“O you
who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what it has put forward for
tomorrow, and fear Allah, for Allah is Aware of what you do.” (Al Hashar-59: 19).
Months,
years, nights and days are times for action and measuring the length of life;
they all end and pass very quickly.
Night
and day follow each other incessantly. Time causes to move closer that which is
far, it wears out what is new and even weakens the strongest. How much was
expected in the future and has never materialized? And how much is hoped for tomorrow
which shall not materialise?
“Allah
does not grant respite to any soul when its appointed term has come. And Allah
is Aware of what you do.” (Al-Munafiqun 63: 12).
In
three months, a year of our life shall come to an end, to remind us that this
world is not eternal. Rather, this world is a trap; how many times has it
deceived people who thought that they shall live therein forever! And how many
times has it killed those (people) who were immersed in it! Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra)
narrated: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) took me by the shoulder and said: “Be in this world as though you were a
stranger or a wayfarer.”
And Ibn Umar (ra) used to say, “In the evening do
not expect (to live until) the morning, and in the morning do not expect (to
live until) the evening. Take (advantage of) your health before times of
sickness, and (take advantage of) your life before your death.” (Bukhari).
Years
went by being a witness for us or against us; it is for us now to increase good
deeds in our life, to catch what we missed and enjoy the time we have left
before the destroyer of pleasures (i.e. death) overcome us.
Jabir
(ra) narrated that he heard the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said to a man and he was
admonishing him, “Take advantage of five
before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your illness,
your riches before your poverty, your leisure (free time) before your work, and
your life before your death, because there is no forgiveness
after the life of this world, and there are no home after this world except
heaven or hell.”
On
the authority of Abu Malik Al-Ash’ari (ra), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Every person goes out in the morning to sell his soul, so
he either frees it or destroys it.” (Muslim).
According
to Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (ra), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “The two feet
of the son of Adam will not move from near his Lord on the Day of Judgement
until he is asked about five (matters) concerning his life - how he spent it;
about his youth - how he took care of it; about his wealth - how he earned it;
and where he spent it; and about that which he acted upon from the knowledge he
acquired.” (Tirmidhi).
And
Ibn Masud (ra) said: “I have never
regretted a thing as I regretted a day when the sun went down, (and) my life
has diminished and I have not increased my good deeds.”
The
Holy Prophet (pbuh) has certainly said: “The
best of you is the one whose life is lengthened and whose deeds were perfected.”
(Tirmidhi).
According
to Abu Bakr (ra) a man asked, “O
Messenger of Allah! Who is the best among men?” He replied, “He who has a long life and do good deeds.”
The man then asked, “Who is the worst
among men?”
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever has a long life and who does bad deeds.” (Bukhari).
Let
us not forget that as reported by Muslim, Allah opens His hand at night to
enable the one who has committed sins during the day to repent.
Let
each of us judge himself as the one who judge himself (makes a self-analysis of
himself, of his deeds) is the one who shall be in happiness, and the one who
shall monitor and correct his soul will have success. And let us rush to such a
place where its people do not die, its homes are not destroyed, its youth does
not end, and its beauty does not change. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“Whoever enters Paradise will be in bliss and not in want, live in bliss and
not die, his clothes will not get old, and his youth will not end.” (Muslim).
So
always keep in mind that this world is only temporary, and that our true home
is not of this world. Our home is such that we have never seen before; it is
yet to be unveiled to us. The pleasant surprise that God (Allah) has reserved to
His pious and obedient servants, those who are struggling to erase their
mistakes and sins in the remembrance of Allah and through repentance, those who
dedicate their lives to the propagation of the ultimate truth of God, those who
worship Him without associating anyone (or anything) with Him, those will have
a full measure of their rewards.
So let
us not waste our time, such precious time that Allah has given us, in vain
pursuits and pleasures. Let us dedicate ourselves to make Allah’s religion, ISLAM, the raison-d’être (i.e. the aim,
the focus, the reason for being) of every soul, so that it may find its true
path to God on this journey filled with trials that this world represents. May
Allah help us in this mission, and bless us with happiness in both worlds. Ameen.
--- Friday Sermon of 23 September 2016 ~(21 Dhul-Hijjah 1437 Hijri) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.