اخلاص

نماز پڑھتے ہوئے میرا ذہن زندگی کی الجھنوں میں پھنسا ہوا تھا میں کوشش کر رہی تھی کہ دل میں رکھے چراغِ ایمان سے روشنی حاصل کر پاؤں پر بار بار دھیان بٹ جاتا یہاں تک کہ مجھے اپنی نماز میں منافقت کا شبہ ہونے لگا۔ پھر جب میں پڑھتے پڑھتے سورۃ اخلاص تک پہنچی تو میرا دھیان اس سورہ کے نام کی طرف گیا۔ اخلاص۔ پر اس سورۃ کا نام اخلاص ہی کیوں ہے عموما سورتوں کے نام انہی میں موجود کسی لفظ سے منسلک ہوتے ہیں پر بظاہر اس سورۃ میں تو 'اخلاص' کا لفظ کہیں نہیں ہے۔ میں یہ سوچتے ہوئے یہ سورۃ پڑھنے لگی پھر مجھے اس سورۃ میں ایک دعا نظر آئی
اللہ الہ واحد ہے تو اسکی شایان شان عبادت بھی وہی ٹھہرے گی جس میں وحدت ہو۔  یا اللہ تیری عبادت کے لائق میری یہ نماز تو نہیں ہے یا رب تو مجھے ایسا ایمان عطا کر دے جو اپنے یکتا رب کی  عبادت میں یکتا ہو  کر حاضر ہو 

یا رب تو بےنیاز ہے میں نہیں ہوں۔ تیری عبادت بھی بےنیازی ہی مانگتی ہے پر میں دنیا سے بےنیاز ہو کر تیری عبادت کرنے سے قاصر رہتی ہوں میرے ذہن میں زندگی کی الجھنوں کے ڈیرے رہتے ہیں جبکہ زبان سے تیرا کلام جاری ہوتا ہے سر سجدے میں ہوتا ہے۔ تو اے رب میری اس خامی پر بھی درگزر فرما مجھے ایسا ایمان عطا کر جو دنیاوی فکروں سے بےنیاز ہو، میرے دل کے طاق میں رکھے ایمان کے اس چراغ کو وہ بےنیاز لو عطا کر کہ اس کی تابناکی  پہ نفس و شیطان کے اندھیرے کوئی اثر نہ ڈالیں اور یہ صرف تیری ہی یاد میں تیرے لئے ہی جلتا رہے۔

یا رب تو تو ہر طرح کے شرک سے پاس ہے نہ تیری کوئی اولاد ہے نہ ماں باپ۔ تو اس شراکت داری سے پاک واحد ذات ہے۔ پر میرے حصے میں بہت شراکت داریاں ہیں لیکن ہاں یہ غلطی میری ہے کہ میں زندگی کی ان شراکت داریوں کو عبادت میں بھی شریک کر لیتی ہوں۔ یا رب میں ان رشتوں سے پاک ہوکر تیری عبادت کرنے میں ناکام ہو جاتی ہوں۔ ان رشتوں سے منسلک معاملات کی بیڑیاں میرے ذہن کو جکڑ لیتی ہیں اور میں ناکام ہو جاتی ہوں اپنے الہ واحد و بےنیاز اپنے لا شریک رب کی بلا شرکت غیر عبادت کرنے سے۔ پس یارب مجھے ڈھانپ لے تو پاک ہے مجھے بھی وہ عبادت   وہ بندگی نصیب فرما جس میں کسی غیر کا کوئی عمل دخل نہ ہو۔ نہ سوچوں میں اور نہ ہی عمل میں۔

یا رب تو اکیلا ہی کافی ہے پر میرا ایمان تو بہت کمزور ہے یہ دنیا کی گرد میں، نفس کے وار کے آگے، شیطان کے وسوسوں کے مقابلے میں اکیلا کافی نہیں رہ پاتا یہ دھندلا جاتا ہے، ٹمٹمانے لگتا ہے ڈر لگتا ہے کہ اس چراغ کی یہ لو بجھ نہ جائے۔ یا رب مجھے وہ ایمان عطا فرما جسکا تیری بندگی میں کوئی ہم سر نہ ٹھہرے۔ مجھے وہ اخلاص عطا فرما جو تیری بندگی کے شایان شان ہے۔ اے سب کے مالک، سب کے خالق، سب کے رب، اس عاجز مخلوق کو اپنا مخلص غلام بننا نصیب فرما۔ 
یوں میں نے زندگی میں پہلی بار اس سورۃ کو سمجھا اور مجھے معلوم ہوا کہ اس سورۃ کی وجہ تسمیہ یہ کیوں ہے۔ یہ ہمارے رب کی شان بیان کر کے ہمیں اسکی ذات کے ساتھ منسلک اپنے خلوص کے اس رشتے میں موجود کوتاہیوں اور کمزوریوں کی طرف متوجہ کرتی ہے۔ اللہ تعالیٰ سے دعا ہے کہ وہ ہم سب کو اپنے مخلص غلاموں کی فہرست میں داخل فرمائے وہ غلام جن کی غلامی وہ تسلیم کرتا ہے جنکی بندگی اسکی بارگاہ میں محبوب ہے۔
آمین

Allah is eternal, beyond human limitations of time, birth, or death. This makes me feel small in a peaceful way, not in a powerless way. It reminds me that Allah’s love is not like human love. It is not limited, tired, or conditional. His existence is constant, always there before me and long after me and for me.

Bismillahir Rahman ArRaheem

The concept of the Trinity, which refers to the belief in three distinct persons in one Godhead, is a fundamental tenet of Christianity. However, from an Islamic perspective, this concept is fundamentally flawed. 

