Abdulfattah Adeyemi – QURANIC REFLECTIONS ON MOVEMENT METAPHORS
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of finding guidance and wisdom in life, as well as the organic nature of human life, including the belief that humans can only achieve progress and success if they use their natural "medicals." They stress the need for individuals to be more purposeful in walking, caution about avoiding physical contact, and avoid travel in a way that is the best way to achieve the goal of achieving the goal of life.
AI: Summary ©
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evil of our egos and from the evil
of our deeds.
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I bear witness that there is no god
but Allah.
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and Messenger.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah
be upon you.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah
be upon you.
Thank you very much.
We are all welcome to Ramadan Intelligence Series.
Part of Bainukum's Tafsir sessions in the month
of Ramadan 1445.
We talk about intelligence.
Most people have heard of financial intelligence.
You've also heard of emotional intelligence.
And the organizers of this Tafsir, they came
up with Ramadan Intelligence.
Which is very, very intelligent indeed.
For us to see how, what are some
of the things we can gain from Ramadan.
In terms of the Quranic verses that should
excite the muscles of our intelligence.
That should excite the part of our mind
with which we think.
That will excite some of the wisdom that
is latent in us.
What the Quran is going to wake them
up for us.
We want to talk today as the first
of them.
Quranic reflection on movement metaphors.
What do we mean by this?
I need you to follow us gradually.
Listen with your ears and your mind.
And see what we can learn from what
we are going to be explaining.
Concerning the metaphors of movement as reflected in
the glorious Quran.
It may be very useful for a lot
of us who are trying to find their
bearings in life.
It is possible that when you listen to
this, your life will not be the same
again.
And you begin to see life in a
much different light.
And you begin to see the glorious Quran
as speaking to you so much more directly
than you ever imagined.
The innate inclination towards movement is a fundamental
aspect of life.
We all know that we like to move.
And it is deeply ingrained in our very
being.
And this also lies at the heart of
human existence.
Everybody needs to move.
Everybody wants to move.
If a child is born, we expect the
child to make some movement.
When the child is even in the womb
of the mother, we expect some movement.
We expect some kicking.
We expect some swimming.
Even when it was still very small.
The main aspect of the process of conception
has to do with movement.
The man has to move.
The woman has to move.
The coming out of the * to fertilize
has to be through a certain movement, rhythmic
movement.
To the extent that when the life-giving
organisms are released, when the spermatozoa are out,
they are also supposed to swim.
They are to move, swim towards a certain
goal before fertilization can happen.
Now you see it's all about movement.
And that is the human existence itself.
We are to move.
We are to swim.
And in one form or the other, we
are to fly if we can.
And all these are because also humans are
organic.
That is, humans are animate.
Humans are living and conscious.
And humans are designed to move.
We are designed to grow.
And we are designed to grow.
Humans stand as living manifestation of the organic
nature of almost all of Allah's creations.
And from the complicated movement of molecules within
our cells to the vast interconnectedness of ecosystems,
the biological processes of our very beings are
evidences of the organic nature of our existence.
In fact, in the first place, we are
bio and logical.
We are bio, we are organic, we are
living, and we are also logical.
And that's why we are biological.
We are beings that are biological.
We won't talk about biology.
That's what it means, biological.
The logical part of our lives are there,
and then the bio part of our existence
is there.
We are not mere machines that are governed
by rigid mechanisms, and we are not governed
by predetermined algorithms, but rather we are dynamic
organisms that are pulsating with the beats of
growth, the beats of decay, and the beats
of renewal.
So we are formed with growth, decay, and
renewal.
So we are made of different organs.
That's why we say we are organic.
We are made of different organs.
What's an organ?
An organ is made up of the same
type of tissues that are well organized to
perform specific functions in all living things, including
plants, animals, birds, insects, reptiles, mammals, humans, all
of us.
We are all made of organs.
And what are these organs?
We have the brain.
The brain itself is an organ.
We have the heart.
We have the lungs, the liver, the kidney.
Our skin is also an organ on its
own.
Our *, the hair follicles in our bodies,
the teeth, they are all organs.
The colon, the bone marrow, the ears, the
stomach, via the intestines, the eyes, the spinal
cord, the pancreas, skeletal muscles, our veins, our
nose, the nails, including our private parts, all
of these are organs of the human body.
