Ihsaan Magazine May 2017 (Ramadhan Issue) | Page 16

General
?
Can you hit the
TARGET
A
rchery is a sport encouraged
by Nabi (SAW) . In fact, Nabi
(SAW) encouraged archery training
and reassured that it is not a waste
of time. It is a praise-worthy effort
and a blessed sunnah. However, to
hit the bull’s eye with precision and
excellence requires good form and
studious training. It is only after
many attempts and long hours of
resilience does the archer perfect
his shot.
Allah (S.W.T.). There are two enemies
that divert us from acquiring ridha-
allah - the Shaytaan (Satan) and
inner-self (nafs). Our first enemy
Shaytaan, may not directly harm or
cause difficulty to our lives, but he
presents the perfect
opportunity for such
intense training. As we
focus on hitting the target
we must clear ourselves
of all that distracts. We
must train ourselves not
to succumb to the base
desires in the inner “me”,
i.e. “the nafs”. Our “nafs”
seeks pleasure and enjoyment;
it craves attention and becomes
whatever it is fed either halaal
enjoyment (‘ibaadah) or haram
enjoyment (desires).
However, just as obstacles sway the
archer during his training, we as
Muslims are also swayed to disobey
14 | Ihsaan | Issue 2
Have you seen he who has taken
his [own] desire as his god, and
Allah has sent him astray despite
having knowledge and has set
a seal upon his hearing and his
heart and put over his vision
a veil? So who will guide him
after Allah? Still, do you do take
lesson? 45:23
Sayyidna Abu ‘Ummah narrates
that the Messenger of Allah
(S.A.W.) said: “Of all the deities
worshipped under the sky of the
earth, the most detestable one in
the sight of Allah is hawa, that is,
desires.”
Allah has promised the
believing men and believing
women gardens beneath which
rivers flow, wherein they
abide eternally, and pleasant
dwellings in gardens of perpetual
residence; but approval from
Allah is greater. It is that which
is the great attainment.[9:72]
As novice archers, our coach has
given us some instructions of ‘do’s’
and ‘don’ts’. The ‘do’s’ include the
skills of ‘ibaadah (servitude) to
Allah (S.W.T.) and the ‘don’ts’ are the
abstinence from sin. Subsequently,
the compliance to these two
instructions gains the objective
of ridha-allah (approval of Allah
(S.W.T.). Therefore, there is no better
and more effective opportunity
to train for ridha-allah than the
powerful influential month of
Ramadhan.
coaching his nafs to follow Allah’s
(S.W.T.) directives. The nafs is
the archer’s form with which he
takes aim. When it is educated
and proficient about the harms of
following the desire, it will not obey
it like a god, plummeting to all its
commands.
This verse of the Qur’an indicates
that ‘worship’ actually means
‘obedience’. Thus, anyone who obeys
someone or something against the
obedience of Allah (S.W.T.) makes
him the object of his worship instead
of Allah (S.W.T.).
Our target as Muslims is to gain the
pleasure, approval and acceptance
of Allah (S.W.T.).
It is only until Allah (S.W.T) is
pleased with us, that we will
certainly attain the ultimate
eternal success. Hence, to hit this
grand target gracefully hard work,
precision and training are required.
General
can try in his many ways to sway the
nafs into disobeying Allah (S.W.T),
and on the day of judgement (S.W.T.)
in his defence he will say to Allah:
And Satan will say when the
matter has been decided, “Indeed,
Allah had promised you the
promise of truth. And I promised
you, but I betrayed you. But I had
no authority over you except that
I invited you, and you responded
to me. So do not blame me,but
blame yourselves (nafs). I cannot
be called to your aid, nor can
you be called to my aid. Indeed,
I deny your association of me
[with Allah] before. Indeed, for
the wrongdoers is a painful
punishment.”[14:22]
Therefore, we are required to train
the ‘me’ within us, and Ramadhan
When it is not well trained, it hits
the wrong target entirely. It craves
to fulfil “hawa” (desires) and this
becomes its objective. Allah (S.W.T.)
warns us about those with this
repulsive trait which results in their
hearts becoming neglectful of His
worship. They are those who follow
their base desires and fail to subdue
their nafs in order to make the
accurate target of ridha-allah.
