Sometimes we find people working for
this worldly life and pretend to have forgotten that one day they will
die and be brought to account…
Then there are others who do great deeds
with the Hereafter in mind, but completely neglect their financial and
familial responsibilities.
So, how can reconcile between
dunya and akhirah, between not completely depriving ourselves of the
delights Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) has put on this earth while keeping
our focus and efforts on Paradise?
As always, we get any guidance we need from The Noble Qur’an and Sunnah; here we go:
Three persons came to the Prophet’s home (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and asked about how he (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) worships Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala). When they got the answer, they thought since he is a Prophet, Allah Ta’ala has forgiven him, and that they are just ordinary people and need to step beyond what the Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said – they wanted to fast without breaking it, pray all night without sleeping, and refrain from marriage for their whole lives. The Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained, however, that what they described was not his path. The Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the best of examples and the best of us, yet he fasted but also broke his fast, he prayed night prayer but also slept, and he did marry; we should stick to his Sunnah, the Straight Path. (Muslim and Bukhari)
Three persons came to the Prophet’s home (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and asked about how he (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) worships Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala). When they got the answer, they thought since he is a Prophet, Allah Ta’ala has forgiven him, and that they are just ordinary people and need to step beyond what the Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said – they wanted to fast without breaking it, pray all night without sleeping, and refrain from marriage for their whole lives. The Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained, however, that what they described was not his path. The Prophet (sal Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the best of examples and the best of us, yet he fasted but also broke his fast, he prayed night prayer but also slept, and he did marry; we should stick to his Sunnah, the Straight Path. (Muslim and Bukhari)
Islam does not ask for us to live in
isolation, to cut ourselves off from society, or to completely deprive
ourselves of what Allah Ta’ala has made halaal (permissible). Our
religion is not one of extremes – we shouldn’t be excessive in our
eating, we eat to sustain ourselves; we shouldn’t be excessive in our
spending, but we are not tight-fisted or miserly.
The key is to always have akhirah on top
of our mind and list of priorities; we can (and should) have families,
but they shouldn’t distract us from our Islamic duties; we can seek
lawful means of living, but we leave and turn our back on it when prayer
or Jum’uah comes. (Note: Keep in mind activities like working can turn
into good deeds by changing our intentions to be independent and provide
for our families, etc. Now, we should know that we can get reward by
putting food in your wife’s mouth. If you change your intention to
please Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, then you’ve unlocked the key to
gaining good deeds through the daily acts you do)
Our connection with Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) is a fuel and a light for our dunya activities.
“Improve your secret and private life,
and Allah will improve your public and social life. Make matters well
between you and Allah, and Allah will make matters well between you and
people. Work for the Hereafter and Allah will be enough for you in your
worldly concerns” [Imam Sufyaan AthThawri, rahimahuAllah]
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
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