Ali Ataie – Restoring the Barakah in Your Time
AI: Summary ©
AI: Transcript ©
A common thing that a lot of people
say is, I just don't have enough time.
Or if only I had more time, I
would do x and y.
The truth is, if we really wanted to
do something, we would find the time.
So it's really not an issue of time
constraints, but rather an issue of prioritizing our
lives.
We just have to have enough courage to
be honest with ourselves.
Time is certainly a gift from Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala, and so of course every moment
is precious.
Every moment is a moment that we can
never get back.
Every day, every hour, every minute, every second
brings us closer to the hour, the hour
of our death. And as they say, death
waits for no man. Our master Muhammad said,
seize 5 before 5.
Seize your youth before your old age.
Seize your health before your sickness.
Seize your wealth before your poverty.
Seize your free time before your busyness,
and seize your life before your death. There
are people who go to the gym 6
times a week, for years, for decades.
They don't even have to think about it
anymore.
They just go summer or winter, rain or
shine,
whether they feel like it or not.
And if they should miss a day, they
feel uncomfortable and even anxious.
The average American spends 2 and a half
hours a day on social media.
According to the World Health Organization,
the average lifespan is about 73.4
years.
If a person started using social media at
age 10, which is very common,
then that would mean that they spent almost
7 years of their life on social media.
Then when you factor in 8 years of
TV watching,
27 years of sleeping, and nearly 4 years
of eating and drinking,
you're looking at over 45 years or almost
62% of an average lifetime spent on these
activities.
And this does not include working,
or shopping,
or driving, or socializing.
The month of Sha'aban presents an opportunity for
us to get our priorities straight.
For what it's worth, my advice to you
is that during these days,
read at least one verse of the Quran
every day.
Just one.
First read it in Arabic, but read it
with attention to proper orthophonics.
Sound out each letter with consideration.
And if you can't read Arabic, make an
intention to learn.
Then, read a reliable translation of the meanings
of that verse,
and take a few moments to reflect upon
those meanings.
And finally,
close your eyes and raise your hands,
open your heart,
and ask Allah
to give you openings in knowledge.
Beseech Allah
to fill your heart with rays of illuminating
light.
The Quran is the word of God. It
is our primary scripture and lasting miracle of
our master Muhammad sallallahu alaihi sallam.
And supplication,
according to the prophet, peace be upon him,
is the very essence of worship.
The Quran says,
Your Lord has said, call upon me and
I will respond to you. This entire process
of reading the Quran,
reading its meanings,
reflecting upon its meanings, and supplicating to Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
won't take you more than 5 minutes.
If you can manage 2 or 3 verses
during that time frame, then go for it.
But try not to go over 5 minutes.
After a few days, you will feel a
very strong inclination
to keep reading, and that's good. And you
can certainly increase your reading time, but I
caution you about doing too much at least
in the early stages.
What we're trying to do is habituate ourselves
to staying in Allah's word consistently.
And for the long run, we want this
to turn into a lifelong practice,
something we don't even have to think about,
but also something that gives us a precious
moment of intimacy
with our Lord. Our master
Muhammad said, the most beloved actions to Allah
are those that are consistent
even if they're small.
The Tao Te Ching says, he who stands
on tiptoe
does not stand firm.
He who takes the longest strides does not
walk the fastest.
Follow this process every day.
And by the time we get to the
blessed month of Ramadan, we will feel an
overwhelming sense of longing for the Quran.
And then when we recite the Quran during
the blessed month or hear its majestic recitation
in the masajid,
we hope to taste the sweetness of its
words and meanings over more prolonged periods of
time.
Another crucially important aspect of the life of
a Muslim is the consistency of the canonical
prayer.
Prayer is a lifelong commitment.
Allah
says to the prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, and
by extension, to all of us,
We certainly know that your heart is distressed
by what they say.
So glorify the praises of your lord and
be one of those who always pray.
And worship your lord until certitude
comes to you. Now all of the major
exegetes of the Quran say that al Yaqeen
or certitude here in this verse means death
because death is certain.
A devout Muslim, a Muslim in obedience to
Allah and his messenger, prays 5 times a
day at the proper times
and plans his or her daily activities around
his or her prayer, not the other way
around.
I'll leave you with this. Ibn Mas'ud Radiallahu
Anhu narrated that a man once came to
the prophet Muhammad, salallahu alayhi sallam,
and asked him, oh Messenger of God,
which deed is best?
And the prophet, peace be upon him, responded,
assodaatuli waqdiha,
the prayer at its proper time.
May Allah
grant you success in both worlds. And don't
forget to keep Zaytuna College in your supplications
during these blessed days months. This is Ali
Atay with Zituna College.