Remembering Allah with a clear mind

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Last week we spoke about the remembrance of Allah.  Today insha Allah we will look at the stages ones goes through in the process of becoming God conscious.  It cannot happen overnight.  It takes time and discipline.

As human beings we cannot have two separate entities in our mind at one and the same time.  For example we cannot remember Allah and think of the worldly acquisitions at the same time.  Allah says in Surah Ahzab;

Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body: (33:4)

So human beings cannot engage into two contrasting entitles at one and the same time.  How then do we achieve pure God consciousness?  It is possible through discipline and culturing of the personality.  In relation to this Allah says;

But keep in remembrance the name of Thy Lord and devote thyself to Him whole-heartedly.  (73:8)

Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said “Satan puts three knots at the back of the head of any of you if he is asleep.  On every knot he reads and exhales the following words, ‘The night is long, so stay asleep’.  When one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot is undone; and when one performs ablution, the second knot is undone, and when one prays the third knot is undone and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart." (Bukhari)

Through the remembrance of Allah you can put to rest the scheme of Satan.

The best time to remember Allah is when you have finished all your worldly commitments, and any other distractions that are on your mind.  When you are free of all emotional preoccupation you can communicate properly to your Lord.

Allah makes mention of this in Surah Alam Nasyrah;

Therefore, when thou art free (from thine immediate task), still labour hard, and to Thy Lord turn (all) thy attention.  (94:7-8)

Prophet Muhammad emphasizes the importance of having a clear mind in the following ahadith:

§  “If the Iqama for prayer is proclaimed and supper is served, take your supper first”.

§  One of the three acts which are not allowed is for a person to offer prayer while needing to answer the call of nature”.

We can see the practicality of Islam.  Devote yourself to your Lord when your mind is clear and free from any preoccupations.  Nothing should distract you when you are attempting to gain closeness to Allah.  Satan is smart and he will use your emotional unrest to divert your focus away from Allah, so all you will really be achieving is the mechanical aspect of prayer.

 

Imam Ali (as) says: “Allah doesn't answer the prayer of a person whose prayer doesn't come from his heart”.  Therefore, one should pray from the depths of his heart and should have a conviction that Allah is watching and listening to him.

One of the best times to engage in the remembrance of Allah is during the night prayer (Tahajjud).  When everyone else is asleep and there is relative tranquillity.  At night there are less distractions, thus a person would be able to concentrate and focus more.  Allah says;

Truly the rising by night is most potent for governing (the soul), and most suitable for (framing) the word (of prayer and Praise).  (73:6)

Islam doesn’t want you to stay away from the world.  Instead maintain an appropriate balance.  Take time out of your daily routine to gain nearness to Allah.  Don’t keep on procrastinating and put off God consciousness.  Every day that passes means one day less in this world.  Get closer to your Lord and insha Allah He will look after all your affairs in this world and the next.

May Allah always bless the believers and enable us to gain nearness to Him and maintain it throughout our lives.

Remembering Allah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

 

Allah says in Surah Baqarah;

Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you.  Be grateful to me, and reject not Faith.  (2:152)

We are all living in the Divine Presence of Allah.  We know that He sees and hears everything, so then why is He telling us about His remembrance in the ayat quoted above?

It is recorded in Hadith Qudsi that Allah the Most High says, “I am with my slave when he thinks of Me and I am with him when he mentions Me.  For if he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in a gathering, I mention him in superior gathering.  If he approaches Me by a hand's width, I approach him by an arm's length, I approach him by two arms length.  And if he comes to me walking, I hasten to him swiftly".  (Bukhari)

Whenever we engage in the remembrance of Allah by ways of praising Him and glorifying Him we are getting closer and closer to Him.

What we can gather is that Allah wants us to get close to Him.  In retrospect this is easier said than done so He actually meets you along your path to Him.  Look at how merciful He is.  If you make the smallest of efforts to attain closeness to your Creator He comes down to you.  And He further says that He sends a light by which to guide you along the straight path. 

Understand that in regular remembrance of Allah, He will guide you, forgive you and reward you.  If you keep God conscious even if you make a mistake He will forgive you.  Allah wants you to thank Him and appreciate His favours.  And He promises more blessings to those who show gratefulness to Him.

One sage told his people that that he actually knows when Allah is remembering him.  Obviously curious his people asked as to when to which the sage replied whenever I am remembering Him.

So when we engage in any act of remembrance Allah focuses something of His Divine Attention on us. 

Satan on the other hand wants to continuously divert your focus away from your Lord.  Allah says;

Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?  (5:91)

Remember if you put your faith and trust in Allah He will attend to you.  This is what true faith is about; trusting Allah especially when you are faced with difficulties.  Some people say that they maintain faith in Allah but you have to tie your camel.  The Sufis say that once you put your faith in Allah your ‘camel has been tied’.

We cannot question nor understand the working of Allah.  He knows that which we don’t.  What we do know is that by constantly remembering Him He remembers us and insh Allah will take care of our affairs.

May Allah enable us to demonstrate throughout our lives true reliance and trust in Him and may He guide us and protect us from situations that divert our focus away from Him.