By Khadijah Lim

Allah SWT chose us before we were even formed. He knows us by person, and gave us the honour of individuality. He gave us 2 choices, to choose Him or other-than-Him (the imperfect). It is a lifelong journey of us being forced to choose between the two. But know that the imperfect only gives us boredom and disappointment. Choose Allah SWT everyday and use the sword of la ilaha illallah to fight against the nafs. Always be satisfied with Allah SWT as your Rabb.

This love and choice to love Allah SWT comes with challenges . In this life, you will always be presented with choices of Allah SWT and other-than-Him. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But always go back to the rahmah of Allah SWT. Eventually, choose Him.

Allah SWT is waiting to forgive and when the Believer repents, Allah SWT gives more.

Choose Allah SWT, need Allah SWT, want Allah SWT, give your heart to Allah SWT

“Man should call upon Allah alone to provide for all his needs, so much so that even if a shoe-lace is broken, he should pray to Allah to provide a shoe-lace, and if he needs salt, he should beseech Allah to send it to him.”

When you think that you need work, school and money, that’s all that you remember and think about. But if you choose Allah SWT, then you will keep remembering Allah SWT so much so that forgetting Him is difficult subhaAllah, and He will facilitate everything else for you. There are objectives to meet in this life otherwise there is no point in having the gift of living another year if you do not move towards these milestones TOWARDS Allah.

A form of kufr (denial) is to deny the favours of Allah SWT, not see Allah SWT in everything, and is blind to the Creator in the creation. This is so scary, to have forgotten Allah SWT when you have already committed to the shahadah, which is a covenant to pay attention to Allah SWT. Then why do we find it difficult to commit to the forms of ibadah which He has ordained, or feel reluctant to spend additional time with Him – even though He has given us abundant favours that we clearly do not deserve.

We are short before Allah SWT and the reality is that we can never return His favours. The least we can do is to be grateful, apologetic and needy towards Him.

To remember Him in the best way, to thank Him in the best way, to worship Him in the best way.

اللَّهُـمَّ أَعِـنِّي عَلـَى ذِكْـرِكَ وَشُكْـرِكَ وَحُسْـنِ عِبَـادَتِـكَ

Salaah is a mercy from Him and He has already given us the script and actions to worship Him in the way that benefits us and yet we can’t even fully commit and do it well for Him and have khusyuk 😤

Think about it, He gave us this Mercy and He even gave us the answer sheet to gain this Mercy. What can’t we just do it properly 😭

Istighfar cleans the heart of dust and rust

Sometimes someone cannot receive advice about loving and obeying Allah SWT because the rust has made their hearts too hard.

So much so that Allah SWT Himself breaks the rust by taking something they love. And this is a Mercy from Him, so that the believer goes back to Him. That is the whole point.

Share the good news with others, call other Muslims back to Allah SWT.

The importance of seeking knowledge

The duty of the Muslim is to share the beneficial knowledge as a form of zakat.

The worse feeling is when Allah SWT leaves you to forget Him to go do what you felt was important.

Do not only remember Allah SWT in times of difficulty. Do not be the kind of person who abuses His Mercy.

Seeking knowledge, tests and blessings

Know that the information that you have learnt have to be put into practice because there is greater accountability on the person holding this information. They will be questioned on why they haven’t put them into practice.

Allah SWT controls the rizq and it is something that has already been written before you were born. Even the favours of blood flow and breath and blinking of the eyes, these are His favours and are they insufficient for us?

Do not be like the atheist who stands before the sunrise to sunset to sunrise, before the miracles of Allah SWT , yet he asks “Where is Allah?”

Tawheed of the heart is seeing la ilaha illallah in everything, do not behave like the one who denies Allah SWT in everything

It is wajib for those who are in positions of leadership (in Islamic organisations or even in anywhere at all) to seek and refine knowledge and practice knowledge. Otherwise, like a lifeguard who doesn’t know how to swim, they will drown themselves because they don’t know what to do with that responsibility.

Learn Islam properly, correctly and wholesomely before going into positions of power. Otherwise it is not good for you. A person who becomes a leader over another has one foot in Hellfire. This is because his accountability towards Allah SWT is increased by 1 person. It is not a vain display of power and ego – it is a test from Allah SWT.

Husbands over their wives, fathers over their children. They should abide by the shariah and therefore they require knowledge to properly follow the Laws of Allah SWT so that they do not oppress those they have responsibility towards. This is a test and a blessing from Allah SWT.

Don’t skip classes. Consistency is always key and this, in itself, is also a test and a blessing from Allah SWT

You can learn from anyone, but you should only have ONE spiritual teacher

This teacher is the only one who can open up your heart and identify the diseases of the heart

Someone whom you have access to so that you can get tarbiyah from them and get the full benefit and understanding from them

Do not abandon your current class to go for trending lectures by celebrity teachers. There is barakah in consistency and learning with the correct adab

Routines are important, breaking the routine to punish the nafs can have dire consequences should one not have the strength, knowledge and awareness of the nafs’s doing. So much so that by the means of a teacher, by the ultimate Will of Allah that this person can be saved.

