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Building a Connection with the
Creator 'ALLAH'
If one secludes himself from the tension
and disturbances of this faithful and capricious world,
freeing himself from the shackles of its materialistic
domains, and spends a moment or two pondering over the
bounties of Allah, this alone will be sufficient for him
to rationally absorb the notion of completely submitting
oneself to the will of Allah.
Allah Taa'la states in the Holy Quran: -
"If you try to calculate the bounties of Allah Taa'la you
will fall short of counting them".
Subconsciously our bodies inhale and exhale
gases, keeping us alive. This process, known as
respiration is invaluable to us only by sharing the pain
of those with breathing problems, such as patients
suffering from severe asthma, can we apprehend the
enormity of this blessing.
We perpetually commit sins. However this
does not result to decrease in Allah's compassion. He
continues to feed us and provide us with water to drink.
This is why our beloved Prophet, Muhammed (SAW) taught us
the following Duaa which clearly highlights this point:
"All praise is due to Allah who from his mercy gave us
sweet water to drink and did not make it salty or bitter
due to our sins."
Many of us have built this awareness in
ourselves and have opened our eyes to the loftiness of
the almighty Allah. However, we find that this has not
materialised into complete submission. This will only be
achieved when we make an effort to build a connection
with Allah. The Quran says: "Verily the most noble one
amongst you in the eyes of Allah Taa'la is the most
pious."
This verse clarifies that this connection
and spiritual proximity can only be achieved through
adopting Taqwa (God fearing) Taqwa is one of the most
misunderstood terms in Islam. Many of us are deluded in
terms of its meaning, failing to understand its
simplicity and the diligence required to achieve it. This
is why we fall short of tasting the spiritual ecstasy
enjoyed by the Awliyaa (the true friends of
Allah).
Sheikh Muhiyuddin Abu Zakariya Nawawi (RA)
has written that Allah's name sweetens every heart, but
there are those lovers of Allah, those seekers treading
his path, those Aarifeen who physically experience the
sweetness of his name.
The word Taqwa is derived from the root
noun Al Wiqayah which means 'to guard', to safeguard and
shield. The literal meaning is heavily adopted in the
term Taqwa because it concerns safeguarding oneself from
all types of sin. Allama Aloosi (RA) elucidates this in a
poem: "Abstain from sin, big and small-that's surely
piety. Don't underestimate small sins; mountains are from
pebbles after all."
Many are mislead into thinking that 'Taqwa'
lies in excessive 'ibadat' (worship) such as lengthy
rakaats of Ishraaq and Tahajjud. This leads to neglecting
and overlooking the importance of abstaining from sins.
Thus, many Muslims engage in excessive ibadat without
realising that their reward is eradicated by their sins
and disobedience to Allah. An analogical explanation of
this would be the example of one who fills a bucket with
water until it is brimful, then pierces small holes at
the bottom of the bucket. This person would be regarded
as a fool because the water in the bucket will seep
through the holes and ooze out of the bucket, leaving it
empty.
If one simply adheres to the Faraaidh
(fundamental duties) of deen such as Salaah, Saum, etc,
along with the Waajibat and Sunnah and at the same time
strives to Abstain from sin escaping the displeasure of
Allah, he will not only protect his righteous deeds but
will also gain the proximity of Allah. His every
heartbeat will pump with the 'Dhikr' (remembrance) of
Allah. This person will be granted 'ITMINANE - QALB'
(contentment of the heart).
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