Every journey has a destination, and without a route and directions, a person cannot reach it. If your directions are accurate, it becomes easy to arrive at your destination.
This journey of life is our most important journey, and our destination is the Hereafter. If our route is unclear, we will still arrive there eventually, but our outcome will be severe.
Once we have embarked on this journey of life towards the Hereafter, there is no turning back. A person will reach comfortably if his route is correct. When we arrive in the Hereafter, we cannot return to this world. The true human being is the one who constantly looks towards his destination and prepares for the journey. He reflects upon himself.
It is a great shame that even when we bury our deceased and perform their burial, we engage in chatting, gossiping, and laughing in their presence. Our hearts have become hard. We show no respect for the deceased who has left us and moved on to the next world. We fail to reflect that soon we too will depart from this world.
Our deeds are our provision for the Hereafter, but they cannot deliver us to Paradise on their own. Rather, it is the direction of life that takes us to Paradise. For example, a car may deliver us to our destination, but it is only a means. If the route is wrong, it will take us to the wrong destination. It is not the fault of the car or the deeds; rather, our direction in life must be correct. We must develop concern for this.
Those who are successful in the Hereafter will present their deeds to the angels with pride and will be extremely happy.
When a person dies, angels come from the right and the left and remain with him. The angels who recorded his good deeds will testify to the angels of death that this believer performed many good deeds throughout his life.
It is a shame that we believe in the angels who accompany us throughout our lives, yet we neglect belief in Hellfire and Paradise. We abandon prayer, including prayer in congregation.
We should constantly assess whether our path and direction are correct. Allah ta'ala has emphasized the importance of the direction of life. Worship and deeds are not sufficient if we do not evaluate our direction.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
"Guide us to the straight path." [1:6]
The most important act of worship granted to us is prayer. This is the worship through which we must attain success. If a person’s prayer is sound, then his Hereafter will be sound. A person who abandons prayer moves towards disbelief and may die in that state. He departs this world as an unbeliever, and everything becomes unlawful for him—even his eating and drinking—if he does not pray.
A person who neglects prayer will face fifteen punishments, whether he realizes it or not. He will be cursed.
Surah Fatiha has been made obligatory for us to recite in every prayer because within it is a verse that provides the direction of life.
What is our direction in life? Guidance. If we have guidance, then we are heading in the right direction through our deeds and worship. As a result, the outcome will be correct. If the path is incorrect, then the outcome will also be incorrect. If a person is guided in life, he will reach a destination of success because his route was correct.
If a person follows guidance, he will arrive at his destination successfully. Guidance comes first—the route—and then deeds follow. Only when we have guidance will our deeds be beneficial. Guidance will benefit us in the Hereafter, and we will be questioned as to why we rejected it.
Our wealth will not benefit us. A person who is not guided in this life has wasted everything. Whatever he does is in vain. He will rise blind and lost in the Hereafter, moving towards Hellfire.
Those who are consumed by love of the world and materialism, who abandon prayer and remembrance (dhikr), who have no fear of Allah ta'ala, and who show no regard for the funeral (janazah), are simply wasting their time in this world.
Wealth can overpower a person and make him foolish. He may appear to worship, but in reality he is a prisoner of material gain, with his entire focus on wealth and worldly life. He is trapped by the chains of this world. That is why we are advised to seek protection from Allah ta'ala from the love of the dunya.
Those who chase worldly prosperity become deviated and cannot perceive the reality of life. They will be raised in the same state in the Hereaft
eto become wealthy, as this life is temporary and will not benefit us in the Hereafter.
In the Hereafter, the reality of our lives and deeds will be revealed. Allah ta'ala has granted us the prescription of guidance. We should reflect upon the verse of guidance when reciting Surah Fatiha.
How do we attain guidance?
We must constantly supplicate to Allah ta'ala to show us the right path. There are many supplications for guidance. Without dua, a person cannot attain guidance. The verse in Surah Fatiha proves that we cannot achieve guidance without asking Allah ta'ala. He tests the sincerity with which we seek guidance. We must ask with a pure and sincere heart, along with fear of Him; otherwise, we cannot truly seek guidance.
Shaytan makes us think that we do not need to pray for guidance. However, the condition for attaining guidance is to seek it from Allah ta'ala through dua. Only the one who understands that he will soon die and return to the Hereafter will sincerely ask for it. Supplications are most accepted in prayer, which is why we have been instructed to recite this dua within it. It is a great shame that we do not even focus during our prayers or perform them with attentiveness.
When we ask Allah ta'ala for guidance, our eyes should be filled with tears. We should not rise from prostration without asking Him for guidance.
Iman is also attained through guidance and is a pillar of it. When we consistently seek guidance from Allah ta'ala, He will surely grant it. A person will rise as one who is guided. This supplication is so عظیم (great) that through it, Allah ta'ala accepts our other supplications as well.