There is blessing in learning from those with sanad (the chain of transmission tied to Rasulullah SAW)

Traditional teachers cover 1 subject thoroughly in wholesome ways as opposed to just the technical aspect of things that are robotic and cold that can cause a believer to question Allah SWT and have doubt in Allah SWT.

Learn and seek ilm to get closer to Allah SWT, not for places of position.

A teacher should continue to have teachers – this is how you know that they are constantly seeking knowledge

Get yourself prepared to be a serious student because we’ll never know when Allah SWT will send you a teacher and it is wrong to turn away from ilm and guidance from Allah SWT.

It is okay to feel that your teacher is the best because teachers are gifts from Allah. But one should not go around brandishing other teachers and making weird comparisons in other circles of knowledge. We should respect everyone.

When in doubt, seek the opinions of those who are learned.

Ask Allah SWT for a spiritual teacher

It is important to learn the sciences of the heart to purify the heart

“So we say: It is someone who is averse to love of the world and love of fame; who has been the disciple of a person possessed of insight whose discipleship is part of a chain leading back to the Master of Messengers (God bless him and give him peace); who is proficient in disciplining his soul with little food, speech and sleep (and socialising), and with much prayer, almsgiving, and fasting.”

Ayyuhal Walad P.36

The science of the nafs is very tricky and sneaky. So be careful of who you take discipleship with for they will be able to prescribe according to your diseases as opposed to general advice.

When the community lack such teachers, we go to the students of those teachers, if community lacks their students, then go to the books of those teachers and whatever else that is remaining.

Do not engage in impermissible / idle speech (even cracking a joke for speech is a gift from Allah SWT, and one should not speak unless it is beneficial)

Give in the name of Allah SWT to earn His Pleasure

Remember Allah SWT often

“By his discipleship of that insightful master he has made into a way of life for himself proficiency in virtues such as patience, prayer, gratitude, reliance on God, certitude, contentment, self-composure, mildness, humility, knowledge, sincerity, modesty, fidelity, dignity, silence, deliberateness in acting and suchlike. In consequence, he is a light among the lights of the Prophet (God bless him and give him peace), fit to be followed as an example.”

Ayyuhal Walad P.36

Understand that your teacher is also a human, and they have shortcomings too.

When they admonish you, take it as a word of advice from a person of authority who cares for your spiritual health in front of Allah

Never talk back to your parents. Give up the argument and you will be granted Jannah. SEE ALLAH IN EVERYTHING.

Do not speak to ignorance. Just greet “salaamah” and humble yourself in front of them. Let. Go. Of. The. Argument. Unless they are asking for the haraam then that’s where you draw the line.

Even the grass cutter of the alcohol company is a contributor of the haraam. A Muslim must NEVER take part in any part of the haraam. Seek Allah SWT’s protection and help and be firm.

However, finding the like of him is unusual

Ayyuhal Walad P.36

It is hard to find teachers and students who are serious in seeking Allah SWT.

In the past, students had to go through a period of tarbiyah to make sure they are ready to receive the information and transform it into knowledge. These days, we don’t have the time to do it and we are so distracted and the religion is diluting, so there is urgency to spread the information quicker these days and by the Will of Allah, it will enter well into the hearts of the students receiving the information and transforming them into knowledge that will be beneficial on the Day of Resurrection and beneficial to protect one’s family for generations without diluting the religion.

Always look for the shortcomings in yourself. Take what is necessary in the world and then move on. Do not be dazzled by the pomp and glitter of this dunya, for it is just smokes and mirrors.

A teacher cares about your position in front of Allah SWT. So be grateful for them.

Whoever is favoured by good fortune in finding a master such as we have mentioned, and the master accepts him, should venerate him outwardly and inwardly.

As for outward veneration – it is that he should not contend with him nor engage in argument with him over anything, even if he is aware of an error of his.

Ayyuhal Walad P.36

Be thankful to those who taught you anything. Venerate them.

Be thankful and never argue with your teachers. Their mistakes may be better than your correctness.

He should not lay his prayer carpet down in front of him unless at the time of carrying out the formal prayer, and when he has finished he should remove it.

Ayyuhal Walad P.36

Never think that you are more pious than your teachers and even more, never show that you are more pious than your teachers.

Have good adab around your teachers. Have adab in asking questions.

Your teachers have scaled the mountains and can identify things from a highpoint view

Do not ask questions of “what ifs” that are based on whims and fancies. Ask questions that are of benefit, that has happened, that needs clarity.

Do not be shy when asking questions.

As for inward veneration – it is that everything he hears and receives from him externally should not be rejected by him internally, neither acts nor statements, lest he be characterised by hypocrisy

Ayyuhal Walad P.36

You may not have the ability and readiness to fulfil immediately BUT know that it is because you are not ready yet and you are weak, and start somewhere small, where it is manageable with the end goal of fulfilling everything that is prescribed by your teacher

Teachers are important and they come with blessings. It is okay to have many teachers for many things like fardhu ain, tasawwuf, fiqh etc