A thirst waiting to be quenched. A fast waiting to be broken.
Reading time: 6 - 9 minutes
Audhoobillahi minash-shaytaanir rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
So I have this theory, and it goes somethin like this…
The similitude of this world in relation to the hereafter is like a thirst waiting to be quenched.
You know what it’s like right? C’mon, Ramadhaan’s still fresh in your memory, I’m sure. You know that feeling, like on the odd day when the fast is proving reallllllllllllllllllllllllllly hard, and it’s not really the hunger, it’s more the thirst? Like when you think, ‘Man! I could so killlll for a sip of water right now!’ And then when it comes time for iftaar, and that first droplet of water touches your mouth…Subhan’Allah! It’s like you’ve never been satiated like that before. Walhamdulillah. But what’s more is, irrespective of how hungry or thirsty you were throughout the looong day, irrespective of how much you struggled to keep going in the heat, irrespective of how hard it was on you – as soon as you break your fast – you forget it all. It’s like you were never hungry or thirsty in the first place, like you didn’t feel a single pang of hunger. Like you never fasted at all.
This world; it’s the same. it’s not easy worshipping Allah [swt] when you have the ever-present enemy [shaytaan] constantly getting at you. It’s not easy trying to abstain from something he pulls you to – may Allah’s curse be on him for all of eternity. It’s not easy curbing and tossing aside the adornments of this temporary abode, for the sake of something timeless. Mostly, it’s not easy coz you’re constantly battling something you can’t see, constantly fighting for something you haven’t seen. It’s not easy, and it’s ok to admit it – well I think it is anyway.
It’s like that hadeeth, you must know it better than me, the one that talks about the angels gracing the gatherings wherein Allah [swt] is remembered. You ever heard it? It talks about how when people gather for the sake of Allah, glorifying Him and praising Him, then the angels return to Allah and though He Knows better than them, He [swt] still asks them as to where they were gone. And they say we went to such and such place where You were being glorified and praised and asked of by Your slaves. And Allah [swt] asks them, ‘And what do they ask of Me?’ And the angels say, ‘They ask of Your Paradise.’ And Allah [swt] says, ‘And have they seen My Paradise?’ And the angels say, ‘No.’…And then the angels explain that the slaves of Allah seek protection from the Hellfire. And Allah [swt] asks, ‘And have they seen My Hellfire?’ And again the angels reply in the negative. [And the hadeeth goes on…]
The point is, the believer in this world is continuously working towards something [Paradise] whilst continuously working to save himself from another [Hellfire]. And then you have the devil at your neck, and then you have your own soul, and then you have those amongst the people [evil-doers who practise and invite to that which incurs Allah’s anger], and then you have the allurements of the world…all pulling you in one direction. And you’re persistently battling, relentlessly trying to strive for that meeting with Allah. But sometimes it can be sooo hard, coz you’re constantly hoping for something you haven’t seen [Paradise] and running in fear from something else [Hellfire]. It’s like, you know it’s true, there’s no doubt about that, but the struggle isn’t easy, ya know?
Then, in addition to that you have the tests from Allah, which Allah tries us with to strengthen us, to strengthen our faith, to increase us in nearness to Him, in likeness to His Messenger [saw] and the righteous people. And it’s all so abstract. “Put your trust in Allah.” “Be patient.” “Be grateful to Allah.” “Have hope in Allah.” “Fear Allah.”
Trust. Patience. Gratitude. Hope. Fear. All such abstract concepts. Nothing you can touch, nothing you can feel, nothing you can pull out of a box, and say ‘Here, this is my fear.’ Or ‘Here, this is my hope.’ These things, states, emotions, whatever you wanna call them, they defy what’s logical, physical and empirical. Trust. Patience. Gratitude. Hope. Fear. Anything you can measure, touch or feel? Nope. But you still feel all that stuff right? When things get hard, and you’re hopeful in the mercy of Allah. Or when you love someone or something – anything - and it’s like this crazy manic feeling inside. Like when you have a pet. And it’s not trained and it does something really stupid. And you know if that was your little bro he’d have got schlaaps! But coz it’s this innocent thing, this thing that you love, you can’t bring yourself to tell it off. Instead you just grin and let it go. Hope. Love. Those wishy-washy ideas again. Difficult concepts, when you try and explain them. But somewhere inside if you, you know they’re real. It’s all very real.
So now you’re fasting. Every day that you walk this earth, you’re fasting. You fast from everything that’s forbidden to you, and you patiently wait for everything that is promised to you. And then when you chuck in the trust, hope, fear etc., suddenly the fast is more difficult. Suddenly you’re fasting and it’s a sweltering summer’s day, and you’re incredibly thirsty, so it’s just that much harder to keep going. But you keep going. And you keep at it. And you keep striving for that Jannah that you haven’t seen. You keep pushing for that meeting with Allah. And every trial, every calamity, every tiresome day, it makes your fast that much harder.
But you know what? A Day will come when the sun finally sets on your fast. And when that Day comes, if you’ve worked for it, then you’ll break that fast and be immensely satisfied. Satiated to a point of no return. Because on that Day, when you stand before Allah, well-pleased and well-pleasing, when you receive the glad tidings of Paradise by the Mercy of Allah, on that Day you’ll forget how hard you toiled to keep this fast.
On that Day, all you’ll know is the quenching of your thirst, the breaking of your fast.
All that is good and correct is from Allah [swt] Alone, and praise belongs to Him, Most High. As for the mistakes, then they are mine. I ask Allah, and then you, to forgive me. Ameen.
We ask Allah [swt] to grant us truth on our tongues, sincerity in our hearts, and Paradise by His mercy. Indeed Allah is a witness over us, and Allah knows best.
In the care of Allah [swt],
Wassalaamu’alaikum wa rahmatullah
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Bismillaah. Jazakillaahu Khayran for all the beneficial posts and reminders. Keep them coming in inshaAllaah.