American Muslim

My Poor Ipod

Asalaam alaikum (Peace be with you),

I have a little red iPod shuffle that I've owned for almost a year and that it was pretty much indispensable when I lived in Chicago. However, since I've moved to Atlanta (again), I have used it less and less. Part of the reason is that I just listen to music a heck of a lot less now and part is that I've had a hard time installing iTunes on my office computer.

But, the biggest reason is that I have come to embrace solitude and quiescence - stillness, tranquility (thanks GRE!). I've just become tired listening to music all the time - I mean I haven't even had music on the iPod for awhile, just beautiful Qur'an recitation by Mishary Al-Afasy, one of the best qari (Qur'an recitors) in the world and lectures from my teacher, Shaykh Husain Abdul Sattar. As much as he wants us to listen to his lectures and gain knowledge to implement tasawwuf (sufism) into our lives, even Shaykh Husain has talked about enjoying the quiet and not listening to things all the time.

I didn't understand the hikma (wisdom) behind this till recently but, like a great many things in my life, I have understood more as I've gotten older. And in the time I had previously spent listening to things, I am now trying to do more dhikr or remembrance of Allah. Dhikr is a very, very important form of ibadah or worship of Allah (SWT). It can be silent or out loud. There are so many things one can say to praise Allah (SWT), send blessings on Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the other anbiya (Prophets), do istigfar or ask forgiveness of Allah, etc.

So, I am constantly doing dhikr these days and inshallah (if Allah wills), I am getting the reward for this. Shaykh Husain has mentioned this many times in his lectures and forgive me if I write about this again, but everything part of body was made to worship Allah (SWT) and do good things with them. Allah (SWT) gave us feet. I can use my feet to walk towards a bar or restaurant that sells haraam (forbidden) food or some girls, or I can use my feet and walk towards the masjid (mosque) or toward the company of good people. Allah (SWT) gave us eyes. I can use my beautiful eyes to read the Qur'an or read articles about Islam or write this blog! Or I can use those same eyes and look at pornography or check girls out on the street.

Lastly, the same with our tongues. I can use my tongue to curse people and backbite, talking badly about someone behind their back. Or I can use my tongue to praise Allah (SWT) and thank him for bringing me to Islam, wiping away all my sins before I became Muslim, ask Him to wash my dead and blackened heart and make it pure again, etc. Just as I gave the example in a previous post about doing things for the sake of doing them versus doing them for the sake of Allah (SWT), why would I not use the gifts He has given me, gain some reward and hopefully, gain His pleasure?

There is no choice. I am here to serve Allah (SWT) first and then my parents. May Allah (SWT) accept all my dhikr and forgive me for being a bad son and for the multitude of sins I have committed since I was reborn as a Muslim.

Ameen.