The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 14 Dhul Hijjah 1445/21 June 2024

All praise is due to Allah, the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ.

Alhamdulilah we find ourselves nearing the end of the current Islamic calendar year (1445). We are at a critical point in the year, where it has been 3 months since we had our annual  “spiritual booster” (Ramadan). Ramadan is that period during the year where we all usually try and bring about change in our lives in terms of our actions and worship. It is imperative for us to constantly evaluate ourselves and our progress in terms of our closeness to Allah and Nabi ﷺ. 

Shaykh Muhammed bin Yahya Al Ninowy asks a few very important questions: “How is your heart today with Allah? (In terms of closeness to Allah) Is it better than last week? Is it better than last month ? Is it better than last year? Are you closer to Allah with your heart than yesterday?” 

If we feel closer to Allah than before, we need to ensure  consistency in whatever we’ve been doing in terms of actions and worship, and if we feel that we not as close to Allah as we were previously, we need to take a moment and reflect. 

What did we do to try and gain closeness to Allah in recent weeks/months ? Was there any growth and consistency? Where did we slip up ? How can we improve ? 

Many a times we find that when the month of Ramadan comes, we increase in good actions and keep up with various forms of worship focusing on quantity instead of quality. Remember everything in life is a process and takes time. We cannot plant seeds today and expect to eat peaches tomorrow! The most important thing for us is to start small, ensuring consistency, sincerity and quality. 

Aisha (R.A) narrated:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا فَإِنَّهُ لَنْ يُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ أَحَدًا عَمَلُهُ قَالُوا وَلَا أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَلَا أَنَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَحَبَّ الْعَمَلِ إِلَى اللَّهِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Follow the right course, be devoted, and give glad tidings. Verily, none of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone.” They said, “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Not even myself, unless Allah grants me His mercy. Know that the most beloved deed to Allah is done regularly, even if it is small. – Sahih Muslim 2818.

We ask Allah to grant us the strength and ability to worship Him in the manner which is due to Him, ensuring utmost sincerity and of the highest quality. May Allah our hearts to grow closer to Him and His messenger ﷺ. 

May Allah accept our efforts from us and grant us understanding In Sha Allah!