using it up by feeling guilty about the past, or fretting about the
future. Regret for the past is a waste of spirit, and worrying about
the future is pointless.
Hanan Bilal, a community activist and motivator fromFlorida, asks,
"When will we stop living in the past and longing for our future?All
we really have is this moment. The question is what are we going to do
right now? Our time is now!"
The Past
That's not to say that contemplation of past and future is verboten.
The Quran tells stories of the past in order to educate us.The
Messenger of Allah (sws) told us many stories of past Prophets and the
Bani Israa'il, for the same reason. We study world history, we study
the seerah of our Prophet and the lives of the Sahabah, because it
inspires and informs.
I taught a martial arts classseveral hours ago and I'm still reviewing
it in my mind, examining what I could do better next time. That's part
of the learning process for me.
I have a sweet young daughter named Salma and I often think about my
time with her, something funny that she said, or the small gifts that
she likes to make for me. Yesterday she made me a card that says "I
love Baba." A few days ago we had a poetry reading at our local
Muslimcommunity center, and in between readings our host told jokes.
For some reasonSalma positioned herself in the front row, and every
time our host told a joke I heard Salma laughing loudly, even though
I'm sure she did not understand the jokes ("do vegetarians eat animal
crackers?"). Crazy kid, ha ha. So yeah, I think about past moments.
But I'm not stuck in the past. I think about those moments because
they educate me or make me smile, so they become a part of my present
and future.
On the other hand, I occasionally think about my former marriage, and
those are usually not good thoughts, because I tend todwell on the
mistakes I made, and I feel sadness orguilt. I've already contemplated
deeply on that period in my life, and I've learned my lessons. I don't
need to keep returning there in my mind, punishing myself. If Idid,
then I would indeed bestuck in the past, unable to move forward. That
is the kind of pointless regret that weighs people down and burdens
their spirits.
The Future
We plan for the future by having goals, getting an education, working
hard, saving money, always learning and improving ourselves. We plan
for our aakhirah by dedicating ourselves to Allah, worshiping, giving
our money to the poor and orphans, and humbling ourselves. We build
our futures step by step. But it's not productive to sit around biting
our nails andthinking, "What if I fail my exam, oh, when will I get
married, what's going to happen if I lose my job, how will I pay my
bills…" You make yourself sick andit doesn't help.
Don't worry, plan . There's ahuge difference! Then acknowledge that
you don't control the future. That's Allah's province. Trust in Him,
let him be your guide, find your security in Him.
The security of the dunya isfalse security. Suffering is the lot of
all Adam's children, in one way or another, and death comes when we're
ready or not. The security of Allah is real and transcends this world.
The Moment
This moment is all we have, my friend. The past isgone, and the future
never comes, because when we get there, we're still in the present/
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