The Purpose of Life: excerpted from The Sermons by Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad (db)
I have only created Jinn and men (so) that they serve Me [51:56]
Reality of Life
A traveler notices even the pebbles on the road that he or she is
currently traveling, and in contrast fails to notice even the looming
mountains of the road that he is not on.
Life: An Exam Room
This life is not a place for fun nor is it for rest and relaxation.
This life is an exam room where we as Muslims need to undergo trials
and tribulations to prepare for the next life. Unfortunately people
today have made this life their sole purpose and forgotten that they
have to use the time allotted to them here to prepare for their
Hereafter.
Purpose of Life
The purpose of life is servitude to Allah and the purpose of existence
is His remembrance. A servant is only one who has the qualities of
servitude otherwise his existence is a lie and has no meaning.
Food, shelter, and occupation are all necessities in life but the real
purpose is the pleasure and remembrance of Allah. Unfortunately most of
the time people reverse this paradigm by making this life their purpose.
Holy Quran: The Water of Life
The treasury of truths and wisdom that is the Holy Quran is the
nourishing lifeblood for humanity. Allah revealed this Book so that
humanity would come out of darkness into light, and so whoever reads
and applies it will be successful both in this life and the Hereafter.
The Holy Quran has been revealed to polish mankind’s heart and
character and give him dignity so that he may be successful. If this
Book is implemented throughout life then Allah’s help and
blessings shower upon the individual and with Allah’s help a
person surely reaches his destination.
How oft, with Allah’s Will has a small force vanquished a large one? Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere [2:249]
Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere [2:249]
Life Without Principles
Mankind’s existence if led according to the Holy Quran and Sunnah
is based on certain principles, and only such a life will have the help
of Allah. A life without principles and rules is an animal’s life
and not man’s.
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Life Governed by Nafs
Mankind is best of creation and consequently his life has a certain
status. Man did not enter this world by his will and certainly will not
leave by his will. Based on this he certainly has no right to spend his
life according to his wishes and nafs but has to abide by the
commandments of Allah. Obeying Allah’s commands is the only
guarantee of success in this life and the next.
Life at its pinnacle is servitude to Allah
Without this life is but shame
A Page from the Life of Man
Each passing day is a page from a person’s book of life, and it
is up to that person to write good or bad on that page. However, unlike
the page of a book that the reader can always refer back to, a day in
life that has passed is gone forever and can never be recovered.
Thus each day is invaluable and should be utilized to its maximum potential in earning righteous deeds.
Three Days
A venerable sage would say that days are of three types. One type is
yesterday, a day that has passed and hence is no longer within reach. A
second type is tomorrow, a day in the future about which one does not
yet know because the future is ever changing.
The third type is today, a day that is still here and within
one’s control. Thus this sage would say, “O man, neither
should you postpone till tomorrow nor hope that tomorrow will come.
Today is in your hands so use it to please Allah.”
Hadrat Rabia Basri’s Saying
Hadrat Rabia Basri (May the mercy of Allah be upon her) used to say,
“O Man! Alas your teeth have fallen out consuming the blessings
of Allah but your tongue has not worn out singing His praises.”
An Awakening Moment
Hadrat Ahmed Ali Lahori (May the mercy of Allah be upon him) once said
while instructing class that at one time he met a special lover of
Allah in the bazaar. Hadrat Ahmed Ali greeted him and so this man asked
a seemingly strange question. He asked, “Ahmed Ali, where do
people live? Where are all the people?”
Hadrat Ahmed Ali was slightly surprised and pointing to the scores of
people he said, “Hadrat, these are all people you see in front of
you.” Hearing this the man cast a strange look at the people in
the bazaar and said, “Really? These are all people?” Hadrat
Ahmed Ali said that the man’s tawajjoh affected him so deeply
that when he looked again he only saw cats and dogs milling around.
Regarding this incident Hadrat Ahmed Ali Lahori used to say that there
are very few individuals who surrender in totality to Allah.
Whoever is for Allah then Allah is for him [Hadith]
Allah the One Who Conceals
It is a great blessing of Allah that an individual lives according to
his own whims and yet others praise and admire him. Kitab Akmal
ul-Shaim provides another unique perspective on this and states,
“My friend, all who praise you in actuality praise the One Who
conceals all.”
Allah conceals the faults of people from one another, and hence the one
who praises is actually praising Allah, The Concealer of faults. If
Allah revealed everyone’s faults then one Muslim would not even
be able to show his face to another out of shame.
If Allah hides faults so that the creation of Allah showers such
undeserved praise on a Muslim, then this is all the more reason that
the Muslim should shower praise and gratitude on Allah.
Signs of Allah’s Anger
One of the main signs of Allah’s mercy towards someone is that He
starts to reveal that person’s faults to himself so the person
can recognize and make efforts to correct. In dire contrast a major
sign of Allah’s anger toward someone is that He hides that
person’s faults from himself so the person keeps erring.
Hence we should regularly ponder upon our faults and take account of our actions on a daily basis.
Our face in the mirror we do see but ignore the darkness of our heart
So in love with living Muslims have forgotten how to die.
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Words That Made Nations Bow
Where are the brave youths who would stay awake at night in worship
making nations and hearts tremble with their cries of La Ilaha Illallah?
With your look hearts would tremble in the breasts
Lost now is your conquering spirit.
If people make a sincere effort to rectify their souls they can soar even higher than the angels.
The Valuable Parchment
The Holy Quran was revealed so that man may implement it throughout life and then rule the world.
From Hira he descended and for a sleeping nation
Brought the valuable Parchment.
Like a lightning strike it fell,
And shook the whole land of Arabia.
The Holy Quran shook all of Arabia because it entered and reformed the
hearts of the noble Companions. This treasury of truth and wisdom that
today merely occupies shelf space in Muslim homes was a part of the
lives of the Companions so that the entire world bowed where they
turned.
The Curing Prescription
If a person is suffering from a physical ailment such as heart disease
he will of course get a prescription from a doctor in the hopes of
being cured. However, if this same patient returns after some time
complaining that his condition has not improved but at the same time
the prescription has not left his pocket and been utilized then he is
the loser and has no one to blame but himself. Prescriptions have to be
utilized if they are to work.
The Holy Quran is a curing prescription for all ailments whether seen
or unseen, but sadly this Holy Book occupies shelf space more than it
is read and implemented. Muslims then complain of one calamity after
another and of their children turning rebellious until very soon the
whole family disintegrates. Such chains of events are put into motion
when Allah’s commands are ignored and thus lives become devoid of
Allah’s mercies.
Remembrance of Allah
We should make the remembrance of Allah our life’s purpose and
never be heedless for an instant. The servant should constantly praise
the One who sustains him.
A Grain of Wheat
For wheat to become bread that is consumed by humans a seed is first
planted into the ground and is nourished by the sun and rain. It then
grows into a plant that is reaped by a farmer and finally becomes bread
for the consumer after that plant is cleaned and ground. So much of
Allah’s creation and mercy is active in bringing this wheat to
the table as food yet the Muslims who consume it are heedless and
neglect to give thanks.
An Animal Knows Its Master
If a dog or sheep is unleashed from its master in a busy marketplace it
will still be observed to follow him despite all the distractions in
the market. If an animal knows its master then why is mankind so blind
that it does not recognize its Master?
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Difference Between Man and A Horse
A horse, being a dumb animal is nevertheless loyal to the master who
raised it and subsequently owns it. If worked endlessly all day it
cannot complain if it is sick or ask for water if thirsty, and will
work endlessly the following day in the same way for its master. The
horse can only hope for some rest only if the master happens to stop
for his own business and in the same way hope for some water only if it
happens to be available. It cannot stop according to its will if the
need arises and has to relieve itself while pulling the cart on its way.
Moreover if given less than its full share of feed at the end of a long
hard day it cannot even complain at that. The master retires to his
warm bed at night but there is nothing but the cold stable for the
horse, no wife and children to give it comfort and joy.
If this horse develops an open wound it still cannot complain that the
master did not bandage it, and if whipped will also bravely withstand
this cruelty if only because it knows the master’s bidding must
be done.
