By Mohamed Wasim

It was just a few weeks ago that I had this thought in my mind. All this while, I’ve been trying to please the people around me, but have I stopped to think if Allah ﷻ is pleased with me? I wanted to please these people because they were my friends and I valued our friendship, but why didn’t I apply the same or even greater love for Allah ﷻ?

As believers, He has promised us paradise in the Hereafter and made it easier for us to attain it, where each good deed done is worth 10 blessings and with each sin we commit, He only counts it as it is. As slaves, we do not deserve anything yet because of His Love for us, He provides His Bounties.

These days, it is very easy to get caught up in the rat race. It is how the modern world has engineered us to think. We tend to forget how short our lives in this world actually are compared to the next. We lose Khusyuk in our prayers, while remembering worldly matters. It was prophesied by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that a time will come when the ummah will be “praying without souls”. What I recently learnt was that while a prayer may be considered valid it may not be accepted by Allah ﷻ.

We cannot let ourselves be distant from Allah ﷻ and our hearts must be hardened with our love for Him. It is easier to shed a tear for him after we’ve committed something wrong or when a tragedy befalls us. But what about when times are good? We may suddenly feel like there’s nothing to repent for, and that is a sign of arrogance. In the authentic Hadith reported by Imams Muslim and At-Tirmidhi, The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

 “One will not enter Paradise, if one has an atom’s weight of arrogance in his/her heart.”

Tirmidhi

While we strive to pray a conscious solat, it is important to remove the spiritual impurities that block our hearts from Allah ﷻ:

1. Lying
2. Bribery
3. Backbiting/Slander
4. Usury (Riba)
5. Fornication (Zina of the limbs and senses)
6. Unlawful wealth
7. Doubtful wealth

These spiritual filths block the hearts from paving a pure state for the King, who is deserving of the loftiest grandeur. Thus, one must struggle and beseech Allah ﷻ to be assisted in removing both the physical and, most importantly, the spiritual filth from our minds, hearts, and souls.

SEEKING KNOWLEDGE CONSISTENTLY IS A WAY FOR US TO GET CLOSER TO HIM AND GAIN A SENSE OF HUMILITY. AS WE SEEK TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT ALLAH ﷻ AND HIS CREATIONS, THE MORE WE REALISE WHAT WE HAVE YET TO KNOW.

For those of us who are struggling to get close to Allah ﷻ, let us strive to remember Him by performing dhikr and being fervent in our pursuit of knowledge.

Do You Believe in One God
& Ready to [Re]start your Journey of Faith & Gratitude as a Muslim?