Is Allah Really the Most Important to You?

Introduction

Alhamdulillah… All thanks and praise are due to the Almighty Allah. I send peace and blessings upon Sayyidinā Muḥammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path till judgement day.

Allah, the Creator, is the most important to everyone. He’s the most important to the believer and the disbeliever. Whether the believer adheres to His teachings or not, and whether the disbeliever disbelieves by choice, conviction, denial or pretence. However, verbal declaration of He being the most important to one is different from believing it in one’s heart. Believing by heart also differs from putting it into practice in all aspects of one’s life.

This article, Is Allah Really the Most Important to You?, outlines some of the implications and results of having the belief, that Allah, the Creator, is the most important to you in all aspects of your life. It serves as a reminder for the believer, for, indeed, reminders benefit the believers. It also serves as a warning to the disbeliever against the implication of rejecting Allah in one’s life, for believers have the moral responsibility of warning their fellow human beings, who choose to disbelieve.

So, when Allah becomes the Most Important to you…

You Realize the Importance of Your Existence

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you, you reclaim your self-importance from the devil and his evil tricks, and from the soul and its evil leanings. One reclaims his self-importance, simply because has realized he has someone to report to, one day. None of us was created for fun. We were created into this existence for a purpose, and a very important one. Having this purpose in mind is sufficient to earn you your self-importance.

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

“I created the jinn and mankind only so that they might worship Me” (Qur’an, al-Dhāriyāt :56).

It’s worth mentioning that self-importance is not about thinking highly of one’ self. That’s arrogance, and we all know that arrogance is disrepute in Islam. Therefore, self-importance is about realizing the reason for your creation and the mission you’re expected to deliver in this life. Thus, every contribution, no matter how little, you give is given and presented in a way that pleases Him, and none else.

When this is achieved, one can then come to the acceptance, that the body he’s carrying is not but a trust, he’s been entrusted with. He must, therefore, ensure whatever this body consumes, it’s to keep it healthy, strong and active. One shouldn’t just eat that, which is tastier, but that which is healthy. Although one’s soul may desire more of a food, he has to discipline it with limits, so to keep it active for Qiyamullail and other forms of ‘ibadah, to be a more productive Muslim.

Achieving this means, you won’t just eat due to the availability of the food, but due to your need to eat. And when you eat, it’s not only about enjoying nicer meals, it’s also about taking care of your body which belongs to Allah.

إِنَّا لِلَّـهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“To Allah we belong, and Him we shall return” (Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 156).

Since we belong to Allah, and shall return to Him, anything else may be very important, but its importance comes second to the importance we have to give to Him.

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you…

Your Outfit becomes a Multipurpose

When our forefathers, Ādam and Ḥawwā’ failed the test, and the veil between them was made to drop, the first thing they did was to cover their ‘Aurahs by all means. This means, the need for clothing is essentially natural (fiṭrah) to humans.

Thus, when Allah becomes the Most Important to you, your outfit becomes multipurpose. A multipurpose outfit is designed to give the Muslim dignity, modesty and to enable him to pray in it. Thus, there’s no way that outfit will be purchased from unlawful money. Also, one dresses in that, which if it doesn’t please Allah, it won’t invite His anger.

Islam encourages us to eat that, which is tastier (good) and clothe ourselves with the beautiful we can afford. Tastier food and beautiful clothes attain their respective nice taste and beauty from the invisible purity of the bearer. Thus, the one who Allah is the Most Important to him ensures that, in addition to ensuring the source of his outfit is ḥalāl, when he picks the beautiful clothes, he chooses that which will give him comfort and convenience during prayers.

Therefore, his shirt (is loose and) fits him in the street and during prayers. With his shirt being fit enough to cover him during prayers, he doesn’t have to engage himself, while praying, in pulling his short shirt to cover his (‘Aurah) during Rukū’ and sujūd. With that, his dress earns him modesty and respect at the same time, and attains him the pleasure of Allah, subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā.

Her dress is modest enough, to earn her security in the street, respect from the respectful and the flexibility to pray in it. This is why the Muslimah’s dress, which she can put on to go out of her house, has to be one, which she can comfortably pray in, and get her prayers accepted. For that, this dress of hers, is not transparent nor tight that nullifies the purpose of modest dressing in Islam.

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا، وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ، ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّـهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾ ـ

“O children of Adam! We have sent down to you clothes to cover your nakedness, and to be pleasing to the eye; but the clothing of righteousness is the best. That is one of the signs of God. So that people may take heed” (Qur’an, al-A‘rāf: 26).

Clothing of righteous is the piety developed in the heart. And when the heart is filled with piety, it can’t afford to reflect it in the outfit.

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you…

Your Family is Important too

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you, your family becomes important and beyond. With that, one doesn’t see his dependent family, especially his aged parents as a burden. He knows that it’s Allah, the Most Important, who gave him to them.

He also realizes that children are gifts from Allah. Thus, Allah didn’t gift them to him due to some special qualities he possesses. Allah did not give them to him to show off and boast with them. Instead, He gave them to him to educate them, nurture them, mould and guide them righteously, and then give them back to serve the societies, for the good continuity of the Ummah and mankind. What is applicable to our parents and children is also applicable to our siblings, relatives, and subsequently above them all (save parents) our spouses.

And as much as one shows love to his parents, children, and relatives, he has to be there to guide them towards what pleases Allah, subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَّا يَعْصُونَ اللَّـهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ﴿٦﴾ ـ

“Believers, safeguard yourselves and your families from a Fire fuelled by people and stones, and watched over by angels, stern and strong: angels who never disobey God's commands to them, but promptly do as they are commanded (Qur’an, al-Taḥrīm: 6).

Paradise is going to be joyous. But how could one enjoy that without his loved ones? So, save them today!

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you…

Your Neighbours become Your Family too

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you, your neighbours will feel safer and enjoy more warmth from you.

By default, Muslims are the most kind and less suspicious towards their neighbours. We don’t do that to expect kindness in return. The kindness our neighbours deserve from us is a right (for them) we are obliged to give to them. Do you know why? It is because the Messenger of Allah enjoined us to showing kindness to our neighbours. The Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam emphasized the importance of showing kindness to our neighbours, to the extent that the companions, raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhum, thought he was going to give them share in our inheritance after one of us dies. To that effect, he said in a ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim from the narration of Sayyidinā Abī Hurairah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu:

لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ لَا يَأْمَنُ جَارُهُ بَوَائِقَهُ

“He will not enter Paradise, the one, whose neighbour is not safe from his evil.”

One’s neighbour may be a Muslim or a non-Muslim. He may be a Muslim relative, or a non-Muslim relative. One’s neighbour may be rich or be poor. He may be learned, and he may also be an illiterate. However my neighbour happens to be, he has rights on me.

And no matter how one’s neighbour is, a Muslim is advised to exercise patience with him. One should embrace him and learn to co-exist with him. This is because Allah Himself has ordered us in the Qur’an (al-Nisā’: 36) to show kindness to our neighbours:

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ، إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخْتَالًا فَخُورًا ﴿٣٦﴾ ـ

“Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.”

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you…

Your Friendship becomes Genuine

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you, your friends can only be true friends and for the righteous cause. It’s not enough to make friends and love them for whom they are. It’s important to have a cause for which you love them. And that cause should be Allah’s Sake.

Making friends is easy, but high level of piety, selflessness and contentment are required to make it for Allah’s sake.

In the materialistic age and time we are living today, friendship is made with expected benefits in mind, or for a day of need that may come. Thus, many of us create networking for business plans and for client growth. But in the scale of true Muslim brotherhood, friendship is established with the hope to go, hands-in-hands, to paradise together.

That’s why, the two who love each other for His sake shall be shaded under His shade, on the day there will be no shade except His. This is understood from the ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim, from the narration of Sayyidinā Abī Hurairah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

سَبْعَةٌ يُظِلُّهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظِلِّهِ يَوْمَ لا ظِلَّ إِلاَّ ظِلُّهُ‏: إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ، وَشَابٌ نَشَأَ فِي عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ، وَرَجُلٌ قَلْبُهُ مُعَلَّقٌ فِي المَسَاجِدِ، وَرَجُلانِ تَحَابَّا فِي اللَّهِ؛ اِجْتَمَعَا عَلَيْهِ، وَتَفَرَّقَا عَلَيْهِ، وَرَجَلٌ دَعَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ ذَاتُ مَنْصِبٍ وَجَمَالٍ، فَقَالَ‏: إِنِّى أَخَافُ اللَّهَ، وَرَجُلٌ تَصَدَّقَ بِصَدَقَةٍ فَأَخْفَاهَا حَتَّى لا تَعْلَمَ شِمَالُهُ مَا تُنْفِقُ يَمِينُهُ، وَرَجُلٌ ذَكَرَ اللَّهَ خَالِياً فَفَاضَتْ عَيْنَاهُ

“Seven people Allah will give them His Shade on the Day when there would be no shade but the Shade of His Throne (i.e., on the Day of Resurrection): And they are: a just ruler; a youth who grew up with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques, two men who love and meet each other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah; a man whom an extremely beautiful woman seduces (for illicit relation), but he (rejects this offer and) says: ‘I fear Allah'; a man who gives in charity and conceals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not know what the right has given; and a man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes become tearful.”

The ḥadīth above affirms that, friendship in normal circumstances, or rather by default, is made for worldly gains, other than Allah’s sake. However, we can involve Allah in it, when one or both parties involved prioritize Allah in all they do.

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you…

Your Enemy Get Fair Treatment

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you, you realize that even when you have to have an enmity with someone, you’re obliged to observe the adab (manners) of diversity and differences. Thus, one’s conscious of the fact that Allah, the most important, loves justice, and condones not injustice and mischiefs.

As a human being, who interacts with others within a society or community, disagreement, misunderstanding and dispute will surely come your way. That is if you only interact and nothing more. What more, if you have a mission to deliver, a mission that requires change in the way things are done. Surely, you’ll have more troubles and accusations.

If it happens–and it shall happen, don’t abuse your strength to victimize your weak opponent. If you’re wronged or offended, don’t follow unlawful (ḥarām) means to gain your rights. Go for your rights, but follow the righteous ways. It’s important to remember that, among the characteristics of the hypocrites is that they transgress when they dispute. They lie. They are not trustworthy. The Prophet Muḥammad, ṣallā Allāhu ʾalaihi wa sallam, said in a ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Bukhārī and Muslim from the narration of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr, raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhumā:

أَرْبَعٌ مَنْ كُنِّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنَافِقاً خَالِصاً. وَمَنْ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ، كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنَ النِّفَاقِ حَتَّى يَدَعَهَا: إِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ، وَإِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا عَاهَدَ غَدَرَ، وَإِذَا خَاصَمَ فَجَرَ

“There are four traits whoever possesses [all of] them is a hypocrite. And whoever possesses some of them carries an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: The one who when he is entrusted he betrays, when he speaks he lies, when he makes an agreement he violates it, and when he disputes he transgresses.”

Let’s put our egos aside, and be fair to ourselves by being fair to our perceived enemies.

When Allah becomes the Most Important to you…

Allah is One!

When Allah is the Most Important to you, only then the oneness of Allah can settle in your heart. It starts with knowing that He’s the Creator of everything, and the Sustainer of all that in existence. He’s therefore the Only One who is able of doing anything.

When this engraves in your heart, you’ll deal with everything, with the consciousness that Allah is observing you, and He is in-charge of everything. The good comes from Allah, and so do the bad. Good times come from Allah, and so do bad times. One’s provision comes from Allah, and so is the provision of his boss. One’s strength comes from Allah, and so is the strength of anyone else.

When Allah is One in one’s heart, he fears none but Allah. When he fears none but Allah, he’ll prioritize following the commandments of Allah in all he does.

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا

“Whoever obeys God and His Messenger has indeed achieved a great success” (Quran, al-Aḥzāb: 71).

This means, one is ought to review his faith, the moment he thinks someone else has the ability to do for him what Allah does, when Allah chooses not to do it for him. Be rich with Allah. Be strong with Allah. Be kind with Allah. Be attractive with Allah. Be loving with Allah. Don’t compromise Allah!

Conclusion

When Allah becomes the most important to you, you become fearful and hopeful about Him at the same time. You’re fear His punishment at the time that you hope for His kindness, rewards and Paradise. With that, you end up relating everything in your life with Him. This is in line with the command Allah gave to the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٦٢﴾ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَبِذَٰلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٦٣﴾ ـ

Say, “My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; He has no partner. So am I commanded, and I am the first of those who submit” (Qur’an, al-An‘am: 162-163).

There are endless implications that results from making Allah the most Important to one. They start from the moment one made his first breath in this world, to the moment he’s going to make his last.

Among others: When Allah becomes the most important to you, you can’t afford to miss praying on time. When Allah becomes the most important to you, your contentment doesn’t come from material gains. When Allah becomes the most important to you, the world has no substantial value in your eyes.

If you find this article useful, kindly share it with your loved ones. If you’re not subscribed to the GSalam.Net mailing list, click here do so today, so to be updated anytime a new article is published on GSalam.Net.

Until our next article, I leave you in Allah’s protection.

Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