How to cross this ocean of duniya without drowning!

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Why life is like an ocean?

Ocean looks beautiful from shore but yet a person who enters the ocean without proper attire will destroy the person. This duniya is similar, our heart is like a boat, the boat sails on the ocean till water doesn’t enter inside boat. In the same way, when this duniya enters our hearts this duniya take us down.

10 PRACTICAL ADVICES HOW WE CAN CROSS THIS OCEAN OF DUNIYA WITHOUT DROWNING:

1. Know your goal:

ALLAH is our ultimate goal so we should know about HIM. One of the biggest mistakes we do is that we do not see ALLAH as our end result rather we see this duniya as our ultimate goal. We should follow what ALLAH has commanded. When we think about ALLAH we do not see/understand HIM where HE deserves to be. The more you will know ALLAH the more you will love HIM. We have to follow Quran and Sunnah if we love ALLAH.

2. Know your purpose:

And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). (51: 56).

3. KNOW THIS LIFE: It has certain characteristics :

• Know that it is temporary: Prophet (SAW) explained us to be in life as if we are strangers. How do you live in a place where you are sure u will be leaving? There is a difference between how one lives in a house and how one lives in dome, that is because we know we are in dome for short period so we do not decorate that place.

When you live somewhere as a traveler or stranger you are not attached to that place. On day of Judgement some people will be asked how long were you in this life n they will reply a day or less than that. Knowing this fact completely transforms our mindset.

• Die before your death: Be accountable for what you do. Be in this life but have ultimate attachment with ALLAH (swt).

• This life is not Jannah: This life isn’t perfect. By definition duniya is imperfect. Our parents, companions, spouses, and children aren’t perfect. This duniya is not perfectly good but it’s also not perfectly bad. There is never a time that is totally bad or totally good, there is no person who is totally bad or totally good.

In every person has both potentials but it’s our choice if we go for good or bad. Even if we are going through the hard times there is something good in that, if we are going through hardest things still there is a biggest blessing we have that is LA ILLAHA ILLALLAH MUHAMMADUR RASOOLULLAH. What has he gained who lost ALLAH, and what has he lost who has ALLAH?

• This life is a test: If 2 people are given paper, 1st is not told it is a test and 2nd is told that it is a very important test. The first one will not do good on test but the other one will. So know that it is a test. “Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;”
Surah Mulk : verse(2). Show ALLAH how good you can do!

• It is supposed to be a tool. Use this life to reach to Hereafter. The purpose of zuhd in Islam is to detach our hearts from this duniya. Choose things (cars) and people (spouse), which/ who will take you close to ALLAH (swt).

Don’t leave duniya, but keep your ultimate focus on HEREAFTER. When u focus on Akhirah u get this life as well, but when u focus on this life you lose this life as well as akhirah. Dua we are taught: “Rabbana attina fid duniya hasanah wa fil akhirati hasanah wa qina azabin nar.” Keep this duniya in hand not in the heart.

4. Plan for tomorrow:

Plan for Akhirah. Have taqwa and let every soul know what they are sending for tomorrow. We put a lot effort on what we are going to do tomorrow, next week, etc but we do not put right effort on what we have kept for next home. We know that we are going to move to the next home (Hereafter) but how much have we furnished that home? This life is just like a stop in our path. Know that ALLAH knows everything.

5. Remember ALLAH (SWT):

We need to remember ALLAH in our lives. There are very serious consequences of forgetting ALLAH. The one who forgets ALLAH in this life, will be forgotten by ALLAH on the day of Judgement. The one who turns away from ALLAH, with him a shaitan is appointed to him and he becomes close intimate companion to him. Never think that you will be rightly guided if you have turned away from remembrance of ALLAH, what is guiding u is your nafs and shaitan.

6. Guard yourself from shaitan:

Way to protect ourselves from shaitan is through remembrance of ALLAH, by having righteous companions.

7. Guard yourself from nafs:

To guard ourselves from nafs, there is similar way which we use to guard ourselves from shaitan, i.e. remembrance of ALLAH. For our tongue we will be held accountable, so have less time of talking and more time of silence and reflection. And even if we are talking we should make sure that we are not backbiting and talking correct stuff. Avoid poisons of nafs: company we keep.

8. GUARD YOURSELF FROM YOUR SINS:

Our sins create a veil between us and ALLAH. So remove that veil through repentance. We all commit sins, but we should try constantly to avoid sins and if we get involved in sins and we repent instantly and NEVER LOSE HOPE IN ALLAH. Even if you have committed a same sin millions or billions time you can still turn back to ALLAH, don’t wait do it soon. Whenever we do a sin a black spot is created on our heart but when we repent that spot is cleaned.

9. Guard your heart:

Our heart is very important. On day of judgement neither children nor wealth will help us but what will help us will be pure heart. Guard your eyes, when you look at haraam things you are pouring poison in your heart. Guard your ears, do not listen haraam things. Guard yourself from bad company, your bad company can also pour poison in your heart, it is better to be alone than to be in bad company (it is better not to drink anything than to drink poison).

10. Have Regular connection with ALLAH:

No matter how good shaykh you have, you need to have regular connection with ALLAH (SWT). Pray qayam, recite Quran, etc.

"Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous, the most God-fearing of you"
Qur'an 49:13

Note:
'How we can cross this ocean of duniya without drowning' by Sister Yasmin Mogahed:
(note of an Online lecture given by Sister Yasmin Mogahed)