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How
to Serve Islam
Praise be to Allaah.
1 – You can serve Islam
by having a correct resolve and sincere intention, for Allaah
blesses an action that is done sincerely for His sake alone,
even if it is little. Sincere devotion, if it becomes a constant
feature of acts of worship and obedience, even if they are
small or simple in the sight of the one who does them, makes
them great in the sight of Allaah, so Allaah will forgive
him for major sins because of that, as it says in the hadeeth
about the piece of paper on which is written La ilaaha ill-Allaah.
2 – You can serve Islam
by knowing the right way and following it. The Straight Path
means following the way of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) with regard to the principles,
ways and means of da’wah and being patient in adhering
to that, whilst treating people with kindness and compassion,
because they are suffering from the disease of sin.
3 – You can serve Islam
by making the most of all available means and circumstances.
This is a great blessing, for all means are permissible except
those which have been forbidden by Allaah. So we call people
to Allaah by all means prescribed in sharee’ah, whilst
paying attention to the evidence of sharee’ah and correct
etiquette.
4 – You can serve Islam
by giving precedence to that which is in the interests of
Islam over your own whims and desires. Serving this religion
means giving what is most precious of your money, effort,
time, thought, etc. Have you not seen those who love sport
(football or soccer) for example, how they devote their efforts,
time and money to their beloved sport? But more is expected
of you than that.
5 – You can serve Islam
by following in the footsteps of the scholars, daa’iyahs
and reformers, having patience as your companion and putting
up with tiredness and exhaustion. For you are doing a great
act of worship which is the mission of the Prophets and Messengers
and those who follow in their footsteps.
6 – You can serve Islam
by shunning laziness, weakness and apathy, for this religion
is the religion of resolve, ambition and courage, and its
call is only harmed by laziness or reckless ignorance.
7 – You can serve Islam
by connecting your heart to Allaah and reciting a lot of du’aa’
and prayers for forgiveness, and persisting in reading Qur’aan.
There is nothing that is more effective in cleansing the heart
and refreshing the soul, and making it active and energetic
so that it will not get tired or bored, than remembering Allaah
much and drawing nearer to Him by means of obeying Him and
doing naafil (supererogatory) acts of worship.
8 – You can serve Islam
by forming bonds with scholars who practise what they preach,
those who are known to be sincere and who are well established
in jihad and supporting this religion. Marching under their
banner and following their lead is very good and beneficial.
9 – You can serve Islam
by organizing your time on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
There are actions which should be done every day, others which
should be done every week, and others which should be done
every month or every year.
For example, you should make
da’wah to those whom you see every day and to those
whom you see once a week. You may have a family gathering
once a month, and there may be annual conferences, or journeys
for Hajj or ‘Umrah once a year, and so on.
10 – You can serve Islam
by paying it some attention and giving it some of your time,
thoughts and money, and making it your main concern. So when
you stand up, it is for Islam; when you walk, it is for Islam;
when you think, it is for Islam; when you give, it is for
Islam; when you sit, it is for Islam.
11 – you can serve Islam
by hastening to contribute every time you find an opportunity
to do good. Do not hesitate or delay or put it off.
From Kayfa akhdim al-Islam
by ‘Abd al-Malik al-Qaasim, p. 18.
www.islam-qa.com
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