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Preparation for the Aakhirah
Ibaad'Allah, the people of Allah (Ta'la) only differ from others by their preparations for the afterlife in readiness for its conditions.
'Umar ibn-ul-Khattab (ra) said: "If I was not to fear my good deeds would be reduced, I would have participated in your luxurious ways. But I heard Allah rebukes some people (who are being sent to the Hellfire) saying: "You received your good things in your worldly life and you took your gratification out of them" [From The Characteristics of the Salaf]
Those who came before us, who lay in their graves,...their time is over and they will have no more chances. Alhamdulillah we are still alive, Allah the most High has still given us time to achieve success Insha'Allah, by obeying Him and obeying His Messenger (saw), by abstaining from the prohibited and enjoining in the lawful.
Ibaad'Allah, all that you say,..and all that you do, whether good or bad, is derived from the heart. On the day of Resurrection, only those who come to Allah with a healthy heart will be saved.
Allah says :
The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail [26:88]
Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart (clean from polytheism (Shirk) and hypocrisy (Nifaq)) [26:89]
And what will tell you what a Healthy heart is?. It is that which is cleansed from any passion that challenges what Allah commands, or disputes what He forbids. It is free from any impulses, which contradict His good. As a result, it is safeguarded against the worship of anything other than Him, and seeks the judgement of no other except that of His Messenger (saw). Its services are exclusively reserved for Allah, willingly and lovingly, with total reliance, relating all matters to Him, in fear, hope and sincere dedication. When it loves, its love is in the way of Allah. If it detests, it detests in the light of what He detests. When it gives, it gives for Allah. If it withholds, it withholds for Allah. Nevertheless, all this will not suffice for its salvation, until it is free from following or taking as its guide, anyone other than His Messenger (saw).
And along with a healthy heart, comes patience. Being patient in the dunya and asking Allah to make us of those whom He is pleased with.
Maalik ibn Deenar (rahimahullah) said, "Beware of the sorcerer who enchant the hearts of the scholars distracting them from Allah the Most High, i.e., the world. Its nature is uglier than the magic Haarut and Maarut came with, since their magic separated a man from his wife, whereas the world separates a slave from his Master."
In this Life of ours, the greed of the people increases with their love for the dunya. They thank Allah little for what they have,...they look up to those who have more than themselves, and THEN they turn to Allah and ask him for more.
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Ibraheem ibn Adham (may Allah have mercy upon him) was asked about the saying of Allah the most High
And your Lord says:
"Call on Me and I will answer your prayer....." [40:60]
That "We supplicate and we are not answered".....So he said to them :
"You know Allah, yet you do not obey Him,
You recite the Quran, yet you do not act according to it,
You know shaytaan, yet you have agreed with him,
You proclaim that you love the Messenger of Allah (saw), yet you abandon His Sunnah,
You proclaim your love for Paradise, yet you do not act to gain it,
You proclaim your fear for the Fire, yet you do not prevent yourself from sins,
You say: "Indeed death is true", yet you have not prepared for it,
You busy yourselves with finding faults with others, yet you do not look at your own faults,
You eat that which Allah has provided for you, yet you do not thank Him,
You bury your dead, yet you do not take a lesson from it."
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O Allah guide us all to the straight path,
O Allah, forgive us for our sins and unite our hearts upon the Haqq,
Ya Ar-Rahmaan, save us from the fire, from the punishment of the grave,
from all the fitnah of this world and grants us all a place in the highest ranks of paradise, along with the pious, the truthful, the martyrs and the Prophets.. Al Jannat Al Firdous........
Ameen...!
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