It is these organs coming together that forms
what we are.
And that's why we humans, we are organic.
We are organic.
When you say organic food, organic this, organic
that, this is what makes us to be
organic, because we are a conglomeration of so
many organs that come together, that function together.
And these organs, because they are all together,
that makes us to become organic.
That is part of the reason why we
are movement.
We have movement as part of our nature.
In our organic nature, we find both vulnerability
and resilience.
All of the organs in the body have
to walk, they have to move, they have
to function, and they have to stay alive.
And some of the organs, if we stop
using them, Allah will withdraw them from us.
For example, if you stop using your eyes,
after a while you start getting blind.
If you stop using your nose, well, I
don't know how you are going to do
that.
Something bad is going to happen to your
nose.
If you should block your ears, that you
don't want to hear anything, after a while
you actually start going deaf.
If you should fold your legs, you say
you are not going to move with it,
after a while the muscles become weak, and
you need special attention of the physiotherapist before
you are able to learn to walk again.
Now you see why we are organic now.
So in this, our organic nature, like I
said, we find both vulnerability and resilience.
Like the trees that bend in the face
of fierce wind, we are shaped by the
forces of nature.
We are shaped by adversity.
Yet we are capable of adapting, we are
capable of flourishing in the most unlikely of
all circumstances.
As humans, in this, our organic essence, this
extends beyond our physical dimension.
It encompasses the depths of our emotions, the
complexities of our thoughts, and the expanses of
our consciousness.
Because we are organic, it is not only
in the physical way, but also in the
other aspects of our lives.
That means we are not merely biological entities,
but we are also emotional beings.
We are endowed with the capacity for self
-awareness, for empathy, and creativity.
So in embracing our organic nature, we embrace
the impermanence of our existence, and the interconnectedness
of the pulsating energy that animates us and
animates every other thing in the universe.
And our ability to move, our ability to
take actions, form the essence of what it
means to be human, because it touches upon
the crescendos of action and reflection, it touches
change and continuity, it affects progress and status,
as well as the themes of freedom to
choose and to act.
We can exercise our free will and free
will, and we can also pursue meaning and
purpose and destiny.
All of this shows that apart from the
biological side of our lives, we are also
emotional.
So when we talk about movement in terms
of bodily organs, we are also talking about
the flux of human emotion.
The fact that human free will is also
part of the strength that we have as
human beings.
The strength to move, the strength to decide,
the strength to be empathetic, and the strength
to take actions.
Beyond the biological organs that we have, we
also have our minds with which we take
action, with which we use these organs that
Allah has given to us, with which we
pursue meanings of whatever thing we do.
It involves moving beyond the constraints of the
past towards new horizons of possibility.
This is where the sense of pursuit of
meaning comes in.
Now, there's something very, very significant that we
must bear in mind.
The way you move, the pace of your
stride, the level of your efforts, and the
swiftness of your flight, they are all determined
by the perception of your condition, by the
interpretation of your position, and by the direction
of your progression, as well as the nippiness
of your decision.
That's the quickness of your decision.
The Quran is replete of verses, of words
and terms that describe and prescribe various human
movements through which human beings can measure their
progress in the world and in the hereafter.
How do we progress in this world?
How do we progress in the hereafter?
So, we'll now mention some of these movements
that the Quran has mentioned so as to
build our Quranic intelligence from these metaphors of
movement in the Quran.
The first of them we are going to
look at is that of walking.
Everybody knows what we mean by walking.
The Arabic word for walk is taken from
the triliteral root in surfu, that is mimun,
shinun, and yaw, mashil.
And this occurs 23 times in the glorious
Quran in so many ways.
Now, what does it mean?
All walks of life, Allah says, Quran chapter
24, verse 45, A'udhu Billahi Minash Shaitanir
Rajeem.
وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَ كُلَّ دَابَةٍ مِّمَّا يِنْ فَمِنُهُمْ مَنْ
يَمْشِي عَلَىٰ بَطْنِ وَمِنُهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي عَلَىٰ رُجِلَيْنِ
وَمِنُهُمْ مَنْ يَمْشِي عَلَىٰ أَرْبَعٍ يَخْلُقُ اللَّهُ مَا
يَشَاءُ إِنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قُدِيرٌ Allah
has created every living creature from water, and
of them are those that move on their
bellies, and of them are those that walk
on two legs, and of them are those
that walk on four.
Allah creates what He wills.
Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
إِنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قُدِيرٌ Allah is
capable of doing all things.
This verse, Quran chapter 24 verse 45, tells
us about all the creatures of Almighty Allah,
that Allah has created them to walk.
The ones Allah has created to walk, some,
you know, they drag on their bellies like
the snakes, some of them walk on two
legs, and some of them walk on four
legs.
Human beings, of course, we are designed to
walk on two legs, even though at a
very younger age of our existence, we were
walking on four.
That is when the baby is crawling.
And by the time we get up, we
begin to walk, and after a while, we
begin to use three legs.
That is two legs and one walking stick.
If Allah wills, may Allah make it easy
for us.
So that's to show a verse of Quran
that talks about the walk, the fact that
we have been created and designed to be
walking.
I also want you to know that there
are some other creatures too, they walk in
a way that is not common.
That is the fish in the water.
Their own kind of walking is a form
of swimming.
Maybe they have internal legs with which they
do that, and that has been constricted or
designed to be the fins that they use
in moving around, you know, swimming in the
water.
Now, what do we do when we have
something crucial to do, which regards to walk?
Quran chapter 20 verse 40 illustrates this.
Allah says, This
Quran chapter 20 verse 40, Allah says, And
we favored you, O Musa, when your sister
went and said, Shall I direct you to
someone who will be responsible for him?
So we restored you to your mother, that
she might be content and not grieve.
And you killed someone, but we saved you
from retaliation, and tried you with a severe
trial, and you remained for years among the
people of Madian.
Then you came here at the decree time,
O Musa.
What I want to use here is, Allah
says, What kind of walk was she walking?
She was walking a purposeful walk with a
crucial plan.
And that is when Musa was put in
the basket, and the sister was told to,
you know, follow the basket, follow the basket,
follow the little baby, till wherever Allah is
directing the baby.
And this time she gives a sense of
a cautious and purposeful and well-planned walking.
So, Musa, that people will not quickly notice
that you are actually walking in relation to
that basket that was put in the river.
Allah Akbar!
That box, that little baby that was put
in the river, she had her eyes on
that baby, and she also had her eyes
on the road, and she was doing that
with caution.
What we learn from this, if you have
a very important mission to fulfill in life,
you should be cautious about the way you
walk.
You should know that you have a sense
of purpose.
You don't just walk anyhow.
You don't walk suspiciously, if not your plans
in life will not work.
So, anybody that wants to succeed in life,
understand that there are certain kind of walking
that has to be very purposeful.
You don't just walk around.
You don't just strut around.
Sometimes you walk in such a way that
you don't make noise.
You walk in such a way that you
don't create or stir up some suspicion because
of the mission that you have in life.
A similar type of walking that the Quran
gives as metaphor for us, you see that
in Quran chapter 18 verses 19 to 20
in Surah Al-Kahf.
Remember the story of Ashab ul-Kahf.
When it got to the time that Allah
woke them up, Allah says in Quran What
I want to use from there is, they
asked one of them when Allah woke them
up.
They were asking each other, how long have
you remained here?
They said, we remained here a day or
a part of a day, even though they
were there for so long.
And your Lord is most knowing about how
long they remained.
So, they said, send one of you with
this silver coin to the city.
So, let them look to which of the
food they can buy so that we can
eat.
So that he can bring provision for us
and we eat.
And the statement goes, Let him be cautious.
So that nobody will recognize you.
This means that sometimes when you have a
very important mission in life, you have to
be cautious in your movement.
Sometimes you are moving about your business in
life.
And when it is not time for people
to recognize you, you should better hide yourself.
You should better do your movement with some
calculation that you are not going to expose
yourself.
Sometimes we run into this error in our
social media, the way we handle our publicity.
Things you have not achieved yet, you are
already showing it to the world.
You are supposed to get to where you
are going without anybody looking at you.
You are supposed to be cautious because you
are somebody that is just coming out from
a cave.
And as you are just coming out from
the cave of your existence, you need to
be very cautious in letting people know you
or see you when it is not time
yet.
And you see what the Quran says is,
If they come to know you when it
is not time yet, they will stone you
or return you to their religion and never
again.
This is what the Quran says, And never
will you ever succeed again, ever.
So if you have a project, if you
have a plan, if you have a business,
if you have a progress you want to
make in life, sometimes you should better remain,
you know, not obvious.
Because once people get to know of your
plan and your progress, they will kill it.
If they don't kill you too, alongside with
that, and you will never succeed.
You will never succeed when people get to
know where you are going.
So what lesson do we learn from this?
We learn that please keep yourself to yourself.
Any seed that will germinate should learn to
remain under the ground, under the soil.
Any seed that will grow should learn to
remain not obvious.
If not, animals will eat it and humans
will uproot it.
May Allah make it easy for us to
understand this verse very well.
So we are still talking about walking.
How do you walk on your path of
progress in life?
Another lesson we can learn from walking as
used in the Quran is Quran 25 verse
63.
When Allah asks us to walk with humility.
Allah says, And the servants of the Most
Merciful are those who walk upon the earth
easily and with humility.
And when the ignorant person addresses them harshly,
they say words of peace.
They say salam, salam.
We are supposed to walk with humility on
earth.
This is another lesson we learn when it
comes to how do we walk on earth.
Your efforts and these are diverse and they
are of different aims and purposes.
That's in Nasar Yaakum Lashakta.
Our efforts, this is what we are talking
about now.
You know we talked about walking earlier on.
Now this one we are talking about the
efforts that we make.
Our efforts are different.
Some people are into this, some people are
into that.
The way you make efforts is different from
the way other people make efforts.
Your efforts in one path is not the
same thing as the efforts on another path.
So don't copy other people's efforts in life
thinking that you are supposed to make the
same thing.
Another verse of Quran chapter 53 verse 39
to 41.
Allah says, What does that mean?
It means there is nothing for anybody to
attain in life except what he strives for.
And the fruit of your striving will soon
come in sight.
Then Allah will reward everybody to the fullest
of reward for whatever thing they do.
What does this mean?
It means our efforts, only Allah can see
it.
And there is nothing that you can gain
in life except that you make efforts.
So if you are going to make efforts,
Allah says, If
we are going to make efforts, we are
going to hasten.
Hasten on the path of Allah.
Hasten towards the remembrance of Allah.
Now a person can be walking casually towards
certain things.
But when it comes to the matters of
the hereafter, Allah says, Don't be slow, don't
be sluggish.
When it comes to remembrance of Allah, Allah
uses the word, Make haste towards the remembrance
of Allah.
Because matters of the hereafter, this is the
very interesting part of it.
When Allah talks about matters of the hereafter,
Allah uses the language of making haste for
matters of the hereafter.
For matters of this dunya, you can walk,
do anything you like, any how you want
to do it.
But you are supposed to make haste in
matters of the hereafter.
And that's what you see there in Quran
chapter 62 verse 9.
Allah says, And
for anybody that makes efforts, Allah says in
Quran chapter 76 verse 22, Indeed, this is
for you a reward from Allah Almighty, and
all your efforts have been appreciated.
So if you do what is good, and
you seek nearness to Allah Almighty, and you
make this effort, Allah is going to appreciate
whatever effort that you make.
Let me summarize what we mean by this.
Many of the things we do in life
require effort, require actions.
And there's nothing we achieve in life without
putting some effort behind it.
So this shows that it is the striving,
making the effort that is most important.
The intention that we have is very important.
The struggle that we have is very important.
If we are able to take care of
all of these, then we are going to
get the result and the reward of our
efforts.
So this number 2 we have talked about,
about Zayu, means that we should always make
efforts, so that Allah will crown our efforts
with success.
And that's why Allah says, Anybody who does
an utter weight of good shall see the
result, and whoever does an utter weight of
evil shall also see the result.
So let us strive.
These verses of the Quran are calling us
towards making efforts, towards hastening up, especially towards
the things of the hereafter.
Now here's another one, that is even, you
know, the one of Zayu, that is your
own personal effort.
But there's this one that talks about competition,
competing, and that is like when you race.
Actually, you actually run.
Allah says, This
I will prepare and I will put in
place for those who believe in Allah.
Those who believe in Allah and His Messengers.
This is the favour of Allah, He gives
to whoever He wills.
And Allah is the one with the greatest
of all favours, with the greatest of all
bounties.
