Pearls From Pearls

By Fatima Husain

Allahumma salli wa sallim wa baarik 'alaa sayyidina Muhammad.

It was an entire weekend dedicated to the remembrance of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, may every peace and blessing of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) be upon him. Before Maghrib salah on Saturday evening, there was a buzz as people chatted and caught up with friends after the previous session ended. Yet, as Ustadh Moutasem Atiya reminded us all to spend this time in dhikr instead, in his soothing, peaceful voice and demeanor, the congregation’s volume came to a standstill. The presence of our beloved Prophet ﷺ could be felt filling the room, his essence taking up the space the idle chatter had been occupying just moments before.

Allahumma salli wa sallim wa baarik 'alaa sayyidina Muhammad.

There is a beauty in giving up our free time for the sake of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala). We are willingly giving up the time that we generally spare for our own leisure activities and choose to spend it in the remembrance of our Creator, our Prophet ﷺ, and the purpose that we serve in this life. At least this weekend, that is what the atmosphere began to feel like.

Shaykh Yahya Rhodus exquisitely detailed this feeling to us as he spoke about being centered versus self-centered. While in the company of hundreds of brothers, sisters, and scholars who hold the beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to the highest esteem, it was humbling to realize that any one of these people would be ready to engage in a conversation with the greatest man to ever walk the Earth. Shaykh Yahya shared with us that the one thing that attracted him the deen of Islam was the fitrah that centers each person. Every single man and woman is looking for that serenity that so many close to the religion seem to have. Yet, for us, it is difficult. That is because we make it difficult—“Being Muslim is simple. But the deen itself is substantial (Shaykh Yahya Rhodus).” The deen holds the key to being centered; it is not an “open sesame!” that occurs as we wish it too. It needs to be worked for, which is the beauty of it all. Those who are in love with Islam and its teachings are willing to work for that serenity, are willing to give up their selfish desires, are willing to sit in dhikr instead of engaging in meaningless conversation, to be more centered, and to be less self-centered.

Allahumma salli wa sallim wa baarik 'alaa sayyidina Muhammad.

It has become an increasingly terrifying thought that we are more inclined to assimilate to today’s society. No one is saying that it is harmful to take the good of society and use it in a beneficial manner, both good for your dunya and your deen. However, when the center shifts and the focus remains on only the dunya, on only monetary value, or political stature, etc., what good is that bringing us for the Final Day? We may have every possible good fortune in this world. But six feet under, what will be in our company but the two sheets that cover us and the dirt that surrounds us? Islam, insha’Allah, will be the gratifying factor. Had we spent our days in the presence of those who sit in the remembrance of our Nabi ﷺ and our Lord, light would fill our graves. It is not a taboo thought to speak and remember death. It is inevitable; it will happen. This life of greed and gossip has made us more worried with the details that do not matter. It has made us forget the Final Hour, made the inevitable end slip from our minds, and has made us forget that this life will come to an end soon enough.

As Ustadh Moutasem stunned each of us in to silence, tears flowing freely from all the attendees in his session as he spoke about the smile our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had on his face as he witnessed his companions praying in congregation, the one thought going through everyone's mind at that moment was only to see the smile of our beloved Nabi ﷺ directed towards us one day, insha'Allah. How profound would it be to know that the greatest man to ever walk the face of this Earth is smiling at you! Subhan'Allah, blessed were his companions for having the opportunity to witness that as a normal occurrence.

This past weekend, we laughed and we cried, our hearts were heavy as we remembered Muhammad ibn Abdullah ﷺ; but let us not just stop there. In the words of Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui, we need to busy ourselves with loving our beloved ﷺ. It is high time that we focus on the end goal and work on getting there instead of trying to make everything dunya-centered. May Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) make us amongst those that are privileged enough to witness the smile of Rasulullah ﷺ, and make us amongst those who spend their time in the betterment of the deen before the dunya, insha’Allah.

Allahumma salli wa sallim wa baarik 'alaa sayyidina Muhammad.