Ramadan 2021/1442AH – Juz 19

“Think of the man who has taken his own passion as a god: are you to be his guardian? Do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle—no, they are further from the path.” Quran 25:43

“Any human whose average life is centered around those things—to eat, drink, sleep, copulate—and works to make more money to eat, drink, sleep, copulate, and to have vacation to get more special types of eating, drinking, sleeping, and copulating, lives the life of cattle.” — Dr. Mokhtar Maghraoui

Our purpose and goal in this life as Muslims is to live according to the best ways and etiquettes Allah has laid out for us. Filling our hearts with divine love, honouring his words and serving him through serving his creation.

“Humans were created for a loftier purpose of knowing God, filling their hearts with Divine Light, and elevating His word in every sphere of life. They were created to establish, for themselves and for humanity, a God-centered life that promotes spiritual devotion in worship and uprightness and morality in dealings” – Naiyerah Kolkailah [VirtualMosque]

That involves many aspects that are both obligated and recommend. From the main pillars such as prayer, charity and fasting to the smaller every-day actions of kindness in our words and actions.

Failing to do this doesn’t harm God in the slightest, but rather hurts our own selves. Not just in accruing sins that may haunt us in the next life; but also in hampering our ability to enjoy and live our lives to the fullest.

Constant heedlessness eventually leads to our own spiritual death. Left chasing whims that can never fully be satisfied and desires that won’t truly bring us the peace we seek.

All souls are born with a yearning to return to something greater, to feel at peace once again. Often our inability to feel close to him or to feel content and fully at peace is because we’re living in heedlessness of the path he has laid out.

In these last nights of Ramadan, let us instead put our trust in Allah, seeking to do good. Be the best versions of ourselves and honour him in our actions and words. It may not always be easy, it may not seem fun from the outset, but perhaps through pushing ourselves to that which we know is good, we can find closeness to him, seeking his pleasure and find some peace in nearness to Him.

“Put your trust in the Living [God] who never dies, and celebrate His praise.” Quran 25:58