Whoever has been away from home for a long time knows; it hurts.
Maybe not constantly, but it hurts. And when you’re tested with difficulty after difficulty? The longing for that encompassing warmth and reassurance of your one safe haven reaches its peak.
So think about it – it makes complete sense. We might not consciously remember, but before being put on this earth, our souls made a covenant with Allah(SWT) , proclaiming that He is indeed our Lord. We all come from Him, and we will all return to Him. Therefore it makes sense, that from the minute we were separated from Him, all we long for, all we’re working towards, the very goal of our existence is to return to the safe haven we were separated from – return to Allah (SWT).
I remember learning about Modern and Postmodern film in the Media course I studied this past year at University. SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah – for the fact that the slightest of things can be related back to Islam. So basically, modern film is when the film does its best to hide the production process; it attempts to make the film seem as real as possible. A Postmodern film, on the other hand, deliberately includes the production process – purposefully allowing it to be seen, be it a simple microphone intruding upon the shot, or the whole ‘making-a-movie-in-a-movie’ type of story. What they’re basically telling us is, “Remember, this is not real life. It’s only a movie.”
Ok, so now you might ask, “How does this relate to Islam?” Simple. This life… think about it. Seems very real, doesn’t it? Well sure, it is. But is this the life – this dunya – the one that we will dwell in forever?
“Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion. Verily, the life of the Hereafter is the real life, if they only knew.” [Qur’an, 29: 64]
If Allah (SWT) wanted, He could have given us a glimpse of the ‘production process’, He could have shown us if only to remind us, “Remember, this is not real life. It’s only a passing pleasure.”
But He didn’t. He chose to make it as real as possible, to test us…because honestly, if He did give us a glimpse, where would the blind faith be? It would be easy to be a believer, because as the saying goes: Seeing is believing.
Which leaves us where we are right now, living in this dunya with what should be the sole intention of getting into Jannah, returning to our Creator, Allah (SWT). And it hurts; because it’s not easy being separated from the One whose company you long for the most.
The question is…what do we do until that time arrives that we are finally rid of this homesickness? The answer is simple – by keeping in touch. And how do we keep in touch with Him? Alhamdulillah, we weren’t left to our own means. Want to talk to Allah (SWT)? Make du’ah. Want Him to talk to you? Read the Qur’an – simple as that.
InshaAllah, may Allah (SWT) make us of those who realise that this dunya is just a test, a test to determine whether or not we finally get back to where we long to be the most…
“You deserve Paradise, don’t sell yourself for anything less. Whoever is content with the wordly pleasures has sufficed to something base and low.” [Imam Hussein (AS)]
beautifully written mashaAllah
Masha’Allah! Really thought provoking.