اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
Guide us to the straight path –
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
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How young an age do we learn to recite Surah Al-Fatihah? How often do we recite these words in our daily prayers? How often do we utter them knowing the meaning of the verses, yet never understanding the depth of it?
Al-Haadi (The Provider of Guidance) and Ar-Rasheed (The Guide to the Path of Rectitude) are names of Allah Almighty which reflect upon His power as the One to Guide us to the right path which will lead us to the eternal destination that is Jannah. Every prayer we pray and every other time we read Surah Al Fatihah, we utter these words but we forego the depth of these words. Yet, one only has to look closely at the words to understand that ‘the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor’ is without a doubt, the path of those that are close to Allah.
The words of the Prophet Mohammad (SAW) and his Companions are so pristine in their nature that they draw us towards the path of righteousness. These words, though uttered many years ago, still carry an exceptional significance to them and almost all of us can deeply relate to them.
These words of wisdom may not be as remembered to as the words of the fancy philosophers or writers of today, but that is perhaps because of our indolence, upon which Abu Bakr (RA) mentioned these words:-
- Our abode in this world is transitory, our life therein is but a loan, our breaths are numbered and our indolence is manifest.
-Abu Bakr (RA)
The transitory nature of our life and its temporariness cannot have been more beautifully brought forward for us to ponder upon. Here, we realize that this is a life lived on a loan and that death could come at any moment, yet our ‘indolence’ which is our laziness is ‘manifest’ or in other words, definite. What we must ponder upon is that even though we know that life in this Dunya is for a set limited period of time which can end at any moment, we choose to indulge in our laziness and infinite procrastination. We miss out on prayers and choose to complete them like tasks to fulfill rather than understanding that the prayers are sources of seeking Allah Almighty’s Guidance. May Allah give us the strength to realize the truth and depth of these words of wisdom.
- “I fear the day when the disbelievers are proud of their falsehood, and the Muslims are shy of their faith.”
-Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (RA)
As the years go by, these words are gradually becoming a clear reflection of our situation as Muslims. We have chosen to let go of the very ideals that define us as Muslims and are now intent on joining any and every form of what the world in general would like to call “normal”. Many of us even choose not to be identified by our appearance as Muslims and a beard for a man or Hijaab for woman is sadly, in many families, looked down upon. Yet, at the same time the falsehood ideologies of those that speak against Muslims is blatant and obvious while we are yearning to become so much a part of this Dunya that we are ready to forget how temporary it is. May Allah Almighty give us the strength to acknowledge how He has chosen for us to be different, as examples for mankind.
- “It is your scroll of deeds, so fill it with whatever you wish.”
– Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed
These were the words uttered by Khalid Ibn Al-Waleed when a man insulted him. Understanding that Khalid Ibn Al Waleed was someone who the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself had given the title of “Sword of Allah” reflects upon the very thought that had he, Khalid Ibn Al Waleed, wanted to respond to the man in kind, he could have easily achieved so. Yet, he chose restraint and spoke words that are an eye-opener for all us even today. The strength to restrain oneself from arguing or insulting is a necessity to be attained by all of us.
- “The most perfect believer in faith is the one whose character is finest and who is kindest to his wife.
– Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)”
The great many words of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are filled with astounding depths of wisdom. These words that call kindness towards one’s wife are truly a reflection of the status of women in Islam. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) attributes perfection to the kindness one can have for his wife and that in itself is a lesson for all of mankind.
- “When you see a person who has been given more than you in money and beauty, look to those who have been given less.”
– Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
More often than not, we compare ourselves to those in our close circle of people and wonder about our lack or abundance of wealth and beauty. Following such a line of thought would lead us to become ungrateful but if we were to look upon those that have lesser than us, we would realize how much has been given to us by Allah Almighty. We often complain about our lack of wealth but imagine the lives of those that cannot even buy a meagre meal to eat? We complain about our complexion or about the variety in our clothes but imagine those that don’t even have clothes in the first place? The words of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are words that are meant to instigate in our minds these thoughts and to seek not only forgiveness from Allah for our ungratefulness, but also to thank Allah for what He has blessed us with.
The words of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions are many and they carry wisdom that can bring us to the path of those whom Allah has favored.
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