Life is such a beautiful gift from Allah سبحانه و تعلى. There is a whole universe within and without to explore. All human beings have been endowed with special skills and talents to impact the world around them. From a small helpless infant to the most enterprising intellectual, all bring their own special contribution to be part of the solution or part of the problem. There are some people I know who have been blessed with beauty, talent and riches; their influence on my life has not helped me grow and maybe, at times, even stunted my growth. Yet, there’s Aaizah, who doesn’t raise a finger or say a word, but her whole being inspires in me love, compassion and humility. Her smile lights up the whole room! These are the wonders of existence!
For us as Muslims, how has the purpose of life been defined? The Glorious Quran says:
وما خلقت الجن و الإنس إلا ليعبدون…….
(I have only created jinn and men so that they may serve Me. 51:56)
And at another place:
الذين يذكرون الله قياما و قعودا و على جنوبهم و يتفكرون في خلق السماوات و الأرض ربّنا ما خلقت هذا باطلا سبحانك فقنا عذاب النار…….
(Men who celebrate the praises of Allah ta’ala, standing, sitting and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creations in the heavens and the earth, (with the thought): O Lord, not for vain have Thou created all this! Glory to Thee! Grant us salvation from the penalty of the fire. 3:191)
So, what is the purpose of our life as defined in these honourable verses of the Quran?
- To serve Allah سبحانه و تعلى;
- To praise Allah سبحانه و تعلى in all conditions;
- To contemplate on the wonders of His creation.
It is so interesting to note that life in a madrasah that is set up solely for the pleasure of Allah سبحانه و تعلى helps achieve all three purposes simultaneously. Such a madrasa is an institute of learning just as any other; schools, colleges, universities, etc. This madrasa is also situated on this planet Earth just as the other institutes, and yet, the existence here is so different from the worldly academic or any other organizations.
In my initial encounter with the madrasah life, the first thing that struck me was the peace and harmony. I could clearly see the vast variations in the students’ levels of intellect, standards of life, background and ages, yet, there was a high degree of rapport and empathy. There was a flow and balance that I had never experienced before in my life. Very soon, my heart was in my madrasah, even if I was physically elsewhere.
No doubt, in a madrasah too there is competition as well as all the other human emotions, some negative and some positive. However, the dominant underlying current that governs these emotions is the pleasure of Allah سبحانه و تعلى, so in most cases these emotions stay in check and do not cross the bounds of refinement.
Yes, there are many who do abundant ibadah (worship), and many who spend long waking hours in zikr (remembrance of Allah سبحانه و تعلى) and yet a large number who serve or spend in the way of Allah سبحانه وتعلى, but how many are there who are engaged in all of the above at the same time?
كما قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم-
(Acquisition of knowledge [of Deen] is obligatory upon every Muslim)
و كما قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ومن سلك طريقًا يلتمس فيه علما سهل الله له به طريقًا إلى الجنة–
(Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge.
و كما قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : من خرج في طلب العلم، فهو في سبيل الله حتى يرجع-
(He who goes forth in search of knowledge is considered as struggling in the Cause of Allah until he returns.)
In today’s day and age, though madrasahs are easily accessible, they cater only to a select class of Muslims, whereas a vast majority of Muslims feel that their obligation towards learning about their religion suffices to a maximum of about 15 to 20 minutes daily with a Qari Sahab or Baji. In this too, anything from a birthday party to a school exam will result in skipping this lesson. Most of us spend anything from about 8 to 18 hours daily engrossed in worldly pursuits, but a couple of hours spent every day in fulfilling the main purpose of our being sent to this world seems impossible!
The need of the hour is to join our lives as much to the madrasah as to the worldly activities. In the last few centuries Muslims have lost their way, and there is an onslaught of diverse cultures in our lives. We need to redefine our identity and reconnect our lifestyles to our Deen.
As I once heard our beloved Hazratji (Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi) DB say in one of his bayans (main concept, not actual words):
ميرا دل چاہتا ہے کہ ہر مسلمان گھر دن میں مدرسہ اور شام کو رہائشگاہ بن جاۓ- (مفہوم بیان)
اللهم اجعلنا من المهتدين- آمين
(O Allah! Make us among the rightly guided).
By Ustadha Almas Taufiq