by Nasmira Firdous
A man insulted Khalid ibn Walid (radiyAllahuanhu), so he turned to him and said, “It is your scroll of deeds, so fill it with whatever you wish.” How would you like to read your book in front of all of mankind? How can you beautify your book by filtering it from non-beneficial things? This article is a continuation of Fill It With Whatsoever You Wish - Part 1.
The art of self-righteousness...
Book filled with judgement…
Shaitan will make you proclaim self-righteousness and make you feel like you are more pious than that sister who does not wear hijab or that brother who does not attend the prayers at the masjid. But Allah knows, maybe He will allow them to live long enough to accept their repentance and forgive their ignorance but not your arrogance. Maybe that sister’s act of charity or a kind word or a hidden “small” deed seemed mighty in Allah’s eyes. Remember, shaitan was thrown out of paradise for his arrogance and pride. May Allah save us from arrogance. So, NO, don't fill your book of deeds with self-righteous thoughts and do not look down on others.
Book filled with judgement…
“I'm better than her/him. I pray. I wear hijab. I'm dutiful to my parents, but look at my friend/cousin/neighbour. Oh My Allah, they don't pray, she doesn't even wear a proper hijab and even when she does, it’s just for showing off.” Sounds familiar?
This is being recorded into your book of deeds and you will be asked about what you uttered. Remember that Allah subhaana wa ta’aala Himself gives time for His slaves to turn back and doesn't close the door of repentance until their time is up in this life. Who are we to judge someone? Remember the hadeeth where a prostitute was given paradise for being kind to a dog:
Allah's Apostle said, "A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that." [Related by Bukhari]
and a murderer being given paradise just because he chose to repent? [1]
SubhanAllah, it’s your book of deeds. Do not fill it with false judgements.
Your own mini book of deeds:
Your Rights could be:
· Prayed on time,
· Recited Qur'an, learnt its meaning,
· Did a secret good deed between me and Allah
· Put in extra effort to help my mum in the kitchen
· Spent quality time with younger siblings
The possibilities are limitless.
Your Wrongs could be:
· Missed prayers/ prayed late
· Was rude to parents
· Wasted time
· Spoke/thought ill of someone
Again the possibilities are limitless.
Now, this is how you hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable:
SubhanAllah, it’s your book of deeds. Do not fill it with false judgements.
Your own mini book of deeds:
Instead, maintain a journal. Let this be your mini book of deeds for you to read, here and now.
Write down how you spent your time every day. Make two columns of Rights and Wrongs.Your Rights could be:
· Prayed on time,
· Recited Qur'an, learnt its meaning,
· Did a secret good deed between me and Allah
· Put in extra effort to help my mum in the kitchen
· Spent quality time with younger siblings
The possibilities are limitless.
Your Wrongs could be:
· Missed prayers/ prayed late
· Was rude to parents
· Wasted time
· Spoke/thought ill of someone
Again the possibilities are limitless.
Now, this is how you hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable:
Once you are done with this, open your book at night and go through, repent where you have to, ask Allah subhaana wa ta’aala to bless you for what you have achieved. Begin with bismillah and keep your journal a secret. Let no one know about it. The more the secrecy, the better your chances of improvement. Additionally, you may have done a good deed and only Allah knows about it, so you get your reward in the hereafter in front of all of mankind!
Imagine being awarded with something and having yourself being splashed all across television channels. Now imagine being given Jannah in front of ALL of mankind?! The happiness you would experience could be unfathomable.
So, it is your book of deeds, fill it whatsoever you wish, and ask Allah to help you all along this journey. May Allah subhaana wa ta'aala make us of those who utilise our time and health in doing beneficial things. May He subhaana wa ta’aala make our accountability easy and forgive us for our shortcomings. May He subhaana wa ta’aala cover us into with His mercy and forgive us for the sins we have committed knowingly or unknowingly. May He subhaana wa ta’aala help us fill our book of deeds with what pleases Him. Ameen.
I'd love to hear your views on this topic. Please post in the comments section below!
1 comments:
Such a motivational piece - I hope to start journaling soon, In Sha Allah...even being more mindful of our actions/words is a good start and may Allah forgive us for our shortcomings!
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