Ramadan 14 1434 “…it is in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility and peace” - Steps to get you closer to Allah (SWT) In the yesterday’s message we talked about death of our beloved Prophet just to remind us of the bitter fact which Umar (RAA) put succinctly thus “the angel of death has passed over us to claim others, but one day, he will pass over others to claim us”. If we see reality in this quote then there is nothing for us to do but getting close to our creator by remembering HIM in all we do; say, eat, love, hate, and possess which leads to: Allah’s (SWT) love; Greater productivity; Confidence; Satisfaction and joy. Abu Huraira (RA) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that Allah (SWT), said: “I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.” (Sahih Muslim). There is no doubt about the positive benefits of keeping Allah close to our hearts. Almighty Allah promises us in Q13: 28; "Those who believe, and whose hearts find security in the remembrance of Allah: for indeed it is in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility and peace” And again warned us in Q43:36-7; “And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of Ar-Rahman, We appoint for him a satan who becomes his intimate companion. And surely they turn them from the path of Allah, and yet they assume that they are rightly guided” (S43, A36-7) There is really no third choice. We need to ask ourselves very seriously, do we really want Satan as our close companion. If not, then we must keep close to Allah, and we must keep the remembrance of Allah close to our hearts. Even our ordinary everyday activity can be turned into a spiritual one by the remembrance of Allah (SWT). A thought and contemplating on the beauty of other creations of Allah such as small ants, birds, Mountains, Sea, the heavens, the earth, and the scenery that surrounds us can draw us close to our creator rather than giving too much time to flashbacks from a movie, European football, fashion, lyrics from a song, etc. Here are some tips to achieve closeness to Allah (SWT): 1. Dua’a (Supplication) We need to ask Him for His help, even if it is to get closer to Him, or become better at worshiping Him. We need to seek refuge in Allah (SWT) in everything. It could be negative thoughts we have, our lack of productivity or even our lack of faith. We need to ask Allah (SWT) to help us and guide us to the Straight Path. Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an: ”And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided”(2:186). 2. Stay Away from ‘Poisons’ You need to get any poisons out of your life. Poison has many forms. Fix your heart; by staying away from anything that Allah (SWT) doesn’t love. If you are around friends that make you sin and make you disappoint Allah (SWT), then you need to get them out of your life. One of the most important things we must do, which sadly many people neglect, is that we should avoid bad company. People we should avoid taking as friends those who speak too freely, who miss Salah, who do not dress modestly, who backbite, slander etc. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari) 3. Get to Know Allah [SWT] Through His 99 Beautiful Names How can you love Allah (SWT) and want to get closer to Him if you don’t know Him that well? We fall in love with people as we get to know them more and realize that they have a lot of beautiful qualities and characteristics. Of course Allah (SWT) is above any analogy, but you need know Him more. Start with the name of Al-Wadud, the Ever-Loving. Allah’s (SWT) love for you is unconditional. He does not need or want anything from you in return. He loves you so He keeps giving you even if you disobey Him. Ask Allah (glorified and exalted be He) with His 99 Names. 4. Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah (SWT) Remembering Allah (SWT) is essential in achieving closeness to Him. You can remember him by engaging in dhikr (remembrance) and tasbeeh (praise). Say Astaghfirullah a lot to erase your sins. Say Alhamdulillah so Allah will give you more. Look outside your window and say Subhan-Allah about His beautiful creations. The most elegant form of remembering Allah (glorified and exalted be He) is by looking at His creations. 5. Follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) By following the Sunnah of our prophet (pbuh) we will gain the love of Allah (SWT). When you gain the love of Allah (SWT), you will get closer to him. Following the sunnah of the Prophet makes you a better person. You will have better manners and ethics. Read more about the Prophet (pbuh); fall in love with your Messenger. After all, he was a mercy to all mankind. 6. Stay Connected to the Qur’an Reading or memorizing the Qur’an alone is not enough. Understand it and act upon it. Try your best to act the way we were asked to in the Qur’an. Strive for the best. Reflect on its meanings; it will give you answers to your daily life’s complications. When you read the Qur’an and understand it more you will want to do everything right. Brothers and sisters, we can see that it does not take much to keep remembering Allah (SWT). Also, the Holy Month of Ramadan is half by tomorrow and will begin to free fall (dafiri), let us remind ourselves that we cannot afford to get lazy in our commitment, devotion and remembrance of Allah (SWT) in the last 15, 10, 5 and after Ramadan because Satan is waiting. Ramadan Kareem.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 05:30:12 +0000
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