Sadullah Khan – Developing a Qur’anic Personality To be and What not be. #29

Developing a Quranic personality

to be and what not to be.

As we enter winter

and conclude the holy month of Ramadan,

we say Alwidah,

we say farewell.

Everything that begins has an ending.

The only thing consistent and permanent, unchanging, unending

is the countenance

and the presence of Allah.

And as

we conclude Ramadan and say farewell, I reflect

on the fact that Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala

reminds us in the Quran

that life is a test.

And

that all life and everything that exists,

all of creation will sometime come to an

end.

Entering the twilight zone of my life myself,

I ponder some days

that sometime

there will be no more sunrises.

There'll be no more minutes,

no hours, no days.

And all things that we collected,

whether we treasured them or even forgot about

them,

all of those things will someday be left

behind.

Our wealth,

our fame,

our temporal power and authority,

all of these will shrivel into irrelevance.

Our grudges,

our resentments,

our boasts,

our frustrations,

our competition,

our jealousies,

all of these

will finally disappear.

The wins and the losses that seemed so

important or that once may have seemed so

important will then be forgotten.

And so too, our hopes,

our ambitions,

our plans

will expire.

We will leave the world someday

and very important as we come to the

end of something,

it's a reminder

of a temporary nature of our lives.

We will leave the world someday

and our existence in this world

will seem like a brief crack of light

between 2 long periods of darkness.

Before birth and then in the grave.

But our departure is certain.

Wherever you are, death will come and fetch

you.

So if you're not in the winter of

your life,

not yet,

let me remind you that it will be

there much faster than you think

and more sooner

than you anticipate.

Be ever aware of the fact that every

day we live is a day further from

our birth.

Every day we live is a day further

from our birth.

And every breath we breathe is a breath

closer to our death.

And as certain as we are about the

occurrence of death someday, somewhere, sometime,

so uncertain are we about the timing

and the place thereof.

And we are therefore instructed by the Rasool

act as if every act will be your

last act. Pray your prayer as if it

will be your last prayer.

We recall the admonition of the

words Jibril told Rasool

Allah said, Yeah, Muhammad

Shabriya alayhi salam told your Rasul and threw

him to us, live as you please

but you will die someday.

Love what you love,

you will be separated from it someday.

And do as you wish,

someday

you will be held accountable

and paid back for what you have

done.

So our lives and what we have is

only temporary.

Ramadan came and Ramadan went. People will come

and people will go.

Our lives must end and all our possessions

will eventually pass on to others.

Our hopes and our plans will fade

with our abilities and our days.

Eventually,

neither our color

nor our gender,

neither our wealth nor our status nor our

position nor our titles

nor our possessions

will really matter.

What really will matter is not what we

studied but what we learnt.

Not who we knew

but for what we were known.

Not what we memorized

but for what we will be remembered,

not so much what we said

but what we actually meant,

Not how we traveled, but where we went.

Not how much we had,

but for what it was spent.

Not what we got, but what we gave.

Not what we liked,

but how we loved.

Not what we professed,

but how we lived.

And not how long we lived, but how

much good we did.

So,

let us enhance our faith.

Let us value our wealth that we have,

whatever it may be Our knowledge, our possessions,

whatever we may have.

Let's value our health.

Let's appreciate those who are in our lives.

Let's help other people with our skills. Let's

empower others with our knowledge

and our experience.

Let's treasure the time that we do have

and let us

create memories that will be lasting

long after we are gone.

Remember the reality

that living is temporary.

The certainty that life

cannot be too long

And the possibility

that life may be shorter

than we anticipate.

All of this

should motivate each person of faith

and each person of conscience

to do what is right.

To do what is right in the right

manner.

To do what is right in the right

manner

for the right intention.

We bring to our close

the series Turbiyatul shakseidul Quraniyah.

We bring it to close with the dua

of Rasulullah

Oh Allah, let every moment of life

be an opportunity

for goodness.

I thank you. I hope you have been

empowered or inspired or at least learned something.

And may Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala grant that

there will be transformation

for next Ramadan may or may not come.

And if it does come, we may or

may not be here.