When Allah is talking about racing, Allah talks
about, You are supposed to compete with each
other in seeking Allah's forgiveness.
So the essence is, who asks for Allah's
forgiveness most?
That's what we are saying.
We are to compete with each other in
seeking Allah's forgiveness and in seeking paradise from
Allah.
When you see somebody doing one kind of
good deeds, you are supposed to race and
see how you can do better than that
person.
When it comes to charity, you are supposed
to race and see how you can outdo
that person in giving charity.
When it comes to kindness to others, you
should outrace other people in who does more
kindness to others.
You understand what I'm trying to say now?
That means, we are supposed to race, we
are supposed to do competition.
Competition, that's the east, the back.
Allah says, To each is a goal to
which Allah turns him.
They are strapped together as in a race.
Race with one another in goodness.
So, understand very well, another way through which
we do the movement in this world is
when we race, when we run, when we
compete in goodness.
And this is very essential.
Competition in life should come through the goodness
that we do.
Let us see how we can outdo each
other in goodness, in kindness, and all forms
of bringing progress to humanity, bringing succor to
those who are sad, bringing relief to those
who are burdened, and bringing, you know, happiness
to those that are grieving.
So, whatever thing we do, let us race
with each other.
Now, you see, the Quran uses this word,
race, for us to understand that it's a
part of movement, it's a kind of movement,
but this time around, you want to outdo
each other in goodness.
There's another kind of race.
We are supposed to race from the sin
of sins.
Just like it happened in the case of
Yusuf, in Quran chapter 12, verses 25 to
27.
Allah says, وَقُلَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ
قُلًا مَعَادُ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ رَبِي أَحْسَنُ مَتْوَايًا إِنَّهُ
لَيُحْيَهُ الْظُولِمُونَ Allah says, وَرَوَدَتْهُ The person who
was in the house was already seeking how
they can have something together.
And he said, هَيْتَ لَكَ You are free
to do whatever you want to do with
me now.
And he said, Well, I see religion a
lot from this kind of mishap.
But the part I want to use there
is, وَسْتَبَكُ الْبَابَ وَقُدَّتْ كُمِسُهُ مِنْ دُبُرٍ وَالْفَيَةِ
سَيِّدَهَا لَدَى الْبَابِ قُلَتْ مَا جَزَاءُ مَا أَرَوْدَ
بِأَهْلِكَ سُوءًا إِلَّا أَنْ يُسْجَنَا أَوْ عَذَابٌ عَلِيمٌ
She chased him to the door and grabbed
him from behind and tore off his shirt.
And suddenly, they were face to face with
her husband, looking accusingly at Yusuf.
And she asked her husband, What punishment is
most fitting for those who have evil desires
towards your household other than imprisonment or painful
torment?
Let me summarize that story for you.
Of course, you read it up in Quran
chapter 12, verses 35 to 27.
Yusuf, peace be upon him, saw what was
going to happen, so he ran.
He actually raced.
And he was racing with this woman as
to who would catch each other first.
This woman was pursuing him and he was
racing.
He was running.
In other words, when it comes to matters
of sin and sinfulness, don't just sit down
there and be looking up.
Sometimes you have to run from the sin
of sins.
Sometimes you have to run away physically from
situations that are sinful.
So I need you to think very deeply
about what Yusuf did here.
He did not just sit back and say,
I was going to be like, I was
going to be like, I was going to
be like military regime.
He was not just saying, Oh Allah protect
me from this woman, protect me from this
woman.
Oh Allah save me from committing this sin.
Sometimes or more you have to run.
Either as a man or as a woman,
you may have to actually run physically from
the sins of sin so that you don't
get caught up.
Sometimes, things of Shaitaan, you don't just sit
back and say Allah will protect you.
You may have to run away from wherever
Shaitaan can catch up with you.
Shaitaan may not come like some ugly creature
with horns the way we see it in
pictures, but Shaitaan may come in form of
beautiful woman, may come in form of handsome
man that want to lure you towards evil.
Shaitaan may come in form of very, you
know, very juicy contract, whereas it is haram.
Shaitaan may come in form of very nice
lucrative business, whereas this business is haram.
Shaitaan may present itself in form of very
nice opportunities, whereas these opportunities are haram.
Opportunities to do what is harmful, opportunity to
cheat other people, opportunity to betray the trust
given to you, opportunity to, you know, cheat
on other people in order to survive, in
order to thrive, in order to get rich.
