I used to have this mentality : take care of your obligatory deeds, do some superegoratory deeds (amalan sunat) if you can and live as a "normal muslim".
A lot of people in my country have this mentality too. When it comes to food, we're very particular about halal and haram.
But when it comes to other things, "malaysia boleh!"
graft? boleh! its called "service charge"
interest? boleh! give it a nice name, "bunga" (flower) and you're good to go.
touching a non-muhrim before marriage? boleh!
So yeah, i had this 'ritualistic' mindset about islam. Do the rituals and you're going to heaven. Attend circles once a week and you're doing fine.
Recently, the meaning of one verse became apparent to me:
إِنَّ سَعْيَكُمْ لَشَتَّى
Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse (different in aims and purposes); (Al Lail : 4)
This is why we musn't rely solely on translations.
The word used here is: سعى (sa'a, sa'y). It is translated as "efforts, deeds".
But what does it really mean?
سعى - to move quickly, run, speed, to move across the sky, to head for, proceed, to strive for, aspire to, to work, endeavor, attempt, make an effort, to achieve, to run after, pursue, chase, to take steps.
To rephrase : "Verily, what you pursue/run after are diverse". The surah then proceeds to describe two different types of people with different pursuits. One in heaven, one in hell.
Let us reflect on that : what we run after.
We may be the typical 'good, ritualistic muslim'. But what do we run after? What puts us in a hurry? What makes us anxious? What do we stay awake at night for?
Imagine you were late for class. What would you do? You'd bathe like a buffalo, put on whatever clothes there are and get on the next train. getting squeezed by the closing door of the train? no problem. bumping into an old lady and spilling all the things in her grocery basket? no problem.
That is sa'a. We hurry for class because no class ---> no preparation ---> fail in exams ---> no job ---> no money. Of course we're in a hurry.
But what if
*LLLB = Lek Lek La Bro.
We hurry for our world. But when it comes to the eternal life, we say "I won't procrastinate tomorrow".
look at the man Allah described in surah Yasin.
And there came running from the farthest part of the town, a man, saying: "O my people! Obey the Messengers; (36:20)
Its that word again :
يَسْعَى . This guy was running from the furthest part of town. Just to say "Obey the messengers. obey these people. obey these righteous men."
He got killed. But as soon as he was killed, Allah said to him "enter paradise". He was rewarded paradise just for RUNNING, for HURRYING to convey the truth.
Dear readers, run. Run to save your lives.
2 comments:
I wonder how does that mentality is created. Curious. If we know, perhaps there is something we can do about it, because seemingly many people have the same perception on the rituals part of Islam. Hmm..
Hmm..maybe bcoz orang ambil mudah kot. Atau tak faham. So main langgar je halal haram. kena fahamkan orang bit by bit.. ;-)
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