MUSLIM FOOTSTEPS

PART 6 – STARTING OUR JOURNEY OF IMAN

We were all born with individual flaws and weaknesses, including degrees of hypocrisy. The only way of eradicating all these characteristics, and working towards becoming a Muslim, a Mu’min or Muhsin is to embark on a journey of iman, initiated by the constant remembrance of Allah. A Mu’min or a Muslim is conscious that every action potentially leads him to jannah or jahannam. Every thought, speech and deed is regulated and measured by the obedience to Allah.

Start your journey of iman by developing four basic qualities and habits, and be steadfast to these:

All the above are founded on the remembrance of Allah, which is a natural extension of understanding the attributes of Allah. Zikrullah is so important that it is one of the two deeds which carries limitless rewards, the other one being charity.

Ibn Qayyim Jawziyyah mentioned numerous benefits of doing zikrullah as derived from various sources. Among its magnificent rewards are:

Rasulullah SAW advised us to emigrate from sins, and hold tight to the fara’id because it is the best form of striving, to remember Allah in abundance and that we will not meet with Allah with anything superior to the zikrullah we have on our scales of good deeds.

If we do not practice zikrullah, Shaitan will overpower us. We will not be calm, humble, able to see the truth or make any sound decisions. We will be laden with internal and external calamities, agitation and misery as we continue down the stray path. If we are not careful, Shaitan can defeat us, strangle us with doubts and destroy us.

When we do not remember Allah, our bad habits will escalate. When we remember Allah, our bad habits will diminish.

One hadith mentions that if a person who thinks of Allah constantly is tempted to commit sins, the angels will plead with Allah to guard him, forgive him and conceal him from the wrong.

Looking at our mistakes and the sins in retrospect will lead us to the realisation that the root of the problem is simple. If we do not engage in zikrullah, our souls will be corrupted and vulnerable to manipulation by Shaitan. If this occurs, the knowledge we seek is not going to help us. Lack of zikrullah leads to the downfall in everything else.

Today we hurry through our lives, including our worship. We may make salat, but without depth. Our tongues utter the correct phrases, but our hearts do not truly contemplate or remember Allah. Do we truly ponder on Allah’s attributes, or do we just go through the motions because it has become a routine? When people perform constant salat as a matter of habit, but their hearts are devoid of Allah, this explains why they still carry the attributes of those who do not engage in zikrullah – they are troubled, distressed, and are unjust and insolent.

Let’s say you want to bake a cake. All the cooking utensils, from spatula to baking tray, are still smelling of the curry you made the day before. Will these utensils work if you want to bake a delicate vanilla cake? We need to clean up and prepare before we start. Similarly, the journey of iman requires cleansing and purification, to check yourself, your habits and your companions, and to pull you away from the sinful habits to habits of obedience to Allah, and from the company of Shaitan to the company of Allah, the angels and the good people.

Click here for – Part 7