Why is it that we know the purpose of our life yet we are not fulling the purpose of our creation?Why is it that we know we could die at any second yet we are not preparing for our imminent death?
Why is it that we know our life is short & temporary & that the Hereafter is for eternity yet we continue to invest everything into our short temporary life which can end at any second but neglect the Hereafter which will last forever?
These are questions we must keep asking ourselves because we have become truly deluded chasing a path that leads to a dead end rather than a path that will lead to eternal success
:jz: for this thread.
I have often pondered over this, and I think for myself (it may differ for others), this may be due to the following:
1.
Our nature is one of forgetfulness, and distraction.
That amazing lecture, that zikrullah that left you on a high, that heart-felt duaa were you shed many tears and promised to devote your entire life to the pleasure of Allah - made you feel really good at the time.
But fast-forward a few days/ weeks later.....and that initial high that you had felt, has long being forgotten.
What happened?
The many activities of life distracted you once again......and you have already forgotten the message of that beautiful lecture, and forgotten those deep emotions that were felt.
This is in some respects, quite normal - as its not possible to
constantly be in a state of sorrow, remorse and tears, e.g. that was felt on the odd night of Ramadaan.
Life is meant to go on, and we are meant to interact with our families and society.
However, we seem to fall short in striking a balance - between living in and for this dunya, and living for the aakhirah.
Also, the world is geared for us to be constantly distracted away from the remembrance of Allah.
Some years ago, news bulletins only occurred every few hours in a day.
Today, we have multiple, 24 hour news and talk stations. 24 hour sport channels. 24 hour food and lifestyle channels. 24 hour music shows....etc. Anything and everything, that can make you focus all your attentions upon this world.
Which means that we have to make a
conscious effort of limiting our own exposure to this dunya and its many distractions, and
directing every possible free moment to something that reminds us of Allah - e.g. islamic lectures, listening to quraan on your way to and from work/ school, listening to audio of zikr/ nazms/ naats/ music-free nasheeds, etc.
In other words, one needs to try to 'brain-wash' themselves into an islamic enviroment as much as possible (in the very same way that advertisers use repetitive, 'brain-washing' techniques to create a change in peoples behavior).
If we do not actively try to change our immediate environment to one that promotes remembrance of Allah, then we will surely get sucked into the rat-race of life.
In this sense, it is therefore also important to ensure that the company that we keep, are those who remind us of Allah (and not those who are reminding us constantly of this world and its distractions).
Ideally, one should search for a knowledgable, trustworthy sheikh, whose own heart is attached to Allah (subhanwataála), and who can in shaa Allah, be the means of directing yours in a similar direction as well.
Unfortunately, this is not possible for many people (and even less for females).
Which makes the choice of ones spouse so important......how blessed are those marriages were both parties are ardently seeking the pleasure of Allah, who have turned their homes into a 'fitna-free' zone and are who willing to make any sacrifice necessary to draw nearer to Allah....the couple who have jointly decided that the aakhirah is their goal and who keep each other motivated in seeking knowledge and striving in ibaadat.
2.
We cannot fulfill the purpose of our creation, if we do not obtain ma'rifat (recognition) and true love of the One who created us.
We may claim to love Allah.
We may claim to know His divine qualities.
But do we really?
We if consider that every single beat of our hearts, and every single breathe, and every single bodily function is due solely and completely to HIM (subhanawata'la), and if we consider how absolutely great He is......then we should be in complete
awe and feeling
overwhelming love for Him.
We can only truly know and appreciate our Creator and fill our hearts with love for Him, by sitting at the feet of those whose hearts have already recognized his greatness (or at the very least, by listening to those talks).
This type of recognition and love for Allah cannot be developed (easily) by ourselves.
And once it is achieved, then as they say, "the lover is always worried about hurting his beloved".
When our
only concern in all that we do, is obtaining the pleasure of Allah....then it means that we have found the purpose of our lives, and automatically, our every action will be the means of working for the Hereafter, in shaa Allah.
:wa:
