A Believer Is Not A Mere Spectator

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If you can force yourself to sit in a corner for a few minutes and look at your week, you will find that there are a lot of things you can do without. Look at what you have done that are wasteful and resolve not to go back to them this week and forward.

People waste hours and hours each day with things that are without benefit. Some of the things that people do, which do not benefit, are playing on the phone, watching TV shows and multi-season series, watching sport's game and movies, and sharing useless things on Facebook, Twitter and the like.

If you have those things, you necessarily miss out on things that benefit. Strive to leave them and pick up things that benefit. From excellence of one's Islam is that one leaves what does not benefit him.

Be wary of the trap of news and online media. Don't just merely watching hourly updates on Al-Jazeera, CNN, BBC, etc.

While it is good to keep track of what is going on in the world, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, shows us very clearly by his own example that the believer is not a mere spectator. A believer is not a passive person, rather he is of active concern. The least of the concern is that you care. You have a deep concern about the affairs of other people and you make du'a for them. If you are able to give any passive assistance, you strive to do so. You give some of your money and wealth to help those who need assistance and those who ask.

Higher than that, which is the concern of the righteous, is that you have deep understanding of what affects the believers and others. You are not simply a consumer of news, rather you are informed believers and citizens. You understand what is going on and deepen your understanding of why things are the way they are. This require reading and thoughtfulness and not being a consumer of media.

Beyond the concern of the righteous, one has given some thought and deliberation of how to be an agent of good in promoting justice and promoting the good in effective ways, and one gives one's time, person and wealth in those ways.

Higher than that is to be of the foremost of the concerned believers. The foremost of the concerned believers is to be what the Qur'an describes to be the righteous calling:

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا ﴿٧٤

And those who say, "Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous (mindfulness)." (74)

[Qur'an Al-Furqan 25:74]

And in the depths of one's concern, the clarity of one's vision and the dedication and striving that one has, one is an exemplar for others in the concern that one has.

Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,

"The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer although there is good in each. Desire that which will bring you benefit, and seek help from Allah and do not give way to incapacity. If something happens to you, do not say, 'If only I had done such-and-such.' Rather say, 'The decree of Allah. He does what He will.' Otherwise you will open yourself up to the action of Shaytan."

[Muslim]

So, we remind each other to be mindful of how we spend our time and not to waste them with useless things, rather we use our time in ways to promote the good and prevent the harm and to spread justice, equity and mercy in the lands.

We all can begin by reciting this famous supplication to seek Divine assistance in alleviating the struggles that are faced by believers and others across the world. This is the least showing of our concern for others and may Allah accept and increase our iman and our strength and make us foremost of the righteous. Ameen.

Du'a Al-Nasiri

Video--The prayer of the oppressed

Video--Du'a Al Nasiri

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam