"Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” [2:201]
It is a short yet, great supplication. Allah ta'ala grants a person based on his intentions. Through this supplication, a person asks Allah ta'ala for an excellent world and an excellent Hereafter. When we ask for the world, we desire that our houses be nice, we love in comfort and peace and luxuries. In reality, this is not actually seeking an excellent world. Allah ta'ala has already promised to grant us these desires anyway. An excellent world is in fact, when a person engages in those actions which improve his Hereafter. This is what we refer to in the supplication.
This world is a very valuable for us when we utilise it to prepare and improve our Hereafter. When we have concern for the Hereafter and perform actions for the Hereafter, it will grant us an excellent dunya. When we focus on our Hereafter, then our necessities of this world will also be fulfilled. Allah ta'ala will grant us the comforts of the world without even asking for it.
When a person prioritises his Hereafter, Allah ta'ala grants him materialistic things of the world full of blessings. His necessities will be fulfilled and he will find satisfaction and contentment in that.
How can we make our Hereafter excellent through the dunya?
To focus and turn back to Allah ta'ala. Through this, everything will fall in to place and our dunya becomes excellent. It brightens our Hereafter and we can attain Paradise through this.
The essence of our worship is to focus and return to Allah ta'ala. Dunya distracts us and make us negligent which is why we are ordered to focus upon Allah ta'ala through our worship. The greatest worship which is preferred by Allah ta'ala is prayer. The objective of prayer is to focus upon Allah ta'ala completely and connect ourselves to Him.
Allah ta'ala orders us to pray multiple times in a day so that we may keep returning to Him. This is so we do not become deviated. Allah ta'ala desires that our world becomes excellent through our prayer. It is Allah ta'ala's huge favour upon us that He granted us prayer because if prayer wasn’t established, we would be totally immersed in the world.
Our standard of our dunya being excellent is that we earn a lot of money and construct many houses whilst abandoning prayer. In reality, our world is made excellent through our prayers and Allah ta'ala also provides us materialistic things. through our prayers.
By simply praying, our dunya is not made excellent, for it is not only five times prayer which grants a person success. Allah ta'ala desires His slave to be connected to Him at all times. The more a person focuses upon Allah ta'ala, the more his status increases.
In reality, prayer was established to teach us to focus on Allah ta'ala. Prayer without focus is merely a combination of physical actions. Actual success and reward is based upon a person's level of focus during prayer. The more focus a person has in prayer, the more his prayer will become excellent and the more he will benefit from his prayers. We must be constantly focused upon Allah ta'ala to in order to have our ranks and rewards increased. It is all due to our level connection with Allah ta'ala in prayer.
We should assess how much of our day we are connected to Allah ta'ala. One breath which does not take us closer to Allah ta'ala is a waste. Unfortunately, we waste our time and we have no regard for our Hereafter. We have sold our Hereafter for small things of the world.
We do not even perform prayers in full. We suffice upon the Fard prayer and forget the nafil. We consider it a burden and something to get rid of. In reality, we should run towards prayers so that we can build a connection with Allah ta'ala and converse with Him. Prayer is a temporary live discussion with Allah ta'ala.
Whoever does not turn to Allah ta'ala, it is as though he is dead inside although he may be praying. When you are connected to Allah ta'ala, you are alive.
Prayer itself does not make a person a wali Allah. The worship which maintains the connection with Allah ta'ala is in fact, the dhikr of Allah ta'ala. Dhikr is one worship which completes the objective of life. If we remember Allah ta'ala, He will remember us. Through dhikr, we are connected to Allah ta'ala with every second of our life. This act gives us constant focus upon Allah ta'ala and even during our sleep.
A heedless Muslim who does not remember Allah ta'ala is not considered alive as he is not connected to Allah ta'ala.
Blessings arrive through dhikr alone. If we wish to be connected with Allah ta'ala and desire to make our Hereafter great, we should engage in Allah ta'ala's dhikr whilst we fulfil our worldly affairs.
No action in a believers life should be void of blessings. Those who are engaged in worldly actions whilst being connected to Allah ta'ala through dhikr, face blessings in ever step of their life. This is the relationship we should create whereby we are occupied in the world, yet, connected to Allah ta'ala through dhikr.
