Page 10 Issue 21 1. -Our Knowledge- Wasted by not taking action with it. 2. -Our Actions- Wasted by committing them without sincerity. 3. -Our Wealth- Wasted by using it on things that will not bring us ajr (reward). We waste our money, our status, our authority on things which have no benefit in this life or in the akhirah (hereafter). 4. -Our Hearts- Wasted because they are empty from the love of Allah, and a feeling of peace and contentment. In its place, our hearts are filled with something or someone else. 5. -Our Bodies- Wasted because we don’t use them in ibadah (worship) and service of Allah. 6. -Our Love- Our emotional love is misdirected, not towards Allah, but towards something/someone else. 7. -Our Time- Wasted, not used property. 8. -Our Intellect- Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that are detrimental to society and the individual, not in contemplation or reflection. 9. -Our Service- Wasted in service of someone who will not bring us closer to Allah. 10.-Our Dhikr- Wasted, because it does not affect our hearts. 4 Stages For Success By Aquil Abdul Basser Throughout the Qur’an, the Holy Book of the Muslims, Allah -to whom all praise is due-speaks of His many ‘Signs’ which are manifest within creation. These signs are meant to give us insight and guidance for our spiritual lives here on this plane of existence. In one such verse He says: “For among His Signs is this, that you see the earth barren, but when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth (of vegetation). Verily, He Who gives it life, surely, (He) is Able to give life to the dead (on the Day of Resurrection). Indeed! He is Able to do all things.” (Quran 41:39) These signs of Allah are meant to provide guidance for us. In this verse Allah gives us an illustration that He has the power to resurrect the “dead heart” just as He can resurrect the dead earth. But why the analogy with the earth? In another verse of the Qur’an, Allah says: “Wal-lahu anbatakumminal ardi nabaat.” - And Allah has produced you from the earth growing (gradually). (Quran 71:17) The word “nabaat” means “plants, vegetation”. In this verse Allah compares mankind to that of plants. He compared our growth/evolution physically and spiritually to the stage by stage growth of plants. Plants grow from the earth gradually. Once they reach a certain stage they are eventually “returned” to the earth via their seeds, pollination, decay etc. The cycle is then repeated. We also come from the earth growing gradually. We will eventually be returned to the earth. And as Allah teaches us in the Qur’an, we will be raised there from. But this verse also refers to our spiritual evolution as well. Metaphorically speaking, Allah raises us from “earth”. “Earth” in scriptural language represents this mortal, worldly life, with all its pursuits and pleasures, as well as materialistic concepts as opposed to the disciplined spiritual life and its concerns. Allah evolves us from being mere “earthly”, physicalized, materially oriented beings to spiritually oriented beings. When our father Adam was created, he was created as a physical being first and then Allah blew his spirit into him. We too are created in this fashion. We are first created physically in the womb, then we receive “Ruh” or “spirit” from God. This is a sign of our gradual “growth” here on earth. This lets us know that the “earth” is not without purpose. It is here from which we realize our purpose. It is here where we must achieve sublimation, moving from worldly concepts and concerns to more elevated spiritual ones. Plants (nabaat), grow from the earth and evolve toward the source of light, but they must be “cultivated”. There are four fundamental stages in cultivation. They are: 1. Cleaning or changing the environment. This includes removing weeds (harmful things), internal and external debris from the soil. 2. Breaking up the soil - to prepare for sowing seeds. 3. Sowing / planting seeds. 4. Nurturing - which includes plenty of sunlight and water. These are the basic steps we must follow when we grow plants, or grow a garden of plants. These four steps can also be applied to us and our spiritual life as Muslims, Catholics, Christians or any spiritual path we may follow. In our spiritual lives it is our souls that we must cultivate. Allah says in the Qur’an: “By the soul and the order and proportion given to it; and its inspiration as to its wrong and its right; truly he succeeds that purifies it.” In verse nine of the above passage it says: “Qad aflaha man zak-kaaha.”Which says, “Truly he succeeds who purifies it.”Within that “purification” and within that “success” lies “cultivation”. The word ‘aflaha’ means (in this 4th form of the Arabic verb): to thrive, prosper, have success. But in its first form, “falah,” it means to split, cleave, plow, till, cultivate. We must cultivate our souls if we are to have “success”. We cultivate plants in order to have a beautiful garden. Therefore we must cultivate our souls in order to have the most excellent garden, “Jannah” (Paradise). Whether we are cultivating soil or our souls we must follow the proper steps. The first stage in cultivation is cleaning/changing the environment. This entails removing the “weeds” or harmful things that will hinder our spiritual growth. This was the methodology of the Prophets and Messengers of God. They “cleaned” up the concepts of false gods first. With regards to the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) we have an excellent example. He (SAW) instructed his companions, when they introduced Al-Islam to people, to first enjoin upon them “Tawheed” (monotheism). Ten Things We Waste Cultivating Your Spiritual Life
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