Jeewan Online

During these beautiful days many of us have busied ourselves with worshipping Allah; we go regularly to the mosque; try to give in charity and more. One of the most beautiful features is meeting our brothers and sisters at iftars and at taraweeh prayers. For those who are often busy with life, often times we are unable to meet our brothers and sisters. We find ourselves apologizing for not being able to call, rarely able to meet and even more importantly, we lose sight of their needs, sometimes leaving them to face difficult and trying circumstances on their own.

We have often heard the hadith exhorting us to remember that brotherhood should be built on cooperation and meeting each other’s needs in both comfortable and difficult times. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “The example of the believers’ love, affection, and mercy for one another is like that of the body: when one of its organs ails, the rest of the body responds and watches over it by contracting fever.” and the hadith “None of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

But what do these hadith really mean and how do we implement it in our lives? When you think of your brothers and sisters- Do you know what their needs are? When do you call them? When do you visit them? Do you often find yourself saying, “I’ll call later, I don’t have time or I’m too busy”? “I am not the type who calls”; “I’ll let my wife do the social thing?” The question is, do we really love our brothers and sisters for Allah’s sake?

Although we have to try to fit our brothers and sisters into our schedules, the early Muslims used to prefer their brothers (and sisters) over their own selves. That is the ethic praised in the Quran: “And they prefer (their brothers/sisters) over themselves even if they are hungry.” (9-59) 

Al-Hassan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Our brothers are more beloved to us than our family and children because our family reminds us of this life, but our brothers remind us of the hereafter.”

It does not mean that we are to ignore our families, but instead, it helps us to realize that our sisters and brothers are an important part of balance in our lives. When we become pre-occupied with the dunya, they remind us about the akhira. They encourage us to spend our time working for the akhira and to remember that our dunya is the mechanism to get there. Allah SWT also tells us in the Qur’an that on the Day of Judgement, friends will become enemies EXCEPT the righteous.

One of the tabi’een said to his sons, “O my son! Be the companion of he whom, should you serve him, he protects you; should you befriend him, he holds you is esteem; and should you fall into difficulty he helps you. Be the companion of he whom, should you extend your hand out in goodness, he extends his; should he witness one of your good deeds, he remembers it; and should he witness one of your bad deeds, he stops it. Be the companion of he whom, should you ask him, he gives you; should you become quiet, he takes the initiative; and should a calamity befall you, he comforts you. Be the companion of he whom, should you speak, he believes you and should you disagree with him on something, he desists in your favor.” Do these sentiments reflect you and I? Or have we been ignoring our duties

When we do meet our friends, what do we encourage each other to do? Can we really say that we have been true to our brothers and sisters? Do we know their conditions and if they really needed help, would they ask or would they feel that they were bothering us or an inconvenience?

Perhaps it is time for us to re-evaluate our attitudes towards our brothers and sisters. Instead of prioritizing them last, perhaps we need to place them in a different place than before.

What are you responsible for..cont’d           A look at Islamic organizations…

While I have tried to keep most of my posts focused on spiritual topics and personal development, because Islam is holistic in approach, it also requires some comment on how we fulfill our roles in Islamic organizations (or any organization as a whole..While this is an important topic, this is the only post I will probably do on this issue for this month.

Whenever God makes a man responsible for other people, whether in greater or lesser numbers, he will be questioned as to whether he ruled his charges in accordance with God’s decrees or not. And that will not be all. God will question him even about his family members ~prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

In theory, Islamic organizations (and community organizations in general) are developed to provide services to the community at large. There have been some outstanding organizations that have done and continue to do so and we pray for these brothers and sisters, Allah’s continued blessings for doing their part to fulfill their covenant to God. All of these organizations are tools to reach Allah.

However, in many cases, people begin to forget that these are the tools are the “means” to meet Allah and begin to see the organization as the “end” goal. We also see this in some parts of the Muslim world with political parties there too. Unfortunately, there is a common trend of autocratic leadership styles in many of those organizations and mosques. I have seen time after time, organizations that begin to build themselves on the efforts of many good, sincere people and then slowly begin to exclude them from the organization over time.

