Yep, a boring title with a boring (probably to you) subject matter…But something that I wanted to jot down…
We are told to pray, told to do this, do that, for whom? For Allah :swt:. Allah? Who is He?
He is the Creator, the Fashioner, the Maker, the Master…There are 99 attributes of Him, but who is He really?
When I pray, I face the Qibla, as instructed by Him, I carry out the actions as told by Him e.t.c., but what is the reality that I have in the back of my mind?
Why is it that I am more worried about being late for an appointment than praying on time? Why is it that I am willing to indulge in things that pleasure me more than they pleasure Him? Why am I more concerned with getting a good grade than performing my Salat in the best way possible?
The answer I have come to, is that Allah (swt) for me has become more of a concept of Divinity rather than Divinity itself. I perceive my surroundings as more real than the Almighty who created them, because I can feel them and sense them, so whatever my five senses tell me, I believe in…What is not there, is not there since I can’t sense it…
So how real is Allah (swt)? Is He as real as my parents, may Allah protect them? Is He as real as as my car or VCR or computer? Why is it that I have more faith in my car starting up than having the absolute belief that Allah (swt) is the Controller of all things?
I believe that when the Holy Prophet (saw) came to mankind with the final Message of Islam, he had the power, no doubt given by Allah :swt: to convey to the people the true reality of who Allah :swt: is. Is it any wonder that Muslims of that time were able to be willing to leave the Duniya at the drop of a hat for the sake of Allah (swt)…After the Holy Prophet (saw)'s death, that reality remained with the companions of the Holy Prophet (saw) and made them truly Muslims, i.e. a nation which does the works of Prophets, for how would a Prophet do any work were he not able grasp the concept of reality. Is it any wonder that their hearts would be filled with fear and repentance at the slightest mention of Allah (swt)'s name…It was that reality, that made them true geniuses of their times and worthy to carry the light of Islam in its true essence…
As with all things historical, that reality was passed down from the companions of the Holy Prophet (saw) to the Tabiyeen and onwards down to us, but how did we receive that reality?
Today we talk in our living rooms about Islam and Allah :swt:, yet when the topic turns to some other person, we start backbiting…We have become more concerned about the image we portray rather than doing what is right and commanded…As a result, we are drifting slowly yet irrefutably away from reality, and the more we (as Muslims) see around us in our own societies, we see that reality slowly fading away…Corruption, murder, greed, lasciviousness, perversion are all on the rise, why? It’s simply because there is no reality to bind us to do good deeds. I guess that is why Namaaz has been imposed so heavily upon the Muslim is to tie him to the reality of the existence of Allah (swt), otherwise what else is Salat except banging one’s head against the ground…
Muslims throughout the Quran are commanded to believe in the unseen. After all, how hard do you think it is for Allah (swt) to manifest Himself in all His Glory to the World to see and to proclaim Himself as the Almighty, but you see, then it wouldn’t be a test…If everyone realized and experienced the presence of the Almighty, that would literally make the whole world as believers, and the concept of free will will die…The concept of believeing in the unseen will die…
Everyday I wish and try to grasp this reality, yet it eludes me…The faith that made the Prophets :May peace be upon them: the way they were and their followers the way they were…The more time passes, the more reality slips away, while we are left with this Duniya which although is a reality, but one which will soon cease to exist…
More and more people are turning towards the Duniya for their answers, while the reality of patience slips away…We become depressed more quickly, whereas the reality is that Allah :swt: is the controller of all things and we should be thankful for whatever we receive…We become more and more shallow as the reality of Deen slips slips away becoming little more than folklore passed down from generation to generation…We follow instinctual desires while the reality of perseverance, belief and modesty slip away…We get lost in the mirage of life and get intoxicated in its fold while the reality of death and Aakhirat slip away…
Yet, we are unable to hold on to the reality that Is Allah (swt) and who He is…I am…
May this Ramadan bring the long needed and desired reality to the hearts and minds of Muslims around the world…Ameen…
Mystical…Keep it coming, every little bit helps…And your quote is a promise from Allah :swt:…A reality…