Can you hit the “Target” this Ramadhaan?
Archery is a sport encouraged by Nabi ﷺ. In fact, Nabi ﷺ encouraged archery training and reassured that it is not a waste of time. It is a praise-worthy skill and a blessed sunnah. However, to hit the bull’s-eye with precision and excellence requires good form and studious training. Only after many attempts and long hours of resilience, does the archer perfect his shot.
Our target as Muslims is to gain the pleasure, approval and acceptance of Allah (S.W.T.).
Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which is the great attainment. [9:72]
It is only until Allah (S.W.T) is pleased with us, that we will certainly attain the ultimate eternal success. Hence, to hit this grand target gracefully, hard work, precision and training is required.
As novice archers, our coach has given us some instructions of ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’. The ‘do’s’ include the skills of ‘ibaadah (servitude) to Allah (S.W.T.) and the ‘don’ts’ are the abstinence from sin. Subsequently, the compliance to these two instructions gains the objective of ridha-allah (approval of Allah (S.W.T.)). Therefore, there is no better and more effective opportunity to train for ridha-allah than the powerful, influential month of Ramadhan.
However, just as obstacles sway the archer during his training, we as Muslims are also swayed to disobey Allah (S.W.T.). There are two enemies that divert us from acquiring ridha-allah – the Shaytaan (Satan) and inner-self (nafs). Our first enemy, Shaytaan, may not directly harm or cause difficulty to our lives, but he can try in his many ways to sway the nafs into disobeying Allah (S.W.T), and on the day of judgement in his defence he will say to Allah:
And Satan will say when the matter has been decided, “Indeed, Allah had promised you the promise of truth. And I promised you, but I betrayed you. But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; but blame yourselves (nafs). I cannot be called to your aid, nor can you be called to my aid. Indeed, I deny your association of me [with Allah] before. Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.”[14:22]
Therefore, we are required to train the ‘me’ within us, and Ramadhan presents the perfect opportunity for such intense training. As we focus on hitting the target, we must clear ourselves of all that distracts us. We must train ourselves not to succumb to the base desires in the inner “me”, i.e. “the nafs“. Our “nafs” seek pleasure and enjoyment; it craves attention and becomes whatever it is fed, either halal enjoyment (‘ibaadah) or haram enjoyment (desires).
When it is not well trained, it hits the wrong target entirely. It craves to fulfil “hawa” (desires) and this becomes its objective. Allah (S.W.T.) warns us about those with this repulsive trait, which causes their hearts to become neglectful of His worship. They are those who follow their base desires and fail to subdue their nafs in order to make the accurate target of ridha-allah.
..and, do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. [18:28]
A true Muslim is one whose heart is not neglectful of Allah (S.W.T.); he is always concerned about Allah’s (S.W.T.) pleasure, always remembering Allah (S.W.T.) and coaching his nafs to follow Allah’s (S.W.T.) directives. The nafs is the archer’s form with which he takes aim. When it is proficient and educated about the harms of following the desire, it will not obey it like a god, plummeting to all its commands.
Have you seen he who has taken his [own] desire as his god, and Allah has sent him astray despite having knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Still, do you take lesson? 45:23
This verse of the Qur’an indicates that ‘worship’ actually means ‘obedience’. Thus, anyone who obeys someone or something against the obedience of Allah (S.W.T.) makes him/it the object of his worship, instead of Allah (S.W.T.).
Sayyidna Abu ‘Ummah narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Of all the deities worshipped under the sky of the earth, the most detestable one in the sight of Allah is hawa, that is, desires.”
Sayyidna Shaddad Ibn ‘Aws narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “A wise person is he who keeps his desires under control and works for life after death; and sinful is he who runs after his desires and yet expects the best in the Hereafter.”
Sayyidna Sahl Ibn ‘Abdullah Tustari said: “Your ailment is your selfish desires. And if you oppose them, it will turn into your cure.”
Now that we know, we cannot follow our desires, as it will lead our nafs astray to hardship and failure. Therefore, we must subdue the nafs from obedience of the desires into obedience of Allah (S.W.T.). For our nafs to train and maintain the right form, we need “the bow” of remembrance of Allah and His continuous recollection within the heart. Remembrance of Allah is what affords us the realisation that we are speeding to desires and need to get in control, it reminds us that Allah (S.W.T.) is All Aware and looking on to see which target we are aiming at. The example is that of a fast driver approaching a speeding camera, he steps on the brakes right away knowing that he is being scrutinized. The camera is the remembrance of Allah and the monitor is Allah (S.W.T.).
The minute one realises that Allah (S.W.T.) is always monitoring him; then will he only do what pleases Him (S.W.T.). In the process, we will defy the nafs and coach it to the pleasure of ‘ibaadah and remembrance of Allah (S.W.T.) until it will be obedient to Allah’s (S.W.T.) commands.
“O obedient nafs, Return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], and enter among My [righteous] servants And enter My Paradise.” [89:27-30]
Hence, Ramadhan is a training ground for the rest of the year; it is easy to do good by following Allah’s (S.W.T.) commands. At the same time, it helps us refrain from sins and to disassociate with obedience of the desires. It is clear from the many sacred text, that a well-spent Ramadhan carries the benefit of an entire year.
O you who have believed, declared upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become God conscious. [2:183]
Consider the aspects of remembrance of Allah and ‘ibaadah that we perform in the holy month of Ramadhan. It can easily be seen that there are no major special actions taking place which we cannot make happen out of Ramadhan. However, the month is structured to allow for the quality of training needed to prove to the nafs that we are capable of living in servitude of Allah (S.W.T.) throughout the year and not in the servitude of our desires.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “When the month of Ramadan begins, the gates of the heavens are opened and the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained.”
This hadith is a positive reinforcement encouraging the trainee to work hard for the reward of gardens wherein ultimate bliss lies. In Ramadhan, we endure hardship, tiredness and fatigue but it is all worth it. Maximising on the bonus scores is every Muslim’s highlight – one arrow hitting anywhere on the target, results in 70 plus points in the tournament of goodness.
The month of Ramadhan shows us that we can do so much good with a daily routine. It allows us to gain control over our nafs. We can go to the Masjid every day. Yes! We can fast and control our desires. Yes! We can be very generous. Yes! We can treat others with dignity. Yes! Yes! Yes, we can do much more!
Ramadhaan helps us leave sins! We are actually kinder. We do not use foul language. We are encouraging to others. We do not hurt anyone’s feelings. We stay away from unproductive company. We don’t go to the wrong places. We take a break from being a rebel to Allah. We do not disobey Allah.
In conclusion, Ramadhan has many acts; like compulsory fasting, extra praying at night, extra supplication, extra charity and even great virtuous nights for begging of all our needs and halal wants, etc. Nevertheless, these are all acts that we can very well continue throughout the year in shaa allah. We simply need to control our nafs, so that we will not find these acts to be tedious.
Ramadhaan increases effortlessness and makes it easy to gain blessings and train our nafs to work towards the pleasure of Allah (S.W.T.). So this year, let us focus on our real target and use the holy month of Ramadhan to train hard and efficiently so that the scores last for a lifetime…
Written by Abraar Alli
