He begins in a milieu of religiosity. Seemingly safe, his fortress being the athaan, the companionship of men seeking Allah’s pleasure, the humility and kindness. He earns his degree and seeks more. Discontent, his nafs yearns for ‘the streets paved with gold’. The illusions of the mundane fill his heart, calling him to the lands of greed and oppression. He decides to go to the western university, a ticket to ‘success’, so it seems. Schooling is truly what he is about to receive.
No more sweet adhaan or companionship. No more fortress he once had. His nafs is exposed now, to the horrors of the dark side. Bombarded by nudity, even in the market checkout lines, he begins to feel squeezed. He begins, unintentionally missing his salaah. Time is no longer blessed. A day is seemingly an hour. A moment no longer exists. The distance of the masjids, of Muslims both physically and spiritually, slowly weaken his defenses. He is slipping further and further into the dark abyss – Thulm!
He realizes if he doesn’t continue onwards, struggling fervently against evil, it will soon overcome him. A spiritual warrior he realizes he must be. The workplace does not help. With every long eight hour shift he distances himself, drawing closer to his pagan ‘friends’. Come to the bar, come eat with us, come with us partying, celebrate with us christmas, Halloween and on and on, they keep asking. He declines, the small light within him reminding him of the dangers, calling him back to his Master. He sees others slip. Will I too? Oh Allah take me home! Remove me from this cursed place wherein the people love the mundane and the scholars preach ‘free-will’ and enslavement to caprice. Remove me from a people who demand my loyalty to other than You! Take me from their fascist/communist/’democratic’ abode. Free me of my debts, my mortgage, my loans, and the debt I owe to you!
Time has passed. Children have grown. The grey on his beard, his hair, remind him of the many spiritual battles he endeavored. He looks back on his life, remembering the naïve moments, the lessons learned, and how he was ‘schooled’ in the arts of kufr. Did he fight on, did he lose battles, but win the war? How will his deeds be written? Will he answer that Allah is his Lord, or that dunya was his master? What will be his demise he begins to wonder. Death is near, a certain reality …
The words of the Qur’an ring in his ears:
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
Verily Man is in loss,
Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds,
and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth,
and of Patience and Constancy.
Did I utilize my time for my eternal home, or exert my energies for the mundane…? He knows the first thing he will be asked about is his Salah…
Did time defeat him or help him? Was he patient and steadfast? Only Allah Knows!
important questions we should all ask ourselves, jazakAllahu khair.