Semester B 17/18, 12th January 2018
In these first few days of the year, people who don’t even happen to believe in a Creator still ask themselves how they can be a better person and reflect on the previous years. Now, if this is the case for one who doesn’t have a firm purpose in their life, isn’t is more expected upon a person who has a firm purpose and believes in a Creator to reflect and better themselves?
Umar Ibn Khattab says: “Take yourself to account before you are taken to account.”
People who regularly take themselves to account during the academic year and always ensure they are caught up on work will, most of the time, achieve far greater results than the one who doesn’t revise and leaves things last minute – they will surely struggle to achieve the bare minimum let alone their target. So why don’t we take ourselves to account for an exam which is much greater, an exam which the outcome is either Jannah or Jahannam yet many are heedless and do not prepare themselves for this exam appropriately. The more we analyse our lives and see whether we are reaching the benchmarks in this world, the easier they will find the account to be on the day of judgment.
The Prophet SAW said: “Whoever wants to know what Allah has prepared for him, then he should look to what he has prepared for Allah.” (Abu Nu’aym)
Even before the day of Judgment, we will be questioned in the grave and the one who held on to the religion strongly and acted upon it will easily be able to answer the questions:
“Who is your Lord? What is your religion? And Who is your prophet?” As for one who lived in this life heedless and had memorised these questions yet didn’t prepare for them, they will not be able to answer the questions.
The first thing people will be questioned on the day of judgment is prayer. For those who answer this question on prayer successfully, they will have an easy accountability, but as for those who struggle with this essential question, they will surely have failed.
The Prophet SAW said: “Take benefit of 5 before 5: your youth before your old age; your health before your sickness; your wealth before your poverty, your free-time before your occupation and your life before your death.” (Hakim)- take advantage of what we have now, before it is gone in the future. We should hasten to gain as much reward as possible in this life so that we invest as much as we can in the next life. With the knowledge we gain, we need to implement it so that we may be successful. One of the other things we will be questioned on in the Day of Judgment is our youth. We need to ensure that we spend our youth wisely so that we may enter Jannah easily.
As Ali RA says: “Today is a day of action and no accountability. Tomorrow is the day of accountability and no action.” So, we may be able to get away with things very easily in this world but in the hereafter, justice will be served by the Most Just. We don’t want to be from those who wish they didn’t even exist because of how bad their accountability will be on the day of Judgment.
People should take themselves to account in 3 different occasions:
· Before an action – renew your intention and do it for the sake of Allah SWT. Think before you do anything so that only good comes out of it.
· Whilst you are doing an action – ask yourself if what you are doing is acceptable and worth spending your time on. Is it going to benefit anyone?
· After you do an action – pride and arrogance after deeds will lead to big problems. Just like how Shaytan let his pride stop him from obeying Allah SWT.
So, during our studies in university, let’s renew our intentions so that all our hard work doesn’t go to waste – have an intention which will give you success in the akhira as well.