Stay Focus on the Prize

BismillahiRahmanirRahim
Assalaamu alaykum

I pray that you are well.

Sometimes we go about our routine and never for a minute think that we are going to return to our Creator until something happen that reminded us--I will die one day! What if that one day is today? Are we prepared to meet Him?

When you die, most likely your children, your spouse, your friends will cry and some will really grieve for whatever reason. It doesn't matter to you how much they cry or grieve. You are dead. Eventually, they have to take you to the grave, bury you, and for some really closed ones, they might linger around your grave, recite the Qur'an and make more du'a for you (Alhamdulillah), but whether they like it or not they too will have to leave you alone in the grave.

It is the beginning of your judgment Day. If you brought with you good deeds, you will find bliss in your grave. If you have done wrong, it would be the beginning of Hell. What happen in the grave is a foretelling of your eternal life. And we should be constantly aware of this.

We might think that we have plenty of time still on this earth. But no, we don't. Don't let our good health, our age, our glory, our wealth, or our intelligence fool us. It has happened to young people, healthy people, wealthy people, well known people, intelligent people and surely it could happen to us, sooner than we think.

Since Allah still allow us to breathe a little longer, make sure that every breath you take is taken with much gratitude. And gratitude entails to acting what He has commanded--brought to us by His beloved Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

You do your best in learning and applying what the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought to us. Doing your best means pushing yourself as far as you can, making sacrifices for Allah--not give yourself excuses not to do it. How do you know something is an excuse? A good example: Say, a friend asked you for a ride across town but you really didn't want to do that because you are too tired, and you said sorry I can't. Then someone told you someone is giving $1M to anyone who pass through this town where your friend had wanted you to take (and you have no cause to believe that this person is lying). Would you not rush to go to that town so you can collect the $1M despite being tired? So the tiredness was an excuse.

What awaits us after this life is better and worth more than $1M!

"Upon that day some faces shall be radiant, gazing upon their Lord." Qur'an Al-Qiyaama 22-23

"And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds, that they shall have gardens in which rivers flow; whenever they shall be given a portion of the fruit thereof, they shall say: This is what was given to us before; and they shall be given the like of it, and they shall have pure mates in them, and in them, they shall abide." Qur'an Al-baqara 2:25

Stay focus on this big prize, don't let your spouse, your children, your friends or the whole world for that matter, prevent you or slow you down from getting that prize!

And Allah knows best.

May Allah grant you tawfiq. Ameen.

Wassalaam