The Objective

There is no one who lives on earth without having an aim or an objective. Right or wrong, each person must have an objective for each activity or movement of his. Similarly, there must be a purpose for whatever Allah has created. Allah Ta'ala, the Supreme Creator, created the sky. He created the earth. Everything came into existence solely by Allah Ta'ala. It is He who has defined the purpose of human being (Insaan) on earth. The objective of Insaan is Aakhirah - a life that comes after death where everyone will be revived. Death in this Dunya is not the end of existence. It is rather the beginning of a true eternal life. It is a life which every Insaan will live it, in either perpetual suffering or an unequal and eternal well-being.

Allah Ta'ala has sent Insaan on earth for him to make effort to build his Aakhirah. It is this very effort that is laudable, valuable and appreciable. Any effort that harms one's Aakhirah is a detestable effort. Those who are truly aware of their Aakhirah will always make maximum effort in the direction of Aakhirah to live according to Deen. He will avoid all elements and factors that could hamper his effort. It will be like a person in the examination room who will not want to lose a mark or half of a mark voluntarily. This mark or half a mark means a lot to him.

A person who really loves his Aakhirah does not neglect anything. He seizes every opportunity. He does not leave a loophole. He looks for opportunities in all ways. He considers the least elements that may seem negligible and insignificant also. This is what makes him more and more cautious. People may call it extremist but if one is called extremist due to practicing Deen seriously and carefully, then it is a qualification that one must enviously adopt, inculcate and preserve.

As it is, he does not leave out Farz, Waajib, or Sunnat-e-Mu'akkadah. Even a Mustahab also, he considers abandoning it to be a great loss. Likewise, not only does he abstain from Haraam but even a Makruh also, he judges it to be fatal. Sometimes, he prefers to abstain from things which are permissible just because this can lead to impermissible things. At this point, it is good to note that this attitude is not in order to make haraam what is halal which is prohibited in the Shariah but it is merely a means to refrain from what is prohibited. There is a term which is known by the 'Ulama as 'Haraam lighairihi', that is something which is Halaal in itself but it may be a means to something which is not permissible. Thus, there is nothing wrong in refraining from such a thing because the fact that it is Halaal and permissible does not mean that it is absolutely necessary to practice on it as long as we continue to consider it as Halaal and Ja'iz. Hazrat Ali (Radiyallaahu Anhu) would keep his hair short by shaving his head but yet Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) always kept long hair except in Hajj and ‘Umrah where he would shave it. Hazrat Ali (Radiyallaahu Anhu) had heard Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) saying that there is Janaabat under every strand of hair. Thus, as a precaution, he preferred to shave his hair for his own satisfaction and tranquillity. Through this, he wanted to be reassured that not a single strand remains dry when he washes his hair.

A diabetic avoids sugar. A heart patient does not consume red meat. They do this for their physical health. And that is not forbidden nor is it called making Haraam what is Halaal. There is no difference between him and the one who leaves a certain Halaal deeming it to be harmful to his spiritual health. Nikah occupies a very important place in the life of a person which is strongly recommended in the Shari'ah. There are certain degrees and circumstances in which it can even become Farz, but in spite of that there are 'Ulama who authorise to postpone it or even not to perform it if it becomes a handicap in the acquisition of the knowledge of Deen or to practice Deen. A person does his best not to get involved in police cases as this can damage his reputation or even ruin his career. Like this, he adopts all measures that allow him to pursue his career successfully. In the same way, a person who is truly conscious that his final destination and his principal objective is Aakhirah, will not lose out on anything that can contribute effectively to his journey. Let's put aside the essential actions, even simple actions mean a lot for him. There is no reason to neglect even a simple action without a valid reason when Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam): said: لا تحقر معروفا (Do not underestimate any good deed).

A person who considers Aakhirah as his aim, Allah Ta'ala makes him feel a sense of independence in his heart, solves all his problems and Dunya falls at his feet. That is, success in Dunya and Aakhirah is in taking Aakhirah as the main objective. Otherwise, one will lose Aakhirah and even the Dunya will not be acquired. So he loses on all fronts.

Use this Dunya to build your Aakhirah. Do not follow those who destroyed their Aakhirah due to a small temporary benefit of this Dunya.

Until proven otherwise, an undesirable appearance (not conforming to the Shari'ah) is a symptom and a sign of a deficiency and an internal illness.

[English version of "Objectif" – Al Jamiat – Vol.6 No.15]