THE INNER SIDE OF A MUSLIM 2008
Islam is a complete way of life that permeates every aspect of a Muslim’s life. Recently, there are moves to separate religion and put it into an isolated compartment away from the different aspects of life such as the way we earn, the way we think, or the way we govern our countries (circular Turkey is such an example).
Our religion is thus being reduced to just the external forms of worshipping Allah ie. Namaaz, Fasting, Zakaat and Hajj. Our religion is being reduced to a meaningless bundle of rituals and dogmas, which is resulting in Muslims of today not being like our predecessors—those who rose to the pinnacles of humanity.
The Rabbi ul Awwal Special takes a look into some deeper teachings of Islam, those aspects that determine our characters and our outlook to life. Those aspects that are sadly neglected in our education today.
Repentance:
Seeking forgiveness from Allah SWT for one’s sins and shortcomings, both known and unknown is wajib or compulsory.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’aan: “O believers, repent to Allah with sincere penitence.” 66:8
and He says: “Allah loves those who are penitent and pure.” 2:222
To a novice in Islam, sins are stealing, backbiting etc. but to a person traveling the spiritual path, even forgetting Allah for a moment becomes a sin. By always repenting, a person is constantly evaluating himself, analyzing himself and seeking to better himself. Evaluating and analyzing our thoughts and actions are very important step in improving.
Every Muslim needs to constantly take stock of his actions and his thoughts. We need to ask Allah SWT to forgive us and help us with our shortcomings. Repentance results in improving ones habits and attaining humility.
Patience:
There are many verses in the Holy Qur’aan referring to patience e.g. Allah says:
“Take to patience, Allah is with the patient.” 2:249.
The Prophet Sallal-lahu Alayhe wasallam said: “Patience is half of faith.”
One needs to have patience under two circumstances. The first is when one is afflicted with difficulties, calamities and a hard life of physical toils and struggles. He must not complain about this, but accept it and continue striving. The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe wasallam has said in a Hadis-e Qudsie:
Allah said: “When I send on my servants any physical, economical or family trouble and he forbears it, I will feel shame to set up for him balance and measure on the resurrection Day.” Page 76 Vol 4 Ihya Ilm Deen.
When people harm you, then one must have patience instead of taking revenge.
The second and perhaps more important aspect of patience, is to have patience when one is tempted to evil and greed of passion with promises of an easy life, e.g. our passion will tell us to steal the money and live in comfort and luxury or to sleep with a prostitute to fulfill one’s desires.
Have patience and do not take the easy path to satisfy your passions. This is “jihad” against the nafs. Make Zikir, fikar (contemplate), do good deeds and keep fast as this would help us to strengthen our patience.
When one has patience during temptations then he develops refined qualities such as self-control, bravery, forbearance (controlling one’s anger), giving up the world and contentment.
Allah SWT says: “Those who keep patience in dangers; ‘wants and struggles are the truthful ones and they are also God fearing.”
Gratefulness:
There are many verses pertaining to this subject as well. The Prophet sallal-lahu Alayhe wasallam has said that he who expresses gratefulness after taking food shall have rank equal to the rank of one who fasts with patience.
Once Hazrath Bilal (RA) saw the Prophet Sallal-lahu Alayhe wasallam weeping and he asked: “Why do you weep when your past and future sins have been forgiven.” The Prophet Sallal-lahu Alayhe wasallam replied; “Shall I not be a grateful servant.”
Gratefulness brings about God consciousness and love for Allah SWT because everything stems from Allah SWT. Just as we remember Allah SWT in hard times, we must also remember Him in good times. Ponder over His creation and the many gifts and blessings that He has bestowed upon us so that we may be grateful.
Fear:
“The learned out of His servants fear Allah the most.” 35:28.
The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe wasallam has said that God fear is the root of wisdom. He also said that everything fears one who fears Allah SWT and Allah SWT makes a person fearful of everything if he does not fear Allah.
Woah! Imagine that– not fearing anyone or anything except Allah SWT. In the early stage of practicing Islam, a Muslim fears Allah’s punishment for his sins. As he progresses, he does not commit sin but still fears Allah SWT because Allah SWT might reject him and not take him to His presence in the hereafter.
This is the stage of a lover, whose only fear is to lose the Beloved. Muslims are taught to have moderate fear because excessive fear leads to despair. It is for this reason that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe wasallam talked about hope, which is the counter balance of fear.
Hope:
“Allah SWT says: “Those who have got faith, those who migrated and fought in the way of Allah can hope for Allah’s mercy.” 2:218.
The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam has said that He who leads his life according to his low desires and yet hopes for paradise is a fool.
Allah SWT is the most Merciful and He will forgive any sin so long as the person asks sincerely and refrains from doing it in future. If we do good, Allah SWT will reward us abundantly. Hope strengthens love for Allah SWT.
Renunciation of the world:
This is a subject that is widely covered in the Holy Quraan. Eg. “The (material things) which you are given are but conveniences of this life and the glitter thereof: But that which is with Allah is better and more enduring: will you not then be wise?” 28:60.
Allah is making a clear distinction between our worldly needs and our spiritual needs and He tells us which is best. Islam teaches us not to strive for material things because this results in greed, envy, vanity, pride and it diverts one from remembering Allah.
When a person is obsessed with wealth it becomes a passion and it becomes his god. The Prophet Salal-lahu Alayhe wasallam also narrated many teachings on this subject matter as well. He once said to Hazrath Bilal (RA): “Meet with Allah as a poor man and not as a rich one.”
He also said: “Poverty is a present for a believer in the world.” He said: “Amongst the prophets Hazrath Suleiman (AS) would enter paradise last and amongst my companions Hazrath Abdur Rahman-b-Auf will enter last because they were wealthy.
He also said that the poor amongst my followers would enter paradise 500 years before the rich. Some pious people keep food sufficient for a night and a day, some keep provisions for forty days and some keep provisions for a year. He who keeps beyond this is included amongst the ordinary people.
Renunciation of the world develops firmness in faith “taqwa” and dependence on Allah alone.
We are living in a time of consumerism and advertising which is making us greedy for wealth and we need to be constantly reminded about the Islamic stance on money and our goal in life. End.
This article is a brief summary of the first four chapters of Imam Ghazzali’s 4th volume of Ihya Ulum-id-deen. The quotes are from this book as well.
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