Salam,

In the month of Ramadan, we are encouraged to seek forgiveness from Allah and His mercy in order to purify our souls. Approaching the end of this blessed month, I found it pertinent to share something from “The Journey to Allah” offered by Sunnipath Academy: the concept that the inspirational drive to strive towards the straight path is from Allah Alone.

Hazrat Dawood on one night found that 100 members of his family were worshiping Allah. He thus told Allah, “Ya Rabb! About 100 of my family members worshiped you during the past night!” Allah replied “O Dawood, Who is it that made you stand up and caused others to sleep?” Hazrat Dawood answered, “You Alone, Ya Rabb.” Allah said, “Have you placed Me under obligation through a bounty that I have bestowed upon you?” Dawood thereafter repented, for he realized that Allah Alone causes us to worship Him. It is a great mercy that He made us Muslims. We should therefore never look down upon anyone, especially he who testifies the great words of the Shahadah. Our increase in nearness to Allah should only make us more fearful of falling into error as a result of arrogance.

“Beware of enmity against anyone who has said, “La ilaha ill Allah” (There is no God but Allah) for Allah has honored them with faith, and particularly the righteous of them, for Allah Most High says in a Sahih Hadith, ‘He who makes an enemy of a friend of Mine, I declare war against’”

True purity of the heart, mind, and soul are from Allah alone. May Allah increase our nearness to Him during these last days of Ramadan. Ameen.