Accounting Has Drawn Near

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The time is near when people will have to give an account of their deeds. Get serious. No more playing.

Allah is warning us that the accounting has drawn near.

ٱقْتَرَ‌بَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ فِى غَفْلَةٍ مُّعْرِ‌ضُونَ ﴿١

[The time of] their account has approached for the people, while they are in heedlessness turning away. (1)

[Qur'an, Al-Anbiya' 21:1]

Our individual accounting (reckoning) is not very far, no matter how long one lives, because death is certain and no one knows when it will befall. Those who are in a state of slumber due to indulgence in worldly affairs, unmindful of the certainty that all this will come to an end one day, watch out.

Do yourself a favor, seek righteous companions.

If someone's state does not lift you up,
and his words do not lead you to Allah
- then do not keep his company!

... Hikam of ibn 'Ata'llah

The one whose state lifts you up is someone who is such that, when you see him, you remember Allah. If you see him when you are in a state of heedlessness, he lifts you to a state of wakefulness. If you see him when you are in a state of desire, he raises you to a state of asceticism. If you see him when you are in a state of occupation with disobedience, he raises you to a state of repentance. If you are in a state of ignorance of your Lord, he raises you to recognition of your Lord, and so forth.

The one whose words guide you to Allah is the one who speaks by Allah. He directs you to Allah and withdraws from other than Him. When he speaks, he takes all the hearts, and when he is silent, his state raises you to the Knower of the Unseen worlds. So his state confirms his words and his words are in harmony with his knowledge. The company of someone like this is an elixir which transforms the sources. This is understood from the words of the Shaykh, "If someone's state does not lift you up, then do not keep his company." Keep the company of the one whose state will lift you up and whose words will lead you to Allah.

...ibn Ajiba's commentary

You may be smiling and laughing now for the great circle of friends you have -- those who you see often and have fun together, and who ask about you if they haven't seen or heard from you, even for a day. And when you are sick, they send you get well wishes and when you die, they will come to your funeral. But if they are not righteous, do you think they will ask about you in the Day of Judgment? NO! They will be too busy trying to escape from the great torment of the Day of Judgment.

فَإِذَا جَآءَتِ ٱلصَّآخَّةُ ﴿٣٣﴾ يَوْمَ يَفِرُّ ٱلْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَأُمِّهِۦ وَأَبِيهِ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَبَنِيهِ ﴿٣٦﴾ لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ شَأْنٌ يُغْنِيهِ ﴿٣٧

But when there comes the Deafening Blast (33) On the Day a man will flee from his brother (34) And his mother and his father (35) And his wife and his children, (36) For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him. (37)

[Qur'an, Abasa 80:33-37]

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَلَآ أَنسَابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَآءَلُونَ ﴿١٠١﴾ فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿١٠٢﴾ وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فِى جَهَنَّمَ خَـٰلِدُونَ ﴿١٠٣﴾ تَلْفَحُ وُجُوهَهُمُ ٱلنَّارُ وَهُمْ فِيهَا كَـٰلِحُونَ ﴿١٠٤

So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another. (101) And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] - it is they who are the successful. (102) But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally. (103) The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles. (104)

[Qur'an, Al-Mu'minun 23:101-104]

Your friends who are in Paradise, even after the long separation from this world, will ask about you if they don't see you around. And these are the people you want to be with in this life. Seek righteous people and keep company with them. Indeed, this is a great favor to yourself in this world.

May Allah save us from heedlessness and grant us the state of wakefulness. May Allah grant us righteous companions. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam.