DIE BEFORE YOU DIE
“O believers, fear God. Let every soul consider what it has forwarded for the morrow. And fear God; God is aware of what you do” [59:18].
In the above verse, ghad (tomorrow) refers to the Hereafter. Allah uses this form of speech to indicate certainty, almost as if it will happen at the next sunrise. Our existence is only a zeptosecond regarding cosmic time and the life of the cosmos, insignificant to eternal life. Those given the understanding and wisdom of the above verse consider themselves already dead. When this truth settles in our hearts, we can transform the self.
“Bring yourself to account before being taken to account.” Sayduna Aliy, may Allah exalt his face
GNOSIS
Wordly pursuits at the expense of the next life are alien to the Prophetic way. Still, the pursuer of such a lowly enterprise requires knowledge to succeed.
The scholars have laid down the following formulae to guide us in our quest for a just portion of this world but with our gaze firmly fixed on the next: “If you desire the Dunya (world), you need knowledge. If you desire the Akhirah (Hereafter), you need knowledge. If you desire both the Dunya and the Akhirah, you need knowledge. If you desire knowledge, seek the Quran.”
Seeking knowledge of the Divine Will (al-Quran) is the quintessence of Muslimness.
Allah’s Book and the Sunnah are replete with calls to knowledge. But the Prophet (s) warned us to beseech Allah for fruitful gnosis and protection against one that harms. And Allah teaches us to pray: “Rabbi zidni ‘ilma—O Lord, increase me in knowledge” [20:114].
Allah is our Sustainer. Now imagine where we would be if He were inconsistent in this attribute.
Our inconsistency may seem extraneous, but a lifetime of this behaviour can be catastrophic.
Let’s take Palestine as an example. Often, our protest is in response to dramatic events, such as the unopposed genocide unleashed upon the Palestinians of Gaza. Unfortunately, when the drama fades, so does our activism.
The Zionist Apartheid Israeli regime has been committing micro and macro aggressions against the Palestinians for decades. The aggregation of the microaggressions (micro only in the context of their genocidal pursuits) is what builds and underpins the odious character of Zionist Apartheid Israel. Were it not for the unceasing microaggressions, the macro transgressions would not find space to breathe. And it is expressly our passivity that allows the brutal Israeli occupation to commit its heinous crimes.
We must develop an activist habitus (consistent constitution) when soldiering for any cause. Whether it is penning a book, earning a PhD, building a business, raising a family or fighting for freedom.
IDEA! Schedule one day weekly and give Palestine exclusive coverage on all your social media platforms. If you do this, you will create awareness and keep Palestine relevant for each 52 weeks of the year.
Until next week, InshaAllah
Zaahied Sallie
Author of The Beloved Prophet – An Illustrated Biography in Rhyme
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