Dear Children,
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Hope and Pray you all are in good health and spirits, Ameen. You will wonder who is this stranger addressing you. Well, we are no strangers. We are closely linked to each other because we are the members of one Ummah, the Ummah of Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be with him). Our forefathers Adam, Nooh and Ibrahim (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all) are the same. Hence we are a family. Children, your well being and success is of utmost importance to me and all the mothers in the Ummah.
I want to draw your attention to an important issue and I am sure you will pay heed to it. You all know that we are the followers of Islam. Our ‘Deen’ Islam is not a religion but a way of life. The sources of this Deen are the Qur’an and the Sunnah. A Muslim is bound to follow both of these. If he leaves either, he will not be a Muslim. The Qur’an gives us many of the rules of living but does not give the details. For instance, Salah and Zakat are mentioned many times, but the timings of Salah, or the number of Rakahs or how to say the Salat are not mentioned therein. Similarly again and again the Qur’an instructs the believers to pay the Zakat. It mentions to whom it should be given but how much should be given and who all are supposed to give is not mentioned. For these details we have to refer to the Sunnah – the actions of The Prophet SAW and Hadith – the sayings of Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be with him).
The Qur’an, time and again commands us to follow the Prophet and obey him in all the matters. If we are ignorant about the Sunnah and the Hadith we can never follow Islam as it is meant to be followed.
On an average you children spend five to six hours in school everyday and another three to four hours in coaching, to learn about subjects pertaining to your and the society’s requirements in this world. Life in this world is very short and unimportant as compared to the life in the Hereafter. The life after our death will go on and on…endlessly and we would be great fools if we spend our entire lives in bettering only the short life on this earth. This is not to say that you should all give up your academic pursuits and start working for the life after death. No, continue to work hard in whatever field you are pursuing but make sure to spend sometime to amass the wealth which is going to be considered your real assets once you leave this world.
To achieve that all you have to do is devote some time and energy in understanding the Qur’an and the Sunnah and then following them. We have the Prophets sayings and actions regarding all the matters we come across in our daily life. If you take pains and follow them, you will not only collect valuable points for the Aakhirah but will also improve the quality of life in this world.
Before entering the folds of Islam the Arabs were a wild barbaric race who fought with each other, killed, cheated and robbed each other. They gambled and drank wine; ill treated women, the poor, orphans and slaves. Once these same people entered Islam, all their vices were removed. They became civilized and considerate human beings. They went on to conquer 1/3rd of the world within a span of 70-80 years. They became leaders in all the spheres of life. Muslims artists created masterpieces which bear a testimony to their expertise even today. Muslim scientists made new discoveries one after another. Many of their discoveries were the foundations for later inventions and discoveries. Muslim doctors found causes and cures for diseases unknown earlier. They wrote important treatise and journals which were taught in Europe till as late as the 19th century.
This miracle was brought about by following the Qur’an and the Sunnah in every day lives. Today you at the most take pains to read the Qur’an but do you know what the Qur’an is telling you. If you do not understand its language, how can you follow its teachings? The key to your success and that of the entire Ummah depends on the Qur’an and the Sunnah and your determination to live by them.
In your regular schedule, you must devote some time for the two most important courses which are often ignored and neglected. Read the Qur’an with its translation in whichever language you understand even if you read just one Rukuh everyday. Underline the commands given in that Rukuh and implement them in your lives to the best of your ability. Get yourself a simple book of Hadith. Read it and try to live by it. The two courses would give you the golden rules which would transform your lives giving it a new direction and focus. They will help you achieve much more in your academic pursuits and cleanse your lives of any dirt and filth which might be there. Be prepared to make modifications and alterations in your present lives if the Qur’an and the Sunnah require you to do so. Believe me you will be better off having made these changes.
If you take up this project you will find success, peace as well as tranquillity in your life. You can look around you, for persons who can guide you or look for books which would help you understand the Deen.
Many of you might be preparing to take up a course in another state or country. You will make arrangements to equip yourselves according to the requirements of that country. If you are moving to another country, you will not carry the Indian currency but will collect the currency of that nation. Your clothes will be according to the weather there. Similarly we all have to leave the world one day or another. If we go in the next world with expertise in physics, chemistry and political science or accounts, we will realize that these courses are neither recognised nor valid in that life. The syllabi for that life are entirely different. Your B.Sc, MBA, SSc or B.Com results in this world would not get you any points there, unless along with these you have collected the points which have value in that world. The opportunity to collect these points is also now and in this world. Once out of this world, there’s no second chance to take up another course.
Therefore, dear children, the time to amass the good deeds – the currency of the hereafter – is the present. How to go about doing good deeds can be learnt from the Muslim manuals – The Qur’an and the Hadith of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be with him). Get hold of these very important and essential manuals and in your regular pursuits, incorporate these studies too. It is not that the Ummah does not want Engineers, Doctors, Scientists and Teachers. No, we want all of these and many more but we want Muslim doctors, Muslim Engineers and Muslim Scientists. People who are Muslims not just in name but also in deeds and actions. This is in the interest of each one of you as well as the entire Ummah. Make consolidated efforts to know your Deen and even more efforts to follow it.
Wishing each one of you the very best of this life and the Life hereafter. May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’alah guide all of us to the straight path – the path of the righteous, Ameen.
With Duas,
Your Mother