In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
All of us has the potential to reach high ranks with Allah. Set very high goals for yourself -- because if you aim for the stars and fall short, you might land on the moon, but if you aim to just get by and fall short, you failed. I always tell my children to aim for the highest Jannah because if you don't get there, you will still be in Jannah by Allah's Mercy but if you aim to scrape by into Jannah, if you fall short, it's Hell. May Allah grant us all Jannatul Firdaus without reckoning and save us from Hell.
No matter how busy you are with your work, family, community projects, studies (secular or religious), you must find time to implement this Deen in your day-to-day practice and keep improving yourself on a daily basis. If you can't change your day to fit the religion, how can you expect the Muslim society to change, let alone to revive Islam?
There is always a better prayer, fast, Qur'an recitation, teacher, student, leader, parent, child, brother/sister, spouse, neighbor, friend, and so on. Each and everyone of us has plenty of room to improve in our personal practice of this religion and you must strive to keep improving until you meet your Lord.
Start your day by waking up early (for that you have to go to bed early, not midnight or after midnight) and not missing the Fajr prayer (and for men, start praying at the masjid for Fajr and 'Isha, and don't miss Friday prayer). Start staying up after Fajr (don't go back to sleep) and read and memorize some Qur'an after Fajr. Devote some time in the morning to read the tafsir of what you have read and memorize and learn the meanings and vocabulary. This all will bring you closer to Allah and things will start opening up for you and you will feel good about yourself throughout the day.
In less than 40 days, we will enter the noble month of Ramadhan and half a year is almost gone. We can wait for Ramadhan and fast, do more prayers, give more charity, but what if you don't get to see Ramadhan this year? What are you going to say to Allah when you meet Him and you have nothing much to show for?
One day we will be asked by the Almighty about our life -- don't think you can get away with this. What are you going to tell Him? Are you going to tell Him, "Sorry, I was busy working trying to keep my family happy, buy all the things they want, pay my mortgage...didn't have time to pray?" "Sorry, I was busy with law school...didn't get the chance to learn the Qur'an!?; "Sorry, I was always busy at work, long meetings, many conferences, have to keep my bosses happy...sometimes I even forgot my lunch or dinner...honestly, I hardly play with my kids -- I left home before they woke up and I came home when they were already in bed....by night I was exhausted...couldn't wake up for prayer anymore!?" "Sorry, I was trying to finish reading all the books I have been buying at the Islamic conferences, sometimes I didn't go to sleep until 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning...couldn't wake up for Fajr!" "Sorry, I know why you want me to wear hijab -- to protect me from all the evil lustful men, but I was pretty safe -- men are not that way in my land, they were accustomed to see half naked women (on TV, on the beach, on the internet, on the streets)...I didn't see the need to wear hijab/I didn't see that it applied to me!?" and so on...
Allah created us to worship Him Alone and He sent messengers to teach and show us how to worship Him. It is not acceptable for people to ignore this. Ignoring this is violating His purpose of creating us.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦[Qur'an Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56)
No excuses! Even though they are wisdoms and objectives of the Islamic law -- some we know and some we don't, it doesn't change the fact that you have to obey the commandments simply because you are a slave and He is the Lord. Our life is about total submission to the Will and Command of the Lord. We are expected to submit whether we know the "goodness" of the command or not. We cannot pick and choose what we want to follow either.
When Prophet Ibrahim alayhissalaam was commanded to take his beloved wife and infant son to an uninhabited desert in Makkah and leave them there, he submitted -- no question asked. Then when he was commanded to slaughter his son, he submitted -- no question asked. He didn't say, "O Allah, I will do everything else but I won't leave my beloved family to die in the desert." "O Allah, you just reunited me with my son, why are you doing this to me! I won't kill him...besides killing someone is wrong. I will do everything else you want me to do, but not kill my son!" Rather, he submitted to Allah's commands because he understood what it means being a slave. Whatever Allah wants, Ibrahim was there to surrender. This is the essence of Islam -- humble slavehood. His Lord rewarded him and made him the father of Prophets, among them is the best of creation, His beloved Messenger, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam. What a tremendous honor!
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّـهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٢٠﴾ شَاكِرًا لِّأَنْعُمِهِ ۚ ٱجْتَبَىٰهُ وَهَدَىٰهُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿١٢١﴾ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٢٢[Qur'an Ibrahim 16:120-122]
Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah. (120) [He was] grateful for His favors. Allah chose him and guided him to a straight path. (121) And We gave him good in this world, and indeed, in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. (122)
If you want the best in this life and the next, you don't hesitate to act upon Allah's commands. For example, when Allah commands men and women to lower their gazes, you lower your gaze. Women are commanded to wear hijab, i.e. you are only allowed to show your face and hands and nothing else before non-mahram (marriageable kin), that include all your cousins and brother/sister-in-laws of the opposite gender. [Surah An-Nur 24:30-31] So you cover your body properly -- i.e. no hair showing, no neck showing, no ears showing, no arms showing, no tight clothing/pants so your shape is showing, no see-throughs. Children are commanded to be kind to their parents in words and action, so you be respectful and kind to your parents even if they are harsh to you...and so on.
How do we know what Allah wants from us? First you immediately implement what you already know. For those who don't know, start seeking. In this age of information and technology, it is not difficult to find knowledge. But be careful who you take from. Do lots of salawat and du'as and inshaAllah Allah will bless you with good teachers.
And Alone grant success (tawfiq). May Allah grant us tawfiq. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakum Allahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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