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Islamic Creed- Creed and Quran Inimitability- Lesson (34-36): Elements of Divine Assignment- Faith-related matters -1- The outcomes of Establishing a Connection with Allah
   
 
 
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful  
 

 

Deeds which do not please Allah veil the believer from His Lord:

 Dear brother, this is lesson No. 34 of the series Aqeedah and the Inimitability of the Quran. Today's topic is related to a problem from which the majority of Muslims suffer. A man might say to you, "I pray but I do not feel anything, I reauthor the Quran and I do not feel anything, and the same happens when I remember Allah, so what is wrong with my acts of worship?" In fact, The Almighty Allah says: 

﴾And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).﴿

[Al-Baqarah, 186]

 Allah says that He comes in between a person and his heart, and He also says that He is nearer to man than his jugular vein, and that He is with him (by His Knowledge) wheresoever he may be. Thus, Allah is very close to us, but how can we draw close to Him? The bitter truth is that what comes in between us and Allah is the deeds we do which do not please Allah, and the proof is in the following Ayah:

﴾Nay! But on their hearts is the Ran (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.﴿

[Al-Mutaffifin, 14]

Man's safety and happiness are fulfilled by establishing a connection with Allah:

  Allah, Glorified and Sublime, be He will not manifest on the believer's heart unless the latter is pure, upright, pious and sincere. Accordingly, one should blame himself always in case he could not establish a connection with Allah and in case he could not taste the sweetness of faith, of Zikr (remembrance of Allah) and of reciting the Quran. You must know that there is something doubtful or a desire, which you have chosen over obeying the Almighty Allah, comes in between you and the fruits of faith. This fact should be crystal clear to you like the shinning sun; it is either a doubtful matter or a desire which veils you from Allah, Glorified and Sublime be He. 

 Man may become heedless out of committing a minor sin, or out of falling short in performing acts of worship, but he strives to return to Allah as soon as possible to establish a connection with Him, and he can do that since the veil is very thin. Unlike him, someone finds establishing a connection with Allah very hard, because the veil is very thick.

 You should know beyond doubt that your happiness and safety are accomplished by establishing a connection with Allah in the worldly life through Salah, Zikr, reciting the Quran, Munajat (talking to Allah secretly), making Du'a (supplication), Tasbeeh (glorifying Allah), Takbeer (saying Allah is the Greatest), Tahmeed (praising Allah) and the like of acts of worship. When you are veiled from Allah, put the blame on yourself, for Allah is nearer to us than our jugular vein, and He comes in between us and our hearts. Allah the Almighty is waiting for us to resort to Him:

﴾And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).﴿

[Al-Baqarah, 186]

Whoever realizes that Allah is not manifested in his heart must blame himself:

  The connection with Allah can be established even with closed lips, but when you fail to do so, you should know that there is a veil between you and Him. Thus, the delicate first point is that you should know beyond doubt that falling short in obeying Allah, violating Allah's Orders and fulfilling your forbidden lusts and desires are the reasons behind drawing a veil between you and Allah. The Kafir (infidel) is veiled from Allah because of a major sin which is denying Allah's Existence, Beautiful Names, Just and Mercy, but how can a Muslim be veiled from Allah due to a minor sin? You should review your deeds and do self-reproaching. 

Among the outcomes of establishing a connection with Allah are the followings: 

1- A light casted by Allah into the heart of man enabling him to see good and evil:

  It is befitting to explain in this blessed meeting the outcomes of establishing a connection with Allah and turning entirely to Him. Allah says:

﴾Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith)﴿

[Al-An'am, 122]

Hearts live and get secured by remembering Allah:

 Being far from Allah is like being dead, and being connected with Him brings life to man, because the real life is felt when man has a beating heart, when man is connected with Allah and when the Divine Light is casted into man's heart enabling him to see the goodness as goodness and the evil as evil. The Ayah below is very clear:

﴾Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith)﴿

[Al-An'am, 122]

 The heart could be dead and what brings life to it is remembering Allah:

﴾Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest﴿

[Ar-Ra'd, 28]

Hearts become alive and secured by remembering Allah:

﴾Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?﴿

[Al-An'am, 122]

 

Whoever establishes a connection with Allah and reconciles with Him will be Divinely enlightened:

The point which I would like to discuss is that the first sign which indicates having a connection with Allah, turning totally to Him, being sincere and being upright on His Path, is the Divine Light casted into your heart which enables you to see the goodness as goodness and evil as evil. This is a privilege, dear brother, which is beyond our imagination. Having this privilege will save you from troubles and big devastating errors. When you are enlightened with Divine Light, you will see with the aid of that light, you will speak with the help of the Divine Prosper and you will move according to the Divine Method. 

 Hence, the first fruit of being connected with Allah is to have the right vision. The believer owns the right vision with which he can see the goodness as goodness and the evil as evil, and this does not mean that the believer is infallible, but it means that when he errs, his errors are minor ones, and that it is impossible for him to make major mistakes which bring destruction, because he sees with the aid of Allah's Light and he speaks with the help of the Divine Prosper which is his reference in everything he says and does.

 Dear brother, consider the following simple hypothetical example: There is a father who is very knowledgeable in his major, he is merciful and rich and he is limitlessly very keen on the upbringing of his son, so he sends him to the best schools, he chooses for him the best friends, he gives him a private room and he follows up the tiny details in his life. As a result, this child is very polite, he is the best student in his class and he has a neat appearance, whereas another child, who lacks parental care and control, spends his time swinging from one place to another, from one building to another (doing bad deeds, such as rubbery) and from a police station to another, as he deviates from the right path. His appearance is worn-out and he steals and commits sins which are reasons enough at times to put him behind bars. Now, listen to the following Ayah:

﴾That is because Allah is the Maula (Lord, Master, Helper, Protector, etc.) of those who believe, and the disbelievers have no Maula (lord, master, helper, protector, etc.).﴿

[Muhammad, 11]

 You, as a believer, have references. Allah is your reference, so are the Quran and the great Prophetic Sunnah,

﴾That is because Allah is the Maula (Lord, Master, Helper, Protector, etc.) of those who believe, and the disbelievers have no Maula (lord, master, helper, protector, etc.).﴿

[Muhammad, 11]

 Hence, the first fact is that when the believer establishes a connection with Allah, reconciles with Him, submits to Him, becomes upright on His Path and keeps sincere to Him, Divine Light will be casted into his heart, with which he can see the truth as truth and the falsehood as falsehood.

Whoever turns to Allah rarely commits sins which veil him from Him:

  It is less likely for the believer to make deadly mistakes in his life, and this is the first fact. However, one might ask, "How can you prove this?" The proof is in the following Ayah:

﴾Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?﴿

[Al-An'am, 122]

﴾O you who believe [in Musa (Moses) (i.e. Jews) and 'Iesa (Jesus) (i.e. Christians)]! Fear Allah, and believe too in His Messenger (Muhammad, peace be upon him), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will give you a light by which you shall walk (straight)﴿

[Al-Hadid, 28]

 This is the first fruit of establishing a connection with Allah, submitting to Allah and turning entirely to Him.

2- Man's main concern will be the Hereafter:

  The second sign besides the right vision is that the believer's main concern will be the Hereafter:

((For the ones whose concern is this world, Allah will scatter his affairs, place poverty between his two eyes and he will not get from the world except what is written for him. As for the one whose intention is the Hereafter, Allah will gather for him his affairs, place contentment in his heart and the world will come to him willingly.))

[Ibn Majah by At-Tirmizi]

 I repeat again, the first fruit of establishing a connection with Allah is Divine Light casted into man's heart permitting him to see the goodness as goodness and the evil as evil, and the second fruit is making his main concern the Hereafter, and his concentration will be on yearning for the everlasting abode and preparing to the Day of Resurrection.

3- The heart becomes fearful whenever Allah is remembered:

  The third sign is a fear in man's heart when Allah is mentioned. I am giving you precise signs, so that each one of you will watch himself and make a review and self-reproaching. The following Ayah refers to the third sign:

﴾The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts﴿

[Al-Anfal, 2]

 The believer weeps, his heart beats and he trembles upon mentioning Allah. He shivers out of having his heart overwhelmed with love for and fear of Allah. The submission of the heart upon mentioning Allah is a sign of having a connection with Him:

﴾Successful indeed are the believers* Those who offer their Salat (prayers) with all solemnity and full submissiveness.﴿

[Al-Mu'minun, 1-2]

 He (the one who is connected with Allah) is submitted and tranquil when he offers Salah, for his heart and body will be in full submission, and when he listens to the Quran he weeps and submits. His submission will be followed with tranquility, calmness, security and rejoice. Allah says:

﴾Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) to be affected by Allah's Reminder (this Qur'an), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before (i.e. Jews and Christians), and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).﴿

[Al-Hadid, 16]

 Because of the Divine Light casted into your heart, your main focus will be the Hereafter, your heart will beat upon remembering Allah and your soul and body will submit to Him.

4- The heart is heedful in Salah and in remembering Allah:

  Having a heedful heart, in Salah and remembrance, is one of the signs of having a connection with Allah. I am not saying that you will not be distracted at all, but the believer in the most part of his Salah is with Allah and is before His Hands talking to Him and saying, "Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah" (Verily, Allah hears whoever praises Him!), O Lord Praise be to You because you created me, guided me, honored me, covered my shortcomings and You forgave me". There is Munanjat made in Salah. If you want to talk to Allah, then offer Salah (or make Du'a), and if you want Allah to talk to you, then read the Quran. Allah says:

﴾And say to My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) that they should (only) say those words that are the best.﴿

[Al-Isra', 53]

If you want Allah to talk to you, reauthor Quran, and if you want to talk to Allah, make Du'a:

 It is reported in the Qudsi relic that the Almighty Allah said:

(("O Musa, do you want to be My companion?" Musa said, "O Lord how can I be Your Companion and You are the Lord of the Worlds?" Allah said to him, "Do you not know that I am the Companion of the one who remembers Me, and whenever My servant resorts to Me, he will find Me?"))

Finding rest upon performing the acts of worship proves man's connection with Allah:

 Some scholars described the connected believer with Allah as a shinning clear lamp which is full of oil and there is a ready wick which needs only a match stick, whereas the one who is far from Allah is like a black lamp whose tank is empty and its wick is burnt, and thus he needs a lot of efforts to establish a connection with the Almighty Allah. Accordingly, success lies in removing every barrier between you and Allah, and when the believer does so, he will be in a better condition upon performing the acts of worship, such as Salah and Sawm and upon saying Adhkaar (invocations). In fact, this comfort is but a sign that he is connected with the Almighty Allah. 

5- Whoever establishes a connection with Allah will taste the sweetness of faith:

 Dear brother, one of the most outstanding signs of being connected with Allah, fully submitted to Him and upright on His Path is that Allah will let you taste the sweetness of faith which is beyond description. It is like the difference between understanding the facts of faith and tasting the sweetness of faith, and the difference is huge between the two things, and it is like saying a billion Dollars and owning them, how big the difference is between the two situations! 

Tasting the sweetness of faith has conditions: 

1- Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, are dearer to man than anything else:

 The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:

((Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the sweetness of faith The one to whom Allah and His Apostle, peace be upon him, become dearer than anything else. The one who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's Sake. And the one who hates to revert to disbelief (Atheism) after Allah has brought (saved) him out from it, as he hates to be thrown in fire.))

[Agreed upon by Anas bin Malik]

 When Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, are dearer to you than anything else, this indicates a delicate fact which is: when there is a conflict between your interests and an order in the Quran or in the Prophetic Sunnah, you should choose obeying Allah and crush your interests under your feet, and only then you will taste the sweetness of faith. Though the price of doing so is high, the results are precious.

 If you are an agent of a company which brings you hefty income, and one day the company ask you to buy unlawful commodities for a lot of money in return, lest they will take back their franchise, you will be in a very hard situation, but when you ignore your interests, and you obey Allah forgetting about the unlawful money, you will taste the sweetness of faith. The price of tasting the sweetness of faith is very high, and when you taste it, Allah will make this company come to terms with you after tremendous efforts and agree that all your commodities should be lawful. This is a very important point.

Whoever chooses obeying Allah over his interests will taste the sweetness of faith:

  The sweetness of faith can be tasted when you prefer obeying Allah to achieving your own interests, and when the Quran and Sunnah are dearer to you than anything in this world. Only then, Allah will let you taste the sweetness of faith. 

2- Loyalty and renouncement:

 The second condition as it is mentioned in the Hadith is:

((…person and he loves him only for Allah's Sake.))

 It means that the believer should belong to believers and allying with them even though they might be poor and weak, and abandon all the enemies of the religion even though they might be strong and rich. Man sometimes favors his own interests which make him allies with the powerful people and the rich ones, and he overlooks their errors and their misbehavior in order to be rewarded financially. Therefore, loyalty and renouncement are the corner stone of faith; you should be loyal to believers even if they are poor and weak, and you should renounce the enemies of the religion even if they are strong and rich.

3- Man should hate going back to Kufr like hating to be thrown in fire:

 The third condition is:

((…And the one who hates to revert to disbelief (Atheism) after Allah has brought (saved) him out from it, as he hates to be thrown in fire.))

 These are the signs of having a connection with Allah.

 Dear brother, Imam Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Seek the sweetness of faith in three things: in Salah, in Zikr (remembrance) and in reciting the Qur'an. If you achieve it, then that is it, but if you do not, then know that the door (through which you can get closer to Allah) is closed." Every bad deed, bad intention or doubtful matter or desire which displeases Allah will be a veil between you and Him. This is the bitter reality.

The outcomes of sincerity:

1- Man's manners are the same from inside and outside:

   Amiability with Allah instead of people is a sign of establishing a connection with Allah. It is said that being amiable with people all the time (at the expense of amiability with Allah) is a sign of having the soul void. This amiability is manifested in being happy when you are alone at home reciting the Quran and talking to Allah and wandering alone (pondering over Allah's Signs, for instance), when you haste to offer Salah and when you are estranged while trying to not to be affected by people's praises or criticism. Therefore, the sweetness of faith is manifested in reaping the fruits of sincerity, but what are the fruits of sincerity? They are manifested in being the same in public and in private (concerning your manners, behavior and actions) without a slightest difference, which means that your Khulwah (when you are alone) is just like your Julwah (when you are among people). This is the first indication. 

2- Man's deeds should never change upon being praised or criticized:

  The second indication is that your deeds never change upon being praised or criticized:

 

﴾ Say (O Muhammad, peace be upon him): "Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists). ﴿

[Al-An'am, 162]

 This is the second indication.

6- Establishing a connection with Allah brings tranquility to the believer:

 Among the signs of tasting the sweetness of faith and sincerity, is that after offering a good deed, you will get tranquility from Allah with which you will be overwhelmed with happiness even though you might lose everything, while missing this tranquility leaves man in misery even though he might owns everything. 

Salah is the first means to establish a connection with Allah:

 Dear brother, these are the fruits of having a connection with Allah, Glorified and Sublime be He. In fact, Allah the Almighty made Salah the first means to establish a connection with Him, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, described Salah as light according to the following Hadith: 

((…Salat (prayer) is light…))

[Mulsim by Abi Malik Al-Ash'ari]

 Salah brings light that is driven from the Divine Light, and Salah purifies the soul and body, for the believer is pure from grudge, deception, arrogance, harshness or oppression. Furthermore, all other immoralities will never find their way to the believer's heart, because Allah the Almighty says:

﴾and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allah in prayers, etc.]. ﴿

[Al-Ankabut, 45]

 This prevention is spontaneous, so whose Salah does not prevent him from Al-Fahsha' and Al-Munkar, cannot reap its Salah:

﴾and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allah in prayers, etc.]. ﴿

[Al-Ankabut, 45]

 What is the meaning of "is greater indeed"? Scholars said that remembering Allah in Salah is the greatest thing in it. Others said, "Allah's Remembrance of you is greater than yours of Him. When you remember Him, you do that out of performing an obligatory act of worship, but when He remembers you, He will grant you security therewith." Allah will cast into your heart light with which you see the goodness as goodness and the evil as evil, because when Allah remembers you, He grants you wisdom, given he, to whom wisdom is granted, is indeed granted abundant good, and he, who is remembered by Allah, will be granted security. Allah says:

﴾(So) which of the two parties has more right to be in security? If you but know."* It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping sh3er besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided.﴿

[Al-An'am, 81-82]

 When Allah remembers you, you will be granted contentment and self-confidence.

The outcome of perfect Salah:

1- Establishing a connection with Allah the Magnificent:

 Dear brother, the fruits of the perfect Salah are beyond imagination. Do you know what you will get if you perform Salah perfectly? You will be connected with the Absolute, he All-Knowing, the Ever-Wise, the Most Merciful and the Ever-Powerful (i.e. Allah).

﴾ They said: "Our Lord! Verily! We fear lest he should hasten to punish us or lest he should transgress (all bounds against us)."* He (Allah) said: "Fear not, verily! I am with you both, hearing and seeing. ﴿

[Ta-Ha, 45-46]

 If Allah supports you, who can defeat you? If Allah abandons you, who can do you any good? Amongst the so many fruits of establishing a connection with Allah is to reap the fruits of Salah, and the first outcome of your proper Salah is gaining a pure soul and a clean heart which has no place for bad feelings against anyone, for pride, for hurting sh3er, for superiority to people and for plotting against anyone. The believer will own a clean heart.

﴾The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail* Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)]. ﴿

[Al-Shu'ara, 88-89]

 Some scholars said, "The clean heart is the one which does not long for a desire that displeases Allah, does not believe any reporting which contradicts the Divine Revelation, does not resort to any law but Allah's Shari'ah and does not worship but Allah Alone:

﴾The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail* Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifaq (hypocrisy)]. ﴿

[Al-Shu'ara, 88-89]

2- Having a clean heart:

  The clean heart is one of the fruits of Salah (that is performed properly).

 

7- Establishing a connection with Allah will make man reap the fruits of Salah:

  As I said earlier, amongst the fruits of establishing a connection with Allah is to reap the fruits of Salah which are manifested in purity, light and ecstasy.

 

((…O Bilal, give us comfort by it (Salah).))

[Abu Dawood, By Salem bin Abi Aj'ad]

 Salah is Munajat (talking with Allah):

((If the performer of Salah is really aware of Allah's Mercy that covers him when he prays, he will never be distracted (by worldly matters).))

 Salah is a journey:

((Salah is the journey of the believer to Allah))

 Also, Salah is a presence of mind:

((Allah does not accept the Prayers of an individual until his heart achieves in it what his body has achieved))

[Mentioned in the relic]

 It is reported in the Qudsi relic:

((Not all those who pray are prayers, as I accept Salat from only those whose Salat make them humble to My Greatness, who do not follow their desires, who do not insist on disobeying Me, who feed the hungry, who cloth up the needy, who are merciful to the injured, and who house the stranger. Only if all are done for my Sake, by My Glory and My Loftiness the light of his face will be to Me brighter than the sun. I will turn his recklessness to patience and darkness to light, and if he supplicates Me, I will answer him, if he asks Me, I will give him, if he swears by My Name, I will respond to him. I will keep him close to Me and let My angels protect him. He is to Me like Paradise whose fruits do not lack and whose state never changes.))

[Ad-Dailami by Harithah bin Wahab]

8- Enjoying the acts of worship:

   Dear brother, one of the signs of having a connection with Allah is that you enjoy performing the acts of worship, but the question is, what is the difference between the acts of worship and the rituals? Man-made religious practices have rituals, like special moves, stills, words and meaningless gestures, whereas the purpose of the acts of worship in Islam according to Imam Ash-Shafi'i is to meet the interests of people. For instance, As-Salah:

﴾and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat). Verily, As-Salat (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha' (i.e. great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked deed, etc.) and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allah in prayers, etc.]. ﴿

[Al-Ankabut, 45]

 This means that it is thousand times impossible for Salah performer to commit Al-Fahsha' or Al-Munkar, to hurt anyone, to look down on people, to deceive sh3er or to plot against them, for his Salah should prevent him from such bad deeds. These are the fruits of Salah.

﴾ and the remembering (praising, etc.) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed [than your remembering (praising, etc.) Allah in prayers, etc.]. ﴿

[Al-Ankabut, 45]

 The greatest thing in Salah is that Allah's Remembrance of you is greater than yours of Him since He grants you security, the free will, the strong determination, the right vision, wisdom, satisfaction and pride:

((…and he whom You protect shall never be humiliated, and he whom You make Your enemy shall never be elevated, Blessed and Dignified are You.))

The believer, who is connected with Allah, enjoys performing the acts of worship:

  Dear brother, enjoying the performance of the acts of worship is one of the fruits of establishing a connection with Allah. The believer, who is connected with Allah, enjoys Ramadan the month of worshiping, which is for the majority of people is merely folklore and a month when they hold banquettes, and they stay late at night watching soaps. Ramadan to the believer is the most joyful month in the year, for it is the month of connecting with Allah, it is the month or worshiping Allah and it is the month of obeying Him. Hence, being extremely happy while performing the acts of worship is a sign of your connection with Allah. 

 Some pilgrims come back from Hajj and tell you about everything but Hajj itself. One of them goes on and on telling you about the places he visited, the hotel he checked in, the flight he took, the airports the plane landed at, the people who welcomed him, the cold water, the tasty food and the crowds. You are supposed to explain to people how did you feel when you were circumambulating Al-Ka'bah? How did you feel when you were before the Black Stone? How did you feel whilst offering Sa'i? How did you feel whilst you were at Mount Arafat? Having no spiritual feelings is a real problem. Thus, having a connection with Allah makes you happy whenever you perform the acts of worship.. A poet said:

The dead man is not whoever finds rest in dying
But he is the living dead
***

Man either follows the Divine Revelation or follows his lusts:

 Establishing a connection with Allah makes man alive:

﴾Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) ﴿

[Al-An'am, 122]

﴾but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.﴿

[Fatir, 22]

 Man without a connection with Allah is just a living-dead or he is like the wrecked house. Allah says:

﴾O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (peace be upon him) calls you to that which will give you life﴿

[Al-Anfal, 24]

 Pay attention to this Ayah:

﴾But if they answer you not (i.e. do not believe in your doctrine of Islamic Monotheism, nor follow you), then know that they only follow their own lusts.﴿

[Al-Qasas, 50]

 You are before two options: you respond either to Allah or to your desires, you obey either Allah or your lusts, you are submitted either to Allah and longing for the Hereafter, or to your pleasures and yearning for the worldly life and you respond either to the call of the Divine Revelation or to the call of your lusts. Allah says:

﴾O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (peace be upon him) calls you to that which will give you life, and know that Allah comes in between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide anything). ﴿

[Al-Anfal, 24]

The prudent is the one who calls himself to account from time to time:

  Dear brother, I hope that you, me included, make a review of all your deeds from time to time, ponder over the performance of Salah and wonder, "Is our performance of Salah is the one decreed by Allah?" A brother told me once that when he performed Salah in the Sacred Haram, he wept abundantly, and he went on saying, "This is the Salah expected by Allah. It makes you feel as if you own everything." A great God calls you five times daily to perform Salah, so do you think He calls you to perform meaningless moves which starts with Takbeer and ends with Tasleem and during it you are occupied with all sorts of notions and concerns? Absolutely, He does not. 

 A man doubted how many Rak'at he performed in Maghrib Salah, wondering whether he prayed two or three Rak'at, but then he remembered that he prayed three Rak'at saying, "I had three boxes at work and each one of them had a problem, so I solved the first problem in the first Rak'ah, then I solved the second problem in the second Rak'ah, and I solved the third one in third Rak'ah, so I must have prayed three Rak'at."
  He was preoccupied with thoughts which have nothing to do with Salah. Is this performance of Salam meant by Allah, Glorified and Sublime be He? When someone is given the grace of performing Umrah or Hajj,, he will feel how close he is to Allah while performing Salah in Allah's Sacred House, because it is performed with lots of tears, and during it he establishes a connection with Allah. Thus, this is the performance of Salah meant by Allah.
Salah is accepted only when man is humble to Allah and when he avoids Prohibitions:

  When you say "man", this word includes all people on earth, but when you say "a Muslim man", the number comes down to one billion and 500 millions, and when you say "An Arab Muslim man" the number will become only 500 millions, and by adding another characteristic, saying, "An educated Arab Muslim man", the circle becomes smaller, and when you add a doctor or a cardiologist the circle will become very small and it will include few people only. Compare this example to the following Ayah: 

﴾Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient* Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him* And niggardly when good touches him* Except those devoted to Salat (prayers)﴿

[Al-Ma'arij, 19-22]

 Though Muslims are one billion and 500 millions, only 500 millions among them pray properly:

﴾Except those devoted to Salat (prayers)* Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers)* And those in whose wealth there is a known right* For the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened)* And those who believe in the Day of Recompense, And those who fear the torment of their Lord* Verily! The torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure* And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts)* Except with their wives and the (women slaves and captives) whom their right hands possess, for (then) they are not to be blamed* But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers* And those who keep their trusts and covenants* And those who stand firm in their testimonies* And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well* Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise) honoured.﴿

[Al-Ma'arij, 22-35]

  The following Qudsi Hadith describes the one whose Salah is accepted by Allah:

((Not all those who pray are prayers, as I accept Salat from only those whose Salat make them humble to My Greatness, who do not follow their desires, who do not insist on disobeying Me, who feed the hungry, who cloth up the needy, who are merciful to the injured, and who house the stranger. Only if all are done for my Sake, by My Glory and My Loftiness the light of his face will be to Me brighter than the sun. I will turn his recklessness to patience and darkness to light, and if he supplicates Me, I will answer him, if he asks Me, I will give him, if he swears by My Name, I will respond to him. I will keep him close to Me and let My angels protect him. He is to Me like Paradise whose fruits do not lack and whose state never changes.))

[Ad-Dailami by Harithah bin Wahab]

 Dear brother, our blessed meeting today is about the fruits reaped upon establishing a connecting with Allah.

The topic of the scientific inimitability of the Quran:

  Now let us move to the scientific topic. 

Pondering over the creation makes us witness Allah's Greatness:

  Dear brother, when someone seeks the religious knowledge, he will study Fiqh (Jurisprudence), interpretation of the Quran, Hadith, Sirah (Prophetic biography) and other majors like Al-Fiqh Al-Muqaran (Comparative Jurisprudence), the History of Shari'ah or Usul Al-Fiqh (the Principles of Jurisprudence), etc. However, the majority of Muslims forget that the essence of religion is to know Allah and to get acquainted with Him. 

 I repeat frequently that knowing the Commander (Allah), before knowing His Orders, will make you obey Him submissively, but if you know the Orders without knowing the Commander (Allah), you will avoid obeying the orders skillfully. In fact, there are about 1000 Ayat in the Quran which revolve around the Signs of the universe in the heavens and the earth and the Signs of the creation of man, which means that we should ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth.

 I keep saying to you that reflecting on the creation of the heavens and the earth puts us face to face with the Greatness of Allah; better yet it is considered the shortest path to know Allah and the widest gate through which we can reach Allah. Pay attention to the fact that there is the knowledge of Allah which is the basic ground of religion, the knowledge of Allah's Orders which is the base of Shari'ah and the knowledge of His Creations which is the reason behind mending our worldly life. The Muslim needs desperately to know Allah, so that he can become upright on His Path. As I have just said, when you know the Commander and then you know the Orders, you will obey the Commander (i.e. Allah) submissively.

The nose is one of Signs which indicate Allah's Greatness:

  Let me talk about the nose of man. The nose has a very delicate system. In the nose there are interior nested surfaces, so the air has to pass through a long distance inside the nose, but why is that? Man's average inner temperature is 37 degrees centigrade, and in winter man inhales very cold air whose temperature is close to zero, and by passing through all this distance inside the nose, the air is heated in order to reach the lungs in a suitable temperature.

 These nested surfaces have a privilege, for they are provided with blood vessels which feed the muscles, and when the latter expand, the blood flow increases, making man's nose in winter red, but do you know where does this red color come from? It comes from the widened blood vessels in the nose, and they become wide in order to bring warm blood to these surfaces through which the air is heated. Thus, it is not healthy to inhale air in winter through the mouth, because it causes many diseases, while the right thing to do is to inhale air through the nose due to the many privileges it has. 

 The inner surfaces are covered with sticky mucus which traps the dust and dirt particles found in the inhaled air. Thus, when man is amid dusty weather, the dust particles are stuck on the mucus of the nose, and when he tries to clean his nose, he will see that the discharges are dark because of the stuck dust. There is profound wisdom behind having mucus in the nose, and had some dust particles managed to get through the nose and survived the mucus, what would have stopped them? Here comes the role of the hairs in the nose. Therefore, in the nose there is mucus on the inner surfaces, the hairs, the blood vessels and muscles, so that the air will pass through a long distance in order to be heated before entering the lungs. It is just a nose, yet you can sense the Divine Planning, the Divine Wisdom, the Divine Mercy and the Divine Knowledge upon reflecting on the functions of the nose.

The function of the smelling nerves:

 Man also uses his nose to smell, but how many smell nerves does the nose have? It has 20 million smell nerves, each one of them ends with 7 cilia, and each one of the latter is dipped in a mucus substance which interacts with the smell and produces a geometric compound which is the code of this smell. Then, this compound is transferred to the brain and lands in the odor memory there. How can we tell if there is mint in food or if there is another substance? When the compound reaches the brain, the brain displays all the stored smells and identifies this coded compound. Some scientists said that there are 10.000 smells in the brain's memory, and when the brain gets a matching smell, it sends the interpretation to the man and thus the latter will know what the smell in the food is. 

﴾Verily, We created man of the best stature (mould),﴿ 

[At-Tin, 4]

 Remember that this nose has interior nested surfaces, and it has arteries and muscles which expand in the cold weather. Also, there is mucus material in it to catch all dust particles, there are tiny hairs and there is the smell nerve which consists of 20 million nerves each of which ends with 7 cilia, and each one of them is dipped in a mucus substance. These cilia interact with the smells and the outcome is a geometric shape which is the chemical compound of this smell, and this compound moves to the part in the brain that is responsible for smelling where the odor memory is, so the brain displays all the stored smells in order to identify this smell: 

﴾Verily, We created man of the best stature (mould),﴿

[At-Tin, 4]

 When man is forgetful of his Lord:

﴾Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low,﴿

[At-Tin, 5]

Reflecting on your body will lead you to the Creator:

 Dear brother, is there anything closer to you than your own body? Your hair, your nose, your lips, your tongue, your throat, your bronchus, your stomach, your intestines, your pancreas, your liver, your heart, your lungs, your muscles, your brain, your nerves and your spinal cord are but miracles in your miraculous body.

 

You think you are an insignificant body
while the greatest world is within you

﴾And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?﴿

[Adh-Dhariyat, 21]

﴾ Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding* Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, ﴿

[Aal-'Imran, 190-191] 

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