Spirituality
In the world today, with the absence
of leadership, where can we, as Muslims connect to a higher understanding, a
higher influence that will help us connect to God? Back in the days of righteousness, our Rasul (SAW) used to guide and command the Ummah. In that day
and age, the only flaw of the society was tribalism. The Arab’s were known for their hospitality,
their love for one another, they’re marksmanship and trading skills, but the
division within society, the settle
In spirituality, if you look for
good, you will find good to no end, if you look for evil, you will find evil to
no end and if you look for crisis you will find crisis to no end. So basically, if we are optimistic, we will
be obtain the best of the best. We need to try to live our present life as
best as we can because everything is a part of Gods plan. If we take each mo
As A
The way that we can become sound
individuals, is through getting involved in the community…or even our sub
community! When we are involved in the
community, and there is the slightest sense of Islam, we are connected to
God. Now imagine how much a of sense of
Islam there is here at
Living in
Often times there are brothers and
sisters who will disconnect themselves from the Muslim community for whatever
reason. In their minds it is for their
best and they know what they want to do with their lives, but this action is
probably the greatest consequences. Once
you leave such a great community you have severed relations, you have severed
connections.
If we look at our greatest example
and model for how we should live our lives.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) whole life was a way of connection. He embraced many tribes, cities and even
nations through his ways. He knew his
neighbors and community, regardless of their race and religion. He knew them by name and was always kind to
them, even if they were mean to him – he is the epitome of connection. He used
to visit the sick and the elderly. As
Muslims, if you think about it, we are connected to this earth. When we get ready to pray, we make wudhu and use the water, when we pray we bow and kneel and
put our heads on the floor. The nature
of our religion is to connect. We must
learn to connect by accepting others as they are and also judge on no basis
except that saying all people are good.
Wholesome people can see the good around them. They are optimistic in their opinions and
they can get jobs done for the sake of Allah (SWT). Excellence and generosity is only appreciated
and known by those who give it. We must strive
to be nice. I say strive, because being
nice is hard. Its
not easy, some of us lose our cools so easily that it is a struggle to be nice
to someone who you have animosity towards.
Through history there were five characteristics that made the Roman
Empire such a great and fortified emblem: (1) Quickest to return after a
calamity (2) Swiftest to attack after a defeat (3) Forbearing and patient in
the times of conflict (4) best of people to take care of the orphan, women and
children and (5) best of people in checking the tyranny of their leaders. If we look at these qualities we can see that
in general, they were of great standing.
When any of us see
others doing good, it enriches us and it makes us want to do good as well. Faith is an act of connection, faith is in
action. Wherever Islam went, it formed a
culture, so what is our Islamic identity/culture and how can we establish our
connection through our culture? These
are all ideals that we have to take upon ourselves to look into for the future
generations to come. Just as our parents
have set the foundations of building mosques and Islamic centers, it is our
turn to build an identity that we can relate to, and have for our children to
foster.
May Allah (SWT) grant us his Mercy as He is the one who gives all, and
we are His servants.
Bismillah, now I would like to relate to
everyone, myself included some of the basic aya’ on
spirituality.
In
surah Hijr, there is the
story of Shaitaan and how he did not bow down to
Prophet Adam (A)
[15:28] Your Lord
said to the angels, "I am creating a human being from aged mud, like the
potter's clay.
[15:29] "Once I perfect him, and blow into him from My spirit, you shall fall prostrate before him."
[15:30] The angels
fell prostrate; all of them,
[15:31]
except Iblis (Satan). He refused to be with the prostrators.
[15:32] He said, "O Iblis (Satan), why are you not with the prostrators?"
[15:33] He said, "I am not to prostrate before a
human being, whom You created from aged mud, like the potter's clay."
[15:34] He said, "Therefore, you must get out; you
are banished.
[15:35] "You have incurred My condemnation until the Day of Judgment."
[15:36] He said, "My Lord, respite me until the day
they are resurrected."
[15:37] He said, "You are respited.
[15:38]
"Until the specified day and time."
[15:39] He said, "My Lord, since You have willed that I go astray, I will surely entice them
on earth; I will send them all astray.
This was the first sin, arrogance and pride. It can corrupt the best of us.
In surah Isra’
ayah 85
[17:85] And they ask
you (Prophet Muhammad (SAW)) concerning the Ruh
(spirit). Say “The Ruh
is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of
knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a little.”
If spirits
are with the Lord, then we can only attain them by being servants to Him and
doing what he decrees.
We must
always be sure to respect all those that we come in contact with and connect
with the community in order to increase our iman and
therefore connect to God on a spiritual level.
Allhahumma Fi Man Hadayth, wa affina
fi man tawallayt, wa baraklana fee ma a’tayt. Allahumma mansur islaam wal muslimeena
fi shishaan, wa fi kashmir,
wa fi iraq,
wa filastine, wa fi afghanistan,
wa fi hind, wa fi bakistaan,
wa fi sudan,
wa fil amrika,
wa kulli makaan ya rab
al alameen. Ya Allah
(x3), Ya Karim, Ya Ghaffar,
Ya Raheem, Ya Malik, Ya Raheem Ya Malik, Ya Raheem Ya Karim, ya Allah (x3). Allahummagh fir-lee warr hamnee wah-dini warr zuq-ni. O Allah, forgive
me, have mercy on me, guide me aright and grant me sustenance. Allahumma In-nee a-toobu ilayka minha
la ar-ji-u ilayhaa abada. O Allah, I
repent before You for all my sins and I promise never
to return to the same (again). Surely
with every hardship there is relief. O Allah!! Behold I ask You for the good through Your Knowledge, and for ability
through Your Power, and beg (Your favour) out of Your
infinite Bounty. For surely You have Power; We have
none. You know all; We know not. You are the Great Knower
of all things. O Allah! If in Your
Knowledge there are matters good for our faith (Deen),
for our livelihood, and for the consequences of our affairs, then ordain it for
us, and make it easy for us, and bless us therein. But if in Your Knowledge, this matter be bad
for our faith (Deen) for our livelihood, and for the
consequences of our affairs, then turn it away from us, and turn us away therefrom, and ordain for us the good wherever it be, and
cause us to be pleased therewith. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You
did lay upon those before us. Ameen Ya Rab Al Alameen. Ya Allah please give us the strength we need to proceed in
order to succeed as you are the All Provider.
Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear,
grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You are our Protector. Help us
against those who deny the truth. Our
Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after You
have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your grace. Verily You are the Giver of bounties without measure. Our Lord! In You we
have placed our trust, and to You do we turn in repentance, for unto You is the
end of all journeys. Our Lord! Perfect
our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily You
have power over all things. To Him we
belong and to Him we return.
Ameen, wa Aqeema Salaat.