By Islamic Online University
Where is the love?
A sister was telling me the other day how it didn't feel like Ramadhaan; how when she first became Muslim, her first Ramadhaan was about unity, how her next Ramadhaan was about spirituality and unfortunately how this Ramadhaan is neither. She was upset; the Muslims had let her down, and subhaanAllaah I couldn't help but agree, that this Ramadhaan things had changed. Although people are reading the Qur'aan, the tafseers, thetaraaweeh, the books, the spirit of Ramadhaan was not there...It saddened me, and I couldn't help but feel the pain, but what could I do...everyone is too busy.
SubhaanAllaah I realised that with all the talk about productivity and efficiency, and using one's time wisely people had become so involved in attaining goals, that the essence of Ramadhaan was missing:
'Have you seen him who denies the Recompense?
That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly),
And urges not the feeding of the needy,
So woe unto those performers of prayers (hypocrites),
Who delay their prayer (from their stated fixed times),
Those who do good deeds only to be seen (of men),
And withhold small kindnesses.'
(Qur'aan 107: 1-7)
Whilst it is very good to be productive and use one's time efficiently, what about the small kindnesses? Do we know what our fellow Muslims are going through? Are we aware of the pain and suffering that the sisters are going through? SubhaanAllaah we are informed in the Qur'aan that on the Day of Judgement everyone will be worried about him/herself: 'nafsee, nafsee', but to some degree this is happening here, on this planet. Then, how true will it be on that Day!
People are so busy with their own lives, goals and aims that they don't even think about the one who is drowning with sorrow, the one who is suffocated by their own four walls, the one who has no walls, the one who is alone and has no family or friends. They don't have time to worry about the one who has no food, as long as they are fed. They don't think about the one who is dying inside, crying for help, but yet no one comes to their help.
Whilst it is important to have 'me' time, what about the rights of Allaah? What about the rights of His creation? When He asks on the Day of Judgement I was sick and you didn't visit Me, what will we say? When He asks I was hungry but you didn't feed Me, what will we say?
'Indeed, on the Day of Resurrection, Allaah will say, "O son of Aadam, I was sick but you did not visit Me!"
He will reply, "How would I visit You when You are the Lord of all nations?"
Allaah will answer, "Don't you recall that my servant so-and-so was sick but you did not visit him? Indeed, had you visited him, you would have found Me there!"
Allaah will then say, "O son of Aadam, I asked you for food, but you refused to feed Me!"
He will reply, "How would I feed You when You are the Lord of all nations?"
Allaah will answer, "Don't you recall that My servant so-and-so asked you for food but you refused to feed him? Indeed, had you fed him, you would have found it (the reward) with Me!"
Allaah (SWT) will then say, "O son of Aadam, I asked you for a drink, but you refused to give it to Me!"
He will reply, "How could I give you a drink when You are the Lord of all nations?"
Allaah will answer, "Don't you recall that my servant so-and-so asked you for a drink but you refused to give it to him? Indeed, had you given it to him, you would have found it (the reward) with Me."'
(Hadith Qudsi - Sahih Muslim)
SubhaanAllaah, how will we feel if Allaah asks us this despite us finishing the Qur'aan twice, praying taraaweeh in the masjid, and all our other worship?
You see our actions, our worship, our salaah, all of these should help us improve as Muslims, our characters should be better, not worse. Together as an Ummah we should be helping and comforting our fellow Muslims, inviting them to our houses, feeding them, providing for them, treating them as we would like to be treated ourselves.
Islaam is a religion of mercy:
'The merciful ones are granted mercy by the Most Merciful. Show mercy to those who are on the Earth, and the One above the heavens will show mercy to you.'
(Ahmad, Abu Dawood and others)
Where is the mercy?
Where is the love?
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