Fulfilling Our Purpose: Living A Life Pleasing To Allah

The Purpose of Our Existence

Sooner or later in life, a person begins to ponder about three main questions. These are existential questions. Whether now or whether later, but eventually a person begins to ask and he begins to ponder: Where did I come from? What am I doing here? What is the purpose of my life? And where am I going? And as Muslims, alhamdulillah, we have the answer to all of these questions.

Allah mentions, where did you come from?

We are the ones who created you. Allah mentions: we are the ones who created you. So we came from Allah.

What are we doing here? Well, Allah mentions what we are supposed to be doing here:

That your sole purpose for creation, Allah mentions: I only created mankind and jinnkind for the purposes of worshipping Allah. In other words, to live such a life wherein a person is pleasing Allah.

And then where are we going? Where Allah mentions:

You are definitely coming back to us. Individually, as we created you, one by one you will all come back to us. In other ayat:

To Allah you will all be returned. So for us we know, but we have to ponder about it. Where did we come from? We came from Allah. What am I doing here? My life is here, I'm here for the purposes of Allah. And where am I going? I'm going back to Allah.

So then it becomes very clear for us. It's very simple. That my whole purpose in life is to please Allah. And to live a life wherein I am doing what Allah requires, what Allah wants from me at every given moment in my life. And that requires knowledge. The only way a person is going to know what Allah wants from him is if he learns that from the teachings of Rasulullah ﷺ. And that is why Allah sent messengers throughout time — to constantly remind mankind that this is your purpose, this is where you came from, this is what you're doing here, and prepare for your meeting when you go back and visit your creator.

Spending in the Path of Allah

So amongst the various different things that we ought to bring into our lives to please Allah, is the aspect of giving charity — spending for the sake of Allah. Allah is the creator. Allah is the sustainer. Allah does not require our wealth. Allah mentions in the very same surah:

I do not want any sustenance from them, and I do not want that they feed me anything. Surely, verily, it is Allah that is the sustainer, that is the all-powerful.

But rather it is for our benefit. Allah wants to see those of us that are going to spend for His cause. And Allah mentions in another place in the Qur'an:

This is what everyone is searching for. This is what everyone lives their life for. Everyone wants to live a life to please Allah. Everyone wants to live a righteous life in the obedience of Allah. What is one of the shortest recipes for that? Allah mentions in the Qur'an: you're seeking piety, you're looking for righteousness — you will never achieve piety, you will never achieve righteousness, until you spend from that which you love.

In another place in the Qur'an, Allah mentions:

That we all love wealth. So you will never attain piety until you spend from that which you love. And again, we must remind ourselves that whatever we spend for the sake of Allah, it's not for Allah's purpose, but rather it is for my benefit. It's for my betterment.

The Virtues of Charity in the Ahadith

There are many, many ahadith that talk about the virtues of spending for the sake of Allah. There are ahadith that mention that giving charity protects a person from having a terrible death. Another hadith — it protects a person from the anger of Allah. In another hadith, it protects a person from the fire of Jahannam. In another hadith, it is mentioned that when the sun is brought so close to mankind on the Day of Judgment — when everyone will literally be drowning in their sweat — that it will be a means of protection and a means of shade for that person on the Day of Qiyamah.

But the main thing that we have to ponder upon constantly is the fact that when I give charity, I am not benefiting anyone else, but rather I am benefiting myself. This is something that I am sending forward for myself in the hereafter. This is something solely for my benefit.

Charity Does Not Decrease Wealth

And sometimes there are a few things that actually hold us back, that cause us to hesitate. Sometimes we feel, I can't give this much because I don't have it — where am I going to get it? I'm trying to save for this car, I'm trying to save for this house, or I'm trying to save for something. And if I give, it's going to take me a bit longer to purchase whatever I'm trying to purchase. But Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ have mentioned that is not the case. That is not the case at all.

In a hadith, Rasulullah ﷺ mentions in Sahih Muslim:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2588)

Charity never, ever decreases a person's wealth. Whenever a person gives for the sake of Allah, then that amount is always given back. In the ayah of the Qur'an, Allah mentions in Surah Baqarah:

Whatever you spend is for your own benefit — it's for your own benefit. And then Allah continues in the last portion of the ayah: whatever you spend for the sake of Allah will be granted to you in full.

True Stories of Allah's Promise Fulfilled

SubhanAllah, once upon a time, when I was residing in St. Louis a few years ago, Mufti Minhaj, hafidhullah, was visiting, and he shared a story with me regarding a particular individual when he was the imam of St. Louis. That was a very beautiful story. And once upon a time, I only had one of these stories — but just a few days ago, I heard at least five or six others.

He mentioned that once, when he was the imam and he was helping and assisting with the fundraising, they were short of about $5,000 to reach their particular goal. MashaAllah, everyone was drained as much as they could, and they had already spent two or three hours. And everyone was ready to go — no one was giving the $5,000 they wanted to achieve the goal. So Mufti Sahab got up and he said: I guarantee you, I am promising you, and this is not even my promise, but rather I am conveying the promise of Allah. That the person who steps up and gives this $5,000 for the sake of that particular masjid — I guarantee you that Allah will return what you are spending tenfold.

