Before attending the mosque, we perform ablution and change our clothes. This is preparation.
Before travelling, we prepare our luggage and gather all the necessities.
In every aspect of life, preparation is essential. Whatever we wish to achieve requires preparation beforehand.
However, the real question is whether our preparation is correct.
If the preparation is correct, then the result will also be correct.
When travelling to a destination, if we take the wrong currency or pack clothes for the wrong climate, we will suffer a loss. Despite having money, we will not be able to spend it, and despite making preparations, they will have been wasted because they were incorrect.
The greatest preparation for a Muslim is to prepare for the Hereafter.
On the Day of Judgement, the scale will be placed and witnesses will be present, although Allah ta'ala has no need for witnesses regarding our deeds.
Allah ta'ala will place our deeds upon the scale, and we will await our results. Thereafter, people may come forward seeking justice from us.
In the Ahadith, Nabi ﷺ was asked who the poorest person from the Ummah would be.
With tears flowing, Nabi ﷺ replied that first and foremost, the wife will come forward and complain that her husband failed to fulfil her rights and oppressed her.
Allah ta'ala will then command the oppressive husband to give his good deeds to his wife. Through her patience and perseverance, she will enter Paradise.
After the wife, relatives will queue to testify regarding the wrongs committed against them. As compensation for his ظلم (wrongdoing), his good deeds will continue leaving his scale.
All the deeds he prepared in the hope of entering Paradise will gradually be taken away from him.
It is truly unfortunate that many of us do not even consider caring for our wives and providing for them to be part of Deen. We often treat our wives as insignificant.
Our understanding of Deen becomes limited to praying, performing Hajj, and spending many days in Tabligh, only to return home expecting our wives to serve us whilst neglecting their rights.
This is an example of how incorrect preparation and a distorted understanding of Deen can lead a person astray.
Thereafter, those against whom he committed adultery, backbiting, fraud, and other forms of oppression will come forward. When his good deeds are exhausted, he will begin receiving the sins of those who complained against him.
The richest person in deeds can become the most wretched person because he never assessed whether he was preparing correctly for the Hereafter.
We must understand that fulfilling the rights of society is essential. Allah ta'ala will not forgive the wrongdoer until the one who was wronged forgives him.
Sadly, many of us do not even regard this as part of Islam.
We should certainly worship Allah ta'ala. However, our worship only becomes truly beneficial when we prepare ourselves correctly and enter into Islam wholeheartedly.
This includes assessing our ma'mulat, our interactions with society, and the rights of those around us.
"Except those who repent afterwards and mend their ways, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [24:5]
What is the correct preparation?
It is to make sincere tawbah to Allah ta'ala at the hands of a WaliAllah.
A person only truly benefits from repentance when he sincerely desires his own rectification.
We must repent at the hands of the Sheikh with the intention of reforming ourselves through his guidance.
A person cannot truly be reformed unless he visits a spiritual physician.
Many of us abandon outward sins only because we fear people watching us or judging us. As a result, we continue committing sins in private.
For this reason, a person requires the fear of Allah ta'ala to abstain from both inward and outward sins.
When a person develops this fear, he does not merely fulfil the pillars of Islam. Rather, he also becomes concerned with fulfilling the rights of society and fears causing harm to the creation of Allah ta'ala.
Until this fear is developed, a person's inner self cannot truly be purified.
Allah ta'ala has instructed us to work upon our Deen by abandoning both external and internal sins.
To leave our sins, we are required to repent at the hands of a Sheikh. After making tawbah, we must remain in the company of the Sheikh and strive to rectify ourselves.
We should connect ourselves to a Sheikh so that we may strengthen our connection with Allah ta'ala solely for the purpose of self-rectification.
We should not have ulterior motives such as wishing to establish a khanqah or become a WaliAllah ourselves.
A person develops the fear of Allah ta'ala through the company of the AwliyahAllah.
Thereafter, he practises Deen with the fear of Allah ta'ala, lives cautiously, and implements the guidance and instructions of his teacher.
If a person takes Bay'ah at the hands of a Sheikh but fails to follow his guidance, then the fault does not lie with the teacher.
Rather, the fault lies with the student because his intention was not sincere and his heart remained attached to the world.
