Life-Lessons: Juz 23

Transformation for Allah’s Sake

Surah Yaseen Verse 21

Surah Yaseen is the heart of the Qur’an and is one of the most read Surahs in my parent’s home. We recited Surah al Kahf and Surah al Yaseen every Friday and that’s a tradition that was passed down to the next generations each time. Little did I know what the verses in the Surah mean.

It was later after my Tafsir class in 2018, that I realized some of the verses that hit me hard from this Surah. There are many verses in this Surah that actually can shake a believer’s heart to gulp the fact that the world we live in is just a transitional phase to the place we will reach one day, Insha Allah.

It was in 2018 when I was midway through my Taleem Ul Quran course taught by Ustaza Dr. Farhat Hashmi Saheba.  I came across this ayah which said : 

ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَن لَّا يَسْـَٔلُكُمْ أَجْرًۭا وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ ٢١

Follow those who ask no reward of you, and are ˹rightly˺ guided. 

Being brought up in a Muslim household, I was taken care of very well by my parents. May Allah Subhan Wa ta’ala have mercy on them. My college friends and colleagues were not practicing Muslims which had a major impact on the lifestyle I was living in. Everything I thought or was living was actually just following the crowd without knowing what is actually happening and what our deen requires.

I think through the phases of life wherever you are, you want to be accepted in the community or society you are with. It was something like that for me. I used to do hijab, I used to wear abaya but I did not know the meaning behind it. I used to pray but I did not know the main essence of the Salah which you get when you actually know the tafsir of the Surah al Fatiha. Five times daily, we ask Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala for Seerat Al Mustaqeem and to keep us away from those who went astray. I used to ask Allah for Seerat ul Mustaqeem without knowing the direction to go in.

To be in the company of rightly guided people is one of the most important steps when you want to be on Seerat ul Mustaqeem. It’s an essential part of your transformation because just like for some plants not all the seasons suit them for their growth. You keep them in the greenhouse in different climatic conditions and let them evolve even in extreme weather conditions. 

Just like the trees have to shed their leaves first, we human beings have to shed our old habits to change for the better. This was the main essential step to bringing the change in my life for the sake of Allah Subhana Ta’ala. 

When I was a teenager, I used to recite the Quran taught by my ustaad with Tajweed but I did not understand what the Qur’an was telling me to do. Doing the tafsir of the Quran made me go through the transformation I was waiting for. My views, my actions, and the way I take life completely changed. This is because now everything that I had or will have was from Allah SWT and returned to Him. My mindset now worked on different programming. This programming was only for Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala. This changed my beliefs and lifestyle that further led to estranged friends and people who knew me. The changes were not very welcomed. Going through comments like “ Oh, you have become very religious now. What do you want from Allah SWT this time? Or ” Oh, so the classes you are taking are making you do this. See! I am telling you the moment you complete the classes you will come back to us again with the same person you were”. Some from my own family said, “Ok! Ok! See, I know you are learning a lot these days but we have lived more life and we know what is right so don’t guide us.”

As painful as these comments were. I knew in my heart that to go through the changes we need to come out of our comfort zone. This was it for me. This further motivated me to keep doing good deeds and actions for the sake of Allah SWT. 

Choosing this path meant parting ways, taking a complete exit from the things I used to do. It started with my prayers being very understanding to me. I used to talk to Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala from then on in the five daily prayers. 

Now I wear a hijab because it’s said in Surah An-Nur,

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ إِخْوَٰنِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٰتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَآئِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفْلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰ عَوْرَٰتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ٣١

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments except what normally appears. Let them draw their veils over their chests, and not reveal their ˹hidden˺ adornments except to their husbands, their fathers, their fathers-in-law, their sons, their stepsons, their brothers, their brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, their fellow women, those ˹bond women˺ in their possession, male attendants with no desire, or children who are still unaware of women’s nakedness. Let them not stomp their feet, drawing attention to their hidden adornments. Turn to Allah in repentance all together, O  believers, so that you may be successful.

As it is mentioned in this Ayah, believing women are supposed to cover themselves in such a way that they don’t attract the non-mahram women and cover themselves in such a way that the hijab covers their chest and adornments. I did not know about this, all I knew is Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala has ordered us to wear hijabs. Hijab itself has a ruling and you don’t accomplish the goal if you are not fulfilling these rules.

