using it up by feeling guilty about the past, or fretting about the
future. Regret for the past is awaste of spirit, and worrying about
the future is pointless.
Hanan Bilal, a community activist and motivator from Florida, 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
theseerah of our Prophet and the lives of the Sahabah, because it
inspires and informs.
I taught a martial arts class several 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, orthe small gifts that
she likes to make for me. Yesterday she mademe a card that says "I
love Baba." A few days ago we had a poetry reading at our local Muslim
community center, and in between readings our host told jokes. For
some reason Salma positioned herself in the front row, and every time
our host tolda joke I heard Salma laughing loudly, even though I'm
sure she did not understand the jokes ("dovegetarians 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 makeme 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 to dwell on the
mistakes I made, and I feel sadness or guilt. 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 I did, then I would indeed be stuck 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 buildour
futures step by step. But it's not productive to sit around biting our
nails and thinking, "What if I fail my exam, oh, when will I get
married, what's going to happen if I lose my job, how will Ipay my
bills…" You make yourselfsick and it doesn't help.
Don't worry, plan . There's a huge 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 is false 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 thisworld.
The Moment
This moment is all we have, my friend. The past is gone, and the
future never comes, because when we get there, we're still in the
present.
If you take this moment to breathe deeply and say, "SubhanAllah wa
bihamdihi" – glory to Allah and all praise to Him– and then thank
Allah for the blessings in your life, or sit down and play a game with
your child, go for a walk in the sunshine, maybe take a few nature
photos, call an old friend, write your spouse a love note, read a
verse from the Quran and contemplate it – then you have lived! You
have turned that moment into a precious gem, something to smile about
and feel good about.
Let's live the moment, be conscious of it, feel it, and give Allah the
credit, and in doing so let's turn the moment into a circle of
sunshine and barakah.
P.S. Isn't that the most amazing photo above? I absolutely love it. I
want to roll around in that grass,bathe in that river, call the
adhaanto the sky, and build a small house among those trees.
SubhanAllah.
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:-> :->
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