Practical Steps to Spiritual Fulfillment
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
190 |
| Khutbah Date: |
03/24/06 |
فَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّن شَيْءٍ فَمَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَوَالَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَوَالَّذِينَ اسْتَجَابُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَمْرُهُمْ شُورَى بَيْنَهُمْ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَوَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُمُ الْبَغْيُ هُمْ يَنتَصِرُونَ[i]Whatever you are given [now] is but for the [passing] enjoyment of life in this world - whereas that which is with God is far better and more enduring; provided to all who attain to true faith and place their trust in their Sustainer; those who shun the more heinous sins and abominations; and who, whenever they are moved to anger, readily forgive; who respond to [the call of] their Sustainer and are constant in prayer; and whose rule [in all matters of common concern] is consultation among themselves; and who spend on others out of what We provide for them as sustenance and who, whenever tyranny afflicts them, defend themselves. [/i][b][Qur’an 42:36-39][/b]Spiritual fulfillment is possible only when we strive with all our body, mind, and soul to live in conformity with Allah’s will. Stated differently, we cannot attain fulfillment or felicity in life unless we strive to fulfill the very purpose of our existence. The purpose of our existence, as defined by our Creator and Lord, is none other than rendering worship unto Him. Allah says in the Qur’an, [i] “I created the (species of) jinn and humankind solely to worship Me.”[/i][b](Q 51:56). [/b]So no matter how accomplished and successful we are in life, we will never gain fulfillment unless we conform strictly to the above stated purpose, for it alone will determine our ultimate success or failure. [b]The Pathway to Spiritual Fulfillment1. [/b]The first step towards spiritual fulfillment is to
sincerely repent of all sins. We must always recognize our weaknesses and limitations and ever flee to Allah and act before Him like a helpless child entreating His mercy and forgiveness.
2. Purify our heart, mind, and heart of all base thoughts and destructive emotions, beliefs, and concepts. This is not possible unless we guard our faculties of tongue, stomach, hands, ears, eyes, hands, feet, and mind of all sins, both outward and inward, and thus rid ourselves of all diseases such as pride, jealousy, malice and ill-feeling towards others, backbiting, lying, clinging to this world, anger, self-righteousness, pretension, vanity, vainglory, obsessive love of the world, power, and wealth, and so on.
3. We must
observe the laws of Allah openly and secretly.
4. We must
role model ourselves after the Messenger of Allah by emulating his excellent morals and behavior such as simple life-style, magnanimity, generosity, his attitude, noble morals.
5. Celebrate
dhikr (remembrance of Allah) consistently.
6. Develop the habit of reflecting and contemplating, and think of the transient nature of life. Meditate frequently upon death and afterlife and visualize standing before the Lord of the worlds for reckoning.
7. Develop the virtues of sincerity, truthfulness, gratitude, patience, generosity, simplicity, humility, magnanimity, love of Allah.
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