Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Pointers for a Devoted Servant of Allah SWT.


Pointers of A Devoted Servant of Allah

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, is His Messenger
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One must strive to have a sound and fine character, and a great desire to achieve great things and to give everyone his rights. These are great hopes that can be achieved through faith, as Sufian Al-Thawri (rahimahullāh)said: “Faith is not wishes or pretence; rather it is what settles in the heart and is proven by actions.”

It should be noted that the matter of faith, pleasing and honoring one’s parents and achieving the victory of Paradise are essential in becoming a devoted slave.

Al-Fudail (rahimahullāh) said: “You hearts can never taste the sweetness of faith until they shun worldly pleasures.” “If you cannot pray qiyam at night and fast during the day, then know that you are deprived.”

Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak and Al-Tabarani in his Mu’jam with a sahih isnad narrated that the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “Faith wears out in your heart as clothes wear out, so ask Allah to renew the faith in your hearts.”

Hence the sincere believer has a heart like a burning coal.

The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) when he said: “There is no heart that does not have clouds like the clouds that cover the moon. When the cloud covers it, it is dark, and when the cloud moves away it shines.” [Narrated by Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat, and classified as sahih].

This was portrayed to us that believer’s heart may sometimes feel overwhelmed by clouds of sin. So the believer’s heart is sometimes a darken and its light is hidden, and it remains dark and lonely, but if he strives to increase his gather of faith and seeks the help of Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala, that would lighten his heart and starts to shine.

Hence one of the salaf said: “It is part of a person’s prudence to check on his faith and be aware of what affects it.” It is also part of a person’s smartness “that he recognizes how the Syaitan whispers to him.”

So he has to come back to faith. If you come back to faith and do as it requires, then you will achieve what you want.

Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi (rahimahullāh) said: “O you who are turned away, O you who are deprived of meeting your loved ones, if you want to know how you stand before the king, then look at how you are spending your time and what work you are assigned to do. How many people stand at the door of the king, but no one enters except the one whom he cares for. Not every heart is fit to draw close, not every heart can be filled with love, and not every wind is like the morning breeze.”

If a person wants to know how he stands before Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala and how he stands in relation to His commands and prohibitions, let him look at himself and see what he is preoccupied with. If he is busy with Da’wah and with saving people from the Fire, striving to attain Paradise, helping the weak and needy, honoring his parents, then let him rejoice in the fact that he is close to the King of kings, for Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala does not help anyone to do good except those whom He loves.

But if he is has no interest in da’wah, dislikes the da’iyahs and does not do good things, if he is preoccupied with this world and its gains, and with gossip and asking too many questions, whilst not doing much or following his whims and desires, let him know that he is far from Allah and has been deprived of that which will bring him closer to Paradise, because Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala says:

“Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world); We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected (far away from Allah’s Mercy).

And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allah’s obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allah)”

[Surah Al-Isra’, 17:18-19]

If one would like to have a high position in all kinds of good deeds, to be a devoted slave of Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala and to honour your parents, and you are seeking Paradise, then you have to do the following:

1. You have to revive the faith in your heart. Faith is what will bring the Muslim everything he seeks in this world and in the Hereafter. Faith is the key to all goodness and locks the door to all evil. The means of reviving and strengthening faith in one’s heart are many and varied, including doing a lot of acts of worship and righteous deeds.

2. You must turn to your Lord sincerely, as it says in the report: “If My slave turns to me inwardly and outwardly, I will turn the hearts of My slaves to him with love and mercy.”

Allah has made worship the ultimate aim and loftiest purpose of man: “And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)” [Ad-Dhariyat, 51:56]

3. You should always set your sights on the highest degrees, and make your goal in life to earn the pleasure of Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala, and strive to attain the victory of Paradise, or to attain the Firdaus. You should strive as hard as you can to achieve these lofty aims.

4. Doing a lot of righteous deeds which will bring you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.

5. Praying Qiyamulail, supplicating do’a in the time just before dawn. The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) feet used to swell You should follow the way of Muslim figures such as the Sahabah, Tabi’en and righteous forebears (the salaf).

6. You should make the most of every minute, every moment and every heartbeat to use it in such a way as to increase your faith.

7. You should try to keep company with righteous people, because the Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “A man will follow the religion of his close friend, so let each one of you look at whom he befriends.” [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidzi] Good friends are one of the best means of helping you to obey Allah and to avoid sin and error.

8. It is because of his desire to be a thankful slave, even though Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala had forgiven his previous and future sins.

9. Persisting in reading a portion of Qur’an daily, and other dzikirullah that helps you to think and ponder the meanings of the Qur’an.

10. Striving to spread the word and carry out da’wah for the sake of Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala, and working for Islam as much as possible.

If you want to reach the status of devoted slave for which you long then be as Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala commanded His Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam):

“Say (O Muhammad): Verily, my Solah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [Al-An’am, 6:162] Being a devoted slave of Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala means declaring one’s devotion and belonging to the Lord, which can only be achieved by applying this ayah, so that we are for Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala, the Lord of the Worlds, in all our affairs.

Being a devoted slave of Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala can only be fully achieved in that manner; it can only be achieved by worshipping Allah in the fullest sense of the word, which means making our living and dying, and all our movements, for Him alone. So we only endeavour which is pleasing to Allah; we only do that which is pleasing to Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala; we focus our intention in these words and deeds only on Allah.

Worship should not be reduced to merely raising and lowering our heads at certain times, or giving a few pennies every once in a while, or fasting a few days each year, or moving our lips to say a few words and dzikir.

Hence the deeds that lead to this status – of being a devoted slave – are innumerable and may take many shapes in all aspects of our lives and the places where we live. This is by the bounty of Allah towards us and towards all people. Just look, in every place where you find yourself and every moment that comes to you, for that which will please Him, and what you think He wants to see you doing, and do it. Then you will be a devoted slave.

Finally, we ask Allah to accept righteous deeds from us and from you, and to gather us and you in His mercy with the Prophets, Siddiqin, martyrs and righteous, and those are the best of companions. We also seek Allāh Subhānahu wata‘ala that HE would make us steadfast in adhering to the truth, and to make our hopes come true, and to make us as of those who turn to Him and who know the truth, defend it and adhere to Islam.
And Allāh Almighty Knows best.

[Via Islam Online]

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