to not make us a Muflis on the Day of Judgment. We beg you to aid us in fulfilling the rights of Your servants. Forgive all our major and minor sins and grant us satisfaction in both worlds. Oh Allah (swt) we beg You to save us from backbiting, slander and every other type of bad deed which abuses the rights of Your servants. We beg you to forgive us and give us death with Imaan.
Ameen.

Treatment towards the creation of Allah (swt)

I begin in the name of Allah: The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Dearest readers, I do not wish to make a long post however the topic in discussion is extremely important. I request you to read the article by devoting your complete attention towards it and thereafter one must attempt to bring the teachings into practice.

One of the biggest misunderstandings that we have adopted towards Islam is that we believe that Islam is based wholly on ibaadat (worship of Allah (swt)). Yes indeed, a part of Islam does concern the worship of the Lord and these acts are vital, for example: praying our daily salaah, fasting in the month of Ramadhan etc.
However the problem arises when we begin to believe that by fulfilling only one part of Islam we have fulfilled our entire obligation as muslims.

Ibaadat is one part of Islam and the other parts of Islam are concerning the way we live which is in relation with the creation of Allah (swt). We have completely dismissed this part of Islam that instructs every individual to be extremely vigilant when dealing with the creation of Allah (swt)

A well-respected Sheikh has related the hadith about a woman who use to be very mindful of her ibaadat. She use to offer her prayers in abundance and wake in the dark of the night, sacrificing her sleep to perform her tahajjud prayers. However, it was the habbit of this woman to cruelly tie her cat up and not provide the cat with any source of food or drink. This cat being unable to move or seek its own food, died very soon.
Due to the suffering and torment that this woman had subjected her cat to, she was thrown into the fire of hell.

Readers, let us not fool ourselves into thinking that due to the fact that we dress ourselves in islamic attire, due to the fact that we pray our salaahs, we have fullfilled our duty. No! This is not the case. We pray our prayers but simultaneously we utter words from our mouths that offend others, we subject others to great discomfort, we scar the hearts of others without even realizing that such a deed will result in severe punishment.

A Muslim is known by his kind treatment towards others. His treatment should be such that even those who do not believe in Islam feel obliged to marvel at the teachings of such a religion. I conclude by saying that yes surely we must be watchful about our ibaadat, we must ensure we perform our daily prayers etc. But at the same time we must ensure that we have reformed our characters, and that any creation of Allah (swt) does not feel threatened, insulted or even discomforted by our presence, our words or our actions.

I end by making a supplication to Allah (swt): Oh Allah, we beg You to make us people who do not oppress any of Your creation. If we have done so in the past we ask You to grant those we have oppressed satisfaction in this world and the Hereafter. Oh Allah, we beg you to not make us Muslims just by name but make us firm muslims by actions, make us people who strive to follow Your command, Oh Allah, make our characters like that of your beloved Prophet (saw) who endured pain from his enemies and in return gave them supplications of goodness.
Ameen.

Death

I begin in the name of Allah (swt), The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.

Readers, if you were informed that your death was very close by and that very shortly you would be meeting your end, what would be your reaction?

Most of us would be thrown into pools of utter horror and dread. Internally and externally we would begin to tremble with pangs of fear and remorse. To put it simply, our desire would be that death be averted in order for us to prepare for the hereafter.

Dearest readers, it is extremely vital that this moment of preparing takes place now. For, tomorrow may never arrive, and if death was to overtake us when we have not yet reformed ourselves and renounced our life of sin then indeed, we shall have to suffer the consequences of our disobediences.

It is only when we have become like those individuals who have become favourable to the Lord (those who follow the commands of Allah (swt) and stay away from the temptation of sinning) that we will begin to desire death rather than fear it.
We will view death, not as the termination of a life but rather like a meeting with the Merciful Lord. A well-respected Sheikh states that just as a bride, eagerly awaits the hours until she is united with her groom, similarly a believer awaits his death with greater desire and greater eagerness until the individual is united with the Lord.

In conclusion, we must continuously remind ourselves that the enjoyment and satisfaction we derive from this world is merely temporary. Death is sure to greet us very soon, but how death greets us depends on ourselves. Would you rather desire to be in a state wherein you are fleeing from the agony and torment of death or would you rather be welcomed by an angel of beauty, presenting glad-tidings of entry into paradise. The decision is ours.

I end with a supplication: Oh Allah (swt) grant us the ability to constantly remember death and create in our hearts the desire to meet You. Oh Almighty Allah (swt) grant us the ability to not become attached to this temporary world. Oh Allah (swt) it is the world of the hereafter that we desire, grant us Paradise and save us from Hellfire. Oh Allah (swt) forgive our sins, help us in staying away from sinning and also enable us to become practicing sincere Muslims.
Ameen.