When you implement something with proper understanding and awareness you receive more reward as you are present and intentional.
You should reflect over the purpose of attending dhikr gatherings. One should attend with the intention of attaining the Hereafter and not the world. As a result, this action becomes beneficial for him.
If one has doubts about an act, he cannot gain the full benefit of that action. Thus, he should resolve these doubts so that he can enjoy and benefit. When a person has conviction in a certain deed, he will be firm upon it and it will help him progress.
In the company of the pious, one should have the concern of strengthening his deen so that he can become closer to Allah. This should be his main objective. Allah ta'ala has given us faith so we should maintain our relationship with Him. Our responsibility is to live within the sphere of His servanthood. Allah ta'ala has granted us the compulsory actions such as the five pillars, to maintain that relationship.
How do we attain Allah ta'ala's nearness?
Beyond worship, we all desire to become closer to Allah ta'ala through voluntary actions.
There are three groups of people. Those who do not believe in Allah ta'ala. Those who have faith and fulfil the compulsory acts of worship. Those who have faith and implement voluntary actions beyond the compulsory actions.
Nowadays, we consider the pious person to be he who performs extra acts of worship. In reality, we should be cautious of performing voluntary worship because if we perform it to please our desires, it will lead to pride within us and expectations of praise from others.
We should fulfil the compulsory and voluntary actions out of the pleasure of Allah ta'ala. We must be wary that voluntary worship can also take a person to Hellfire and make him an oppressor. It may cause a person to slip at any time and cause destruction to others. This is because performing voluntary worship is a high level deed but it can spoil a person's deen if he performs it at the incorrect time and incorrect way.
Nowadays, we concern ourselves with performing extra actions, but we are not concerned with the end result of our actions.
If we perform the compulsory actions properly and do not perform voluntary worship, we will be destined for Paradise. It our desires that guides us towards performing extra worship so that we can become recognised in the world. Thus, we should assess whether these extra deeds are giving us sin or rewards.
Whilst performing the Faraaidh, we must also assess whether we possess Taqwa otherwise our Faraaidh is wasted. We will be questioned over this and if Taqwa is not present within us, we will be deprived of reward and Paradise.
A person who performs voluntary worship correctly is very careful with his dealings with the creation. He is not oppressive like most people who perform voluntary worship.
There is a hadith in Mishkat shareef which mentions that a person who practices deen to develop fear of Allah ta'ala and does not engage in voluntary actions, is better than the one who performs abundant voluntary actions but doesn't have the fear of Allah ta'ala.
Fear of Allah ta'ala prevents a person from sin and disobedience to Allah ta'ala. When fear of Allah ta'ala diminishes, he becomes the worst person. The more fear a person has, the more his faith demonstrates it and he achieves a high level of Allah ta'ala's nearness. If a person doesn't have fear but worships in abundance, he will still be recorded as a sinful person as all acts of worship depend upon Taqwa. Nothing is accepted without it.
No worship is capable of preventing a person from sin. Taqwa is the only thing which prevents a person from sin. A person will not practice deen until he has developed the fear of Allah ta'ala and as long as there is Taqwa in our hearts our religion will never be destroyed.
The biggest worship in the eyes of Allah ta'ala is being fearful of Him. To attain Taqwa, you must abandon luxuries in order to crush your desires and you must bear the difficulties that come with that. Consequently, you will attain a high status.
The Sheikh is never severe and never forces the student to practice. Rather, he nurtures and creates encouragement within the student so that he may be improved. This is because they desire Paradise for their students.
How to attain Taqwa?
We must work our utmost best to attain Taqwa. It cannot be attained through books or speeches or physical acts of worships. Rather, it is attained via the company of the pious and this practice was implemented since the beginning of Islam.
Allah ta'ala has prepared pious people for every generation to benefit mankind. When you sit with the pious, you benefit from them and you absorb their goodness. The sincere students transform immediately in the company of the pious.
We should never trust our deeds and acts of worship and expect Paradise through them. Rather, we should attain Taqwa and this should be our condition for every deed. We should reflect daily whether we observe Taqwa in private as the real test for a person's Taqwa is when he is in seclusion. If one does not observe Taqwa in isolation, he will be punished double for hypocrisy and for deceiving people in the guise of Islam.
All actions provide great reward for a person but only when he practices for the sake of Allah ta'ala and not for the sake of the world and to attain recognition. If he has Taqwa alongside, he will never advance towards sins because it serves as protection for a person.
Non Muslims revert to Islam through the good conduct of Muslims and not due to the Quran and speeches. Nabi ﷺ displayed excellent character which is why he was trusted and respected even by the non believers. When you are given the opportunity, make the intention for tabligh and ask Allah ta'ala for the chance to display your good character in public.
As Muslims, we all have a responsibility to represent the Prophet ﷺ through good character otherwise there is no point being a scholar and Haafidh without adopting good character. We were sent here to propagate the deen in a beautiful manner and earn for the Hereafter.
Every human being has the capacity and skills to spread the deen. We must propagate our deen through improving our character. This will naturally create a positive impact upon people. We should not be afraid of our identity and we should avoid trying to fit it with those of no faith.
A person who is in love with money and materialism should seek Allah ta'ala's nearness through adopting the fear of Allah ta'ala. When a person shuns the opportunity of sin, Allah ta'ala raises him in status. This is the worship which makes us closer to Allah ta'ala. A young person who leaves sins and protects himself becomes very beloved to Allah ta'ala.
The more a person abandons wrongdoing for the sake of Allah ta'ala, the more Allah ta'ala will repay him with better in the Hereafter. Hadhrat Bayazeed Bastami Rahmatullahi alayh says that the definition of Islam is to attain Allah ta'ala's fear and persevere the difficulties along the way.
We should accept our Sheikh's instructions and reject what is wrong. We should be prepared to make sacrifices. The hypocrite will never absorb goodness from the Sheikh's company because he doesn't have the right intention so he leaves with nothing and doesn't learn anything. However, the sincere student never leaves empty handed. This is because Allah ta'ala grants the truth to the one who desires to attain it. If we take the steps towards His nearness, we will receive the help of Allah ta'ala.
During his final advice to Hadhrat Muadh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه, Nabi ﷺ said "..Verily, the people of this house of mine view themselves as the nearest to me, but the nearest of people to me are the Godfearing, whoever they are and wherever they are..."
[Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Hibbān)
Nabi ﷺ is spiritually close to the person who has taqwa and such a person attains the blessings of the Prophet ﷺ. The condition is that he must fear Allah ta'ala and abstain from sin. This is how a person receives Paradise.
May Allah ta'ala allow us to implement. Ameen
1st Dec, 2024
شیخه تازه دی کړه ساړه ساړه اورونه
نه مسیحا نه یی لقمان لری درمان درمان
شیخه غاړه می راوړی په ژوناریی زینتی کړه
دګناه په دریابو می دوزخونه طوفاتی کړه