After the Sheikh helps the student make sincere tawbah, he continues assisting and guiding him, encouraging him to strive in his reformation.
The Sheikh controls and nurtures the student through his spiritual tawajjuh.
He prepares the student for success in both this world and the Hereafter by te
alf must put in the effort.
An honest student does not focus only on worship.
He also strives to purify his inner self, develop the fear of Allah ta'ala, eliminate sins, and fill his heart with the love of Allah ta'ala.
The noble Companions acquired the fear of Allah ta'ala through the blessed company of the Prophet ﷺ.
The dhikr of Allah ta'ala does not automatically benefit a person unless its conditions are fulfilled.
Dhikr is indeed a cure, but it is not a guarantee.
Alongside dhikr, a person must live cautiously, avoid sins, and strive for obedience. Only then will he experience the true effects and blessings of his dhikr.
We should change the direction of our preparation while we still have the opportunity.
We should develop the fear and awareness of Allah ta'ala, improve our lifestyles, and strengthen our relationships with others.
Performing acts of worship is undoubtedly a great blessing. However, our conduct and our connection with Allah ta'ala must also be correct.
Likewise, our dealings and interactions with society must be correct, as this forms an essential part of preparing for the Hereafter.
Worship is only one part of Deen.
It is not the entirety of Deen.
Deen consists of many aspects, yet many people reduce Islam to physical acts of worship alone and make that the beginning and end of their religion.
We should remain content with the wealth Allah ta'ala has granted us.
We should not become excessively eager to accumulate wealth, as this often leads people towards unlawful means.
Eventually, they begin sacrificing their prayers, compromising their Deen, and oppressing others.
If a person lives with the fear of Allah ta'ala, abandons sins, and fulfils the rights of society, then his prayer will reach the level whereby he worships Allah ta'ala as though he sees Him or that Allah ta'ala is watching him.
We should not allow prayer to become a mere daily habit performed mechanically.
Rather, we should assess the effect of our prayer and ask ourselves whether it is preventing us from immorality and sins.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious pearls of wisdom.
Before attending the mosque, we perform ablution and change our clothes. This is preparation.
Before travelling, we prepare our luggage and gather all the necessities.
In every aspect of life, preparation is essential. Whatever we wish to achieve requires preparation beforehand.
However, the real question is whether our preparation is correct.
If the preparation is correct, then the result will also be correct.
When travelling to a destination, if we take the wrong currency or pack clothes for the wrong climate, we will suffer a loss. Despite having money, we will not be able to spend it, and despite making preparations, they will have been wasted because they were incorrect.
The greatest preparation for a Muslim is to prepare for the Hereafter.
On the Day of Judgement, the scale will be placed and witnesses will be present, although Allah ta'ala has no need for witnesses regarding our deeds.
Allah ta'ala will place our deeds upon the scale, and we will await our results. Thereafter, people may come forward seeking justice from us.
In the Ahadith, Nabi ﷺ was asked who the poorest person from the Ummah would be.
With tears flowing, Nabi ﷺ replied that first and foremost, the wife will come forward and complain that her husband failed to fulfil her rights and oppressed her.
Allah ta'ala will then command the oppressive husband to give his good deeds to his wife. Through her patience and perseverance, she will enter Paradise.
After the wife, relatives will queue to testify regarding the wrongs committed against them. As compensation for his ظلم (wrongdoing), his good deeds will continue leaving his scale.
All the deeds he prepared in the hope of entering Paradise will gradually be taken away from him.
It is truly unfortunate that many of us do not even consider caring for our wives and providing for them to be part of Deen. We often treat our wives as insignificant.
Our understanding of Deen becomes limited to praying, performing Hajj, and spending many days in Tabligh, only to return home expecting our wives to serve us whilst neglecting their rights.
This is an example of how incorrect preparation and a distorted understanding of Deen can lead a person astray.
Thereafter, those against whom he committed adultery, backbiting, fraud, and other forms of oppression will come forward. When his good deeds are exhausted, he will begin receiving the sins of those who complained against him.
The richest person in deeds can become the most wretched person because he never assessed whether he was preparing correctly for the Hereafter.
We must understand that fulfilling the rights of society is essential. Allah ta'ala will not forgive the wrongdoer until the one who was wronged forgives him.
