Seize The Moment!

Work for this life as though you are going to live forever; and

Work for the Next life as though you will die tomorrow.

~Imam Ali (as)

It is often said that our lives can be summed up in three days: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Yesterday is that which has past, as no longer of any use to us, except to learn from it. Tomorrow is the future, and it is uncertain if we will get to it since we have no control over the time of our death. But for now, we have today, and today is the only thing that you own and have control over.

If we were to remember this constantly, we would spend our lifetime a lot more wisely. In the words of Rasul (s) as quoted by Abu Dharr al Ghiffary he says: 

"Take advantage of five opportunities before five other things:

Your youth before your senescence, your health before your illness, your wealth before your poverty, your leisure before your haste, and your life before your death."

Today, we have our health of body and mind (alhamdulillah), are we using it in the correct way? Or do we waste it on doing wrong, or doing  nothing? If we have the means to make a difference in the lives of others, are we using it for that, or do we spend it all on this world's frivolities, giving just enough to ease the guilty conscience that casts a shadow on our excesses. For example, if you can afford to go for Hajj every year, and ziyarah five times a year, do you think the Prophet or the Aimmah (as) would be happy with you visiting them every year, yet you do nothing to ease the affliction of those around you in life. You leave their followers to starve, go unclothed, remain unmarried or homeless because of lack of a means of livelihood, and then go to their tombs and cry: "O Master, Here I am, ready to assist you and sacrifice my life in your way!" Their way?? Their way fed the orphans, and looked after the needy, and clothed and sheltered the homeless. Of course, if you are able to assist others and go and visit the holy sites, you are doubly blessed and should be grateful for this bounty by making use of the opportunities He (swt) has made available to you.

Tomorrow, or the future is not yours for sure. At a moment, your life could end, so it becomes an exercise in futility to spend your lifetime planning for the future. Do what you can now, plan for the everlasting future with urgency, because you may well be breathing your last breaths as you read this, or I, as I write this. Imam Ali (as) says:

"If man perceived his death and its speed towards him, he would certainly detest the world and its hopes."

Today, the moment for repentance for our yesterday is ours. We are well aware of our deeds and misdeeds, yet we postpone repenting for them, putting it off for a tomorrow that is not certain. Rasul (s) has warned us about the effects of such a postponement. He says: "The sigh of the people of Hell is mostly because of the postponement of repenting." [Al Mahajjatul Baydhaa]

Imam Ali (as) also warns us against this where he says: "Do not be among those people who want to gain good returns without working hard for them, who have long hopes and keep on postponing repentance and penance." He further says: "How numerous procrastinators there are who postpone (repenting and doing good deeds) until when death overtakes them!"

Another effect of selling our next life for this world is that we will most certainly lose in this world too. Take the example of an alcoholic who gave in to the desires of this world not caring about the next; what is his end? As Imam Ali (as) says: "He who sells his next life for this present life in this world, loses both of them!"

In order to effectively make use of our today, we must eliminate all traces of love for this world from our heart. Love of this world has only negative effects. Imam Sadiq (as) warns us: "He who devotes his heart to this world will be subjected to three conditions: endless grief, unquenchable desire, and futile hope."

In addition, we must make sure that our today is better than our yesterday. The Holy Prophet (s) says: "He whose two days (of life) are the same (making no spiritual progress) is at loss." What major spiritual progress have we made in the years that are now part of our yesterday?

As Shahr Ramadhan approaches, we must ask ourselves, how was my Shahr Ramadhan of yesterday (yesteryears)? We all know of so many who were with us in the last season, and will not be fasting with us this year, either because they have gone before us to meet our Maker, or because health does not allow them to fast this year. Learning from this lesson, how can we best utilise the bounties of our Lord in benefiting from this Shahr Ramadhan of today, as it may well be our last. We have no assurance that we will be there for the next one, or if we will be in the state of physical or mental health to be able to reap from its bounteous mercies.

A final piece of advice: Learn from, and repent for your yesterday as you make use of your today, and plan for your tomorrow.

May Allah (swt) grant us success in His way.

A Humble Prayer

O Allah. You Who have clothed us, Your weak servants, with the dress of existence, through Your grace and favour and pure mercy and generosity, prior to any service and worship on our part, and without needing our worshipping and servitude. You have bestowed upon us diverse kinds of spiritual and corporeal favours, and different sorts of internal and external mercies, although our non-existence causes no flaw in Your power and strength, nor our existence adds anything to Your greatness and prestige. Now that the headspring of Your beneficence gushed forth, and the sun of Your Beautiful Beauty effulged, drowning us in the seas of mercy and illuminating us with the lights of Your Beauty, make up for our shortcomings, sins and failures with the light of internal success and Your secret help and guidance, and relieve our fully attached hearts from mundane attachments, and make them cling to Your Holy Might.

