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Man’s Main Duty and Mission in Life - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Man’s Main Duty and Mission
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear
Muslims:
The heart cannot be good, prosper, have
felicity and easiness, enjoy and have tranquillity except through the worship
of its Lord alone. Even if it attains all pleasures of this world it will not
get peace and tranquillity, for it has a natural spontaneous need to its Lord.
Indeed what has
afflicted Muslims in the course of their long history and what is afflicting
them today is a consequence of their deviation from the real concept of worship
and application of the two conditions of worship which are: sincerity and
following path of the messenger of Allah (PBUH). While abandoning sincerity
lead to directing acts of worship that are solely Allah’s to others besides
Him; lack of following the path of the Prophet (PBUH) leads to the appearance
of various kinds of worship on which there is no permission from Allah (SWT)
nor recommendation by His Prophet (PBUH).
Dear Muslims:
When Naafi was asked about Ibn ‘Umar’s
activities at home, he replied, “He used to perform ablution for every prayer
and recite Qur’an in between them [i.e. in between ablution and prayer.]”
Hasan al-Basree
said – while describing efforts of Salaf in worship, “I have met people and I
have accompanied groups. They did not use to rejoice at whatever came their way
of the beauties of this world; nor did they use to get sad over whatever
departed from them of this world. Rather, the world was less significant to
them than the soil over which they walked. They would act by the book of their
Lord (SWT) and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH). During the night they stood up
in prayer, prostrated their faces and wept out of fear of Allah.”
Whenever Ibn ‘Umar missed a
congregational prayer, he would atone for that by a day of fasting, a night
vigil (in prayer) and freeing of a slave.
‘Umar ibn
Abdil-Azeez’s wife said, “I have never seen anyone who prayed fasted and feared
Allah more than him (meaning her husband). He would pray Salatul-‘Eshaa
and then sit down doing Adh-Dhikr [remembering Allah] until he was
overcome by slumber. He would remember some of the issues of the Last Day while
he was on his bed and tremble like a sparrow and then sit down weeping. I would
then cover him with a sheet.”
Wakee’ said,
“Al-A’mash never missed the first Takbeer (in a congregational prayer) for
almost seventy years and I visited him for more than six years, and I have
never seen him performing a missed Raka’ah.” Sulayman Ibn Hamzah also said, “I
have never prayed an obligatory prayer alone except twice and even then I felt
as if I had not prayed it at all.” It should be noted that he was almost ninety
years old when he died.
These are just a
few examples from a people who’s hearts were full of love for Allah (SWT) in
all their conditions; they then became delighted, their souls became tranquil
and peace ruled over their limbs. Then, thoughts of love replaced those of
disobedience, the will to move nearer to Allah (SWT) replaced that of
displeasing Him.
Dear Muslims:
Deeds towards
which one is naturally inclined become acts of worship through good intentions.
The farmer in his farm, the labourer, the trader, or the practitioner of any
other profession is capable of turning his occupation into an act of worship,
provided that he does not tarnish it with cheating, lying, tricking etc.
My dear brother! It is possible for you
to add a viable brick into the structure of this Ummah and add to your scale of
good deeds weighty works, which may appear insignificant to you. Listen to what
the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Do you want me to tell you of what is better than the
rank of fasting, prayer and charity?” The Companions said, “Yes, O Messenger of
Allah. He said, “Making peace between people among whom there is discord.” (Abu
Dawood) He also said, “Whoever visits a sick person or a brother of his for
Allah’s sake, a caller will call him thus, ‘You are good and your passage is
good. May you take Paradise for an abode.’ ” (At-Tirmithie).
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger
of Allah (PBUH) said, “While a man was walking along the road, he saw a branch
of a tree with thorns lying on the road and he removed it, so Allah thanked him
for that and forgave him (his sins).” (Muslim). It is also reported that the
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Deeds of my nation – both the good and evil –
were shown to me and I found that among their good deeds is removal of harmful
things from the pathway.” (Muslim).
Dear Brothers And Sisters In Islam:
Fear Allah and
beware of all things that invalidate worship or remove its reward. Among these
is Doing injustice to others. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “The bankrupt among my
Ummah is the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, charity and
fasting and yet has abused someone, slandered someone, taken someone’s money
illegally, shed someone’s blood and beaten someone. Each of these people will
be given of his good deeds (by way of compensation). If his good deeds however
finishes before judgement is passed on him, parts of their sins will be thrown
on him, and he will then be cast into Hell.” (Muslim).
Of these things
that invalidate one’s worship is filthy words uttered by some people without
thinking of its consequences. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “A man may utter a word
(carelessly) which displeases Allah (SWT) without thinking of it’s gravity and
because of that he will be thrown into the Hell-fire.” (Ibn Majah). The Prophet
(PBUH) also told us of a man who said, “By Allah! Allah will not forgive so and
so.” Allah then said, “Who is that person swearing by Me that I will not
forgive so and so? I have indeed forgiven him and rendered your own deeds
fruitless!” (Muslim).
Dear Muslims:
The greatest type
of worship is to perform that which Allah (SWT) makes obligatory on His
servants and to refrain from all that He (SWT) forbids. Aboo Hurayrah narrated
that Prophet (PBUH) said, “Allah says, ‘The most beloved things with which my
slave comes nearer to me is what I have enjoined on him.’” (Al-Bukharee). Ibn
Al-Qayyim said, “Since the Salaf lived their whole life in worship it is then
necessary for us to know, with which type of worship they started and which one
have they given priority.” He then answered; the best acts of worship are the most
pleasing to Allah (SWT) in that particular time. The best act of worship during
the presence of a guest is to take care of him and to be distracted by that
from recommended acts of worship. This is also in performing one’s duties
towards one’s wife and family. The best act of worship in the night is to be
occupied with prayer, reciting the Qur’an, supplication and Thikr
(Remembering Allah). The best thing during the time of the Athan (Call
to prayer) is to leave whatever worship one is doing and answer the Mua’ththin
(by repeating what he says). The best thing during the time of the five
obligatory prayers is to exert one's efforts in their prompt performance. The
best thing when the poor is in dire need of assistance is to assist them and
give that preference over supererogatory Thikr. The best thing to do
when your brother is sick or dead is to visit him, attend his funeral, and give
that priority over any other supererogatory good deed. And the best thing to do
when you are afflicted and suffer people’s harm is to be patient and not to run
away from them. The Muslim should be moving in between stations of servitude.
If you see the ‘Ulama’ you see him with them; if you see those who are
devotedly performing acts of worship, you see him with them, and if you see
those giving generously in charity, you see him with them!
Dear Muslims:
I would like to
end my speech by quoting some Quranic verses which state obviously man’s main
duty and mission in life. Allah (SWT) says: “And I created not the jinn and
humans except that they should worship Me (alone).” (Ath-Thariyat: 56).
This verse plainly
explains the purpose of our creation; that our lives should not be spent except
in worshipping Allah (SWT). Prayer, fasting, alms giving, Hajj, truthfulness,
trustworthiness, being dutiful to parents, supplication, reading the Qur’an,
hoping for Allah’s mercy and being afraid of His punishment are all acts of
worship.
Allah (SWT) also
says: “Say (O Mohammad), Verily my Salaat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living and
my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Al’almeen (mankind, jinns and all that
exists). He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the
first of the Muslims.” (Al-An’am: 162-163).
May
Allah (SWT) make us from those who listen to the truth and follow it, bless,
guide and forgive us all. (Ameen).
