الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينة ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيئات أعمالنا ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، وأشهد أن سيدنا محمداً عبده ورسوله ، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه  ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين 

This is the 5^th talk on the topic entitled:” Your Life in Light of Eternity”, as a reminder, this topic addresses the following four questions:

1. What is the purpose of our lives on earth? And answer was to prepare us for eternity when we return to Allah who will assess whether we are worthy of being in His company in Paradise forever or He will send us to another place as punishment for our failure
2. What is the nature of this life on earth? And the answer was that our life on earth is a temporary assignment, it is a test, and it is a trust.
3. What is the requirement to fulfill this purpose, i.e., what is our job description on earth? And the answer was to worship Allah and we defined worship as total obedience to Allah’s commands motivated by our love and gratitude to Him and by our trust in Him that all His commands are intended for our benefits.
4. What are the traits and qualities that we must possess to fulfill these requirements?

In the last talk, we discussed the element of obedience of worship and today, I plan to, inshallah, elaborate on love, gratitude, and possibly trust. 

1. Love of Allah:

Love of Allah is a prerequisite for full obedience, fear may secure some obedience but never full obedience.   We must realize that all the commands that Allah imposes are only for our benefits because Allah loves and our love of Him should be something natural and expected.  But those who rebel against Allah’s commands, Allah will easily replace them with others whom He loves, and they will love Him:   Allah says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَن يَرۡتَدَّ مِنكُمۡ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوۡفَ يَأۡتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوۡمٍ۬ يُحِبُّہُمۡ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ

“O you who believe, if anyone from you repel from his faith, Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him.” (Al-Maeda 5:54)

Note that the verse shows that Allah’s love for us comes first before our love for Him.  Therefore, Allah expects that our love for Him should surpass our love for anything. Allah says:

قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُوا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِين  

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, and your clan; and the wealth you have earned; the business you are afraid to decline; and the homes you like are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His way – then wait until Allah comes with His command. Allah does not guide the rebellious.” (Al-Tawba 9:24)

Allah compares the believers with other people by saying:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ

“Among the people there are some who take others besides Allah, they love them like the love due to Allah, but those of believe are most firm in their love for Allah.” (Al-Baqara 2:165)

Love is not an emotional feeling; it is a commitment that is manifested by practice. While our love for Allah is manifested by our commitment to obey Him, His love for us is manifested by His commitment of extensive support and continuous guidance.  In the famous hadith Qudsi, Allah says:

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – : إن الله قال ( من عادى لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب ، وما تقرب إلي عبدي بشيء أحب إلي مما افترضت عليه ، وما يزال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه ، فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به ، وبصره الذي يبصر به ، ويده التي يبطش بها ، ورجله التي يمشي بها ، وإن سألني لأعطينه ، ولئن استعاذني لأعيذنه ) رواه البخاري .

“Whosoever shows enmity to my Wali (one whom I am His guardian), I will declare war against him.  My slave does not draw nearer to me by anything more than what I made obligatory upon him.  And my slave continues to draw closer to me with “Nawafel” (supererogatory) deeds until I love him.  When I love him, I become his hearing that he hears with; his sight that he sees with, his hand that he grips with, his foot that he walks with and if he asks Me I’ll give him and if he seeks my refuge, I will protect him, and I do not hesitate about anything I am doing as much as I hesitate to take his soul because I know he hates death and I hate to hurt him.”

Imam ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah offered ten recommendations that result in Allah’s love for you and your love for Him:

1. Reciting the Qur’an while pondering over its meanings.
2. Performing voluntary deeds after completing obligatory deeds.
3. Performing voluntary prayers during the last portion of the night and ending the prayers by repenting and asking for forgiveness.
4. Remembering Allah under all circumstances, with one’s tongue, heart, and actions.
5. Giving precedence to what Allah loves over what you love.
6. Keeping the heart aware of Allah’s Names, and Attributes.
7. Observing and acknowledging Allah’s blessings whether they are covert or open.
8. Having a heart that is soft, subdued, and meek before Allah.
9. Keeping the company of sincere and knowledgeable believers, benefiting from the most fruitful of their knowledge.
10. Avoiding anything that comes between Allah and your heart.

Your love for Allah is validated by your reaction when you face difficulties.  True love means that when you face any difficulty, you say O’ Allah, I know that this problem, pain, sickness, misfortune is motivated by Your love for me to help me fulfill your purpose in my life, I am happy with it.   Only through true love for Allah, will you be able to experience peace, freedom, and the power of Allah in your life. 

We demonstrate our love for Allah by the degree of our praise of Him and by our repentance to Him for our shortcomings.  Since we know that Allah sees, hears, and records everything we do, our love for Him should be a strong motive not to say or do anything that is displeasing to Him.  However, Allah knows our weakness and to help us He instituted repentance to allow us to wipe out from our records all actions that are embarrassing to us in front of Him.   

Repentance is like the software “cut pro” that you download to edit your videos.  You can always edit out all your sins from the video of your life by repentance. Granting us this editing ability is a clear manifestation of Allah’s love for us because He does not want to embarrass us on the day of Judgement, and our love for Him is demonstrated by using repentance because we don’t want to be embarrassed in front of Him.   

