Saturday, March 30, 2013

What holds us back (part 4)

Assalamalikum,

Before we go on to discuss more of Shaitan's tactics, I wanted to mention something very important first. There is much that can be  read regarding Shaitan and his never ending quest to mislead us. When one reads these "tactics" one might reflect on one's own actions and see so many examples of situations that we were under the influence of Shaitan's "advice". You may also begin to feel upset and thing that to build a firm resolve against Shaitan's plots is useless because you will only get caught in them again and again and again!

Yes, its true that we err and we fall into sin but remember that while you are alive you have the chance to turn over a new leaf : if your intention is strong and you make sincere du'a Allah (swt) is by your side. All hope is not, that is only Shaitan's way of misleading you so you stay under his control. Also, remember you are in charge of your actions, not Shaitan. Its easy for us to just blame it all on Shaitan, but who gave him the chance to invade your privacy and tamper with your thoughts, we did.

 So, that means we are in dire need to fortify our emaan and stay in charge and do what is right.

7. You Only Live Once (YOLO)

There is nothing wrong with this statement entirely. Yes, in this dunya you only live once and the Aakhirah is your real home. But Shaitan has convinced us that this life , this meagre, transient life on Earth is all we have to do everything our hearts desire. People might argue that oh this is the statement that attracts young people, but that is not true. This statement becomes your motto for life. Young or old all people end up thinking about is how to make this life more enjoyable, more comfortable and how to maximize our benefits .

Deen is put on the backseat, forgotten, down trodden and a thing associated with the past's "conservative" mindsets. Lets try and change our perspective on this statement. You only live once thus you only have this one life to correct your mistakes, repent for your sins and collect all the good deeds you can. Sounds like alot of work? Its not. All it requires is a lifestyle change: an Allah conscious lifestyle. It may not be a lifestyle filled with ease and comfort but it guarantees a life in Jannah that is ultimately filled with all our desires and more.

8. Procrastination

A Muslim's life is one that has balance and I'm sure you have heard this countless times. As people constantly tell you that Islam does not stop you from going out and finding a decent job and having fun. But I feel that when we say this often times we focus on the element of fun being an integral part of our lives too much. And this is the reason for our downfall and ultimately the weakening of our eemaan.

Shaitan makes you think that in order for you to do something that necessary condition is that you must enjoy it, there must be something that appeals to your "sense of fun". As a result people steer clear of their obligations and responsibilities as Muslims. What appears to be a balanced life is a lop sided version of what it means to live a balanced life.  But let's face it, is life really like that? Are there not days when we aren't enjoying ourselves at all?

The interesting thing is that people are ready to accept challenging situations, loss of money and prestige for their work related goals, studies and family. But when it comes to the practicing of deen there is this notion that everything will be smooth sailing and the element of fun always has to present. Have we forgotten how Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) practiced his deen and what he faced when he stepped forward to propagate it?
Was every day in his life a walk in the park? No! Then I think its high time we left the concept of life being an  endless joy ride because its not.

Just because we want to enjoy our life every step of the way we are constantly procrastinating about our duties as Muslims. We delay our salah to the last possible moment because something "fun"came up. We don't bother to open and read the Qur'an because a juicy novel is much easier to read. Struggle is a part of a Muslim's life and fun has its own place too, but fun should not be our top most priority, Allah should be.

You may not enjoy something but if that deed is done for Allah's sake, let's never forget that He is the Most Appreciative of our efforts and something difficult can yeild a lot of reward, Insha'Allah.

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