Furthermore, the leadership is often filled with people who share similar characteristics in age, socio-economic status, many times culture and outlook. So anytime members of the community start asking to do new and different things or when the “board” starts thinking some people are too popular; have too much power; or start asking difficult questions they become excluded all together.  In other situations, people who have been doing the work or are more qualified are often overlooked or replaced by those who will be “loyal” to the organization or the people who run it, instead of those who will place Allah SWT first. Sadly, it’s often women, children, the impoverished and those who really need assistance who are often marginalized from these organizations. The leaders and those who place them in power forget the hadith whoever delegates a position to someone whereas he sees someone else as more competent (for the position), verily he has cheated Allah and His Apostle and all the Muslims.

Often times, it is those sincere people who carried the bulk of the work, who eventually become excluded, tired or burnt out and leave the organization and/or the work all together. At times, some people are insulted and even hurt during this process. It’s these times that many of our institutional leaders forget the hadith that states: abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (an evil doing) and killing him is Kufr (disbelief) and they also forget the practice of Omar (r) who said  ”May God have mercy upon anyone who points out my faults to me.”

The flipside of this occurs when many organizations begin taking their workers for granted and see them as tools. They forget that these are souls busy in the way of God who have personal circumstances. Often times, by ignoring their personal situations and circumstances, these organizations use and abuse these workers until they burn out or leave altogether.

Leaders must never forget that they will be questioned by Allah as to how they implemented their trust. Sometimes, I wonder if they stop to reflect “what will happen when those I have wronged ask for their haqq (rights) on the Day of Judgement?” This is even worse, if those who were wronged were good people who worked sincerely for God’s sake. Remember the advice that Allah SWT gave in the Qur’an (3:159)

It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you do deal gently with them. Were you severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults) and ask for (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then when you have taken a decision put your trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

Additionally, we must remember that when working with people, that they will make mistakes. There is a telling hadith of Aisha (ra) who related a hadith that states,  Avert the infliction of prescribed penalties on Muslims as much as you can, and if there is any way out let a man go, for it is better for a leader to make a mistake in forgiving than to make a mistake in punishing. In this case, the hadith speaks to PRESCRIBED penalties. What about other smaller things?

The spirit of leadership exemplified by the prophet peace and blessings be upon him is one based on service. He never gave people more than they could bear and he genuinely cared for them as individuals. When giving advice about employees, he said, pay them before the sweat dries on their brows,  so what about those who dedicate time and service without pay?

May Allah bless our organizations to be beacons of light for our communities. May He protect us from our egos and seeking power and help us remember that community organizations and mosques are HIS tools designed to bring mercy to our communities. Let us pray that we exact our trusts dutifully as leaders during this Ramadan and swallow our pride to repair broken relationships and do what will bring our community together during this month.

Each one of your is shepherd. And each one of you will be asked about your flock. A ruler also is a shepherd and he will be asked about his flock. And every is a shepherd to his family. And a woman is the custodian of her husband’s house and his children. Thus each one of you is shepherd, and each one will be asked about his flock. ~prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

Each of us is responsible for those who are within our care and will be held accountable for how we treated them. Within our families we are responsible for our wives, husbands, children, parents. As neighbours we are responsible for other neighbours and our community members. At our jobs, some of us are responsible for employees below us, some for clients, students and customers. In our community, there are also many of us who hold positions of responsibility in Islamic organizations and mosques.

We must remember that caring for our immediate families is our first and primary responsibility to Allah SWT. As we continue to work to do this, we must try to fulfill the rights that others have over us. As many of us learn and grow, there are many opportunities that present themselves to us by way of school based associations; in universities, we have Muslim Students’ Associations and numerous other organizations that bring benefit to people and society. After MSA’s and the college/university experiences however, many people get into the workforce, maybe get married and their participation in community work starts to become limited to attending prayers and if we have families, maybe dropping off children at the mosque for classes. Inevitably however,  our lives becomes so consumed by work and all the other details that fill our day to day activities that we forget along the way, that Allah put us here on this earth with a purpose of fulfilling a much greater purpose. We are put on this earth to be a mercy to ALL of humanity through our individual efforts to develop ourselves, our families and our community.

Just as marriage is meant to bring stability to a community, bring two souls together to raise a family, it is also meant to bring two indivduals/two families together to be companions in working together for the sake of Allah. This is the same for friendship, as friendship is similar to marriage in this respect. So while, there are times for leisure, it should be also to remind each other of the work we must do for the sake of Allah. That we must become pillars and beacons of light for society. Each of us possesses a unique talent/s that will allow us to assist to make our societies better than they are currently. We will be held accountable for what we do and what we do not do. It is important not to get caught up in the day-to-day “grind” that takes us away from family; friends and more importantly Allah’s work, beccause in the end, it is these relationships and the good deeds that we have done that will have a lasting value for us and our souls.

This is the work that nurtures the soul and creates a special bond between the one who does good deeds and her/his Lord. Furthermore, the bonds of love that is created between those who engage in His work is unique and long lasting. Because it is based on a relationship between those who sacrifice smaller short-term pleasures with a bigger vision and goal in mind.

Today, as we assess the relationships in our lives, let us stop to think- is it a relationship that is helping me to become a better individual? Is it one that will help me come closer to Allah? Why is this person my friend? How can I use my relationships to make myself a better person?  How does this person help me to achieve my best and highest potential AND how do I help them to achieve this as well? When I think about my family and the guidance I provide, am I doing so to make them be successful in secular life only? or am I thinking about their akhira (the next life) as well? What  have I done today, or any other day to give back to my society? How have I used my skills to represent Allah? Perhaps we should heed the advice of Omar (ra) and “take ourselves to account before we are taken to account” instead of worrying about which movies or seasons premiere’s that we have missed this month. It seems to me that we may be better of considering some of these questions during this month and make some committments to change the directions in which we are heading.

Let us remember why God created us and that our relationships with others is another tool to help us earn God’s pleasure and to become the best that we can be while increasing goodness and mercy in the lives of those around us. God is merciful to those who show mercy to others…..

Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere.” (2:153)

Without a doubt, we are all touched by the trials of life. It is through these tests we are able to discover how strong we really are. How do we react when these tests come to us though? It is easy to lose sight of the “big picture”, that Allah SWT is in control of all things and to change our circumstances, He needs only to say “be!” and it will be so.

In those times of harsh trials, we are constantly reminded to be patient, to be of those who when adversity afflicts us, we say “Allah is sufficient for me and in Him I place my trust”. As easy as it is to write this, it is not always easy to live to such a great ideal. However, we must remember that Allah SWT places us in all situations for a specific reason. Instead of pulling ourselves into a negative space of saying “why me”; crying; screaming and plunging ourselves into depression, we must remind ourselves that Allah is most Just and has promised us in the Qur’an that He will not give us more than we can bear.

When the trials come to us, instead of losing time and energy in the emotions of frustration, anxiety and anger..if we pacify our souls and speak to it to let it know,

“My Lord is Most Just, Most Loving, Most Merciful, He has sent this for me to learn and grow. This test is for my best and greatest good, so let us be patient and see what I will gain from it.” Sometimes, it is not immediately apparent to us, but with time and reflection, if we are patient we will recognize that there was benefit in what we went through.

Patience comes in many forms and it is something we should continually be developing within ourselves. If we were to draw an example from Ramadan,  when we fast, we give up physical appetites to build a more spiritual bond with our Creator. If we become grumpy while fasting and start taking this out on others around us with the excuse “I am fasting”, we may lose the benefit of the fast all together. Ultimately, one of the reasons we are fasting is to help us develop patience and discipline. Personally, if I start to become exhausted, I have learned to become quiet. We don’t want people to understand (and we should not understand this from fasting either) that Allah, our Lord, is making us do something we are displeased with or that brings out negativity. Instead, what we should notice within ourselves is the strength we possess to fast; to give up physical things we often feel we “must” have and that when we reach our limits that we find ways to deal with others with mercy and forgiveness.

Fasting brothers and sisters, as Allah says is to help us become more conscious of Him. So how can that type of consciousness lead us to behave in a manner contrary to Islamic adab (manners). This is the same for the tests that come before us, they should help us REMEMBER HIM. At times, this may be difficult and this is when the nasiha of our family, friends, brothers, sisters, counsellors, imams becomes important because they help to remind us and through their support, we gain strength, courage and the ability to become more patient.

 May Allah make us always patient throughout all that He puts before us and always make us among those who say “Allah is my Lord, He is sufficient for me and in Him, I place my trust.” ~ Ameen

Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!” (39:10)

I will lie in wait for them (human beings) on your straight way. Then I will assault them from in front of them and behind them, from their right and their left. Nor will you find, in most of them, gratitude (for your mercies) – the promise of Shaitan as told to us in the Qur’an.

So where are you with regards to this brothers and sisters? What have you been thankful for today? When someone asked you “How are you?” did you say Alhamdulillah (Thanks and praise be to God) with the understanding that whatever situation you are in, if you are patient, will be for your best and greatest good? Or do you spend your time in a state of ungratefulness OR fooled into thinking that everything you have is yours and that you control it?

It is so easy to complain; to look around and see what we don’t have when in reality we have much more than many others. Whatever our state or condition, there are always others who may have less than us. Still, which of the favours of God will you deny? Have you stopped to consider how easily you breathe? The ability to see and notice colour? To be able to release waste from within your body so that you are not poisoned? Our lives are filled with Allah’s mercies, if we only stop to look around us and observe them.

The state of thankfulness is a trait of a believer because they are always thankful. Regardless of what is before the, they understand that it is within the Perfect Plan of the Creator. Just as a parent knows and understands a child, so too does the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful understand His creation.  So in the most difficult situations, a Muslim is able to be thankful to her/his Lord.

’It is He who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing, and he gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection so that you may give thanks (to God)’’ (Quran 16:78)

It is another trait of a believer to be thankful to those who help him/her or try to facilitate their needs. Yet, many times, we take the very ones who we should be most thankful too- for granted. Be they parents, children, siblings, teachers, friends, family, neighbours, employees, employers….whomever has done good for us, it is a part of Gratitude to Allah to express our thanks.

How many of us have said “Thank You” to our parents for raising us; to our wife/husband for the many sacrifices that they make; to our children for making us smile; to our teachers and community leaders who work tirelessly to assist us; to the person who sweeps our floors; the cashiers at the grocery….so many opportunities to gain blessings that we often neglect.

Today, let us protect ourselves so that we are not those trapped in the promise of Shaytan. Let us try to be more mindful in saying Thanks to those who help us and moreso to be grateful to Allah SWT for all that He has blessed us with.

Thank you, to all of you brothers and sisters for your continued support and duas during this blessed month.

With dust on my face

Surrounded by clouds of shame,

I am afraid to call on You my Lord,

How can I ask your forgiveness when I have not done what I was supposed to?

My Lord, I lost my way….Sometimes I even wanted to do wrong; to forget what

You asked me to do; Sometimes I was arrogant and made choices without caring about the guidance You sent me…I filled my life with noise and toys, to drown out the voice inside me that tried to keep me in Your fold

I lost sight of Your Love for me and all the good things in my life.

How could I have forgotten? How could I have gone so far..

I want to call on You, but my shame and guilt prevents me from doing so

What if I forget again? What if I fall into my bad habits…

My Lord, I feel as if I am drifting..like a piece of sea weed in the ocean

Being tossed around, losing my control.