The following verse from Surat Al-Tawba reveals the Love of Allah by Him accepting our repentance before we even make it; the question is whether you will repent, or you will forfeit His acceptance.  Allah says regarding those who commit injustice against themselves thru their disobedience:

ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ لِيَتُوبُوٓاْ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (١١٨)

He accepted their repentance, so that they may repent.  Surely Allah is the Most-Relenting, the Most Merciful. (Al-Tawba 9:118)

This blessing of repentance that Allah committed to accept from all human beings is so critical because lack of its clarity in other religions was the cause of major confusions. With the ability of everyone to cleanse his soul by repenting for his own sins, this renders the concept of original sin irrelevant and thus there will be no need for human sacrifice to atone this original sin and there will be no need for incarnation to purify the human soul.  Prophet Adam is like any other human being; his sin is wiped out by his own repentance.  Allah says regarding Adam:

فَتَلَقَّىٰٓ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ كَلِمَـٰتٍ۬ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡهِ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (٣٧)

“Then Adam received from his Lord Words (to repent using them). And his Lord accepted his repentance. No doubt, He (Allah) is the Most-Relenting, the Most Merciful.” (Al-Baqara 2:37)

Allah says regarding the one who commit major sins:

يُضَـٰعَفۡ لَهُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ وَيَخۡلُدۡ فِيهِۦ مُهَانًا (٦٩) إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلاً۬ صَـٰلِحً۬ا فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ يُبَدِّلُ ٱللَّهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡ حَسَنَـٰتٍ۬‌ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورً۬ا رَّحِيمً۬ا (٧٠)

“The punishment will be doubles from him on the day of Judgment and he will remain there in agony forever. (69) except the one who repents, believes, and does good deeds, then Allah will replace his evil deeds with good ones and Allah is Most-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Al-Furqan 25:69-70)

The concept of repentance changes John 3:16 to read: For God so loved the world that He gave everyone the blessing of repentance. That whosoever applies it shall not perish but have eternal life”.

2. Gratitude to Allah

Expressing our gratitude and thanks to Allah is very important element of Worship.  The first phrase in the Quran is (ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ) “All Thanks and Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the world”.  

Throughout his life the Prophet (PBUH) expressed his thanks to Allah and encouraged his companions to always be thankful to Allah.  His advice to his companions was:

مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ وَقَالَ: أُوصِيكَ يَا مُعَاذُ، لَا تَدَعَنَّ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ تَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ» رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَصَحَّحَهُ ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ.

“After each prayer, don’t leave until you say: “O Allah help me to always be in a state of your remembrance and your thanks and perfection of my Worship.

Offering continuous praise and thanks to Allah does not only fill our hearts with joy, but it also increases Allah’s blessings as He said:

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

“Your Lord has decreed, if you express your gratitude, I shall certainly give your more (more blessings).” (Ibrahim 14:7)

Therefore, expressing our gratitude and thanks to Allah is for our own benefits as expressed by Luqman who said:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ وَمَنْ يَشْكُرْ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ

“We gave wisdom on Luqman: “Be grateful to Allah”, and whoever is grateful, his gratitude is for his own self; but if any is ungrateful, indeed Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praise”. (Luqman 31:12)

The expression of thanks and gratitude to Allah is not only done by uttering the words, but by action, Allah says:

اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُدَ شُكْرًا وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ

“O family of David, work for expressing thanks! but few of My slaves are grateful!” (Sabaa 34:13) 

In this verse, Allah commands the family of David to express their thanks and gratitude by action/work.  Such actions/work involve five aspects:

1. Attributing the blessings to the provider of the blessings, Allah.
2. Applying the blessings in the obedience of Allah and using them in accordance with His commandments.
3. Ensuring that one does not get distracted and busy with the blessings at the expense of the provider of the blessings, Allah.
4. Ensuring that one does not take advantage of the blessings to act superior and arrogant toward the other slaves of Allah.
5. Thanking and praising Allah for His blessings.

An important form of expressing gratitude to Allah is by not to squander the gifts, resources, and opportunities that Allah granted you. You should use them for the benefits of all. Allah has intentionally gifted us differently and granted us different talents and capabilities so that we complement each other.  He watches how every one of us is applying them; whether we use them properly or waste them.  Full use of one’s ability is a pre-requisite to a strong society as the Prophet (PBUH) illustrated using a similitude for the interaction between the different members of the community by saying:

عن أبي موسى الأشعري رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: (المؤمن لِلْمؤْمن كالبُنْيان يَشُدُّ بَعْضُه بَعْضا، ثُمَّ شَبّك بين أَصابعه) رواه البخاري.

 “A believer to another believer is as a structure in which each part supports the other parts.”

A person who does not fully apply his knowledge and talents to their fullest will create a weakness in the structure of the society that can lead to its collapse.  Thus, the survival of the society depends on the full use every person his ability.   This is also supported by the Prophet’s saying:

عن عائشة رضي الله عنها أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال” إن الله يحب إذا عمل أحدكم عملا أن يتقنه”.) أخرجه أبو يعلى والطبراني(

 “Indeed, Allah loves that whoever is assigned a task must perform it with perfection.” 

I’ll stop here and, Insha’Allah, next week we can address trust as an aspect of worship and then discuss the quality metrics for worship and barriers to proper worship and start answering the 4^th question.  DUA