The Power of intelligence

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

We spend a lot of time doing things that don't benefit us in the next world. Part of the problem is ignorance and part of it is heedlessness.

People are willing to go through a lot to get a degree or finish law school or medical school--they are even willing to borrow 10s or 100s of thousands of dollars to pay for it and spend another 20-40 years to pay off the loans, but when it comes to the religion, you have to find all kinds of ways to get people to learn their deen and they can't pay even 50 dollars to learn their fard 'ain (personally obligatory knowledge).

It is no wonder we see the Muslim Ummah is in the state that we are, oppressed and preyed upon.

We should be in the forefront to make contribution to our societies, but it should never be at the expense of our religion.

Another aspect of this is that a lot of our leisure time is spent not in the remembrance of the Creator and engaging our minds, but in staring at tubes and monitors, whether it be watching TV, playing computer games or watching Youtube, or changing ringtones, etc. People hardly read anymore and reciting the Qur'an daily is not normal to many Muslim households, even though 'Read' was the first revelation given to our Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace (Qur'an Al-Alaq 96:1). This has been replaced by the internet, media and technology fascination.

Humans have done a lot of things, very fascinating things--but remember only Allah is the One who brings something from non-existence to existence. No matter what anyone does, he can never bring something from non-existence to existence. We can manipulate genes and we can talk with people in different time zones as if they are across the room, but this only shows the amazing thing about Allah's creation--the humans, and it shows the power of intelligence, the creation of Allah. Intelligent people when they don't know something, they research, they ask, and they learn and they were able to come up with all those fascinating things, whereas non-intelligent people when they don't know something, they either turn off or rely on someone to come and tell them.

Think how perfect our creation is. When you walk outside, the wind does not knock you over or the rain does not go through your body like sponges or the scorching heat does not fry your brains or intestines. You can walk, run and stand upright or bend your limbs to bow or prostrate. This is the manifestation of Allah as the Creator. He created humans in the best form.

We are required to reflect upon creation. There is a lot of benefit in doing so. Like anything else, we can't receive the benefit of exercise, for example, by listening to people talking about exercise or by watching people doing exercise, you are have to do the exercise yourself to receive the fruits of it. You have to reflect to receive the benefit of the reflection.

Don't waste your intelligence with things that don't benefit you in this life and in your next life. Use it to complement our nature (fitrah) and to please Allah, not to be untrue to it and displease Allah.

May Allah guide the Muslim Ummah. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam