In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful'When my servants question you about Me, tell them that I am very close to them. I answer the prayer of every suppliant when he calls Me; therefore, they should respond to Me and put their trust in Me, so that they may be rightly guided.'- Q2:186'0 people! Restrain yourselves. Verily, you are not calling One Who is deaf or absent, the One you call is nearer to each of you than is the neck of your riding animal.'-Prophet MuhammadAS the blessed month of Ramadan comes to an end, one critical lesson that we must keep under watch is how to walk with Allah. To walk with Allah entails the adoption of a number of qualities or habits, the impact of which should be evident in our daily life.One of these qualities is the constant awareness of the presence of Allah; the necessity to be in constant preparation for the hereafter, even when we are situated at the highest pedestals of luxury and prosperity, which this world is capable of beguiling us with. I found the following stories, which were forwarded to me by a brother, highly germane to these two issues.A young boy was told by his father that, in order for him to attain maturity, he would have to go through a ritual. His father would have to take him into the forest, blindfold him and leave him alone to whatever destiny that might befall him. He is told he would hear all kinds of noises, he would be visited by wild beasts, ululating wind would blow the grass and earth, and shake the stump on which he sits. But despite all these, he is required to sit stoically and not to remove the blindfold.The boy would have to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He would not be able to cry out for help to anyone. However, once he survives the night, his path to becoming a man has become guaranteed.Thus the boy followed his father to the forest. He sat through the night, a horrific night it turned out to be. Eventually the sun appeared. The boy then removed his blindfold. Alas! There seated in his front was his father. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm!The moral in this story is evident. One, that no matter where we are or what our circumstances may be today, our Creator, the Almighty Allah, is never absent from us for a moment. Brethren, the similitude of the 'father' reference here is meant for pedagogical purposes only.In other words, we know and are constantly aware of the basic principles in Islamic theology that there is no one that can be likened to the Almighty. No similitude can adequately picture His essence; no comparison can be good enough to mirror and mediate His majesty.Brethren, in another clime and time, the story is told of a country long time ago where people usually change their king every year. The person, who would be king had to agree to a contract that he would be sent to an island after his tenure on the throne. One day, after having dispatched the king who had just spent one year, the people discovered a ship that had just sunk. They saw a young man who survived by holding on to a floating piece of wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They requested him to be a king for a year. He initially refused but later agreed to be a king. People told him about all the rules and regulations and that he would be sent to a forest after a year.After three days on the throne, the new king asked the ministers if they could show him the forest where all the other kings were sent. They agreed and took him there. The place featured thick jungles full of vicious animals. The king probed the forest further to see how it was and discovered the dead bodies of all the past kings. He understood that as soon as they were left in the forest, ferocious animals usually emerged to devour them.The king then went back to the country and requested the people to provide him with 100 strong workers. He was provided with 100 workers and he took them to the forest and told them to remove all the deadly animals and cut down all the trees. He would visit the forest every month to see how the work was progressing.In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. In the second month, the thick forest was cleaned out. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the forest. He also took with himself useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the months, the forest turned into a beautiful place. The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little from his earnings. He sent all the earnings to the 'forest' for storage.After having spent nine months on the throne, the king called the people and told them that 'I know that I have to go to the forest after one year, but I would like to go there right now.' But the people did not agree. They insisted that he would have to wait for another three months to complete the year.Eventually the king completed the mandatory one year on the throne. The people came together to dress him up and put him on an elephant to take him around the country to say goodbye to all. The people were, however, surprised that the king was unusually happy to leave the kingdom.They asked him, 'those who came before you usually cry at this moment, why are you laughing'' He replied, 'don't you know what the wise people say' They say that when you came to this world as a baby, you were crying and everyone was smiling. Live such a life that when you are dying, you will be smiling and everyone around you will be crying. I have lived that life. While all the other kings were lost in the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I turned the deadly forest into a beautiful abode for me where I can stay peacefully.'Brethren, this story underscores the necessity to prepare for the life after death, that we should not get lost and be entrapped by the beautiful things of this world all of which are, when properly understood, transitory and deceitful. But the challenge has always been how do we overcome the trappings of this world' How do we ensure that we constantly walk with Allah'Simple, dear brethren. Answer this simple question: Who is your best friend' Who are your companions' Your friend holds the key to how close you are to Paradise or hell.(guardianfridayworship@gmail.com)
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