understand-quran-mine-of-peace

by Nazira Usmani

The Natural Result of Unplanned Voyages

I was one of those unfortunates who starts a sea voyage without checking the bottom of the boat, not even thinking about whether my provisions were enough to make it to the end of this precarious journey. Naturally my boat capsized, but by Allah(swt)’s grace, I was saved. I was given a new life, one in which I could warn others not to make the same mistake.

Whose Fault is it When I’m Careless?

I know that if I keep my laptop near the table’s corner there’s a good possibility that the laptop will fall and break, even though I’ve frequently observed that that it never falls from that position. Now if, on an inauspicious day, it does fall and break, whom should I blame?  Wouldn’t it be my fault?

The Human Being Operating Manual

The human being is like a machine; we have manuals for every electronic gadget, telling us how to use it, how to avoid breakdown, and sometimes how to repair it. Just like that, Allah has given us a manual (the Quran) and the Prophet (saws) left behind his sunnah as an explanation of it. If we knowingly or unknowingly violate this or follow only some parts while neglecting others, it’s not hard to anticipate what calamities my befall us.

Preparing For the Ultimate Exam

When we prepare for an exam, do we make only a partial preparation?  No— to succeed with an exam we study hard and we even take lessons from experienced persons. But what preparation have we made for the greatest exam human souls will have to undergo?

 Every soul has to taste the death. [Quran, 29:57]

In our worldly exams, we can retake the exam if we don’t get a satisfactory grade; we always have the opportunity to improve ourselves. But on that formidable day there will be no such chance.

Count Your Blessings

Try to sense how Allah might deal with us on that day. Let’s think about times in our lives when our projects didn’t turn out as we’d hoped; I think, most of us would just like to throw all these in sheer anger because we think, this is my creation!

Think of Allah’s wrath on that day.  Allah (swt) gave us the perfect setup— we can see, hear, speak, and walk, we have two strong hands, and above all we can think, alhamdulillah.  If I were blind, or speech-impaired, or paralyzed, would my scholarship have any value to this world? What shukr do I pay to Allah for all these niyamah?

Temporary Distinctions

This life is not everything. This is the ground on which to work hard for the harvest that we will enjoy in the hereafter, in shaa Allah. In this life Allah created us in so many colors, languages, and castes— some are poor, while some are rich; some are physically disabled, while some are fit; some are beautiful, while some are not.

But these distinctions are not permanent— they’re only a temporary test. After death these will all prove to be vain except our faith, ama’l (good deeds), and ikhlas, or pure heart. None of our beauty, scholarly achievement, family ties, or wealth will be of any value that day.

That day a man shall flee from his brother, from his mother and his father, from his wife and his children. For on that day every man will have enough to make him indifferent to others. [Quran, 80: 34-37]

Why Study?

We have to make our hearts pure for Islam and make every effort to establish Islam in every aspect of our lives, not only in our personal lives, but also in our families, our societies, and the entire world. Please read Quran and Hadeeth.

Allah gave us scholastic ability; with this we’re engaging all our efforts to invent new things, to get promotions at work, to write articles, papers, getting A+ in all our courses, and so on.  But what are we doing with the Quran that our creator gave to us? O my brothers and sisters, let us all make our hearts pure for the most beloved One, Allah (swt). Let’s live for Him only. Let’s make all of our deeds only for Him, for only He is the everlasting.

 Say (O blessed prophet), were the sea ink for the words of my lord, verily the sea would be depleted before the Words of my Lord were exhausted, even if we brought the like thereof (another sea) to help.  [Quran, 18: 109]    

The Dog Has Outdone You

One poet scolded his soul with these words:

The dog that remains awake at night is better than you

It eats bland, dry food and sleeps during the day under the tree shade,

It is better than you.

It leaves not the doorsteps of its master, even if beaten hundred times,

It is better than you.

O ingrate, you sleep on soft bed, whilst the dog sleeps on stone,

It is better than you.

Alas, the dog has undone you.

Anas Bin Malik relates: The Prophet (saws) delivered before us a sermon the like of which I had never heard from him before.  In course of it he said: ‘If you could know what I know, you would laugh little and weep much.’ Thereupon those present covered their faces and began to sob loudly. [Bukhari and Muslim]

One of the beautiful names of Allah (swt) is As-Salam; Allah is the source of all happiness and peace. So come and embrace Islam and be a perfect Muslim with your whole heart to get eternal peace. Believe me, this is the ultimate success and Allah will help all of us In Shaa Allah.

JazakumAllahu Khairan.

(By Sister Nazira Usmani, B.Sc Engr., MBA, Studying Bachelor of Islamic Studies, working as a full time slave of Allah SWT, alhamdulillah)

 

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