Sadly, many of us do not even regard this as part of Islam.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً
"Enter into Islam wholeheartedly".. [2:208]
We should certainly worship Allah ta'ala. However, our worship only becomes truly beneficial when we prepare ourselves correctly and enter into Islam wholeheartedly.
This includes assessing our ma'mulat, our interactions with society, and the rights of those around us.
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"Except those who repent afterwards and mend their ways, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [24:5]
What is the correct preparation?
It is to make sincere tawbah to Allah ta'ala at the hands of a WaliAllah.
A person only truly benefits from repentance when he sincerely desires his own rectification.
We must repent at the hands of the Sheikh with the intention of reforming ourselves through his guidance.
A person cannot truly be reformed unless he visits a spiritual physician.
Many of us abandon outward sins only because we fear people watching us or judging us. As a result, we continue committing sins in private.
For this reason, a person requires the fear of Allah ta'ala to abstain from both inward and outward sins.
When a person develops this fear, he does not merely fulfil the pillars of Islam. Rather, he also becomes concerned with fulfilling the rights of society and fears causing harm to the creation of Allah ta'ala.
Until this fear is developed, a person's inner self cannot truly be purified.
Allah ta'ala has instructed us to work upon our Deen by abandoning both external and internal sins.
To leave our sins, we are required to repent at the hands of a Sheikh. After making tawbah, we must remain in the company of the Sheikh and strive to rectify ourselves.
We should connect ourselves to a Sheikh so that we may strengthen our connection with Allah ta'ala solely for the purpose of self-rectification.
We should not have ulterior motives such as wishing to establish a khanqah or become a WaliAllah ourselves.
A person develops the fear of Allah ta'ala through the company of the AwliyahAllah.
Thereafter, he practises Deen with the fear of Allah ta'ala, lives cautiously, and implements the guidance and instructions of his teacher.
If a person takes Bay'ah at the hands of a Sheikh but fails to follow his guidance, then the fault does not lie with the teacher.
Rather, the fault lies with the student because his intention was not sincere and his heart remained attached to the world.
After the Sheikh helps the student make sincere tawbah, he continues assisting and guiding him, encouraging him to strive in his reformation.
The Sheikh controls and nurtures the student through his spiritual tawajjuh.
He prepares the student for success in both this world and the Hereafter by te
alf must put in the effort.
An honest student does not focus only on worship.
He also strives to purify his inner self, develop the fear of Allah ta'ala, eliminate sins, and fill his heart with the love of Allah ta'ala.
The noble Companions acquired the fear of Allah ta'ala through the blessed company of the Prophet ﷺ.
The dhikr of Allah ta'ala does not automatically benefit a person unless its conditions are fulfilled.
Dhikr is indeed a cure, but it is not a guarantee.
Alongside dhikr, a person must live cautiously, avoid sins, and strive for obedience. Only then will he experience the true effects and blessings of his dhikr.
We should change the direction of our preparation while we still have the opportunity.
We should develop the fear and awareness of Allah ta'ala, improve our lifestyles, and strengthen our relationships with others.
Performing acts of worship is undoubtedly a great blessing. However, our conduct and our connection with Allah ta'ala must also be correct.
Likewise, our dealings and interactions with society must be correct, as this forms an essential part of preparing for the Hereafter.
Worship is only one part of Deen.
It is not the entirety of Deen.
Deen consists of many aspects, yet many people reduce Islam to physical acts of worship alone and make that the beginning and end of their religion.
We should remain content with the wealth Allah ta'ala has granted us.
We should not become excessively eager to accumulate wealth, as this often leads people towards unlawful means.
Eventually, they begin sacrificing their prayers, compromising their Deen, and oppressing others.
If a person lives with the fear of Allah ta'ala, abandons sins, and fulfils the rights of society, then his prayer will reach the level whereby he worships Allah ta'ala as though he sees Him or that Allah ta'ala is watching him.
We should not allow prayer to become a mere daily habit performed mechanically.
Rather, we should assess the effect of our prayer and ask ourselves whether it is preventing us from immorality and sins.
May Allah ta'ala grant us the ability to implement these precious pearls of wisdom.
Ameen.