Standing in the ranks of battle facing the swords and arrows of the
enemy the horse still does not hesitate when it feels the
master’s heel in its side. The horse knows that the master wants
it to advance into the enemy’s ranks for battle, and it
heroically charges forward despite suffering wounds from the swords and
arrows because of its unquestioning loyalty to its master and
recognizing that the master’s bidding must be done.
A horse is a dumb animal but yet so loyal and obedient that it will
give its life for its master. Man who has been given intelligence is
nowhere as close in his obedience and is an ingrate considering the
tremendous favors of Allah showered upon him each day. There are three
hundred sixty joints in the human body, yet who gives thanks at the end
of the day that every joint remained intact and no harm came to his
body?
A Strange Occurence
There are literally millions of dust particles floating through the air
at any given time that one does not notice, but can see a layer of dust
settle on something if it is left in one place for a long time.
It so happened once that someone got into an accident that tore off one
of his eyelids. The blessing of an eyelid is that it opens and closes
like a shutter thereby protecting the eye from foreign objects and it
also keeps moisture flowing that in turn keeps the eye cleansed.
Now without an eyelid, this person would have to wash his eye
periodically because a layer of dust would settle very quickly,
obscuring his vision ands threatening infection. However, constant
washing of the eye also posed a threat of infection because normally
the eye is not accustomed to that much direct washing. Hence it was
only now that this person realized what a tremendous blessing a
seemingly insignificant part of the anatomy was. Such is the case with
all humanity that takes all of Allah’s blessings for granted.
There is no shortcoming in the number of people who ask everything from
Allah, but a tremendous shortcoming in those who are grateful.
The root cause of this ungratefulness is heedlessness of Allah and all
that He has provided. A heedless person has an entirely different
outlook on life than someone aware of Allah and His favors.
A Warning Sign
A youth migrated from India to Pakistan but lost touch with all his
relatives over time and thus found himself all alone. An uncle had also
migrated but the two became separated and thus they lost all contact.
This youth was hard working and thus Allah rewarded him with wealth and
a large comfortable house.
An elderly gentleman then approached him one day and said, “I am
old and alone here without any family or relation. I am willing to work
and keep watch in front of this house if you employ and feed me.”
The youth agreed and fixed a wage for the elderly man.
Now since this man was elderly he moved slowly and sickly due to age
and health. Hence if working slowly or not at all due to illness at
anytime his employer would become very angry and curse him, something
that would deeply hurt the old man so that he would even be reduced to
weeping. Once it so happened that the young man cursed this old man so
severely that the latter said, “My son, Allah is the Provider, so
if your heart is not pleased with me I shall go elsewhere. Destiny has
reduced me to this otherwise I had come with a lot of my relatives but
we all became separated and I do not know what happened to them.”
Hearing this reminded the young man of his own situation regarding his
own relatives he had originally started with from India. He asked,
“Old man, what happened to your relatives?” Thus the old
man told his entire story of migrating from India to Pakistan during
which he became separated and lost from his family. The young man was
stunned and realized that this was the same uncle he had come with from
India who his mother would pine for since they lost all contact.
The youth now fell to his uncle’s feet weeping and begging
forgiveness for his harsh words and actions. He pleaded, “Uncle I
have erred please forgive me. This entire mansion is yours to live here
and do as you please for the rest of your life.” However, his
uncle declined the offer and said, “No my son, I now realize my
place in this world and who I am.”
This youth gravely misjudged a certain situation and now the reality
turned out to be something very different from what he had assumed.
Realizing the truth he now begs forgiveness from the same person he was
cursing a moment earlier, but regretfully cannot turn back the clock.
The situation is likewise for the believer who has become estranged
from Allah. Only when he comes in the company of those close to Allah
does he begin to recognize his Creator and realize what a wasteful life
he has been living.
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White Bearded Yet Twelve Years Old
A white bearded sage was once asked his age and so this venerable
gentleman replied, “I must be around ten to twelve years
old.” His questioner was very surprised and asked, “How can
you say you are twelve years old when your hair has started to grow
white?”
The elderly gentleman replied, “Yes my son, it has been twelve
years since I sincerely repented for my sins. Before that I did not
have a life, only shame.”
Benefits of the Shaykh’s Company
Righteous company awakens the heart and the person, just like a dying
plant regains life and beauty in the hands of a competent gardener. In
this very same way a seeker’s life enters full bloom when he or
she takes the hand of a righteous shaykh.
