CARE TO ENTER PARADISE?!

Useful tips in trying to live Islam daily:





[1]
Purify your intentions and remember that you wish to seek the pleasure of Allah



Sincerity in all we do is a commandment of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala):

"Say, 'Indeed my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my
living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And
this I have been commanded, and I am the first (among you) of the
Muslims.'" [Surah al-An'aam, 6:
162,163]

He also says:

"So worship Allah (alone) by doing religious deeds
sincerely for Allah's sake only, (and not to show-off and not to set up rivals
with Him in worship). Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience)
is for Allah only."[Surah Az-Zumar
39:2-3]

Ibn Al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said,

"Deeds without sincerity are like a traveler who carries in his
water-jug dirt. The carrying of it burdens him and it brings no benefit."






[2]
Seek His help through du'a



Allah has told His Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) that He is close and
answers the supplication of any servant who calls to Him. He said:

"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed
close (to them), I respond to the prayer of every supplicant when he calleth on
Me." [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:
186]

Indeed, when we are faced with distress, it is He whom we should turn to:

"Or, who listens to the distressed (soul) when he
calls on Him, and who relieves his suffering?" [Surah An -Naml: 62]


[3]
Do not procrastinate



It is easier for one to put off a goal until tomorrow so that one can
rationalize not disciplining oneself today. How often have we said, "Inshaa
Allah, I will make a change tomorrow" but never actually get around to
doing it? One of the early scholars said, "Beware of procrastinating. It
is the greatest of the soldiers of Satan." Do not make half-hearted
promises - you are fooling no one but yourself. Carry out your resolutions with
zeal and optimism.






[4]
Take baby steps and set realistic goals In our zeal



We often chart ambitious plans only to be discouraged when we cannot sustain
our efforts. Remember that no good deed is too small - the Prophet (salAllahu
alayhi wasalam) was asked, "Which deed
is most beloved to Allah?" He said,
"The one that is continuous, even if it is little." [Sahih al-Bukhari,
Fath al-Bari 11:194].

Small changes work a great deal better than giant leaps, so don't bite off more
than you can chew. Start out with small deeds and you that you can accomplish
easily and consistently before moving on to more challenging ones. This will
motivate you and make you feel more successful. Insha'Allah, you will find that
over time, you will have made a big difference.






[5] Build a good
support system



Ibn Hazm said,

"Anyone who criticises you cares about your
friendship. Anyone who makes light of your faults cares nothing about
you."
It is said that reminders benefit the believers, so surround yourselves with
good companions who will give you sincere advice and who will support you with
your resolutions. Avoid those who will chip away at your self-esteem or who
will tempt you away from your resolutions.

Bear in mind what 'Ali radhiallahu 'anhu said:

"Mix with the noble people, you become one of them;
and keep away from evil people to protect yourself from their evils."


[6]
Track your progress and be consistent



Write down your goals - hang this list up on the wall, keep it in your
notebook, fold it into your wallet or stick it in your locker. You can even
keep a log or journal of how you are doing - start a web log even! Be honest
with yourself and recheck your goals. The idea is not to slacken. Indeed, when
the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) did something, he kept it up.
[Muslim].

Take a look at the hadith Qudsi in which Allah says:

"… 'My slave keeps drawing nearer to me with naafil
(supererogatory) deeds until I love him.'"[Sahih al-Bukhari].

The phrase maa
yazaalu ["keeps (drawing near)"] gives the impression of
continuity. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) also said,
"Continue doing Hajj and 'Umrah."






[7]
Avoid burnout



It is inevitable that we sometimes feel as if our iman has hit rock bottom or
that we lack the spirit to continue in our striving.

The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Iman wears out in one's heart, just as the dress
wears out (becomes thin). Therefore, ask Allah to renew iman in your
hearts."[at-Tabarani and
Al-Hakim]

Continuing to do acts of worship and good deeds does not mean one exhausts
oneself to breaking point. We continue with the obligatory acts. When we have
the energy and inclination, we strive to do more and when we do not, we do as
much as we can.

The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)said: "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself
in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be
extremists, but try to be near to perfection…" [Sahih al-Bukhari]

According to another
report, he said:

"Be moderate, and you will reach what you want." [Sahih al-Bukhari]


[8]
Seek inspiration



The best sources of inspiration are in the mighty Qur'an, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi
wasalam), his companions, the pious predecessors and the scholars.

Look at Abu Musa al-Ash'ari. He used to apply himself so much in worship at the
end of his life that he was told, "Why don't you slow down and be
gentle with yourself?" He replied, "When the horses are
released for a race and are close to the finish line, they give all the
strength they have. What is left of my life is less than that." It is
said that he maintained this level of devotion till he died.

Look at Amir ibn Abdullah who was once asked, "How can you tolerate
being awake all night, and thirsty in the intense heat of the day?" He
replied, "Is it anything more than postponing the food of the day to
nighttime, and the sleep of the night to daytime? This is not a big
matter." When the night came, he would say, "Remembrance of
the heat of hellfire has taken sleepiness from me." And he would not
sleep until dawn.

Look at Ar-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym. Abu Hayan related that his father said,
"Ar-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym was crippled and used to be carried to the
congregational salah. So people told him, "You have an excuse (for not
coming)." He said, "I hear 'hayya 'alas-salah' , the call to
salah; so if you can come to it even by crawling, do so", paraphrasing
a hadith.






[9]
Do a variety of acts of worship



Allah in His Infinite Mercy has blessed us with a variety of acts of worship to
do - some are physical such as prayer; some are financial such as zakat and
sadaqah; some are spoken such as du'aa and dhikr.

Perhaps the wisdom behind this provision is that it addresses the different
inclinations and abilities of the people. Some people may enjoy some kinds of
worship more than others. Indeed, Allah has made gates of Paradise according to
the different types of worship.

According to a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (radhiallahu anhu) the
Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)said:

"Whoever spends on a pair for the sake of Allah will
be called from the gates of Paradise, 'O slave of Allah, this is good.' Whoever
is one of the people of prayer will be called from the gate of prayer. Whoever
is one of the people of jihad will be called from the gate of jihad. Whoever is
one of the people of fasting will be called from the gate of al-Rayyan. Whoever
is one of the people of charity will be called from the gate of charity." [Sahih al-Bukhari]


[10]
Do not waste even a minute



As mentioned earlier, there are a variety of deeds one can do. There may be
days when one is busy with chores, work or commitments to family and friends.
This does not mean that one does not have time to incorporate one's resolution
to live Islam daily. One can make dhikr while cooking, one can memorise a du'aa
while waiting for the bus, one can listen to an Islamic lecture when driving
home from work… the list goes on. The bottom line? Do what you can when you
can.

May Allah give us steadfastness and may He give us the best in this world and
the hereafter
Aameen.






ALI-ZIAD N.A. SALI
-aznas0429@yahoo.com-

The great ascetic Shaqîq Al-Balakhî – Allâh have mercy on him – was once
asked, “What is the mark of [true] repentance?” He replied, “Continued
crying over past sins, deep fear of falling into them again, staying
away from bad company, and keeping the company of good people.”
Abû Bakr Al-Daynûrî, Al-Mujâlasah wa Jawâhir Al-‘Ilm article 2645.