We have been commanded to pray and recite Surah Fatiha, asking for guidance so that we never lose hope. Guidance is a light—the more we seek it, the more we are granted.
How do we maintain guidance so that we do not deviate from the straight path?
There is attaining guidance and there is maintaining it so that it leads us to our destination. Only then will our direction in life be correct.
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
"As for those who struggle in Our cause, We will surely guide them along Our Way. And Allah is certainly with the good-doers." [29:69]
To maintain our guidance, our deeds support us. These deeds will accompany us to the Hereafter and deliver us to our destination. If we have guidance but are lazy in practicing good deeds, we cannot succeed in the Hereafter.
Once we attain guidance, we must strive and struggle against our desires and anything that opposes us. We are required to make many sacrifices to maintain this direction towards the Hereafter. Wherever there is doubt about an action, we should avoid it. A person journeying to the Hereafter lives cautiously.
If we make the effort, Allah ta'ala will assist us and prevent us from slipping. We should continuously strive to improve our deeds. There are two types of deeds: performing good actions and abandoning evil. We must work hard on both, otherwise we will fail.
Sins should not accompany worship. If we strive sincerely, Allah ta'ala will open many paths of ease for us to succeed.
If we walk towards Allah ta'ala with love, we will be successful. Without love for Allah ta'ala, nothing can be achieved. It is a great loss that we lack this vision and love.
We should not walk blindly on this path, as Allah ta'ala has given us a nafs and Shaytan, both of which can steal our faith. The one who fears for the state of his faith, especially at the time of death, is a true Muslim. He lives his life with this concern and awareness.
How do we safeguard our guidance?
The company of a teacher and engagement in dhikr. These will grant us Paradise and goodness in both worlds.
Many people feel that keeping a beard is dishonourable and oppose the Sunnah, thinking this brings dignity. They find enjoyment in disregarding the Sunnah. This is not guidance—it is deviation. We should take pride in following the Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ is most hurt by those who disregard and criticise the Sunnah. We compromise on the Sunnah and fail to even consider it part of the religion, despite the fact that Allah ta'ala swears by the greatness of the Prophet ﷺ and by his life.
Whoever lacks manners or love for the Prophet ﷺ in his heart—how can he truly be a Muslim? Allah ta'ala made the Prophet ﷺ the perfect role model for us. Every aspect of our lives should reflect his example. This should be our way of life.
If we do not live by these three
principles, we will not succeed.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious teachings. Ameen.
Every journey has a destination, and without a route and directions, a person cannot reach it. If your directions are accurate, it becomes easy to arrive at your destination.
This journey of life is our most important journey, and our destination is the Hereafter. If our route is unclear, we will still arrive there eventually, but our outcome will be severe.
Once we have embarked on this journey of life towards the Hereafter, there is no turning back. A person will reach comfortably if his route is correct. When we arrive in the Hereafter, we cannot return to this world. The true human being is the one who constantly looks towards his destination and prepares for the journey. He reflects upon himself.
It is a great shame that even when we bury our deceased and perform their burial, we engage in chatting, gossiping, and laughing in their presence. Our hearts have become hard. We show no respect for the deceased who has left us and moved on to the next world. We fail to reflect that soon we too will depart from this world.
Our deeds are our provision for the Hereafter, but they cannot deliver us to Paradise on their own. Rather, it is the direction of life that takes us to Paradise. For example, a car may deliver us to our destination, but it is only a means. If the route is wrong, it will take us to the wrong destination. It is not the fault of the car or the deeds; rather, our direction in life must be correct. We must develop concern for this.
Those who are successful in the Hereafter will present their deeds to the angels with pride and will be extremely happy.
When a person dies, angels come from the right and the left and remain with him. The angels who recorded his good deeds will testify to the angels of death that this believer performed many good deeds throughout his life.
It is a shame that we believe in the angels who accompany us throughout our lives, yet we neglect belief in Hellfire and Paradise. We abandon prayer, including prayer in congregation.
We should constantly assess whether our path and direction are correct. Allah ta'ala has emphasized the importance of the direction of life. Worship and deeds are not sufficient if we do not evaluate our direction.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
"Guide us to the straight path." [1:6]
The most important act of worship granted to us is prayer. This is the worship through which we must attain success. If a person’s prayer is sound, then his Hereafter will be sound. A person who abandons prayer moves towards disbelief and may die in that state. He departs this world as an unbeliever, and everything becomes unlawful for him—even his eating and drinking—if he does not pray.
A person who neglects prayer will face fifteen punishments, whether he realizes it or not. He will be cursed.
Surah Fatiha has been made obligatory for us to recite in every prayer because within it is a verse that provides the direction of life.
What is our direction in life? Guidance. If we have guidance, then we are heading in the right direction through our deeds and worship. As a result, the outcome will be correct. If the path is incorrect, then the outcome will also be incorrect. If a person is guided in life, he will reach a destination of success because his route was correct.
