An Important Advice for This Life
An Important Advice for This Life
In one meeting with Hazrat Ashraf Thanvi Raheemahullah, a pious person asked him for a brief advice. In reply, he reminded him of a hadith wherein our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wasallam) said, “If you live until the morning do not wait for the evening and if you live until the evening do not wait for the morning and count you among the dead.” This is the advice for this life.
This is the advice of Hakeem-ul-ummat Raheemahullah of our times who was granted the radiation of perception by Allah Ta’ala. Count you among the dead and don’t get excited by peoples praises or get disturbed by their criticism as these won’t affect a dead man.
Someone said, “Worry about akhirah as we cannot predict the time of death. I am afflicted with the heart disease and whenever I feel the severity of pain, I think I am close to death. Allah Ta’ala then lightens the pain and this goes on for five years during which many youngsters of sound health and strength passed away. Do not forget Allah Ta’ala and do not forget the reality of our state”.
Today we have forgotten both these things, our reality and Allah Ta’ala. We forgot how weak, helpless and dependent we are. A pious elder said that everyone works, some for dunya (world) and some for deen. Irrespective of the nature of the work be it worldly or official or related to any job, the main thing is if one does it considering it to be his duty, then he is a Waliullah (a close friend of Allah Ta’ala). Depending on the sincerity in one’s work, accordingly it will have the weightage. A person is doing even the worldly work well because he fears that Allah Ta’ala is watching him and thus he accomplishes his duty. This has more weightage. A person is doing the acts of nawaafil (voluntary) but if he doesn’t have sincerity in his worship, it is of no use. Contrarily, if a person carries out his clerkish task or dispenses his duty he is responsible for keeping Allah Ta’ala in his mind that He Ta’ala is watching him, it becomes ibaadat (worship).
Remember that any act can become an act of worship
People give importance to ikhlaas and riyaa when it comes to nawaafil acts of worship but when it comes to doing other duties such as official job or some other responsible job or writing fatwas, people don’t see the performers as waliullah. A person might be awake until 1 am to write the fatwa going through voluminous books but the person for whom the fatwa is being written may not know this and even if one wakes up in the night and see the person writing the fatwa, he won’t see him as a wali. The point is whatever the task be, its weightage depends on the sincerity.
Irrespective of people’s understanding, they see me as pious or not, I should do my job purely for Allah’s sake. This can be writing down fatwas or reading books or teaching books. Normally for such acts none will call one a wali. If a person stands for nafil prayer for two hours, the people will wonder at him saying what a buzurg (a very pious person)!
If the same person teaches a book for two hours, people will say he is just teaching while the fact is if he is teaching with ikhlaas, then this act of teaching will become an ibaadat (worship) surpassing the performance of nafil salah irrespective of people’s understanding. The poor people also see only such aspects when the real thing is one gets himmat and ikhlaas in every single act such as when he is talking with someone, he should contemplate why he is talking, if he is explaining to someone, he should contemplate why he is explaining and if he is discussing some issues with someone, he should contemplate why he is doing. He should do only for Allah Ta’ala.
Source: theheartopener
