Action Plan: How to make my entire life an Ibaadah?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Deeba Qamar

Surah Ya-Sin gives a very vivid picture of  Jannah (heaven) and Jahannum (hell). It also talks about what impressions  we are leaving behind and what deeds we will be taking with us. When we are in dunya,  we take our faculties for granted and do whatever we like, but in akhirah we will be questioned about each and every minute detail. For instance, what did we do with our sight, our hearing, our speech, our youth and our leisure time?

Ayah 65 of Surah Ya-Sin is very deep in meaning as our tongue will remain silent but our body parts will speak up-either in favour of us or against us.

الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

“That Day, We will seal over their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify about what they used to earn.”
[Al-Quran- Surah Ya-sin: 65]

This ayah has really shaken me up. Now I look at everything with a different perspective:

• Now, Alhamdulillah  I read the dua for waking up, then wash my hands three times (as per sunnah), do wudhu (ablution), pray and recite the Qur’an.

Dua for Waking up

“All Praise is for Allah Who gave us life after having it taken from us and unto Him is the Resurrection.”

• In the morning,  I make the intention to do as many good deeds as possible  with the permission and help of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
• While cooking for my family, I remind myself that I am doing this for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), so my family gets hidayah (guidance), Insha’Allah.

• While leaving home for the Qur’an class, I remind myself that I am doing it for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)’s pleasure.

• I meet class fellows only for the sake of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). I learn from a hadith that such people who meet and depart for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)’s sake will be under His shade.

There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: 1. a just ruler; 2. a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; 3. a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; 4. two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; 5. a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: ‘I fear Allah’, 6. a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; 7. and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.’ Narrated by Abu Hurairah & collected in Sahih al-Bukhari (English trans.) vol.1, p.356, no.629 & Sahih Muslim English trans.) vol.2, p.493, no.2248

• I come  back home smiling for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)’s pleasure so that the atmosphere of home remains calm.

• I spend time with family to gain Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)’s  pleasure.

• I share the same food that has been cooked for the family with house help to gain Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)’s pleasure.

• I study for my Qur’an class for  Allah (سبحانه وتعالى)’s pleasure only with an intention to learn, to put knowledge into my amal (action) and then to go forward in spreading it to others to people or places where Qur’an has not reached.

• I  go to bed according to sunnah and continue to do istighfar (repentance) and zikr (remembrance) of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) before falling  asleep.