There are things that we see and then there are deeper
realities that we feel…
The reason might be Coronavirus and health concerns at the
moment. It could have been this or any other means of the seen world, any of which
would be beyond any of our area of control. But no matter what we see in the
seen reality, the unseen reality and the ultimate truth is that all power of
all kinds ultimately rests in the hands of Allah ﷻ alone. And He has decreed
that many of us would not be able to step in any of His Houses for some time,
including His first and biggest house on this earth i.e. Kaaba.
No matter what the reason, for a Muslim, this is a matter of
great sadness and concern for his or her own self before anyone else. As the
masajid are closed for general public, there a select few probably a family or
two, a handful of people for each Masajid who will continue to clean the masajid
and maintain them at this time, and pray behind closed doors - to not keep the
masajid empty, to keep pronouncing Allah’s name there, to have someone doing
sajdah there to all our Rabb. Even if they want, they would not be allowed to
open doors to others, not even family and close friends.
SubhanAllah, Allah has decreed that these few people get this
valuable opportunity of serving the house of Allah while the rest of us cannot.
For the rest of us, it is a hard-hitting reminder. Why has this opportunity
been taken away from us? Yes, the reason in the seen world could be coronavirus
or whatever, but the fact is I can’t go to the masjid. This coronavirus is a
test, and just like every other happiness and challenge that happens in our
life, this will probably teach us some lessons about life before it goes away. It
is time for me to think:
Am I doing anything in my life that is driving me away from
Allah’s pleasure, that the opportunity of going to the masjid has been taken
away from me?
Do I appreciate, love and support the houses of my Allah
like I should? Or does it not even bother me that I can't visit any of His Houses
for sometime, probably even during Ramadan?
Am I thankful for being a Muslim, for
being able to step inside a Masjid with sahadah in my heart, or do I usually extend
my constantly critiquing never satisfied customer attitude from the rest of my
life to critique and find the mistakes, faults and shortcomings of anyone
associated with the house or deen of Allah? Do I forget that they are human beings too - they will of course have both strengths and weaknesses, but my purpose of coming here is to please and worship Allah and not venerate or critique people?
Do I go to a masjid to serve Allah or to be served by
facilities, activities, rituals or people at the masjid? Do I support my masajid and the people working for the sake
of maintaining or running the masajid? Do I go there to appreciate Allah or for other people to appreciate me?
Do I watch
my words and actions? How do I park my car? In what condition do I leave the washroom once I have used
it? Do I find it hard to let go of my phone or social media
updates for the few minutes that I am in the masjid? What is my phone/ car stereo playing when I
am in the parking lot?
Am I at my best behavior when I go to my masjid? Am I courteous towards other
servants of Allah? How do I speak to other people while at masjid? When I meet someone that I
am not too happy with, do I get over myself and meet with salam and smile
because this is the house of Allah or do I feel its ok for me to carry on my
disagreements and arguments here? Am I judgmental towards others or their actions and decisions, without pausing to think that I might not know the full story or lack understanding of a perspective different from my own? Is it OK for me to gossip about others there?
If I got the huge blessing of doing something or contributing towards anything at the masajid, am I truly thankful for this blessing or do I find myself complaining about how things could have been better?
Do I genuinely love and
care for the house of Allah at least as much as my own house, if not more? Will
my thoughts, words and actions in an around Masjid make my prophet ﷺ proud or
disappointed that I am a part of his ummah that him and his sahabas risked their
lives, families and wealth for?
I have heard that it is often said as a joke or even meant
as a ridicule by many when they say, “mulla ki daud masjid tak” (a devout
Muslims race is limited to a Masjid). However, for the one who looks at this phrase
with love of Allah and His deen, there is such heartwarming beauty in this
phrase. No matter where a Muslim goes - their heart, their footsteps, their
actions – always take them back repeatedly to the Masjid. They have tied
themselves to it through the rope of Allah. As my access to my masjid is
getting limited, I wonder -how strongly have I tied myself to my Rabb, my
Master, my Creator? Perhaps this time that I will now have is the time to
review myself and strengthen my ties with the rope of Allah. To discipline my thoughts,
words and actions so that when the access is opened again, I visit my masajid
with a renewed love and appreciation, with humility and submission, and most
importantly with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude towards Allah ﷻ.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alaameen…