In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Allah, Exalted is He, has bought us and our properties for the price of Jannah (Paradise). Allah says make full payment now (your nafs and your wealth) and Jannah will be yours. When will you get to see your Jannah? When you are buried.
Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) spent, gave and sacrificed like no other for Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). And enough for him that Allah said so through His Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace). He believed and trusted His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) entirely. It is an incredible amount of trust to give all up for something you haven't seen. It is a big deal to sacrifice your youth, your money, your wealth, change your priorities for Allah and His Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) but who said Paradise is cheap? What is the alternative? Follow your desires and go to Hell?
Anas ibn Maalik and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
حُفَّتِ الْجَنَّةُ بِالْمَكَارِهِ وَحُفَّتِ النَّارُ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ
“Jannah is surrounded by hardships and the Hell-Fire is surrounded by desires.”
[Muslim #2822, al-Tirmidhi #2559. Al-Bukhari also reported it with a different wording.]
There are people if they didn't take the Islamic path in life, they are going to be multi millionaires on wall street, investment bankers, great entrepreneurs, partners in big law firms. They might not have ethics and character but they would be wealthy business people, but they gave it all up, they take meager means and serve the Deen.
When I was taking my three sons to study Islam in a third world country and gave up my law career, I was faced with unexpected opposition and criticisms. People thought I was insane, literally they thought I was insane, that I was sacrificing my kids bright future in America, and that I was doing injustice to them. My youngest son was 14 years old then. Some advised that I should wait until they finished college in America.
Everybody around you who didn't see what you see would say you have wasted all your life, that you didn't see your future. What you see won't be seen by anybody. You really have to believe to see that. The work of Deen should not depend on popular culture nor it should have any string attached. We just do it and we do it for the sake of Allah. We only expect from Allah.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱشْتَرَىٰ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَٰلَهُم بِأَنَّ لَهُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةَ ۚ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ ۖ وَعْدًا عَلَيْهِ حَقًّا فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِعَهْدِهِۦ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَٱسْتَبْشِرُوا۟ بِبَيْعِكُمُ ٱلَّذِى بَايَعْتُم بِهِۦ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ﴿١١١[Qur'an, At-Tawbah 9:111]
Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. [It is] a true promise [binding] upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And it is that which is the great attainment. (111)
What are the persons who sold themselves to Allah look like? Allah Almighty says,
ٱلتَّـٰٓئِبُونَ ٱلْعَـٰبِدُونَ ٱلْحَـٰمِدُونَ ٱلسَّـٰٓئِحُونَ ٱلرَّٰكِعُونَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدُونَ ٱلْءَامِرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱلنَّاهُونَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١١٢[Qur'an, At-Tawbah 9:112]
[Such believers are] the repentant, the worshipers, the praisers [of Allah], the travelers [for His cause], those who bow and prostrate [in prayer], those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits [set by] Allah. And give good tidings to the believers. (112)
They are those who
1. Recognize their mistakes and continually make tawbah (repentance)
2. Continually engage in worship of Allah
3. Constantly praising Allah. Now that Allah give you the gift of repentance and worship, you are show your gratitude by constantly doing hamd (praises of Allah)
4. Go beyond any worship -- travel for Allah's cause.
5. Make ruku' and sajdah in prayers
6. Command the good
7. Forbid the wrong, and
8. Guard the limits prescribe by Allah
May Allah grant us steadfastness and excellence in worship. May Allah grant us the highest Paradise. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Wassalaam
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