How to Raise Your Standards in Life

How to Raise Your Standards in Life

Ulu al-Himmah (High Aspiration)

Introduction

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."

"O Allah, send your peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow him."

What I want to speak about is a topic which is dear to my heart, it's called Ulu al-Himmah. Now Ulu al-Himmah, many people struggle to try and translate what it actually means. You could say, I mean I'd call it raising the game. It's like having a high ambition, a lofty aspiration, having that intention to take it higher and higher.

Yourself, reaching into yourself and pushing it as we all know we can do. And I thought that perhaps we can look at some of the principles behind attaining the very best. And I thought that the only way we can actually do that is to try and understand who we are first as human beings.

The Three Components of Human Creation

See Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, he created Insan, mankind, from three basic components:

1. The Ruh (Soul) - if you like, the soul. And that is from the matters of the Ghayb and we do not know much about that. In fact Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala specifically tells us in the Quran:

"And they ask you about the soul. Say: The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."

2. The Body - the physical part of our body, if you like, and that's made from Turab or Teen and we know that.
3. The Aql (Intellect) - Now this intellect is a very important aspect of our creation because it is by this intellect that we are distinguished from other creations.

Angels vs Animals vs Humans

See Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala created the Malaika (Angels). Now the Malaika are actually inshallah in this room here. That's pretty insane when you think about that, because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sends the Malaika to those places where he is remembered. And today has been a day of Quran and the people talking about the Quran, this is like the best dhikr which is possible.

Angels they are created in a very unique way. They have Takleef, Takleef meaning legal responsibility, meaning that they have to do what they are told, but they have no desires. They have no desires. They're not held hostage to what they may like or may they want to do or lust after. They don't even have that.

And that's why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

"They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded."

"They exalt [Allah] night and day [and] they do not slacken."

And subhanallah, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala created another creation, the exact opposite of the angels, the animals basically. And the animals are the exact opposite in that they have no Takleef, no legal responsibility. So they don't have to actually be held accountable for their actions. They don't need to worry about anything like that. As for their desires, well that is their whole basis of their life.

They are completely overpowered by their desires and that is why when we act in a very base way, in a very poor way, we say this is animalistic behavior. We're following our desires.

The Human Position

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala created Insan bang in the middle. So we have the hayawan on this side and we have the malaika on the other side. We have been given the Aql and legal responsibility for our actions, meaning we will be held accountable for everything as Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has done for the malaika. Yet unfortunately, we have been given desires, strong desires which we have to control and which we will be held accountable for.

Therefore, when we slip up, then Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala describes us just like that creation that have been overpowered by their desires, animals. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

"Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless."

That when human beings, they drop their standards and they act stupid. They are like cattle. In fact, actually no. They are more astray. That's what Allah says. Actually they are more astray.

The Example of Those Who Disbelieve

"But those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them."

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says in the Qur'an, those who disbelieve, those who are not interested in our signs, those who reject our signs, what do they do? They just chill out, spend their whole life enjoying themselves. They just eat. And how do they eat? Just constantly eating, eating, eating. They eat like cattle.

The Story of Bal'am

And from another angle, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us the story of, as the Mufasireen said, a man called Bal'am, who was at the time of Sayyidina Musa alayhis salatu was salam.

Now, this man, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala had blessed actually, and had given him knowledge, had given him knowledge of the science. Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says about him:

"And recite to them, [O Muhammad], the news of him to whom We gave [knowledge of] Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators."

Tell them, Ya Muhammad, the story of the one that we gave knowledge of our signs. He wasn't interested in the science. So, Shaytan hooked him up. And he then become from those people who went astray.

So, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is telling us about a person, not an ordinary person, but a person that we had given knowledge, had given the idea and the understanding of our science. That means that Allah is talking about a person who is the same as every single person in this room, i.e. a practicing Muslim, a practicing slave of Allah, one who has been given the knowledge of the reality and who tries to actually act upon that reality.

But you know what he did? He just drifted away from those signs.

Shaytan then hooked him up. That's what Shaytan does. That's his daily occupation.

Shaytan's Primary Targets

He just goes around hooking people up. And I want to tell you something. You had better understand that the people that he wants to hook up most are the people in this room.

He's not interested in those masakeen outside. He's not interested in the people who don't practice Islam, who don't come to the masajid, who don't read Quran, who don't practice the deen, who don't keep good company. He's not interested in those folks.

Those folks are taken. Those folks were so easy. They actually went to Shaytan. Shaytan didn't even have to go after them. But these people, as Allah has described, the ones that have been given the signs, i.e. the Muslims, they are the MVPs that the Shaytan is after. MVP.