Shaitaan may bring any opportunity of this.
What are you supposed to do?
Like we normally see on social media, run
away.
What are you supposed to do?
Run away.
Don't stay and don't wait for what is
haram.
So, this is a kind of movement, but
the Quran is saying, run away.
When you see something that is going to
lead you to hellfire, you better run away.
This is very important for us to understand.
No matter how bad the situation is, there
are certain instances where you don't just walk
away.
Or more, you just got to run away.
That's what that verse is saying.
May Allah make it easy for us to
do what is best for us in this
regard.
So, try your best.
Run towards what is good.
Allah talks about some people, وَالَّذِينَ يُعْتُونَ مَا
آتَوَّا قُلُوبٌ وَجِلَّتُنْ عَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ رَبٍّ يُرَجِعُونَ أُولَٰئِكَ
يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَهُمْ لَا سَابِكُونَ They are
those who give their charity, and they give
and also do other good deeds.
They give with their hearts full of fear
of Allah, whether their alms and charities will
be accepted or not, because they are sure
to return to their Lord for reckoning.
And these are the people who hasten to
good deeds, and they outstrip others in that.
That means they outrace other people in good
deeds.
أُولَٰئِكَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ These are the people
who do race in doing good deeds.
Let's take note of this, race in doing
good deeds and try to outrun other people
in good deeds.
Let me mention another movement in the Quran
that is similar to this, that is سَرَعَة,
that is سِنُ رَوْنَ أَنَعِينَ It also means
to hasten, and you see example of that
in Quran chapter 3 verse 114 أَلَا سَيْءُ
وَالْيُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُولَٰئِكَ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ Running
towards good deeds.
You see that in some other verse of
Quran, أَلَا سُوَسَارِعُونَ إِلَىٰ مَكْثُرَةِ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ Quran
chapter 3 verse 133 Race and hasten towards
seeking forgiveness of your Lord.
And like I mentioned earlier on, you are
now beginning to see that when Allah is
talking about matters of character, Allah doesn't say
just keep walking casually.
Allah will say race, that is make, you
know, as in do shaf-shaf, you know,
do kia-kia when it comes to matters
of the character because you don't know how
long you are going to stay in this
world.
Matters of walking towards the character is not
something you do and you are procrastinating and
you are delaying that, okay, I'll do it
later, I'll do it tomorrow, next tomorrow.
Don't procrastinate.
Make haste in doing matters of the character.
And I also mentioned far-ra.
That is far-ra-ra.
That's far-ra.
And that means to flee.
You know, this one is like it's the
back, that is we'll race with each other.
But here Allah is talking about flee.
You see that in Quran chapter 51 verse
50 where Allah says Flee unto Allah.
Why do you know you need to run
to Allah?
Because something is pursuing you.
Shaitan is pursuing you.
And when you are under the pursuit of
shaitan, when you are under the pursuit of
temptation, when you are under the pursuit of
poverty, when you are under the pursuit of
depression, when you are under the pursuit of
problems of life, when you are under the
pursuit of challenges of life, when you are
under the pursuit of wanting to be successful,
Allah says When enemies are pursuing you, you
should run towards Allah.
Don't run towards shirk.
Don't run towards human beings.
If not, they will disappoint you.
So Allah says run towards Allah, if you
can do this then you are going to
be successful in life.
So Allah used the word farra, farrora, that
is run towards Allah, unfortunately some people run
away from Allah because they are looking for
things of this dunya and this is what
happened in the time of Noah when Noah
said according to Quran chapter 71 verse 6,
Allah has called my people, I have been
preaching to them day and night, but my
calling didn't benefit them in anything except that
they keep flying away, they keep running away
from the truth.
So when people run away from the truth,
you will see that they keep farther away
from Almighty Allah, Allah Akbar, and I am
surprised too that people run away from admonition
nowadays.
If you want to start lecture or anything,
people just run, like people do talim in
the masjid.
One of the imams says, A'udhu Billahi
Minash Shaitanir Rajeem, Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, wants to
start talim, people just be running out of
the mosque, as if they are the shaitan
that the imam is talking about.
So let us keep away from all of
these things and remember a day when we
are going to actually be running away from
our families.