There are a group of people who rest on soft beds but they have achieved the highest status in Paradise. This means that we can remember Allah ta'ala wherever we are. Even prayer is excellent when we are remembering Allah ta'ala. The person who rests on a soft mattress and remembers Allah ta'ala is better than the one who prays without focus upon Allah ta'ala.
Today we dislike dhikr although there is no other great action than dhikr of Allah ta'ala so we should never abandon it.
Dhikr is to turn your attention completely towards Allah ta'ala. The person who engages in dhikr is the one who loves Allah ta'ala, as he performs that which Allah ta'ala loves the most.
Due to the heart which Allah ta'ala has instilled within a believer, we are considered the best of form of creation. This is because the heart of the human is capable of bearing the name of Allah ta'ala. When the heart is made beautiful and beats to the name of Allah, then human being is considered the best form of creation.
There are three types of dhikr.
The dhikr of the tongue which we use the tasbih for. By engaging in dhikr of the tongue, one cannot form a connection with Allah ta'ala.
The second stage of dhikr is the dhikr of the heart. Our heart may be engaged in dhikr, but if we are not focused, then even this dhikr does not provide us benefit.
Muraqabah is when we disconnect ourselves from everything else besides Allah ta'ala. The tongue doesn't move and the servant has complete awareness of Allah ta'ala. These three forms of dhikr are found in the presence and company of the Sheikh.
A student must be connected directly to Allah ta'ala and nothing in between and he must graduate from this before he dies. This is the knowledge which we must learn from the Sheikh.
Allah ta'ala orders us to eat and drink. He created eggs, chicken and fruit for our benefit. As believers, we should fulfil the desire of our nafs whilst remembering Allah ta'ala alongside
We shouldn’t start dieting and become extreme by abstaining from beautiful resources and good foods which Allah ta'ala has provided for us. By refraining from such, we are oppressing our body. The best way to eat and drink is the way of the Prophet ﷺ.
Israaf (committing excess) also refers to eating less or refraining from food. This is because Allah ta'ala ordered us to eat. Israaf also refers to being miserly and not spending enough money. To be moderate is the best way and that is the Sunnah way.
Nabi ﷺ taught us such comprehensive supplications for the sake of this world and our Hereafter.
Nabi ﷺ would recite this dua,
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
"Our Lord! Grant us the good of this world and the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire.” [2:201]
It is a short yet, great supplication. Allah ta'ala grants a person based on his intentions. Through this supplication, a person asks Allah ta'ala for an excellent world and an excellent Hereafter. When we ask for the world, we desire that our houses be nice, we love in comfort and peace and luxuries. In reality, this is not actually seeking an excellent world. Allah ta'ala has already promised to grant us these desires anyway. An excellent world is in fact, when a person engages in those actions which improve his Hereafter. This is what we refer to in the supplication.
This world is a very valuable for us when we utilise it to prepare and improve our Hereafter. When we have concern for the Hereafter and perform actions for the Hereafter, it will grant us an excellent dunya. When we focus on our Hereafter, then our necessities of this world will also be fulfilled. Allah ta'ala will grant us the comforts of the world without even asking for it.
When a person prioritises his Hereafter, Allah ta'ala grants him materialistic things of the world full of blessings. His necessities will be fulfilled and he will find satisfaction and contentment in that.
How can we make our Hereafter excellent through the dunya?
To focus and turn back to Allah ta'ala. Through this, everything will fall in to place and our dunya becomes excellent. It brightens our Hereafter and we can attain Paradise through this.
The essence of our worship is to focus and return to Allah ta'ala. Dunya distracts us and make us negligent which is why we are ordered to focus upon Allah ta'ala through our worship. The greatest worship which is preferred by Allah ta'ala is prayer. The objective of prayer is to focus upon Allah ta'ala completely and connect ourselves to Him.
Allah ta'ala orders us to pray multiple times in a day so that we may keep returning to Him. This is so we do not become deviated. Allah ta'ala desires that our world becomes excellent through our prayer. It is Allah ta'ala's huge favour upon us that He granted us prayer because if prayer wasn’t established, we would be totally immersed in the world.
Our standard of our dunya being excellent is that we earn a lot of money and construct many houses whilst abandoning prayer. In reality, our world is made excellent through our prayers and Allah ta'ala also provides us materialistic things. through our prayers.
