We believe that a true and comprehensive
understanding of Islam would not be possible without careful recognition of the
Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
Prioritizing Allah
" To me, looking at everything that the Prophet (SAW) has brought, the most simple formula to success is to prioritize Allah. And it is a very simple demonstration.
In every decision or choice that you make, in your professional or personal life, you will always have two choices. In one choice, you will prioritize yourself, in the other, you will prioritize Allah.
When I am sleeping, if i wake up for Fajr, I am prioritizing Allah, if I am choosing to continue my sleep, I am prioritizing myself (my sleep, my fatigue). If I have an opportunity to steal a large amount of money, but i do not , I prioritized Allah, if i stole it, I prioritized myself. If I saved some money and went to Europe with my wife, I prioritized myself, but if I used that money to undertake Hajj, I prioritized Allah. If i fought with my wife and we are not on talking terms because my wife had wronged me, If i continue to give her the silent treatment, I prioritize myself, If for the sake of Allah, I say Salam to her and try to revitalize the relationship, I prioritize Allah. In the office if i had the opportunity to back bite and stop someone's promotion to take it myself, I prioritize myself, but if i choose let that person be promoted even if i feel i deserved it more, i prioritized Allah.
I told you, it is as simple as that. But there is a catch. Everytime you prioritize Allah over your ownself, it will hurt you. Waking up for Fajr is hurtful, giving alms to the poor is hurtful, going out of the way to help people is hurtful, being the one to apologize in the respect of a relationship even if it was not your fault is hurtful.
But when one continues to prioritize Allah and keeps absorbing this hurt for His pleasure, then Allah starts prioritizing this person as well.
When Amr Ibn Abd Wadd crossed the trench in the Ghazwa Khandaq, he challenged the Muslims to fight him, kill him and send him to hell or be killed and go to paradise. It was such a challenge that it questioned the very essence of faith of Muslims. The fear was such that Quran mentioned in Surah 33 Ayah 10 that the hearts rose up to the throats and the companions began to think diverse thoughts of Allah. It is this when Ali (AS) stood up and accepted the challenge of Amr, inspiring the Prophet (SAW) to say that today the Qul Imaan (totality of faith) faces Qul Kufr (totality of infidelity). When Ali (AS) subjugated Amr, he spat on Ali and Ali left him without dealing him with the death blow. Ali then rejoined the battle later and slayed Amr fullfilling the promise of Prophet (SAW) that all Mushrikeens will go to hell. People later asked why Ali had let go of Amr in the middle of Jihad to which Ali (AS) replied, when he was about to slay Amr, it was for Allah, but when Amr spat, Ali got angry and became personal with Amr. Ali (AS) did not wanted to slay Amr in that phase.
Imagine, even in a fight or flight mode, Ali (AS) had chose to prioritize Allah over his own personal self, wishes and desires.
It is therefore clear that only he will be successful whose priority is Allah in everything that we do. If we take care of our old parents, it should not be because we are a good people or that we love our parents (because a mushrik who takes of his parents, his deeds will be wasted), it must be because Allah has ordered us to take care of our parents.
Next time when you hate doing something, kill your ownself and do it for the sake of Allah, like taking care of a poor relative, or observing hijab, or lowering your gaze.
I cannot marry a Hindu girl no matter how much I love her, because I must surrender my likings also to the likings of Allah.
It is because Allah has more authority over us than our own likings, our own choices, our own preferences. That is why the Prophet (SAW) had asked at Ghadeer if He (SAW) had more authority over us than our own selves.... "
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