If a person follows guidance, he will arrive at his destination successfully. Guidance comes first—the route—and then deeds follow. Only when we have guidance will our deeds be beneficial. Guidance will benefit us in the Hereafter, and we will be questioned as to why we rejected it.
Our wealth will not benefit us. A person who is not guided in this life has wasted everything. Whatever he does is in vain. He will rise blind and lost in the Hereafter, moving towards Hellfire.
Those who are consumed by love of the world and materialism, who abandon prayer and remembrance (dhikr), who have no fear of Allah ta'ala, and who show no regard for the funeral (janazah), are simply wasting their time in this world.
Wealth can overpower a person and make him foolish. He may appear to worship, but in reality he is a prisoner of material gain, with his entire focus on wealth and worldly life. He is trapped by the chains of this world. That is why we are advised to seek protection from Allah ta'ala from the love of the dunya.
Those who chase worldly prosperity become deviated and cannot perceive the reality of life. They will be raised in the same state in the Hereaft
eto become wealthy, as this life is temporary and will not benefit us in the Hereafter.
In the Hereafter, the reality of our lives and deeds will be revealed. Allah ta'ala has granted us the prescription of guidance. We should reflect upon the verse of guidance when reciting Surah Fatiha.
How do we attain guidance?
We must constantly supplicate to Allah ta'ala to show us the right path. There are many supplications for guidance. Without dua, a person cannot attain guidance. The verse in Surah Fatiha proves that we cannot achieve guidance without asking Allah ta'ala. He tests the sincerity with which we seek guidance. We must ask with a pure and sincere heart, along with fear of Him; otherwise, we cannot truly seek guidance.
Shaytan makes us think that we do not need to pray for guidance. However, the condition for attaining guidance is to seek it from Allah ta'ala through dua. Only the one who understands that he will soon die and return to the Hereafter will sincerely ask for it. Supplications are most accepted in prayer, which is why we have been instructed to recite this dua within it. It is a great shame that we do not even focus during our prayers or perform them with attentiveness.
When we ask Allah ta'ala for guidance, our eyes should be filled with tears. We should not rise from prostration without asking Him for guidance.
Iman is also attained through guidance and is a pillar of it. When we consistently seek guidance from Allah ta'ala, He will surely grant it. A person will rise as one who is guided. This supplication is so عظیم (great) that through it, Allah ta'ala accepts our other supplications as well.
We have been commanded to pray and recite Surah Fatiha, asking for guidance so that we never lose hope. Guidance is a light—the more we seek it, the more we are granted.
How do we maintain guidance so that we do not deviate from the straight path?
There is attaining guidance and there is maintaining it so that it leads us to our destination. Only then will our direction in life be correct.
وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
"As for those who struggle in Our cause, We will surely guide them along Our Way. And Allah is certainly with the good-doers." [29:69]
To maintain our guidance, our deeds support us. These deeds will accompany us to the Hereafter and deliver us to our destination. If we have guidance but are lazy in practicing good deeds, we cannot succeed in the Hereafter.
Once we attain guidance, we must strive and struggle against our desires and anything that opposes us. We are required to make many sacrifices to maintain this direction towards the Hereafter. Wherever there is doubt about an action, we should avoid it. A person journeying to the Hereafter lives cautiously.
If we make the effort, Allah ta'ala will assist us and prevent us from slipping. We should continuously strive to improve our deeds. There are two types of deeds: performing good actions and abandoning evil. We must work hard on both, otherwise we will fail.
Sins should not accompany worship. If we strive sincerely, Allah ta'ala will open many paths of ease for us to succeed.
If we walk towards Allah ta'ala with love, we will be successful. Without love for Allah ta'ala, nothing can be achieved. It is a great loss that we lack this vision and love.
We should not walk blindly on this path, as Allah ta'ala has given us a nafs and Shaytan, both of which can steal our faith. The one who fears for the state of his faith, especially at the time of death, is a true Muslim. He lives his life with this concern and awareness.
How do we safeguard our guidance?
The company of a teacher and engagement in dhikr. These will grant us Paradise and goodness in both worlds.
Many people feel that keeping a beard is dishonourable and oppose the Sunnah, thinking this brings dignity. They find enjoyment in disregarding the Sunnah. This is not guidance—it is deviation. We should take pride in following the Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ is most hurt by those who disregard and criticise the Sunnah. We compromise on the Sunnah and fail to even consider it part of the religion, despite the fact that Allah ta'ala swears by the greatness of the Prophet ﷺ and by his life.
Whoever lacks manners or love for the Prophet ﷺ in his heart—how can he truly be a Muslim? Allah ta'ala made the Prophet ﷺ the perfect role model for us. Every aspect of our lives should reflect his example. This should be our way of life.
If we do not live by these three
principles, we will not succeed.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious teachings. Ameen.