What is Qalb? part-11: following the Sunnah

 Following of Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)

as a cause of revivification of Qalb. -Dr. Rafiq Ahmed

This is one of the most important causes of revivification of Qalb. Blessed are those who understand it and follow it from the core of their hearts. Earlier on it was comprehensively proved that if you want to get rid of the darkness of Qalb and to enlighten it with the Noor of the Qur’ân, you have to connect your Qalb with the power house of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).

Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’ân:

قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

"Say:(O Muhammad)! “If you do love Allah Ta’ala, follow me: Allah Ta’ala will love you and forgive you your sins, for Allah Ta’ala is oft-forgiving, most merciful.” (3:31)

In this verse Allah Ta’ala declares that if you want My (i.e, Allah Ta’ala’s) love, you have only one way out, that is to follow Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). You know, the Qur’ân is the precious treasure of Allah Ta’ala. He will bestow this treasure only to those whom He loves. In other words, first we have to behave in such a way so that one becomes beloved of Allah Ta’ala, otherwise how can you expect His blessings, particularly a blessing like that of Al-Qur’ân. Allah Ta’ala has not left this for us to think how can we make Him happy. He has been kind enough to tell us well in advance as to what is the thing which He expects from us so that He may love us and subsequently bestow upon us His unlimited blessings, best of which is the Qur’ân. He says that He will love those who follow Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).

Unfortunately, these days so called modern Muslims, who are highly influenced by the apparently glittering west, think that following Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is unnecssary and orthodox.

Allah Ta’ala says:

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِيهِمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ

"Indeed, ye have in the Messenger of Allah Ta’ala an excellent exemplar”. (60:6)

Allah Ta’ala says that the best example for you is the life of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and the so called modern Muslims of today by their deeds if not by their belief, say that the best way is the western way of life. How can these people understand the divine message of the Qur’ân? The Qur’ân is guidance for those who fear Allah Ta’ala and abstain from sins.

Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’ân:

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

"It is Guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah Ta’ala”. (2:2)

One who fears Allah Ta’ala, will not displease Him. From the above verse (3:31) it is clear that Allah Ta’ala will not be pleased with somebody who does not follow Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).

How can following of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) help in understanding the Qur’an

Every aspect of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is full of Noor, whether it be his pious Rooh (spirit) or his life or his words or deeds. He was not a Noor for himself only. Allah Ta’ala says that He has sent him as Noor (to mankind). Unfortunate are those who are devoid of this Noor and blessed are those who are cherishing this wealth.

When a Mu’min (believer) acts according to the Sunnah (tradition) of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), each such deed carries a Noor with it which illuminates and enlightens the Qalb of the doer of this deed, which has been done strictly as per Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). These are called Anwaar-i-Sunnan. Say for example, a person has to take his meals, he takes his meals as per Sunnah—washing both of his hands before eating, recites Bismillah, lays the Dastaarkhan (sheet), takes the food from front side of the plate etc. He does this with the Niyyat that these are the Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and that Allah Ta’ala likes him to follow Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Now, one person takes his meals but does not do these things and does not make this Niyyat and the other person takes his meals according to the Sunnah. Both take meals, yet there is a great difference between the two. Both get energies for their bodies from the food, but the second person who takes the meals as per Sunnah gets Roohani (spiritual) energy as well. This person with Roohani (spiritual) energy is better placed for understanding the Qur’ân than the first one. From this example one must have understood how following of Sunnah is necessary for Tazkiya and how the deeds not as per Sunnah can deprive a person from Tazkiya. Here it may be understood that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) says that the Dua of such a person is not accepted by Allah Ta’ala who takes Haraam food. Here again this Haraam food spoils the Qalb thus depriving the blessings of Dua to shower upon this person.

This thing is so easy to understand as it has very simple reasoning but unfortunately the Qaloob (hearts) of majority of Muslims have got so much darkened and lifeless that they fail to understand this simple fact as to how can following of the Sunnah help in imbibing the Divine guidance. These days there are thousands of libraries, millions of books, hundreds of journals, advanced audio visual methods of propagating Islam and countless conferences and other Islamic congregation held everywhere. Islamic history reveals that in earlier centuries these things were not available in plenty. All the same earlier Muslims were qualitatively far superior to the modern Muslims. If you measure it by using the modern yardstick then the situation should have been reverse i.e., with the modern advances which are providing more and more information easily to a Muslim, should have been qualitatively better but it is not so. It is simply because today’s Muslim, highly overawed and greatly influenced by the western culture, thinks that he can become a good Muslim and can understand the Qur’ân by using the modern audio visual aids of propagation and by reading too many books even if his actions and lifestyle is totally western and against the Sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).

Hadhrat Imâm Malik (RA) used to say that this Ummah cannot regain its glory unless it adopts the same means which were adopted by earlier Muslims i.e., Sahâbah al-Kirâm (RA) and Taaba’een. The secret of success and the source of the knowledge was the Sunnah of Rasullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).