Muslims believe in the oneness of God, or tawhid, which means that God is one and indivisible. The idea of a triune God is therefore incompatible with Islamic beliefs. Additionally, the Quran explicitly states that God has no partners or equals, further invalidating the concept of the Trinity.

Furthermore, the idea of Jesus being the son of God is also rejected in Islam. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet and messenger of God, but not divine. The Quran states that 'HE has never ha offspring, nor was HE born.' (112:3), emphasizing the uniqueness and oneness of God.

In conclusion, while the concept of the Trinity is a central belief in Christianity, it is incompatible with Islamic beliefs in the oneness of God and the rejection of any partners or equals to God. As they say, three's a crowd - especially when it comes to divinity.

We might begin a project with pure sincerity (ikhlas), but that's not a guarantee that our efforts will remain sincere forever. We have to be vigilant in our guarding our intentions and question our sincerity if we begin to feel desperate for validation and appreciation from others.

If you began something with a sincere desire to serve Allah, but now you find yourself bitter or resentful because you don't feel successful, appreciated, or acknowledged, take a step back and reflect upon ayah three of surah Al-Iklaas: 'He has never had offspring, nor was He born.'

The One you serve through this effort has never had offspring. He has never been born. He is not your boss, your followers, your coworkers, your community members, your fellow volunteers, your family, your friends. Do not let your heart be disturbed by their lack of appreciation. What matters is that we serve Al-Ahad - The One - with true ikhlaas, true sincerity. He will never let any of the efforts done sincerely for His sake go to waste. Alhamdullilah.

Oh Allah, make us of the Mukhliseen.
Ameen, Ya Rabbil alameen. 

(As always, advice to myself first and foremost. I've referenced additional verses we can reflect upon. Feel free to share more in the comments. JAK)

Jazaak Allah Khair, Sister. Sincerity is the heart of it all, it appears to me, and not an easy thing to assess for oneself, it seems. We need to keep trying to purify and never stop trying, I think. Allah Most High knows best.

The Foundation of Faith

Imagine building a house. What's the most important part? The foundation, of course. It's the base that holds everything up. In Islam, the foundation of our faith is the belief in one God, Allah ﷻ. Allah is unique; there's no one like Him. He's the Creator of everything, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Powerful. When we truly understand this, it changes everything. It gives our lives purpose, direction, and a sense of peace.

Think about it: When you believe in Allah, you're not alone. You have a guide, a supporter, and a loving Creator watching over you. It's like having a constant source of strength and comfort. So, let's start our journey together by strengthening our belief in Allah ﷻ. Let's remember His greatness, His mercy, and His love. Have you ever felt a deep connection with Allah ﷻ?

Share your thoughts in the comments below. I absolutely love this surah! 💯

Sometimes when we do something good, we expect  some type of validation in return...

Perhaps a 'thank you', 'JAK', a thumbs up, a 'good job' etc. If we find ourselves discouraged when we don't recieve that validation, it's time to re-examine our ikhlas (sincerity).

💭 These are some of the questions we can ask ourselves when examining our levels of sincerity:  

- Am I genuinely serving Allah with this work? Or did I begin to serve His creation?

- Why do I await validation from His creation if I am serving Him and Him alone? 

- Do I truly believe that Allah sees all and that He will not allow any of my good deeds to be lost?

- If I am bitter, annoyed, resentful, or upset while doing this work - why is that? Should a servant who loves His Master feel this way while serving Him? Or did I start to serve others without realizing it?

📖 Let's reflect on Surah Al-Ikhlas and remember Who we strive to serve, and let's get back on track when we subconsciously begin serving anyone else: 

Our Master is One.

He is the One who sustains every single thing (not us or anyone else!).

He has never had offspring, nor was He ever born - so carefully re-examine who you think you are serving and re-adjust if you began to make any of your efforts for the sake of someone on this earth. Being discouraged by a lack of human validation is a good signal to re-examine our hearts.

There is none comparable to Him! We will never serve anyone like Him - the One Whose service only enriches us, and never depletes us. He is the only One worth serving, and we serve others for His sake alone.

🤲 Oh Allah, grant us genuine Ikhlas in serving You and make us those who serve you gratefully, appreciative of the opportunity to be Your servants. May we not depend upon validation from the creation, but may our love for You be the fuel that drives us to serve You, and You alone. 

💬 Do you have tips on how to increase in sincerity? Are there any particular ayahs that help you when you desire validation from others? Share your thoughts and comments below so we can reflect and grow together ❤️

(Please be sure to see the wonderful comments from the QR community below! MashaAllah)

I spent my Friday trying to be as productive as possible, by the end of the day I was happy because a lot happened today. Alhamdulillah
 Yet as I was trying to reflect a homeless man entered the train . 

He was Muslim , he greeted everyone but said 
السلام عليكم  
to the Muslims . And that caught me off guard. He started talking about Allah , he recited surah Ikhlas and continued talking about Allah. 

The surah we recite carelessly in our salah is everything he has. And I can see it means so much to him. 

His pronounciation wasn't perfect but he was doing more dawah in these two minutes that I ever did in my life. I looked around as he was talking and he got a few affirmation from non Muslims , meaning some of what he was saying was being recieved. 

He walked through the cart. 
'Allah is the greatest'. He didn't beg for money. 

I felt so ashamed, the day I thought was productive is nothing compared to what he accumulated in these two minutes. 

I wish I had the confidence to at least say
 و عليكم السلام 
back at loud but I was so puzzled 

He said jazak Allah khairun to the Muslims and left. 

Ya Rab, I look forward to seeing him again and if not in the highest level of Jannah.

If you don't have the confidence to speak, keep some dawah leaflets with you at all times, and when you get the chance give one to someone you meet. Iera have some great booklets. Making Sense of God, Muhammad the Messenger, God's Testimony. All free, just postage. All logical and basic. https://iera.org/shop/ 