So mashaAllah, a person — who I heard now actually resides in this community — stepped up and gave $5,000. He came the very next day and said: Mufti Sahab, you won't believe it. He said: What happened? He said: You know, I gave the money, and of course I gave it because I was hoping for the reward that Allah is going to give me. I wasn't really expecting to see much, but I just got a raise of $50,000 from my company, subhanAllah.

That was a few years ago, and that was one story. Then just the other day, when we were sitting with a few beloved brothers, we heard about five or six other stories in line with that. Just the other day, when I was sharing with the students, another student mentioned: Ustadh, I can testify to that too. Once I was in i'tikaf, I gave $1,000. I didn't expect to receive anything. The very next day, right after the i'tikaf was over and I went back to work, I got a bonus of $10,000, subhanAllah.

So this is — again:

Who can be more truthful than Allah? These are the promises of Allah. This is how we have to ponder and reflect, and whenever we are giving, we have to understand that we are giving for the sake of Allah.

The Wisdom of Mufti Shafi Sahab

I would like to end with a story. There was once — you know the famous Mufti Taqi Uthmani, hafidhullah. May Allah protect him and preserve him, and grant him many more years of life, so that the whole world may benefit from him. He was once walking with his father, Mufti Shafi Sahab, and as they were walking to their car, there were a few beggars. They approached him — and you know, sometimes you can see when there's a beggar, sometimes there are genuine ones and sometimes there are fakers. Allah knows best. But sometimes people make a whole profession out of it.

Anyway, there was a person who came up, and he seemed as though he was not genuinely in need. So Mufti Shafi Sahab still told his son: give him some money. So he listened, took out some money, and gave it to him. Then when they were sitting in the car, Mufti Taqi Sahab — the son — asked the father: Oh my beloved father, even I could tell he wasn't really genuinely in need. Why did you give him money?

So he said: Beta, what would be your case and what would be my case if Allah only gave us blessings if we were truly genuinely in need? Allahu Akbar. He said: we don't look at the fact that we are benefiting others, but rather we are benefiting ourselves. Whatever we spend, we are spending for the sake of Allah, and Allah will definitely reward us, and we will see the benefit in this very worldly life itself.

And Allah, as His promise mentions, will return it to us. Sometimes we don't realize, but if we take some time to ponder, we'll realize that every time we gave for the sake of Allah, Allah has only sent more and more. And if Allah has not yet sent you more, then it is definitely bound to come. And if not, then there is going to be far greater waiting in the hereafter — such that you would have wished you never even received a single thing in reward in this world.

A Loan to Allah — His Promise of Return

May Allah grant us all the ability to spend in His sake and to truly adopt this mindset — that we realize every single thing that we spend is not for the benefit of anyone else, but rather it is truly for ourselves.

Lastly, Allah mentions:

Who is there who is going to give a good loan for the sake of Allah? A loan is something that is given back — so Allah promises He is going to give it back, only so that Allah can multiply it for him in manifold, in many, many, many more times. And then Allah mentions: Remember, Allah is the one who is in control of our wealth. Allah is the one who is in control of our sustenance. When we give for His cause, He is definitely going to give us more.

And if we hold back out of fear of giving for His cause because of the Shaytan —

Shaytan is the one who promises us poverty. Whereas Allah is the one who promises forgiveness and He promises an increase and an expanse in our sustenance. And keep in mind — at the end of the day, we came from Allah, we are here for the sake of Allah, and eventually we are going back to Allah.

May Allah grant us all the ability to make amal on everything that has been said.

Announcements

Please pass the donation boxes from left to right and donate generously. Sadaqah wards off calamities and draws the mercy of Allah.

Alhamdulillah, as you may have heard, we completed the purchase of the used car lot in the Qibla direction on North Avenue. As a result of this acquisition, we have ample parking, alhamdulillah, and are requesting that the brothers and sisters do not park on the curb parking behind the seminary building or the Swift Highway.

We invite you and your family to Dar al-Salam's annual benefit dinner tomorrow, January 28th, at 5 p.m. at Shalimar Banquets, with special guest Imam Zaid Shakir. Ticket sales will be going on in the lobby and you can also purchase tickets at masjidds.org/benefit.

This is one of the various different opportunities — we can start right now by giving sadaqah fi sabilillah for the sake of the masjid, and also to give for the sake of this entire institution, which is definitely an institution supporting the entire deen of Allah. So inshallah, if we give and we assist for the sake of Allah, for the upliftment of His words and the words of Rasulullah ﷺ, what possibly is there that Allah would withhold from us as far as blessings are concerned.

Dar al-Salam Programs: Please join our Tafheem part-time weekend Islamic studies programs. Courses for this semester include Fiqh of Halal and Haram, Fiqh of Marriage and Divorce, Misunderstood Verses, and more. Visit masjidds.org/tafheem for more info and enrollment.

Girls Youth Halaqah — Soulful Chats: Join us with your friends for our bi-weekly Sisters Youth Halaqah, which is today, Friday, January 27th, at 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. It will be conducted in the Dar al-Salam Seminary Sisters Prayer Hall. Sisters only, ages 13 to 21.

Weekly Programs: Saturday team Fajr will be held tomorrow; Fajr Iqamah is at 6:15 a.m. The Bukhari Dars will also take place this Monday inshallah. Tuesday's Tafsir program will continue with Surah Al-Mu'min with Mufti Azeemuddin, hafidhullah. Weekly Salawat gatherings occur on Thursdays after Isha Salah.

Please ensure that all the gaps are filled and that the lines are straight.