Qarun and His Pleading
Once a woman falsely accused Hadrat Musa e of illicit behavior at the
behest of Qarun, and Hadrat Musa e was very hurt and angry when the
truth was finally revealed. He cried to Allah in his desperation,
“O Allah! He accused me of such a falsehood!”
Allah can never bear His Prophets to be in pain, so for a limited time
He commanded the earth to fulfill Hadrat Musa’s e bidding. Allah
said, “My beloved Prophet, the earth will obey your every
command.”
Hadrat Musa e in his anger commanded the earth to swallow Qarun, and
hence Qaran sank in the earth up to a fraction of his body. Hadrat Musa
e issued the same command and so Qarun sank deeper in the ground. Qarun
started to weep loudly and beg for forgiveness but Hadrat Musa e was at
the peak of his anger and issued a third and final command for the
earth to swallow Qarun and thus Qarun disappeared into the earth.
When Qarun was finally gone Allah said to Hadrat Musa e, “My
beloved Prophet, you were in anger and commanded the earth three times
to swallow Qarun. I swear on My Own Honor and Anger that if I was
deciding the issue and Qarun was begging forgiveness I would have
surely forgiven him.” Allah loves His creation coming to Him for
repentance and such a deed is very valuable to Allah.
Sincere Repentance
An elderly gentleman passed by a group of debating youths who asked him
to settle a matter between them. One of them asked, “We are
debating whether Allah keeps special watch on the heart of a righteous
and sinless person or on the heart of a grave sinner who sincerely
repents?”
The man replied to the youth, “My son, I am not a scholar, but I
have observed one thing in my profession as a cloth weaver. As I work
the spool a thread no doubt breaks and so I tie it back up, and from
that point on keep a special eye on that specific thread to see that it
does not break again. Its entirely possible that when someone repents
from a previous satanic life and returns to Allah that Allah keeps a
special watch on him to make sure that that heart does not slip and go
astray again.”
Shaitan’s Delusion
A common and dangerous misconception is that people can be anything on
the outside as long as the heart itself is clean. This is a delusion of
Shaitan because the effects of a clean and pure heart should resonate
to the outside and rectify one’s actions and personality. If this
is not the case then this is clear proof that the heart is not clean.
It is essential that people work on both hand in hand.
Muslims are weak and unable to rectify themselves unless they submit
all to Allah. If people were to work diligently on trying to rectify
their outer characteristics Allah will rectify and purify their inner
being through their intention and hard work.
Abu Madhura was a youth at the time of the Messenger of Allah who had
not accepted Islam as of yet. One day he was seated with some friends
laughing and mocking Hadrat Bilal’s call to prayer [adhan] when
the Messenger of Allah passed by. Seeing him all the children ran away
except Abu Madhura, who was the oldest of the group and felt ashamed to
run like the others.
The Messenger of Allah summoned him closer and Abu Madhura reluctantly
complied. He started sweating in apprehension but the Prophet calmly
assured him not to be frightened and further asked him to continue the
Muslim call to prayer exactly as he had been reciting it earlier. Thus
Abu Madhura started imitating Hadrat Bilal’s call as he had done
earlier and a change seemed to come over him as he reached Ash-hadu
anna Muhammadar RasulAllah.
When finished the Messenger of Allah told him that he could go but Abu
Madhura hesitated. He now said to the Prophet, “Abu Madhura will
now only go wherever the Messenger of Allah goes.”
A moment earlier this boy had been mocking Islam’s call to prayer
but as his eyes fell upon the Messenger of Allah, Allah in His infinite
mercy turned the mockery into reality and opened Hadrat Abu
Madhura’s heart to Islam. Hadrat Abu Madhura later became the
keeper of the keys to the Kaa’ba and the prayer caller of Makkah
where he performed the call to prayer for the next sixty years.
May it also be so that Allah accepts our poor imitation and turns it
into reality and rectifies our hearts through our poor efforts at
trying to rectify our appearance to match that of the Messenger of
Allah. Amin.
O my Creator I have brought a resemblance of Your beloved.
I have merely brought an appearance so please turn it into reality.
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