How knowledge transformed me to become a better muslim
It’s been 8 years since I’ve found Islam. I don’t come from a family that practises Islam and observes its obligations, and the only person in my family who practises Islam is my father. So to be given guidance by Allah ‘Azza Wa Jal is the biggest blessing in my life – a life of eeman bears more fruits of patience and endurance in understanding life’s struggles.
Throughout my journey in finding Allah, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many muslims who have shaped me to become who I am today. Surprisingly, these individuals are the ones who are like me; they had little of Islam in their hearts, but something, perhaps a calamity or a trial in their lives that brought them out of their comfort zones sparked the fire within to search for the truth. They wanted clarity, a new lense to see the world as it is. Living in a fast-paced society, there was no room for one to take a breather and catch an air. They couldn’t pause for a moment to ponder upon life and reflect its purpose; in the slowness we witness life.
Today, Islam has helped me see reality as it is. Too many times we’ve clouded our perception of life by bombarding our minds with information that do not reflect the reality of this world. The media, if we’re not adept in using it, will more likely cause harm to our minds and ultimately, our souls. Just like food – the more junk food we eat, the more harm it will cause to our bodies. The more junk information we feed our minds, the more incapable we’ll become in discerning between truth and falsehood.
When I was beginning to learn more about Islam, I became a voracious reader. There was this intrinsic need to know more about the religion, so the curiosity bloomed and it turned into a never ending quest for peace. I still remember the two books I bought which ultimately shaped my journey into seeking knowledge – Don’t be sad by Dr ‘Aid Al-Qarni and Enjoy your life by Dr Al-Arifi. The titles imply something was troubling me within. Don’t be sad is still one of.my favourite books today.
As I read more and more, I expanded my worldview, my empathy towards others and the world around me. It became clear how chaotic the world is, but at the same time, in the chaos there is a sense of order, a sign that keeps nagging in my mind, telling me that everything has been measured – everything has been written. Naturally, with reading, writing came along.
So I began to write a lot, spending my pocket money on stationery, mostly pens and notebooks. Writing would become second nature to me. I’d write whatever that fascinated me, how I felt when I came across a certain matter and how I reacted to these feelings. Writing not only helped me clarify my thoughts; it’s given me an identity. I became more serious in it when I was confronted with matters that I couldn’t handle. It was only a matter of time that this undertaking led me to understanding my thought process better; writing was helping me see how I think things through.
It’s a wonderful package Allah has given me – reading, writing, and thinking. They all intertwine in the process of improving yourself. Be thankful that you are given these gifts, even though you may be oblivious to it now. It will come to you, but only if you make the first step to improve yourself.
It became clear to me then, that Islam is a religion of knowledge. You want to do something? Act with knowledge. Knowledge, knowledge, and knowledge – Knowledge before action.
The Prophet(peace be upon him) said in a long hadith,”…Whosoever pursues a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will thereby make easy for him a path to Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim)
It’s an impetus, for with seeking knowledge one comes to learn how to build the foundation needed for a purposeful life. The pillars of Islam and Eeman are both stepping stones to make you a firm believer in Him alone. And in the process you learn how to strenghten it.
Before I knew the virtues of seeking knowledge, my first action was to get back into praying. It was awkward at first, as I would hide myself from my family whenever I wanted to pray, and I remember shying away from the masjid just because I feared the elderly would judge me for wanting to learn how to pray. When learning to become a better muslim, never fear judgment. It’s always the reason why people hesitate to practise their Islam.
I would come to understand how meaningful life is when it is dictated by the Qur’an and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) teachings. It’s helped me to rearrange my priorities, realign my focus and shift my mental paradigm to something more impeccable; I had learnt then, through the sacred texts, to ask the right questions about life.
If we know that “To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return”, then we should understand that there is accountability that awaits us in the hereafter, and that we will be questioned as to how we’ve lived our lives.
There are a few Prophetic narrations that I’ve etched on my mind so as to remind myself whenever I slip from the Straight Path.
The first hadith is,
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The first thing among their deeds for which the people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be prayer. Our Lord will say to His angels, although He knows best, ‘Look at My slave’s prayer, is it complete or lacking?’ If it is complete, it will be recorded as complete, but if it is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether my slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he had done voluntary prayers, He will say, ‘Complete the obligatory prayers of My slave from his voluntary prayers.’ Then the rest of his deeds will be examined in a similar manner.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 864; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 770).*
So prayer is the first thing I would always keep in check to see whether it is done in accordance to the Prophetic tradition, and whether it is full of devotion and concentration. When the going gets tough, I would take the time off and inspect my prayer to make sure that my connection with Allah is still strong.
Then comes the second hadith,
It was narrated from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of it, and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2422; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1969)**
Life, youth, wealth, and knowledge. These are the key components that make up a life. If you were to truly reflect on these words, they not only help you ask the right questions about life, but they remind you to utilise your time on Earth and to take care of it in the best way possible.
I am still learning how to become a better muslim, and the only way to do that is to keep seeking knowledge and practise whatever I have learnt. It’s important for every muslim to seek knowledge because only then will a society or a nation rise in the midst of chaos we are in today. And we don’t want to be a muslim who worships Allah without knowledge; it’ll only bring us farther from Allah rather than bringing us closer to Him.
But how do you know that you’re changing for the better?
When people begin to notice of your change, whether it be in your demeanor or your appearance – they will signal you of how much you’ve changed for the better. It could be that you begin to be more responsive towards your parents whenever they need your help. Before this, you were negligent in meeting their needs. After knowing Islam deeper and the virtues of doing good to your parents, you become more eager to serve them in the best manner because you know that Allah loves this act of worship and that Paradise is waiting for you.
It could be that you’ve heard from the Prophetic text that a smile to your brother is a form of charity, and thus you take the initiative to give the Salaam first and smile at them knowing that Allah loves those who are gentle towards others.
Knowledge transforms you. It has transformed me for the better and I hope to be better every second of my life. It will only stop unless Allah wills it to stop.
How has knowledge transformed you to become a better muslim?
Source of hadith for * & **: https://islamqa.info/en/22203
