NassirUDeen writes "A young man looks at himself in the mirror and he asks himself: Why am I here? Why do I do the things I do? What's my purpose? Another young man looks at himself in the mirror and he tells himself I know why I am here, I know why I do the things I do and I have a purpose in life.
He smiles to himself and feels
satisfaction in his heart as he thinks of his lord, Allah swt. The first young
man stares at his seemingly happy face but his heart aches. His heart fills with
a dull p ain and he is left to wander aimlessly after true happiness. The vital
difference between the confidence and happiness of the second young man and the
lack there of in the first young man is ISLAM.
Islam is a religion that teaches one to
give up their de sires and to fulfill the desires of their lord Allah swt.
People are not truly free until they break free from the chains of inner
passions and surrender to the will of Allah swt. As a Muslim one's ultimate goal
is to please Allah swt. Thus, a Muslim beco m es a fighter and survivor in this
world full of temptations and evil.
One must fight and break away from the
voice of Satan urging to fall into the traps of evil. This battle against evil
does not go unseen. For at the end Allah swt promises the ultimate prize and
glory. This prize is entrance into the doors of paradise. It is this knowledge
that drives a Muslim closer to his lord and keeps him away from evil. His heart
is filled with happiness as he seeks ways to get closer to the paradise promised
him.
A Muslim has a goal, a destination, and
a path to follow. He will never be lost as he looks towards Allah swt and his
message.A disbeliever does not have any of these things. He has no one to guide
him; he has no destination, no path. He is lost. Yet, he cannot give up on his
mission to find happiness. He searches and is filled with answers like, enjoy
life while it lasts, don't worry be happy, and follow your dreams.
In the quest for answers these prove to
be unsuccessful and lead down a winding path of turmoil. Without any strong hold
on one's desires a disbeliever defies all limits to enjoyment in life, and is
bombarded with problems. Problems he tries to solve by forgetting about them. He
tries to forget with drugs, alcohol, and drowning himself i n a life filled with
ecstasy and pleasure.In Islam, enjoyment in life is a blessing from Allah swt.
However, it is not a driving force in life.
Enjoyment is allowed within the
realms of Islam. Allah swt protects his creation and he cuts harmful things at
their roots. An excellent example is drinking. A mother holds the dead body of
her three-year-old son as she cries out in pain Why? Why? to the drunk driver
who barreled into their car. Another innocent life taken away by drunk driving,
and added to the thousands killed each year.
Drinking is the cause of many social
problems that plague our society. Islam has not only forbidden drinking, but it
also forbids people from buying, selling and transporting any alcoholic related
beverages. By having such a full approach against this problem Islam prevents
victimization of innocent people, death by liver disease and break up of
families. So many lives are shattered as men come home drunk, brutally hit their
wives and children, and in the morning cannot remember a thing.
No law mandated against drunk
driving or battery can stop these tragedies. The highest authority, Allah swt,
deals with it by making it forbidden and thus preventing any of these things
from occurring. He provides an incentive to obey him (paradise the ultimate
reward and his pleasure) and a mechanism to make it easy for his creation to
follow his commandments (such as the five daily prayers and fasting). Allah swt,
through the Holy Quran, guides Muslims to remain on the straight path, the path
th at will attain happiness in this world and the next.This straight path can be
found in the guide for all of mankind, the Holy Quran.
The Quran is the manual for life.
It gives one a focus and a destination. Every single aspect pf this life is
covered in t he Quran. As a follower of Allah's words one can never fail. The
Quran tells of relationships with parents, rights of a wife, rights of orphans,
etc. Allah swt gave mankind this manual and he blessed us with the final
Messenger as the most beautiful examp les for all of humanity to follow.Islam is
the solution. Without this solution a disbeliever will forever look in the
mirror and his head will fill with hundreds of unanswered questions. The
boundary between right and wrong will become a blur to him. He w ill forever be
lost, like he is, now in this evil illusion inspired by temptations and desires.
The problems of the world will always entangle him until he submits to Allah,
the one God who has created him. O Allah, guide humanity to your mercy -
Islam.Al Bayaan Newsletter
http://www.geocities.com/albayaan
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