Oh Lord, I want You. I want to find my way back…

But the road seems so long, the journey seems to be filled with trials

I am weak; Where do I go? How do I get there….

Please Lord don’t leave me; Please don’t abandon me…

Here I am, I come to You, with all my faults; with sins so great, I wish that I were just dust when I think about it;

Here I am Lord, can You see my heart? Is there some light in there?

Can You help me find it, please oh Lord ? Can You help me to see again?

You said that Your Mercy outweighs your Wrath; that I can come to You, despite all my shortcomings…

Here I am Lord before You..my arms open; my heart bleeding because of the choices I have made.  Please Lord, surround me with Your Love and protect me from the evils within myself; Help me to find the strength that You have blessed me with and grant me friends and helpers from your path, who will encourage me to struggle in your path. Help me Lord, to become a better person and  please conceal my faults and bring me to You.

As You love me, Please fill my heart with Love for you and remove the guilt and shame that tries to block my path to you. Oh Allah, please forgive me for my sins. Don’t let these days leave me without forgiving me for the sins I have committed in public or in private, hidden or open. Forgive me for the sins of my eyes, my ears, my hands, my feet and my limbs. Purify my heart of the darkness that has accumulated around it and enliven it with Your light. Oh my lord, You are most forgiving, You love to forgive, please forgive me for my sins. Oh Allah, please forgive me for my sins and enter me into jannah. Ameen ya Rabbi

When you came home today from work/school…wherever it was you spent most of the time….what were your thoughts about what you saw? whom you met? people’s actions? the environment around you?

Often time’s people don’t realize that what they observe and see around them is truly a manifestation of what they harbour inside their very hearts. This is because, however we have conditioned ourselves to be, is what we reflect on the world around us.

The old example of the glass- half-full or half-empty? Our answer gives insight to the way we think and interpret the world around us. And while it is true that Allah tests us for us to see/understand ourselves and our strengths, other times, what comes to us is the result of our own hands. If we are overwhelmingly negative in nature, all that we will see around us will be negative. Likewise, if we are positive in nature, what we will see around us will be positive. It is these thoughts that we harbour that attract similar types of people/things/events into our lives.

Ever give much thought to the hadith, “a believer is a mirror to another believer”. Why did the prophet peace be upon him mention this to us? One of the lessons we should learn from this is that when we see our brothers and sisters, their habits and their character, what we actually observe, is a reflection of who we are as individuals ourselves.  When we purify our hearts and work in the path of Allah, we begin to reflect light and goodness and this is the reason we will see light in the character of those around us. That light that fills our hearts, is the light of Allah’s guidance and it will lead us to better environments, better people and most of all give us sakina or divine tranquility in our hearts.

A believer is one who is content in all situations, when things are difficult, s/he sees it as an opportunity to develop patience and trust in Allah SWT and when things are easy, s/he finds in it, the chance to be thankful to Him SWT.

It is often difficult for me, when I see bad character in those around me, to answer the question, “what element of myself, am I seeing in these people around me?” or “what is it about myself that needs attention or correction. So, before I go pointing fingers at others, I realize that there are elements of my own character that needs some repair.

If we repair our characters for Allah SWT, then by His grace and mercy, He will be the light by which we see, the light by which we hear, the light by which we speak and the Light by which we move to and from places. When our brothers and sisters look at us, they will find a reflection of light and when we have immersed ourselves in His light, many veils will be lifted to reveal Allah’s mercy and guidance all around us.

The successful are those who purify their hearts and I pray that Allah SWT fills our hearts with His light and illuminates a path for all of us and our families to Jannatul Firdaws~ Ameen.

Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things. (Qur’an 24:35)

As mentioned yesterday, Muslims are encouraged to give charity, it has been a hallmark of our community since Islam’s birth over 1400 years ago and a tradition of all believers throughout time. We know that whatever we give for the sake of Allah- whether by our actions or wealth- it will be rewarded by Allah in a manner that is greater than what we gave to begin with.  Sometimes though, we give to others and do not do so unconditionally…or in other words…NOT completely for the sake of Allah. We give with “expectations”. Sadaqa or charity is not limited to money, it is anything that we give to assist the needs of others. It is linked to justice and the recognition that everyone has a right to live with dignity. Allah SWT refers to it as haqq – right. So, a wealthy person is not only doing a good thing, but they are fulfilling the right of the poor to give back what Allah has entrusted them with. The best of people are those who place the needs of their brothers and sisters above their own. So they don’t give what they have left over, they try to make sure that their brothers and sisters are taken care of before looking after themselves.

The same can be said for the actions that we do on a daily basis. How many times have we done something,, carried a heavy bag, let someone in for traffic, paid for someone’s coffee, helped our sibling get out of difficulty, done chores at home and then thought that the recipient could have said thanks, smiled or even given us a break from something. Or when we were in a difficult situation we thought “I always helped him/her..how come he/she isn’t doing the same thing for me?”

These thoughts take away from the sincerity of what we do. When we give, we should always give without condition. It means that we give purely for the sake of Allah when we help others; show kindness, assist at an event; help a stranger or give money.

There are numerous examples in the life of the prophet peace be upon him, his family and companions about how they gave for the sake of Allah, sometimes even foregoing their own needs. It was because they understood that what they had in their possession by way of their abilities, talents and wealth, was a trust from Allah and that they would be accountable for how they used/spent that trust.

Additionally, Yusuf Ali adds when speaking about “Sadaqa” “(1) “It must be  in the way of God (2) It must expect no reward in this world (3)  It must not be followed by reference or reminders to the acts  of charity (4) No harm or injury should be caused to the recipient e.g.  by boasting that the giver relieved the person in the hour of need.”

Liberation from this dunya comes from doing our deeds purely for Allah SWT. So the next time we give, we should give without condition- no expectations and remember that the reward should not come from the recipient. We should also remember that we are helping to keep our society just and fair by giving others their haqq.  So …we do the deed and feel the serenity and happiness in our hearts knowing that we did something purely for Allah.  Perhaps today, we will remember the hadith related by Asma which says that the Prophet said: Spend, and do not count, lest Allah counts against you. Do not withhold your money, lest Allah withholds from you. Spend what you can. (Bukhari, Muslim) While in another hadith, Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: The Lord’s commandment for every one of His slaves is, ‘Spend on others, and I will spend on you’. (Bukhari, Muslim)  

Today, let us look for opportunities to do as much as we can PURELY for His sake and make dua that Allah SWT spends on us in this life and the next.

for past blogs, please visist www.jeewanc.com/blogs

Allah SWT is the Provider and rizq or provision has been decreed for all of us. We are expected to work hard and then that rizq will come to us through Allah’s mercy. But what do we do with our provision - can’t I do what I want with it? After all, I worked for it and what I have is mine, through my hard work….

When we get caught in the trappings of the dunya, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the dunya is a tool for us to reach Allah. For a Muslim, it is given to us to help us meet our needs and to fulfill our duties as Allah’s representatives.

It is easy though to get caught in the trap of seeing money as “the end” as opposed to “a means” to that end. So we work hard and sometimes hoard it. Other times, we lose sight of why Allah has chosen us to give us money/wealth. So we get lost in extravagance; wasting money unnecessarily and indulging in satisfying fleeting desires. After all, “I worked for it, its mine to spend”. However this is NOT the case.

We may forget sometimes that we are the recipients of wealth as a TRUST from Allah and Allah will hold us accountable for how we spend it.  Allah reminds us, “Give the kinsman his due, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and squander not (your wealth) in extravagance. Lo! the squanderers were ever brothers of the devils, and the devil was ever an ingrate to his Lord” (Quran 17:26-27). In a Hadith related by Amr ibn Shuaib, on his father’s authority said that his grandfather related that the Prophet said: When you eat, drink, give charity and wear clothes, let no extravagance or pride be mixed up with what you do. (Ibn Maja, Nasai).

