Questioning the self!

What is the reason we attend Islamic gatherings or listen to Islamic lectures? What motivates us for seeking knowledge?

Do we seek the 'spiritual buzz' which we feel when in the mode? Are we in search of tangible results?

When we go to talks or enrol in courses, what do we want from them? Is it to make us feel good that we are doing something with our time? Or do we wish to be able to apply whatever we learn, in our lives as well as spread the knowledge elsewhere? Whether it be to our family, friends and so on.

Do we have the zeal to discuss the topics with other people? Are we in vigour to go ahead and share what we have just understood? When a person asks what the event was about, does our mind go blank and face become expressionless? Do we feel too lazy to even give another person a little insight and just reply with "it was good Alhamdullilah at the end of it".. With no absolute enthusiasm. Do we voice our opinions and convey what we found interesting, or the detail we had no knowledge of before in awe?

Are we content with ourselves for just acquiring the 'ilm with no intention of carrying it to other people?

Now let us ponder deeply. When we no longer feel the void being filled with the 'spiritual buzz', will we stop all efforts? Do we only carry out actions for that sole reason? If that is the case then we are doomed for failure. The reason is because when we no longer feel the satisfaction of these events, then we will cease to be present. They will neither impact our behaviour.

Moreover, when we find that a specific topic doesn't satisfy our needs, we will have no attachment to those ideas. The contentment for that emotional feeling will dissipate and we will think that those concepts are irrelevant to our lives as we cannot visually see the benefits. It is almost like, we pick and choose what parts of Islam we find interesting to implement. Disregarding other aspects and perceiving them to be unimportant. An example could be the importance of speaking out against tyrant rulers.

Subconsciously, we have already ruled out the things we find insignificant and focus on what we believe seek results. Rather than looking towards the Deen as a comprehensive way of life.

Likewise those who seek [certain fields] of Islamic knowledge (ilm) to benefit themselves but simultaneously turn a blind eye to other ahkam is dangerous. For example a sister may be keen to attend lectures on fiqh of marriage, yet neglects her duties as a child and sibling at home. This is one out of many nit picking habits we unfortunately have among our Ummah.

Ibn al-Qayyim:
"The Shaitan has misled most people by beautifying for them the performance of certain voluntary acts of worship such as voluntary prayers and voluntary fasting while neglecting other obligatory acts of worship such as enjoining the good and eradicating the evil, to the extent that they do not even make the intention of performing them whenever they are able to. Such people are considered by the scholars to be on the bottom of the scale of religion: For the essence of our religion is to perform what Allah ordered us to do. The one who does not perform his obligations is actually worse than the one who performs sins. Anyone having some knowledge about the revelation of Allah, the guidance of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, and the life of the companions would conclude that those who are pointed at today as the most pious people are in fact the least pious. Indeed, what kind of piety is there in a person who witnesses Allah's sanctities being violated, his religion abandoned, the Sunnah of His Messenger shunned, and yet remains still with a cold heart and a shut mouth' Such a person is like a dumb Shaitan! In the same way the one who talks falsehood is a speaking Shaitan. Isn't the misfortune of Islam due only to those who whenever their life and food are secure, would not care about what happens to the religion? The best among them would offer a sorry face. But if they were challenged in one of the things their heart is attached to like their money, they would spare no efforts to get it back. These people, besides deserving the anger of Allah, are afflicted with the greatest calamity without even knowing it: They have a dead heart. Indeed the more alive a person's heart is, the stronger its anger for the sake of Allah and the more complete his support to Islam and Muslims."

[(A'alam al-Muwaqqi'in, volume 2, page 176).]

By A.I