| Dear scholars, As-Salamu `alaykum. I am a medical student, and praise be to Allah, my faith is stronger than ever in Allah. I try to offer the obligatory and supererogatory prayers on time, and strive to read the Qur’an and practice its teachings while following the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The problem is that I don’t have any time to attend dhikr halaqas (gatherings to remember and praise Allah) or any Islamic lectures and activities. I hear there are so many out there and I would love to attend, but my studies demand my full time and focus. Friends have told me that it is haram (impermissible) to put my education before participating in Islamic activities because it means that I love this world more than Allah. Is this true? Am I considered one of those who only work for this life and not the afterlife? Jazakum Allah khayran. |
Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother in Islam, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
“If you are a medical student specializing in an area of study greatly needed by the community, then certainly you are performing a fard kifayah (a collective duty). Your primary Islamic duty, therefore, after having performed your mandatory religious duties, is to devote yourself to achieving excellence in your chosen field of study. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah has enjoined excellence in all things (one does).” and “Allah loves you to do whatever you set out to do as professionally and efficiently as you can.” So give your undivided attention to your studies.
While doing so, however, you should never fail to integrate your work with your spiritual mission in life. For as Muslims we should live to please Allah; a true believer is one whose feet are grounded firmly on the earth while his gaze extends far beyond the confines of the limited existence to the world beyond death. In other words, we look to akhirah (the after life) and meeting our Lord as our final destination and end of our journey. In order to ensure that you never lose your spiritual focus in life, you should devote a few minutes every day to doing things that would enhance the quality of your iman (faith) and thus strengthen your connection with Allah.
As Imam Shah Waliullah has pointed out, since the Shari`ah is based on compassion, it takes into full account the diverse conditions and circumstances of people. Consequently, it does not require everyone to do the same set of rituals as everyone else except, of course, the obligatory duties, so long as they try to integrate a spiritual regimen with their daily activities.
Here is a list of things you can do on a regular basis in order to ensure that you are anchored spiritually:
1) Purify your intention and begin your day’s work by counting Allah’s blessings and asking His forgiveness; and end your day’s work on a similar note.
2) Never be slack in performing your obligatory duties; set aside a definite time for performing them without fail. If, on occasions, because of an urgent call of duty you find yourself unable to pray each of the five daily prayers at its appointed time, then you may combine Zhuhr and `Asr by praying them together either at the time of Zhuhr or that of `Asr. Likewise, Maghrib and `Isha’ can be combined either at the time of Maghrib or of `Isha’. But never do so in ordinary situations or while comfortably sitting home.
3) Read at least a few verses (ten or even five) of the Qur’an every day.
4) Let dhikr (remembrance of Allah) be your constant companion; say words such as the following repeatedly:
Subhan Allah wa bi hamdihi; subhan Allah al-`Azheem (Glory be to Allah, and praise be to Him; glory be to Allah, the Supreme). Subhan Allah, al-hamdulillah, la ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar, wa la hawla wala quwwata illa billah (Glory be to Allah; praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah; Allah is Greatest; there is no power or strength except by Allah). Condition yourself to meditate on these words. By consistently practicing dhikr you will find your daily chores being transformed into smooth, fulfilling experiences.
5) Spend much of your driving time listening to beautiful recitations of the Qur’an as well as to inspiring or educational lectures.
6) Read at least one hadith from Imam Nawawi’s Riyadh as-Saliheen every day.
7) Try to be consistent in the things you do, for it is what we do consistently every day—rather than the quantity of our work—that helps shape our character.
8) Remember the important principle: If you cannot do something in its entirety, it does not mean you leave it all together; so try to do at least what you can at the given time and circumstance. Allah is All-Compassionate and All-Merciful; He will surely recognize our intention and efforts.
9) Although you find yourself busy with your work, if you manage your time wisely and efficiently, you will surely find time to integrate the above spiritual regimen into your life. By doing so, you will be leading a fulfilling and purposeful life.
I wish you success in your career and pray to Allah to make you an instrument of goodness. Ameen.”
Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.muslims.ca |
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