Following The Sunnah – The Key To Success
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The key to success is to follow the Sunnah and lifestyle of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم in all actions.
Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم actions are of two types:
- lbadat (Outward forms of worship) e.g. salah , fasting, zakah, Hajj, etc.
- Adat (habits) e.g. eating, drinking, sleeping, standing, etc.
It is necessary for a Muslim to follow both of the above, since Allah has Commanded us to follow Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم without any restriction.
“Whatever the messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he prohibits you from, abstain.” Muhammad ibn Aslam , never ate watermelons in his life, since he did not know the manner in which Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم ate them.
Once, a saint erred by wearing his left sock first. He expiated this by giving away a huge amount of wheat. From the above we learn that complete success lies in following all the habits of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم since there are countless benefits in this. To be deprived of such a great bounty due to negligence, is the height of foolishness. We will now mention the benefits one will attain in total obedience:
You are aware that the heart and limbs have a special connection. The effect of all actions performed by the limbs, reach the heart. Therefore, as long as the movements of one’s limbs do not reach the level of moderation, the heart cannot attain complete illumination and potential, since the heart is like a mirror. A mirror can only truly reflect the light of the sun, when three factors are found:
- It is polished
- Its surface is illuminated
- Its surface is completely smooth, not warped
Similarly, when these three qualities are found in the heart it will become a reflection of Allah ‘s Tajalliyat (Special Mercies).
a.It is polished by abstaining from lustful desires and evil character.
b.It is illuminated by dhikrullah and the Ma`rifah (recognition) of Allah Ta`ala
Its warped nature is removed by bringing the actions of the limbs into equilibrium.