They are the most valuable people. Not a player. People.

The Modern Challenges

This kind of fitnah is an absolutely engulfing disease, which is encompassing every aspect of our life. The social networks that we use for keeping company and doing dawah have now turned on us and are feeding us information and feeding us meat and food for our desires at a rate of knots, which is astonishing.

So much so that our brains have now lost the ability to have patience with anything over a page long, or a spoken word, or a video, or a lecture over five minutes.

The Example Continues

"And if We had willed, we could have elevated him thereby, but he adhered [instead] to the earth and followed his desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought."

If we wanted, we would have elevated him by these signs that we gave him, we could have done that. You know what he did, he actually got obsessed and addicted to the dunya, he clung to the earth, and he followed his desire. Then Allah tells us something very interesting, he says, you know this person, his example, his example is like a dog, if you try and chase him, the dog, it starts panting, and if you leave the dog alone, it starts panting.

Aiming for Firdaus

The word himmah comes from a understanding - the word is one's anxiety or one's stress, literally speaking, but it also means one's concern, that which is playing on your mind, that which basically makes you reflect all the time.

It's a poor Muslim who thinks you know what, I just want to go to Jannah. Yes that might be shocking but I'll tell you why. Because you'll be crying if you just accept Jannah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told us in Sahih Al-Bukhari, when the companions, he was there with the companions, he said:

Do you see how you're looking at those stars up there in the east and the west, that's how the people in Jannah will be looking up at the chambers and the rooms of the people who are in Firdaus.

(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 3256)

The companions were like at least for the Prophets only. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said I swear by the one in whom my soul is in his hand, this is for the men and women who just believe in Allah and his messenger, for the Muslims who have some concern, who like to reach to the next level.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said again in the authentic hadith, that there are a hundred levels in paradise, a hundred levels, Allah has prepared them for those who strive, who do jihad for the sake of Allah, who try their best in every aspect of life, the distance between each level is the distance between the heavens and the earth.

Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

"So if you're gonna ask Allah for anything, then you ask him for Firdaus, because it is the middle of Jannah and it is the highest of Jannah and above it is the throne of the Most Merciful."

(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 2790)

Imam Al-Shafi'i's Statement

Imam Al-Shafi'i he has a statement which is so mind-blowing. He said: "Ya Allah you blessed me with Islam and I did not ask you for it, Ya Allah bless me with Firdaus and I am asking you for it."

That is big time. This is a competition brothers and sisters, this is a game. Oh yes, life is a game, we know the conditions, we know the rules, we are the players so in this game, then let the people compete with one another.

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says:

"Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden whose width is like the width of the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believed in Allah and His messengers."

Race to that which is good. Allah says race, rush for forgiveness, for a paradise that is as wide as the heavens and the earth that has been prepared for the Muttaqeen.

The Hadith of Voluntary Actions

In Bukhari, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

"My slave does not come close to me with anything more beloved to me than the obligatory actions that I have put upon them, but my slave does not continue except come closer to me by the nafl and the sunnah and the voluntary actions that he or she does, and then if he does that, I will love him, and if I love him, I will be the hearing that he hears with, and I will be the sight that he sees with, and I will be the hand that he strikes with, and I will be the foot that he walks with."

(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 6502)

Practical Guidelines for Good Actions

Ibn Abbas narrated that when you do an action you have to do three things: ta'jeel, tasgheer, and you have to keep it hidden. You have to do it quick, you have to consider it insignificant, and you have to keep it hidden.

Hidden Actions

Let's take the last one first, hidden. Why do you keep an act hidden? Because you don't want people to think that you did it for them. You know that you're doing it for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alone.

Quick Actions

When someone that seeks your help comes to you, don't let him finish a sentence, just give it to him. Don't let him there and humiliate himself and ask and stand there. Do it quick.

Consider It Insignificant

When you do something for someone, don't think that you're such a hero, because you're not, because this is Allah's fadl upon you, his wealth that he gave to you, his ability that he gave to you, it's all from him, you're just passing on the khayr.

The Quranic Warning

"O you who believe! Do not invalidate your charity by reminders [of it] or [by] injury."

Muslims do that, I see Muslims day and night who do that, reminding the people of their good, reminding people that I did this for you, I did a favor for you. What's wrong with you? What happened to the generation of people who did these things for the sake of Allah? What happened to people actually reading the Qur'an and acting upon it?

The Way of Our Predecessors

There's an amazing story. In the time of the Tabi'een, there was a man, a Bedouin, he became Muslim and he's a basic guy. He was told, listen you know there's a thing called H