Today though, it is increasingly easy to find Muslims with extravagant homes, fancy cars who spend their money in lavish settings, and expensive vacations while there are others who are needy, those who are poor, destitute, employees of Muslims who are suffering and living in difficult situations because of the poor wages that they earn.

When asked to give to those in need, to forgive the debts of people who owe money or to spend in the cause of Allah, we become tight fisted. We feel that we are unable to spend in His way.  In our mosques and institutions we hold people of knowledge hostage by restricting what they do/say because we pay them a salary; we take and take from scholars and community workers without care about their living conditions, yet we place the unfair expectation that they SHOULD be there when WE need them. We may have forgotten that the Prophet peace be upon him said: Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, ‘O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,’ and the other (angel) says, ‘O Allah! Destroy every miser’.(Bukhari).

It is important to remember that we will be accountable for how we spend our wealth. So let us learn to give more for Allah. In another hadith, the prophet pbuh said, There is no envy except in two: a person whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge) and he gives his decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others.

My dear brothers and sisters, during these beautiful days, the gates of Jannah are open to us and the promise of unending rewards are within our grasp. Let us reach for this opportunity and remember that good deeds, wipe away bad deeds; that our wealth is a test. Our rizq is measured and decreed, so even if we have money in our bank accounts and it is for someone else, Allah will facilitate that money getting to them. Let us on this day of Mercy, spend freely in the path of Allah; after all, it really is NOT my wealth- it is a trust from Allah. He trusted me to dispense of it in a manner pleasing to Him.

By His mercy, I will rise to the challenge and use Allah’s wealth to fulfill my needs, those of my family and on His Creation. I will remember that Allah is sufficient for me and the best Disposer of affairs.

We exist in this world.

The question is do we live here?

By living, I mean do we live with purpose of being, with the understanding that we are a part of a Divine and Perfect plan. When we answered our Lord’s call “Who is your Lord?” and we replied “you Allah” we were placed here to fulfill a duty as His ambassador here. A noble opportunity to be raised to a rank even higher than the angels because we choose to live for Allah.

You and I with all of our imperfections were sent to this world with a purpose.

If someone asked you, “what is your purpose on this earth?”, what would be yours?

So the responses come, that “I am full of faults”, “I have committed so many sins, how can I be an ambassador of Allah?” The truth of the matter is that Allah does NOT make mistakes. If you are alive, then you too have a purpose.

At times, we come across people in our lives who try to deny us that power; who damage us through their words and actions. Who tell us that we will never amount to anything; they try to limit what we can do, not out of care and concern but to keep us down. They are sometimes in our families; people we love; people who we should be able to trust; those with positions of responsibility and sometimes even strangers.  But we should remember that Allah does not make mistakes; He is perfect and so too is His plan. You, my dear brother and sister, are a part of His perfect plan. So NEVER give ANYONE the power to take that away from you.

Sometimes we lose our way, other times we lose sight of the goal, put the “cart before the horse”, but Allah SWT is the most Compassionate, the most Merciful. Even when we come to Him with the worst of mistakes, He is always ready to forgive us because like a parent knows a child, He understands that at times we may lose our way, BUT He SWT also knows our true potential, our capabilities, just what amazing individuals we could become if we lived up to all of our abilities.

Whether we are confronted by those who try to oppress us, deny us our purpose or whether it comes from the whisperings of our own souls because we may have lost our way or from a lack of confidence/understanding..it is important for us to try and ground ourselves in trust in Allah.

We know He is Perfect, He created us, His Plan is Perfect and we are a part of it…so brothers and sisters, how will we spend our time and how do we choose to live? Will we allow ourselves to be lost in distractions or use our skills, talents, time, energy and spirit to fulfill that purpose?

Say: “Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds” 6:162

YOU are a part of the perfect plan.

For more on living with a purpose, please visit http://www.jeewanc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74&Itemid=57

To read past Ramadan Reflections, visit www.jeewanc.com/blogs