by Raiiq Ridwan
And be not like those who forgot Allah and He caused them to forget their ownselves. Those are the rebellious. [Quran 59:19]
Surah Hashr is a very interesting Surah in the Quran. It is one of the Surahs that are considered the “Musabbihat—” Surahs which start with the Tasbeeh of Allah (there are six other Surahs that also do so).
These Surahs by and large are there to increase the imaan of a believer who is struggling with his faith and to remind the one who is losing his way. And towards the end of this Surah Allah reminds us not to be among those who forget Him.
Unfortunately, part of our daily lives are led almost on autopilot, without remembering Allah. We go through life, and, as Allah said, we forget our own selves.
In our struggle and rush to earn a living, we have somehow forgotten to live.
We work our socks off for our boss and yet refuse to play for a minute with our child. We smile at the customer of our business and yet our spouse has not seen us smile for a year. We obey our boss to the letter, and we have forgotten the Lord of the Universe and that He should be obeyed too.
We do not find time for ourselves or our hobbies, because we are there earning a living and trying to make more money. And yet we are depressed, sad, and cranky. Is this the life we want?
In our race to make a great life, we have failed to appreciate the greatness of what we already have.
We race with others and try to have a great life. We need the new phone, the new laptop and the new car. We search for the most beautiful of houses and the most amazing of holiday destinations.
And yet, through all this rush, we fail to appreciate the people and the things that Allah has already blessed us with. We never thank Allah for the food that He puts on our plate. We moan about the roof over our head, forgetting that others live under the open sky.
In our search for the extraordinary, we have passed over the amazing things found in simplicity.
We look for the next big thing, and the next super gadget, and the next best holiday, and we forget all that Allah has given to us in our simplicity. How a walk with your wife down the park can be among the most fulfilling of things. How going to Fajr in the Masjid could be something that enriches us.
We lose out on the glorious sunsets and the amazing skylines because we are too glued on finding things that are extraordinary.
In our incessant drive to succeed, we have somehow failed to be happy and content.
We are succeeding. Lives are improving. Cars are better, roads are better, communication is better, healthcare is better. Every material thing is better, and yet mental health is the worst that it has been in history.
We have succeeded everywhere, but in keeping ourselves happy. We do not know what makes us happy anymore. We search for happiness like it is an elusive thing, forgetting that happiness lies in the palm of our hands. It is in aiming for the best, but also being content with what you have
In trying to please people who do not care, we have hurt and alienated those closest to our hearts.
We do our best to impress our boss, impress a judge at a program, impress people who we think are big, influential people, and we try over and over again. But through it all, we neglect our parents, our spouses are not cared for, and our children are forgotten.
Friends who have stood by us for a lifetime are not valued, while those who have money and power are chosen even if they are fake.
Somehow, somewhere we have lost our priorities in this journey called life. And we have forgetten the Lord who has given it to us as well. And through it all, we have forgotten to live. May Allah give life to our hearts again and make us among the successful.
Wow amazing and eye-opening
Jazakallah khayr, timely
piece MashaAllah
ma sha Allah what an amazing article. soo true that somehow the article has brought tears in my eyes
JazaKAllahu Khairan
Deeply insightful.
Thought-provoking article mA! JazakAllah khair! It reminds me of the ayat where Allah swt describes how life seems to us over our lifetimes:
Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.(Sura Al-Hadid; Iron; 57:20).
Grate eye opener. Now I spend more time with my family and friends