By simply praying, our dunya is not made excellent, for it is not only five times prayer which grants a person success. Allah ta'ala desires His slave to be connected to Him at all times. The more a person focuses upon Allah ta'ala, the more his status increases.
In reality, prayer was established to teach us to focus on Allah ta'ala. Prayer without focus is merely a combination of physical actions. Actual success and reward is based upon a person's level of focus during prayer. The more focus a person has in prayer, the more his prayer will become excellent and the more he will benefit from his prayers. We must be constantly focused upon Allah ta'ala to in order to have our ranks and rewards increased. It is all due to our level connection with Allah ta'ala in prayer.
We should assess how much of our day we are connected to Allah ta'ala. One breath which does not take us closer to Allah ta'ala is a waste. Unfortunately, we waste our time and we have no regard for our Hereafter. We have sold our Hereafter for small things of the world.
We do not even perform prayers in full. We suffice upon the Fard prayer and forget the nafil. We consider it a burden and something to get rid of. In reality, we should run towards prayers so that we can build a connection with Allah ta'ala and converse with Him. Prayer is a temporary live discussion with Allah ta'ala.
Whoever does not turn to Allah ta'ala, it is as though he is dead inside although he may be praying. When you are connected to Allah ta'ala, you are alive.
Prayer itself does not make a person a wali Allah. The worship which maintains the connection with Allah ta'ala is in fact, the dhikr of Allah ta'ala. Dhikr is one worship which completes the objective of life. If we remember Allah ta'ala, He will remember us. Through dhikr, we are connected to Allah ta'ala with every second of our life. This act gives us constant focus upon Allah ta'ala and even during our sleep.
A heedless Muslim who does not remember Allah ta'ala is not considered alive as he is not connected to Allah ta'ala.
Blessings arrive through dhikr alone. If we wish to be connected with Allah ta'ala and desire to make our Hereafter great, we should engage in Allah ta'ala's dhikr whilst we fulfil our worldly affairs.
No action in a believers life should be void of blessings. Those who are engaged in worldly actions whilst being connected to Allah ta'ala through dhikr, face blessings in ever step of their life. This is the relationship we should create whereby we are occupied in the world, yet, connected to Allah ta'ala through dhikr.
There are a group of people who rest on soft beds but they have achieved the highest status in Paradise. This means that we can remember Allah ta'ala wherever we are. Even prayer is excellent when we are remembering Allah ta'ala. The person who rests on a soft mattress and remembers Allah ta'ala is better than the one who prays without focus upon Allah ta'ala.
Today we dislike dhikr although there is no other great action than dhikr of Allah ta'ala so we should never abandon it.
Dhikr is to turn your attention completely towards Allah ta'ala. The person who engages in dhikr is the one who loves Allah ta'ala, as he performs that which Allah ta'ala loves the most.
Due to the heart which Allah ta'ala has instilled within a believer, we are considered the best of form of creation. This is because the heart of the human is capable of bearing the name of Allah ta'ala. When the heart is made beautiful and beats to the name of Allah, then human being is considered the best form of creation.
There are three types of dhikr.
The dhikr of the tongue which we use the tasbih for. By engaging in dhikr of the tongue, one cannot form a connection with Allah ta'ala.
The second stage of dhikr is the dhikr of the heart. Our heart may be engaged in dhikr, but if we are not focused, then even this dhikr does not provide us benefit.
Muraqabah is when we disconnect ourselves from everything else besides Allah ta'ala. The tongue doesn't move and the servant has complete awareness of Allah ta'ala. These three forms of dhikr are found in the presence and company of the Sheikh.
A student must be connected directly to Allah ta'ala and nothing in between and he must graduate from this before he dies. This is the knowledge which we must learn from the Sheikh.
Allah ta'ala orders us to eat and drink. He created eggs, chicken and fruit for our benefit. As believers, we should fulfil the desire of our nafs whilst remembering Allah ta'ala alongside
We shouldn’t start dieting and become extreme by abstaining from beautiful resources and good foods which Allah ta'ala has provided for us. By refraining from such, we are oppressing our body. The best way to eat and drink is the way of the Prophet ﷺ.
Israaf (committing excess) also refers to eating less or refraining from food. This is because Allah ta'ala ordered us to eat. Israaf also refers to being miserly and not spending enough money. To be moderate is the best way and that is the Sunnah way.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement. Ameen