..and, do not obey one whose
heart We have made heedless
of Our remembrance and who
follows his desire and whose
affair is ever [in] neglect. [18:28]
A true Muslim is one whose heart
is not neglectful of Allah (S.W.T.);
he is always concerned about
Allah’s (S.W.T.) pleasure, always
remembering Allah (S.W.T.) and
Sayyidna Shaddad Ibn ‘Aws
narrates that the Messenger
of Allah said: “A wise person is
he who keeps his desires under
control and works for life after
death, and sinful is he who runs
after his desires and yet expects
the best in the Hereafter.”
Sayyidna Sahl Ibn ‘Abdullah
Tustari said: “Your ailment is
your selfish desires. And if you
oppose them, it will turn into
your cure.”
Now that we know, we cannot
follow our desires, as it will lead
our nafs astray to hardship and
failure. Therefore, we must subdue
the nafs from the obedience of
the desires into the obedience of
Allah (S.W.T.). For our nafs to train
and maintain the right form, we
need “the bow” of remembrance of
Allah and continuous recollection
of Allah (S.W.T.) within the heart.
Remembrance of Allah is what
affords us the realisation that we are
speeding to desires and need to get
in control, it reminds us that Allah
(S.W.T.) is all aware and looking at
which target we are aiming. The
example is that of a fast driver
approaching a speeding camera,
he presses the breaks right away
knowing that he is being scrutinised.
The camera is the remembrance
of Allah and the monitor is Allah
(S.W.T.).
The minute one realises that Allah
(S.W.T.) is always monitoring us;
then will he only do what pleases
Him (S.W.T.). In the process, we
would defy the nafs and coach it
to the pleasure of ‘ibaadah and
remembrance of Allah (S.W.T.) until
our nafs will be obedient to Allah’s
(S.W.T.) commands.
“O obedient nafs, Return to your
Lord, well-pleased and pleasing
[to Him], and enter among My
[righteous] servants And enter
My Paradise.” [89:27-30]
Hence, Ramadhan is a training
ground for the rest of the year; it is
easy to do good by following Allah’s
(S.W.T.) commands. At the same time,
it helps us refrain from sins and to
disassociate with the obedience of
the desires. It is clear through the
many sacred texts that Ramadhan is
to gain training for life.
O you who have believed,
declared upon you is fasting as
it was decreed upon those before
you that you may become God-
conscious.
Consider the aspects of
remembrance of Allah and ‘ibaadah
that we perform in the holy month of
Ramadhan. It can easily be seen that
there are no major special actions
taking place that cannot happen
out of Ramadhan. However, the
month is structured to allow for the
quality of training needed to prove
to the nafs that we are capable of
living in servitude of Allah (S.W.T.)
throughout the year and not in the
servitude of our desires.
Abu Huraira reported: The
Messenger of Allah, peace and
blessings be upon him, said,
“When the month of Ramadhan
begins, the gates of the heaven
are opened and the gates of
Hellfire are closed and the devils
are chained.”
This hadith is a positive
reinforcement encouraging the
trainee to work hard for the reward
of gardens wherein ultimate bliss
lies. In Ramadhan, we endure
hardship, tiredness and fatigue but
it is all worth it. Maximising on
the bonus scores is every Muslim’s
highlight - one arrow anywhere on
target results in 70 plus points in the
tournament of goodness.
The month of Ramadhan shows us
that we can do so much good within
a daily routine. It allows us to gain
control over our nafs. We can go to
the masjid every day. Yes! We can
fast and control our desires. Yes! We
can be very generous. Yes! We can
treat others with dignity. Yes! Yes!
Yes, we can do much more!
Ramadhan helps us leave sins!
We are actually kinder. We do
not use foul language. We are an
encouragment to others. We don’t
hurt anyone’s feelings. We stay
away from unproductive company.
We don’t go to the wrong places. We
take a break from being a rebel to
Allah. We do not disobey Allah.
In conclusion, Ramadhan has many
acts; like compulsory fasting, extra
praying at night, extra supplication,
extra charity and even great virtuous
nights for begging of all our needs
and halaal wants, etc. Nevertheless,
these are all acts that we can very
well continue to do throughout the
year. We simply need to control our
nafs so we will not find it a tedious
task.
Ramadhan increases effortlessness
and makes it easy for gaining
blessings and for the training of our
nafs to work towards the pleasure
of Allah (S.W.T.). So this year, let us
focus on our real target and use the
holy month of Ramadhan to train
hard and efficiently so that the
scores last a lifetime.
WRITTEN by. MUFTI abraar alli
Ihsaan | Issue 2 | 15