Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Adorning Knowledge with Actions...part 2

Asalamu alikum


Removing the Hindrances

Due to the fact that there are things that are a hindrance to knowledge and actions, they must be studied in order to be removed; and one should begin by assiduously examining one's livelihood.
One should not forget one's goal in this worldly life, and that is to single out Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in worship and uniqueness and fulfilling that which pleases Him for man was not created for any reason other than to worship4 Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala . Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said:
"I did not create jinn and men except they should worship Me (Alone)." [Al-Qur'an 51:56]
So it is befitting that the Muslim looks into his own and his family's necessities as regards to wealth, and work accordingly,5, because spending hours working for the sake of acquiring extra wealth will only be at the cost of knowledge or actions or inviting to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. So beware of this matter, then do as you please.
Also, it is not befitting, that a Muslim lolls out his tongue after extra work, while he is lacking knowledge in many aspects of his religion such as creed, fiqh, points regarding Islamic manners and other important pillars and compulsory actions. Yet it is astonishing to find such people justifying their actions to those that censure them, with the general texts encouraging righteous actions, saying: "Islam is a religion of action".
Yet I don't know what the consequence of this action is. Does it benefit by purifying and cleansing the soul? Or bring about some goodness for the Muslim Ummah? So, I say in replying to this:
Having sexual relations with one's wife, with the intention of keeping chaste and pure, is considered worship6, but this does not mean that a person remains persistent upon this matter, neglecting Friday prayers, praying in congregation and other obligatory duties!
Likewise, eating with the intention of keeping strength for the sake of fulfilling acts of obedience to Allah, is a form of worship, but does it mean that eating becomes a major aspect of our lives?
Similarly, striving to find a lawful job, seeking pure earnings and refraining from begging, is all worship, but does it mean that we constantly engage ourselves in this, so much so that it hinders us from congregational prayers, joining ties of relationship, learning about Islam and inviting to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala?
So look into this matter, may Allah have Mercy upon you, and if one job is enough for you, there is no need for a second; if one shift suffices your needs, don't take on another in overtime, and if you are able to cut the number of hours you work, don't hesitate.7 Furthermore if you are from amongst those whom Allah has increased in provision and wealth, disengage yourself and whomsoever you are able to from your children and family, for the sake of worship, knowledge and inviting to Allah.
Let us remember together his saying sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, "Verily Allah says: O son of Adam, free yourself for my worship, I will (in turn) fill your chest with satisfaction and remove your poverty, and if you don't I will fill your hands with distraction and will not remove your poverty." 8 In another narration, "I will fill your chest with distraction." 9
The explanation of this in Fayd al-Qadir10 is: "Free yourself of your interests in order to worship Me and do not busy yourself in earning that which exceeds your needs and the needs of those under your care."
This is the way a person should be, busying himself in obedience to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala so that when he earns enough to fulfill his needs, the needs of those he is responsible for and whatever else is necessary, he does not busy himself in acquiring beyond that because in this way he will be establishing his worldly life but destroying his Hereafter.
Yet it is surprising to find people who have thousands and thousands of dollars or pounds, still running madly after the world and by so doing placing upon themselves difficulties and hardships, embarking upon business ventures, one after the other, which they could possibly do without

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