Now I fast and read more Quran in Ramadan because it was mentioned in Surah al Baqarah :

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ١٨٥

Ramaḍân is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺. So whoever is present this month, let them fast. But whoever is ill or on a journey, then ˹let them fast˺ an equal number of days ˹after Ramaḍân˺. Allah intends ease for you, not hardship, so that you may complete the prescribed period and proclaim the greatness of Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful.

I corrected my wrong actions, the ones I used to do and the ones I saw my friends and family doing, and encourage good ones because it was mentioned in Surah Ale Imran :

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌۭ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ١٠٤

Let there be a group among you who call ˹others˺ to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil—it is they who will be successful.

Now I was more forgiving and more kind towards the people who wronged me, especially family and relationships as mentioned in Surah Ar Ra’d :

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوٓءَ ٱلْحِسَابِ ٢١

and those who maintain whatever ˹ties˺ Allah has ordered to be maintained, stand in awe of their Lord and fear strict judgment.

My life now has a meaning Alhumdulilah and a guidebook to follow. Each and everything is mentioned in Holy Quran. Why didn’t I know about it because I never seek to learn or know what Allah SubhanaWatalah was telling me? 

Being on the Seerat al Mustaqeem is not very easy where there are millions of exits and u-turns. I kept my heart clean for the ones I lost and kept going on my way and doing the things that Allah SWT would like me to do. In every transformation stage, Allah SWT made me gain some precious friends from the same path whom I can call any time of the year without having fear of loss and taking advice without being judged. The best part about this is they all have the fear of Allah SWT in their hearts and their intentions for their actions are for Allah SWT just like it was for me then. This was because we all were on the same path, Seerat Al Mustaqeem. 

This made me clearly understand one crucial thing that Allah SWT was cleaning the rubbish out of my system to fill the best gems. I felt sad about the loss but I did not know what Allah had planned was for the best. Just like when you order new furniture in your home, you have to get rid of old ones otherwise your house will be too filled. 

When you choose this path, you grow like a plant from seed. You need a perfect ambiance which is when you are with like-minded people, you need to water this plant and give it feed which is in the remembrance of Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala and to make it strong and rigid, you need to have set your boundaries and views where others cannot contaminate them. 

If only Allah willed, he would have guided the others too. Allah SWT has chosen me for this journey and being rigid on it would be the best thing for me right now. I went on and continued my journey and Alhumdulilah like the ayah state in Surah Yaseen,

وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لَطَمَسْنَا عَلَىٰٓ أَعْيُنِهِمْ فَٱسْتَبَقُوا۟ ٱلصِّرَٰطَ فَأَنَّىٰ يُبْصِرُونَ 66

Had We willed, We could have easily blinded their eyes, so they would struggle to find their way. How then could they see? (Surah Yasin:66)

Life-Lessons

• Transformations are difficult but for the sake of Allah SWT, the result is the best, you would be looking for. You will definitely find hurdles but if you go through them, you will achieve your ultimate goal, Insha Allah.
•  Being born and brought up in a Muslim household does not automatically give you knowledge of Islam. Knowledge needs to be sought and worked hard for.
• The Quran was revealed to us not just only to recite it as much as we can but also to learn, understand and put it into our actions. It’s like a GPS for the road of Seerat Al Mustaqeem. All instructions are very easily written there. 
• Being called with tags like “ too religious” is not a bad thing unless you know what you are doing is right and your intention is for the sake of Allah Subhana Watala.
• It’s important to wake up from this transitional phase and know that our final destination is Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala and keep asking yourself: What are you going to answer about the certain action when Allah SubhanWa Wa Ta’ala will ask you on the day of Judgement?  Will you be able to answer the questions the angels will ask you in the grave? What will you do when you are in the presence of the One and Only who has created you. 

Juz 1 – Evils of Pride  | Juz 2 – He is really near, Call upon Him | Juz 3 – Purity of Intentions

Juz 4 – The Burdens of Sins | Juz 5 – Bounties in the Obedience of Prophet ﷺ | Juz 6 – Be Just |

Juz 7- Beware of Shaitan’s Plan | Juz 8 – Heart Epicenter of Eman | Juz 9 – Dunya over Deen?? |

Juz 10 – Strive in the way of Allah | Juz 11 – Allah is All-Powerful | Juz 12 – Fruits of Patience |

Juz 13 – Peace in Remembrance of Allah | Juz 14 – Don’t be Distressed… | Juz 15 – Being good to your Parents |

Juz 16 – Acceptable Deeds | Juz 17 – Hold on to the Hope | Juz 18 – Do not Waste your Time | Juz 19 – Family is our Comfort Zone | Juz 20 –