IB_21

Page 10

Issue 21

1. -Our Knowledge- Wasted by not taking action with it.

2. -Our Actions- Wasted by committing them without sincerity.

3. -Our Wealth- Wasted by using it on things that will not

bring us ajr (reward). We waste our money, our status, our

authority on things which have no benefit in this life or in the

akhirah (hereafter).

4. -Our Hearts- Wasted because they are empty from the

love of Allah, and a feeling of peace and contentment. In its

place, our hearts are filled with something or someone else.

5. -Our Bodies- Wasted because we don’t use them in iba-

dah (worship) and service of Allah.

6. -Our Love- Our emotional love is misdirected, not to-

wards Allah, but towards something/someone else.

7. -Our Time- Wasted, not used property.

8. -Our Intellect- Wasted on things that are not beneficial, that

are detrimental to society and the individual, not in contempla-

tion or reflection.

9. -Our Service- Wasted in service of someone who will not

bring us closer to Allah.

10.-Our Dhikr- Wasted, because it does not affect our hearts.

4 S

tages

uccess

By Aquil Abdul Basser

Throughout the Qur’an, the Holy Book of the Muslims, Al-

lah -to whom all praise is due-speaks of His many ‘Signs’

which are manifest within creation. These signs are meant

to give us insight and guidance for our spiritual lives here on

this plane of existence. In one such verse He says:

“For among His Signs is this, that you see the earth barren,

but when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life

and growth (of vegetation). Verily, He Who gives it life, sure-

ly, (He) is Able to give life to the dead (on the Day of Resur-

rection). Indeed! He is Able to do all things.” (Quran 41:39)

These signs of Allah are meant to provide guidance for us. In

this verse Allah gives us an illustration that He has the power

to resurrect the “dead heart” just as He can resurrect the dead

earth. But why the analogy with the earth? In another verse of

the Qur’an, Allah says:

“Wal-lahu anbatakumminal ardi nabaat.” - And Allah has pro-

duced you from the earth growing (gradually). (Quran 71:17)

The word “nabaat” means “plants, vegetation”. In this verse

Allah compares mankind to that of plants. He compared

our growth/evolution physically and spiritually to the stage

by stage growth of plants. Plants grow from the earth

gradually.

Once they reach a certain stage they are eventually “returned”

to the earth via their seeds, pollination, decay etc. The cycle is

then repeated. We also come from the earth growing gradu-

ally. We will eventually be returned to the earth. And as Allah

teaches us in the Qur’an, we will be raised there from. But

this verse also refers to our spiritual evolution as well.

Metaphorically speaking, Allah raises us from “earth”. “Earth”

in scriptural language represents this mortal, worldly life, with

all its pursuits and pleasures, as well as materialistic concepts as

opposed to the disciplined spiritual life and its concerns. Allah

evolves us from being mere “earthly”, physicalized, materially

oriented beings to spiritually oriented beings. When our father

Adam was created, he was created as a physical being first and

then Allah blew his spirit into him. We too are created in this

fashion. We are first created physically in the womb, then we

receive “Ruh” or “spirit” from God. This is a sign of our gradual

“growth” here on earth. This lets us know that the “earth” is not

without purpose. It is here from which we realize our purpose.

It is here where we must achieve sublimation, moving from

worldly concepts and concerns to more elevated spiritual ones.

Plants (nabaat), grow from the earth and evolve toward the

source of light, but they must be “cultivated”. There are four

fundamental stages in cultivation. They are:

1. Cleaning or changing the environment. This includes removing

weeds (harmful things), internal and external debris from the soil.

2. Breaking up the soil - to prepare for sowing seeds.

3. Sowing / planting seeds.

4. Nurturing - which includes plenty of sunlight and water.

These are the basic steps we must follow when we grow plants,

or grow a garden of plants. These four steps can also be applied

to us and our spiritual life as Muslims, Catholics, Christians or

any spiritual path we may follow. In our spiritual lives it is our

souls that we must cultivate. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“By the soul and the order and proportion given to it;

and its inspiration as to its wrong and its right; truly he

succeeds that purifies it.”

In verse nine of the above passage it says: “Qad aflaha man

zak-kaaha.”Which says, “Truly he succeeds who purifies it.”With-

in that “purification” and within that “success” lies “cultivation”.

The word ‘aflaha’ means (in this 4th form of the Arabic verb): to

thrive, prosper, have success. But in its first form, “falah,” it means

to split, cleave, plow, till, cultivate. We must cultivate our souls if

we are to have “success”. We cultivate plants in order to have a

beautiful garden. Therefore we must cultivate our souls in order to

have the most excellent garden, “Jannah” (Paradise). Whether we

are cultivating soil or our souls we must follow the proper steps.

The first stage in cultivation is cleaning/changing the environ-

ment. This entails removing the “weeds” or harmful things

that will hinder our spiritual growth. This was the methodol-

ogy of the Prophets and Messengers of God. They “cleaned”

up the concepts of false gods first. With regards to the mis-

sion of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) we have an excellent

example. He (SAW) instructed his companions, when they

introduced Al-Islam to people, to first enjoin upon them “Ta-

wheed” (monotheism).

hings

aste

ultivating

our

piritual

ife