On Saturday night we spent a few moments in the company of Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (DB). We often see him in the Darul Uloom but this was the first time we were fortunate to observe him in the airport. The airport is a place of fitna. Women are dressed immodestly and shameless adverts are plastered everywhere. When we arrived at the airport it was time for Maghrib Salah. We saw Mufti Saab, Maulana Ismail Bhayat and a jamaat travelling with them. They were in the Musallah waiting to read Maghrib Salah so we joined them.
Mufti Ebrahim was wearing a jacket with a hood. As we left the Musallah he put his head down, his hood on and pulled it over his eyes. He walked in the middle of others with his head down the entire time. His lips were moving constantly as he was reading his dhikr. This was the extent he went to protect his eyes from haraam.
Most people enter into a state of heedlessness. They make it a light matter and allow their gaze to wander into haraam. They remark that we are entering an airport, what can we do? It’s just like this. But where there is a will, there is a way. The way you use a jacket to save your body from the wind and cold, use it to save yourself from the storms of fitna. Look down, not around. Lower the gaze of your eyes from haraam by raising the gaze of your heart to Allah. And keep your gaze there, fixed on Allah and Allah alone. That’s when life becomes truly beautiful.
This is why we go into suhbat, to emulate. We learn how to make amal through observing those already making amal. They don’t worry about what people will think and how funny they may look covered in the airport. Their gaze is on Allah and Allah alone. We can’t change the airport but we can and must change ourselves. It’s not an ideal place but no place is ideal. Even outside the Kabah and Rawdah the environment is not ideal, so how can we expect it elsewhere? Don’t look for an ideal environment, create it by being an ideal example.
Some modern trains have various amenities and delicacies to make the experience as comfortable and memorable as possible. But if the train is not on track you won’t make any progress. On the other hand, if the train is basic but on track, then you will move in the right direction and reach your destination. Similarly, regardless of how much knowledge, health or wealth we may have, if we are not on track we will not make any progress. But if we are on track we will reach our destination. Life is like that train, Deen is our track and Jannah is our destination. May Allah grant us all the tawfiq to stay on track, aameen.
[The above is taken from the website called ‘islaahi advices’ wherein Moulana Dawood Seedat’s Ta’leem is posted. Hazrat Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Hafizahullah) is the Principal of Madrasah Ta’leemud Deen in Isipingo.]