We too have many idols in our lives, which perhaps we fail to discern. They are those in whom we anchor our reliance and fantasize that they will come to our help. However, in the end, after getting disappointed from every other alternative we helplessly utter: Allah will do it. High time we recoil back from this!

Moreover, the sign of Allah being there in our lives is that come what may, first and foremost the attention goes onto Him alone. Like a child who gets hurts while playing round the avenue and cries out for his mother (although his mother is nowhere near him at the spot). But this is because it is subscribed there in his heart that my safe haven is my mother. Likewise, a Momin too immediately calls out onto Allah, goes in Sajdah, rings the call and makes a connection. That is also what the customs of our predecessors portray that where they heard lightening and thunder strike, they used to assemble in the masjids. Where they foresaw a mishap, they went into prostration. Where they had a storm in their lives they started knocking at the door of their merciful Lord.

On the other hand, when a Momin grows old he gets to feel more and more at peace with himself. This time of his life was meant to be analogous to a farmer planting seeds and then anxiously waiting for the time of harvest to reap the fruits of his toils. This is the time when a farmer’s happiness knows no bounds, musing over the many days and nights he spent in watering, seeding, protecting these plants. At last, now is the moment in time that he will harvest and witness the crop of his efforts. Similar is the case with a Momin. When he gets old his contentment is at its pinnacle: my labours are about to yield fruit when I’ll meet my Allah. Then, would not this to be a source of delight for him? That is only likely when Allah is there in our lives by and large.

All the same, now that Allah is not there in our lives then certainly when one stands for prayer then Allah does not fill the heart completely. The salah too would be affixed on whatever is the compass of our lives, whatever haunts us during our lives. Therefore, although we take out time for our so-called worship, in effect, we give it away to be squandered off. Or can we recall a prayer which from the beginning till the end was confined only for Allah? Oh yes, from the start till the end the thoughts of our work preoccupied us; this happens many times. The reason being that we have gone through all measures of thoroughness to infuse the love of this world in our lives.

The vim and vigor of the worship [ibadat] is dependent on the worship being done with full respect and regard. Mualana Manzoor Ahmed Nuamani rahmatullah illah used to say that after Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam’s generation the biggest disease that erupted in the masses was that the worship of those people was left for pretension only. Worship is which is done with utter mindfulness of Allah. However, when it is  only done as a mere ritual, then even if salah is made then too no change appears, if not read then too no difference. Did Umrah to the house of Allah, but witnessed no change in life; just the same as having not performed it at all. The quintessence of spirit did not change. And how is this possible? How is this possible that we perform acts of worship and they do not reflect in our lives?

Tell the truth, if there are any stains on our clothes then do we set out for a fine meeting or gathering. Nobody does! We do not even like going there. Today too the garments of our hearts are full of stains. Ever wondered: we are in front of Allah, we need to cleanse and purify them? In reality, the apprehension that these too are being observed by someone is nullified. Each and all the blemishes of our body appear eerie to us for people can see them. We go to doctors; take medicines don’t know what else. And the blemishes of the heart, which are being seen by Allah… who cares! This attitude needs change.

Now picture in your mind a setting where there is vast security. Will the criminals and thieves dare come near that place and carry out their tomfoolery. Instead, certainly they will stay away as the caretakers of law are watching over. But today the Muslims are stealing away in Allah’s Deen. How they are breaching all his laws, attempting to deceit Him. Have the Muslims forgotten the concept of there being a Caretaker and a Custodian for this eternal religion? He too is watching over. Today His realization and consciousness is way beyond our furthest intellects. And the result of all this is obvious: firstly, there are countless sins, and on the other hand even if there is some worship [ibadat], that too, is only mere pretentiousness, having no soul involved. If the worship were done in a manner that my Allah is watching me and I am in the exalted court of my Lord and my Creator, then its regard would be incredibly unusual altogether.

The age we live in, where we see countless rampant sins, one is left to wonder: is Allah truly watching over? It serves well to reminisce how Hazrat Luqman is instructing his son to always be mindful of Allah: 

“O my son!” (Said Hazrat Luqman), “If there be (but) the weight of a mustard seed and it were (hidden) in a rock, or (anywhere) in the heavens or on earth, Allah will bring it forth: for Allah understands the finest mysteries, (and) is well-acquained (with them).” [Luqman 31:16]

But surely, if my assets were taken to Quetta by a person whom I do not even know, do not know his influences and am unaware of his might; then, no doubt there will be disgruntlement inside me ready to tear me apart. Therefore when we are unaware of Allah’s might and are negligent of Him then there explode sparks of awful agitation within us. And then, if Allah takes away something; the heart will definitely ache in disapproval, echoing blows of who took it…

All praise be to the gracious Allah, Who eased my burden for if the particular blessing which He seized had been granted to me in this World only (ephemeral world), I would have been accountable for it! As soon as the eyes would have closed the angels would have asked me: you had eyes what did you employ of them? You had wealth, where did you spend it?