Quran chapter 80 verse 34 to 36, you
run away from your father, from your brother,
from your mother, you run away from your
wife and children, every day, that day everybody
will have what is sufficient for them.
That day when we are actually going to
run is coming, but Allah SWT says we
must only run towards Almighty Allah.
May Allah make it easy for us to
run towards him in every aspect of our
lives, especially in our times of need.
And the Quran says, anybody who should walk
towards me, I am going to run towards
him.
And anybody who should run towards me, I
am going to be there for that person.
Take note of that Hadith of the Prophet.
Another word about movement in the Quran is
Sair, that is Sino, Yaun and Raun, that
is to travel.
Yes, what do you mean by to travel?
Sometimes you may have to travel, you may
have to move from where you are, and
sometimes some traveling will bring all the goodness
you ever wanted in life.
Look at the travel of Musa AS, Quran
chapter 28 verse 29.
Allah says, Arabic And
when Musa had completed the term, and he
was traveling with his family, he passed him
from the direction of a mount, a fire,
and he said to his family, Stay here.
Indeed, I have perceived a fire.
Perhaps I will bring you from there some
information or burning wood from the fire that
you may warm yourselves with.
I want to bring out something very, very
interesting here.
Musa AS was not given a mission when
he was with Anabi Shuayb.
He was not given a mission when he
was in the palace of Firaun.
He was not given a mission when he
was at home in the place of his
comfort.
But Allah called him towards a mission when
he began a journey.
For some of us in life, we need
to travel before we can achieve the purpose
of our lives.
When Musa traveled thusly, Allah called him at
a point.
Allah used fire and light to attract him.
That is Nar and Nur to attract him.
And he said to his family, Wait for
me here.
Let me go and get that fire or
let me go and get some light or
the fire which we are going to warm
ourselves and the light which we are going
to find our way because it was getting
dark.
I want to put it to all of
us out there right now that sometimes what
can make you to be successful in life
when you are going to meet Allah's own
people in giving you the purpose in life
may not only come until after you have
traveled.
You may need to move away from your
environment.
Many people are in the city now because
they have to travel from their villages and
they move to the city.
It's in the city that they found the
goodness in life they are looking for.
Some people, very interestingly, may have to travel
away from the city and travel to the
rural areas or the villages where they can
actually find and achieve the purpose for which
Allah has created them.
Don't stay in one place.
Don't get stuck in one spot.
This verse of the Qur'an is talking
about seeru, that is travel.
You see that the Qur'an chapter 3,
verse 137.
Allah says, Many similar ways were faced by
people, believers and unbelievers in life.
This was a verse that was revealed after
the battle of Uhud.
Allah says, travel on the earth.
Don't stay on one spot.
Don't stay in one place.
Travel on the earth so that you can
see what was the end of those who
disbelieved in Allah.
You can see what was the end of
people that have existed before you.
And another place Allah says, see what ends
those people who were beliars of Allah's truth.
Those who belies the truth of Almighty Allah.
You see in Qur'an chapter 22, verse
46.
Allah says, This is a very big challenge.
Have you not traveled through the land?
So that their hearts and minds may gain
wisdom.
And so that their ears may learn to
hear.
Truly, it is not their eyes that are
blind, but their hearts which are in their
chests that are blind.
What does this mean?
Travel on the earth so that you can
gain wisdom.
Don't be a frog in the well.
Don't be like a goldfish that is inside
a goldfish tank and thinks that is the
extent of the ocean.
Don't be like a small bird in a
small cage that thinks flying around is a
waste of time.
Don't be like a fish that was born
in a pond and thinks that is the
way the whole ocean is.
In other words, movement embodies the ability and
determination to move, to explore and to chart
one's own course in the face of life's
constraints and limitations.
And furthermore, movement serves as means of connection.
Because you move both your mind and your
body, you are able to connect to yourself
as a human being with your own personal
identity.
You are also able to connect to other
people.
You are also able to connect to the
world at large.
So through movement, we humans, we engage with
our environment, we forge relationships and we create
significance in our world.
If we don't move with our minds and
our bodies, we will be disconnected from the
rest of creation.
When you socialize, when you move around, when
you talk to people, when you visit people,
you visit people and you are also visited.
And that is the way through which we
connect with the world and the way through
we connect with our environment.
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi ta'ala wa
barakatuh.
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