I have written and re-written
this class a hundred times in my mind, ever since a sister told me a story. She
told me about a young Muslim girl, the daughter of her friend. The girl was
sitting in the company of some other girls and the conversation turned to boys.
Typical.The girls were sitting outside the mosque at a picnic bench. While they
were talking, a young man passed by, and he overheard one of the girls make a
complimentary comment about his looks. Now, the comment was not meant for his
ears, and he did not know which of the girls had made the comment. The young
man, knowing that this was inappropriate behavior and conversation for the
girls, went to the father of one of the girls.He told the man what had happened,
and left it at that. Next, the father went to his daughter and asked her if she
knew about this incident. She said that she did. She said she was present at the
table and heard the comment, but did not know which one of them had said it. The
father knew she was lying, but said nothing. He walked away, showing in his face
that he was not pleased with the girl. Later, the girl was talking to this
friend of mine, and related the incident. She told her how she did not know what
to do because her father was angry with her. The sister looks at the girl and
asks her why she lied. The girl answered that she did not want to get her friend
in trouble. Now comes the part that truly made me think. So the sister said to
her, "What kind of friend is worth displeasing Allah?"She told the young girl
that she had failed at all the stages of the events to remember one key
question, "Where does Allah fit into the picture?" Such a simple question, but
such a massive meaning. The young girl had failed to think about Allah when she
was talking about boys. She had failed to think about Allah when she heard the
inappropriate comment. She had failed to think about Allah when she lied to her
father. All these stages could have been avoided by thinking about her personal
relationship with Allah, not her relationship with each of the people who had
filled her day with fitnah and sin. Her love of her friends, in this case,
seemed to overshadow her love for Allah.In a hadith Qudsi, Allah says, on the
authority of Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: Let not one of you belittle himself.They said: O
Messenger of Allah, how can any one of us belittle himself? He said: He finds a
matter concerning Allah about which he should say something, and he does not say
[it], so Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says to him on the Day of
Resurrection: What prevented you from saying something about such-and-such and
such-and-such? He say: [It was] out of fear of people. Then He says: Rather it
is I whom you should more properly fear.[Ibn Majah]The girl had failed to put
Allah into the picture. She should have changed the conversation of her friends
instead of participating in it. She should have advised her friend and
admonished her when she made the comment. She should never have lied. Too often
we all fail to fit Allah into the picture. We need to make sure we remember that
Allah is the Most Aware of what we are saying and doing and that His Great
Knowledge is everywhere.In hadith Gibriel, we see where Gibriel came to Rasool
Allah and asked him several questions, among them was: "...What is Ihsan
(perfection)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and
if you do not see Him, He sees you..."[Sahih al-Bukhari 1,2:47]We need to
consider Allah with the sure knowledge that He sees us. He knows what we are
doing, saying, thinking, feeling etc... We need to make sure that the actions we
make in front of Allah are those we want Him to see. Allah says, And keep up
prayer and pay the poor-rate and whatever good you send before for yourselves,
you shall find it with Allah; surely Allah sees what you do. [2:110].And the
parable of those who spend their property to seek the pleasure of Allah and for
the certainty 'of their souls is as the parable of a garden on an elevated
ground, upon which heavy rain falls so it brings forth its fruit twofold but if
heavy rain does not fall upon it, then light rain (is sufficient); and Allah
sees what you do. [2:265].We need to keep thinking about Allah. We can not allow
love for our family, friends or society to divert us from what is truely
important:worshipping Allah, and attaining Jannah.Allah warns us about our
devotion to the things of this life and how it diverts us from what is truly
important. This diversion will lead us to an evil end while remembering Allah
will bring us the greatest of blessings. Allah says, Every soul shall have a
taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full
recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden
will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods
and chattels of deception. [3:185].We need to constantly remember Allah. Keep
Him in the picture, you can say. We need to hold fast to our deen and use our
remembrance of Allah as a way to help us be stronger. Allah says, And hold fast,
all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not
divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you; for
you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you
became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you
from it. This is how Allah makes His Signs clear to you: That you may be guided.
[3:103].The reward for remembering Allah is immense. Allah says, Surely the men
who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing
women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the
truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and
the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the
fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and
the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who
remember-- Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward.
[33:35]Our greatest challenge is to achieve Ihsan. It is hard to think of Allah
being present when we don't see Him, but it needs to be our goal to achieve this
level of faith. Another young girl I used to know told me about a school trip
she took. She had decided to go with her class to a Broadway play that had been
brought to her town. She knew it was not appropriate, but she just wanted to see
it, to experience it. As she sat there, in the audience, while the men and women
were singing and dancing on stage, she said that she suddenly became very
scared. She remembered something I had taught her before. She realized that if
she died in this place, she would be raised like this on the day of Judgement.
She remembered Allah. She said that all she could do was pray to Allah to let
her leave this place alive and to forgive her. She did not want to die here and
be raised in this condition before Allah on the day of Judgement. I was so proud
of her this day, for she had experienced Ihsan, recognition that Allah Sees her.
I pray Allah give us all the ability to experience it and to make it a part of
us. Our Prophet tells us that the more we do to please Allah, the more dear we
become to Him and He to us.Abu Huraira narrated Allah's Apostle said, "Allah
said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper
of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is
what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through
performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory)
till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his
sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg
with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My
protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not
hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he
hates death, and I hate to disappoint him."[Sahih al-Bukhari 8,76:509]O Allah,
make us of those who remember you. O Allah, make us of those who love and fear
you. O Allah make us of those who please you. O Allah make us of those who live
and die for you. Salat wa salaam ala rasul Allah.[Ameen.]Subhanak Allahuma wa
bihamdik (Glory & praise/gratitude is to You). O Allah, ash-hadu alla illaha
illa Ant (I bear witness there is none that has the right to my worship but
You), astaghfiruka wa'a tubu illaik (I ask Your forgiveness and repent unto
You.)[Ameen]