O Allah, our unworthy worshipping expands nothing of Your domain. Our disobedience decreases nothing of Your kingdom, and torturing and punishing the sinners benefit You not a bit, and forgiving the fallen and having mercy upon them lessen nothing of Your power. The immutable essences of the sinners implore for mercy, and the dispositions of the imperfect ask for perfection. You Yourself treat us with Your comprehensive kindness and disregard our inefficiency.

"O Allah, if I am unworthy to receive Your mercy, You are worthy of granting me of Your vast favour. O Allah, You have covered for me in this world sins which I need more to be covered in the Hereafter. O Allah, grant me to be completely devoted to You, and light our hearts' eyes with the light of witnessing You until the hearts' eyes penetrate the veils of light, to reach the source of greatness." -Munajaat Sha'baaniyyah

Source

Tough Times

Imam Sadiq (as) is reported to have said: "The Messenger of Allah (S) said, `A time will come upon the people wherein political authority will not be attainable without bloodshed and tyranny, nor wealth without usurpation and stinginess, nor affection without discarding religion and pursuing lust and desire. Whoever lives in such times and bears patiently with poverty despite possessing the capacity to become rich (illegitimately), and bears up with hostility despite being capable of acquiring favour and affection, and bears with humiliation despite possessing the capacity to acquire honour, God will give him the reward of fifty truthful ones, of those who confirmed me.' "

Often times it is said that tough times call for tough measures. In a time when holding on to faith is like holding on to a piece of hot coal, a time when vice has become virtue and virtue vice, a time when one of the greatest struggles is to eat/live on that which is halaal, tough measures will certainly be the only way to go for anyone who jealously wishes to safeguard his faith.

It must be remembered also that one cannot overnight adapt tough measures, especially against their very own self. It is easy to impose standards and limitations on another (to an extent) but how easy is it to leash a soul/self that had been left to its desires so long, it can no longer restrain itself. Imam Ali (as) says in sermon 16 of Nahjul Balagha:

"Beware that sins are like unruly horses whose reins have been taken away and which plunge with their riders into hell-fire. But taqwa (piety) is like a trained steed whose reins are in the hands of its rider and enters with its rider into Paradise."

Allowing yourself to sink into sin and make it a part of yourself will only make it that much harder for you to first turn away from a life of sin, and then to be able to restrain yourself, and finally to achieve immunity from sin. While achieving restraint is in itself a formidable task, it is not yet the achievement of Taqwa (piety). Taqwa is immunity, not restraint. 

In the words of Imam Ali (as), he describes Taqwa thus: 

"Let it be known to you, O servants of God, that taqwa is a formidable fortress, whereas impiety and corruption is a weak and indefensible enclosure that does not safeguard its people, and does not offer any protection to those who take refuge in it. Indeed, it is only with taqwa that the tentacles of sins and misdeeds can be severed." (Sermon 157)

He (as) shows us that one who has achieved taqwa has achieved safety from the power of the enemy to infiltrate and enter his soul, mind, body, heart. The pious one becomes averse to sin and waywardness and is only attracted to and interested by that which is virtuous, right, and pure. The result of taqwa is thus one which is of benefit in both worlds: In this world, it is a shield and a safeguard, and in the hereafter, it is the path to paradise. (Nahjul Balagha, sermon 101)

The impact of taqwa on the body and soul is profound. It is a mutually beneficial relationship, such that one who develops his/her taqwa achieves salvation from sin, awakening of the heart, and in safeguarding from sin and awakening the soul, taqwa is developed. Imam Ali (as) says in this regard: 

"Turn your sleep into wakefulness by the means of taqwa and spend your days in its company. Keep its consciousness alive in your hearts. With it, wash away your sins and cure your ailments ... Beware, guard your taqwa and place yourself under its guard." [Nahjul Balagha, sermon 191]

He further says in the same sermon:

"O God's servants, I advise you to cultivate the taqwa of God. Indeed, it is a right that God has over you and it is through it that you can have any right over God. You should beseech God's help for guarding it and seek its aid for (fulfilling your duty to) God."

As Shahr Ramadhan approaches, the time is now ripe for us to take tough measures with our souls. It is a time of spring for the souls, and a time when it is easier to stay away from doing wrong and falling into sin, a time when the open enemy is subdued, and you have an opportunity to battle the enemy within and subdue it forever. In such a spiritual season, abstinence and restraint from sin can be developed and nurtured to the next level: that of immunity from sin; of achieving piety.

May Allah inspire us to piety, and grant us success in His way.

Wa billahi tawfeeq.

Role Models

"Look at the people of the Prophet's family. Adhere to their direction. Follow their footsteps because they would never let you out of guidance, and never throw you into destruction. If they sit down, you sit down, and if they rise up you rise up. Do not go ahead of them, as you would thereby go astray and do not lag behind them as you would thereby be ruined."

~ Imam Ali (a) ~