بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
I don't consider myself a pack rat and I have gotten rid of a lot of stuff already but I have so much stuff I myself couldn't believe it. They are not real junk either (some are really good and expensive stuff) but they have occupied one single garage and all my cabinets in my house all these years. I spent days sorting them out and I still have lots. Last night I finally had to dump everything I haven't sorted out in the dumpster--books, cds/dvds, electronics, art, pictures, etc. I can't deal with them anymore! I figured if they have been in the boxes and in cabinets for the last 3 years, I definitely don't need them and others can do without them--they have lived without them. I feel so light SubhanAllah! Look at all that free space!
Now if you have junk (in the true sense or not), you definitely need to get rid of them. Imagine all that free space after they are no longer in your lives!
The first step to getting rid of your junk is to sort out what you want to get rid of into piles. Sort them into piles according to the type of junk. Clothings, electronics, knick knacks, art, recyclables, you get the idea. Be realistic when deciding if you should get rid of something. Do you ever use it? Is there a real sentimental value attached to it? Do you even like it? If the answer is NO, then put it in a pile. The best thing to do is to give them to charities if they are lawful items and in good condition. If not, try to recycle those things that are recyclable.
There is nothing quite as satisfying as clearing away clutter in your life. For me the way my home is organized and used is a direct representation of how my life is going. When things in my life start piling up, so do things in my house.
We want to pile our life with remembrance of Allah and good deeds, not things. To do this, we don't need much things at all.
On the authority of the son of 'Umar, Allah be pleased with both of them, who said: The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, took me by the shoulder and said: "Be in this world as though you are a stranger or a wayfarer." (related in Bukhari). So travel light so you are not burdened with carrying the stuff with you. The more stuff you have the more you will be asked in the Day of Judgment. And it will certainly relieve those who you left behind from having to deal with your things after you die. Remember, death for us can come anytime. The son of 'Umar used to say, "At evening do not expect to live till morning, and at morning do not expect to live till evening. Take from your health for your illness and from your life for your death." (related in Bukhari)
May Allah lighten our burdens in this world and enter us into Paradise without accounting. Ameen. Please do not forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
