Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| notes from a khatira |
|---|
| se7en |
| 08/09/01 at 03:45:37 |
| bismillah two parts to the khatira... [1] environment everything around us, animate and inanimate -- trees, flowers, water, wind, clouds, thunder, thorns, ants -- all are in dhikr of Allah, in tasbeeh. [Everything (shay') performs dhikr, but you understand not..] this includes the blood flowing through my body, particles, everything.. reflect deeply upon this.. Am I in dhikr? Am I in harmony with the state of dhikr of everything around me? Our love for the environment stems from knowing that these things have value in and of themselves.. they are companions in this journey of ubudiyyah -- and just like I wouldn't disturb a person in prayer, I wouldn't want to disturb a leaf, an ant, a tree in prayer.. Think about how different this love of nature is from non-Muslims who claim a love for nature.. our love does not stem from the notion that nature has an entertaining capacity for me, but something much deeper than that Everything in the heavens and the earth prays for one who teaches others khayr -- angels, ants, and even the fish in the sea What should our reaction be to the things around us now that we know this? -- we should perpetrate no violence against them. Allah has created them for us, to maximize our experience, to reflect and increase in yaqeen, and to sustain ourselves.. but we should use only what we need to fulfill ubudiyyah to Allah. Any use or interaction with the environment that violates this need violates what Allah has allowed for me.. the more I internalize this, the more I will use the environment to help me become nearer to Allah. From this we realize that one who is yet to know Allah, who is not fulfilling ubudiyyah, is destructive not just to himself, not just to other people, but to the world itself. Why is this, why is such a person so destructive? Because the only way to fulfill all needs is Al-Kaffey - Allah, subhana wa ta'ala, the Satisfier, Fulfiller of all needs.. Allah asks us in the Qur'an -- does not Allah fulfill all needs? And one who does not turn to Allah for this will continue to seek to fulfill more and more needs.. there is no kaffey.. just this cycle of creating and striving to fulfill unending needs.. no peace, satisfaction in this vicious cycle consumer society is based on this absence of the Ultimate Sufficer.. we need to turn away from this and seek solace and fulfillment of our needs in Him, alone, azza wa jaal. [2] salah salah is the most important act after acknowledging tawheed of Allah - it is more important than *anything* else I do.. we should seek to have a living salah, not a dead salah.. a living salah is one in which my qalb is connected with Allah. this focus and presence of heart creates ihlumination, noor in the qalb of the person, and makes the salah able to rise if the salah is lifeless, absent of that presence of heart and focus, it will produce no noor in the qalb and it remains heavy, pulled by the gravity of shahwaa.. it remains on earth Ibn Qayyim gives the example of one approaching a generous sovereign with the gift of a stinking, dead corpse.. this is what it's like to turn to Allah in a salah that lacks khushoo', that is without the qalb. Do I want to stand in front of Allah with a dead qalb? Is this filthy corpse the offering I have for Allah? Pray with the desire to be nearer to Allah and for Allah to draw us nearer to Him. How do you feel before salah, and how do you feel after? If you feel the same way, this is a sign that your salah did not go anywhere. Each and every salah that I make should move me, change me. Sometimes, the result of a salah is punishment -- like when I am careless with the external and internal requirements of salah.. this is like *insulting* Allah not with the tongue, but with haal [state, condition] Sometimes, the result of salah is muhassabah, interrogation [Being asked by Allah, why did you do this?] this is when one entertains thoughts in salah, without struggling to focus and concentrate. Only when one struggles inside of salah to keep focus is the result atonement for some of one's sins When one enters salah, one's heart is where one's hubb [love] is. Think about this.. what do you think about when in salah? where does this indicate your love is? We are inside of salah what we are outside of salah. Meaning.. the best way to focus in salah is to focus *outside* of salah. What is it our hearts are occupied with in salah? that's what we must work detach ourselves from outside of salah. We need to be on guard against ghaflah, against shahwaa outside of salah in order to be in a state of focus inside salah. Rasulullah [saw] once saw a person playing with his beard in salah, and he [saw] said what means, 'If the qalb of that individual were still [khashaa'], his jawarih [senses, limbs] would be still.' Tazkiyah is about BATTLE agains the nafs. Focus in salah the way you would focus on a final you have to pass.. think about how you act during an exam.. how you ignore all distractions and concentrate because you know this is important.. do the same with salah.. Rasulullah [saw] said that Allah subhana wa'tala said what means, 'O child of Adam, occupy yourself with my ibadah, and I shall fill up your chest with richness, and I shall guarantee you safety from poverty. And if you do not do this, I shall fill up your hands with worries, and I shall not guarantee you safety from poverty.' Remember this when dunyaa attracts, when pressed for time in the time of salah, when worried about your livlihood. If your himma is in your salah, you will find focus. ------ wAllahu 'alam. Audhu billahi an udhakiruka bihi wa ansah. from retreat khatira 6/14/01 |
| Re: notes from a khatira |
|---|
| zanfaz |
| 08/09/01 at 04:25:04 |
| [slm] Jazakallahu khair sis se7en. It was a thought provoking and timely article. I'm way off the mark when it comes to khushoo in the salah. I'm struggling to bring life into my salah. I know it is not easy... [quote] We are inside of salah what we are outside of salah. Meaning.. the best way to focus in salah is to focus *outside* of salah. What is it our hearts are occupied with in salah? that's what we must work detach ourselves from outside of salah. We need to be on guard against ghaflah, against shahwaa outside of salah in order to be in a state of focus inside salah. [/quote] Profound thought...masha'Allah. wassalam. |
| Re: notes from a khatira |
|---|
| humble_muslim |
| 08/10/01 at 05:37:05 |
| AA Very nice Se7en, mashallah. 'O child of Adam, occupy yourself with my ibadah, and I shall fill up your chest with richness, and I shall guarantee you safety from poverty. And if you do not do this, I shall fill up your hands with worries, and I shall not guarantee you safety from poverty.' A good reminder, for those of us who work. Even in this time of economic downturn, just keep up your ibadah, and leave the rest to Allaah SWT. |
| NS |
| Re: notes from a khatira |
|---|
| sis |
| 08/10/01 at 20:38:32 |
| alsalamu alaykum wa rhmat Allah wa barakatuhu subhan Allah, that was beautiful advice....i've been needing that...i've been needing any islamic info i can get...i don't have right timing to make it to halaqa's and my heart is thirsty for knowledge...jazaki Allah khayr se7en:) ..may Alah ta'ala quench ur thirst in the akhira from nahr alkawthar walsalamu alaykum wa rhmat Allah wa barakatuhu |
Individual posts do not necessarily reflect the views of Jannah.org, Islam, or all Muslims. All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster and may not be used without consent of the author.The rest © Jannah.Org |