Do you want freedumb or freedom?

Do you want freedumb or freedom?

I thought I would share with you something I was thinking about and conversing with my mother the other day. Somehow or the other, we got around to talking about the Queen – which is bound to happen once in awhile since we live in England. Anyhow, we were talking about her and then it just occurred to me how enslaved this woman is. Just think about it. This woman has to dress a certain way, look a certain way, eat a certain way (if she eats with the wrong fork – she can just forget it!), she has to believe a certain way (she has to be a member of the Church of England), she has to mourn a certain way (when she didn't show enough emotion for Diana's death, the people got upset with her), she has to talk a certain way, etc., etc., etc. Sheesh! Ugh...would I hate to be in a situation like that. BUT, guess what? She is not the only one like that. Think of all those famous people out there. Just by looking at newspapers with the recent accounts of the Oscars we can see how these people have no freedom at all. They all have to have the "right" hair, "right" dress, act in the "right" way. These people don't have the freedom to age! If they grow too old and wrinkly, they have to get all this plastic surgery done to change otherwise they are discarded and set aside. BUT, guess what? They aren't the only ones who have no freedom. Just take a look outside and look at the general population. They themselves are trapped into the same things. They have to act and look a certain way – talk a certain way. They have to keep buying new clothes to match the latest styles and fashions of that time or season. If they don't have the right clothes and don't act in the right way – they are degraded into feeling like misfits or nerds within their society. All these people think they have absolute freedom, but the true reality is that they don't. So what is freedom you may ask. Freedom is when one stops being a slave to one's desires and to society and becomes a slave and worshipper of Allah. Allah is our Creator and He created us to worship Him. Our body, our heart, eyes, etc. have been specifically made for the purpose to worship Allah alone. We were not created to do evil. Perhaps we may remember times when we did something bad and wrong and felt guilty for it. Maybe we ended up getting very upset with ourselves for whatever we did. What caused us to feel guilty or upset in the first place? We were created to do good and worship Allah so when we go against that, it is natural that we may feel guilt or remorse for what we do. Thus when we are disobeying Allah, we are infact oppressing our souls and what are souls are naturally inclined to do. The more we oppress our souls by disobeying Allah, the more we become a slave to our desires and maybe even the society or others. Sometimes, some of us may end up turning away from Allah so much that a dark covering forms on our hearts because of our sins and we no longer even realize we are doing wrong, or feel remorse or guilt when we do it. Allah informs of this dark covering in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. «Woe, that Day, to those who deny [(Allâh, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection, and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments)]. Those who deny the Day of Recompense. And none can deny it except every transgressor beyond bounds, (in disbelief, oppression and disobedience of Allâh, the sinner!) When Our Verses (of the Qur'ân) are recited to him he says: "Tales of the ancients!". Nay! But on their hearts is the Rân (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn.» Qur'an (83):10-14 The Prophet (S) said: "When a believer commits a sin a black spot appears on his heart. If he repents, desists, and asks forgiveness, his heart is polished clean. But if he does more sins, the spots increase. That is the rust which Allah mentions in His Book: 'Nay! But on their hearts is the Rân (covering of sins and evil deeds) which they used to earn..'(Qur'an 83:14) (Saheeh Sunan Ibn Majah #3422) If one does not repent immediately and leave his sin, the "rust" on the heart can continue forming until the person no longer even realizes that what they are doing is wrong or sinful. This leads one to self-oppression from one's natural inclinations and causes one be a slave to one's desires, lusts and objects of worship other than Allah. Surely this is not the way to true freedom for true freedom can only be found by worshipping Allah alone and doing what He has commanded. This is what our soul and heart and naturally inclined to and were created to do. This is illustrated clearly in the Prophet's response to a man who had come to ask him about righteousness. He said, "Consult your heart. Righteousness is what the soul and the heart feel at ease with, and sin is what wavers in the soul and heart even though people give you a ruling in favour of it, again and again." (Collected by Ahmad and ad-Daarimee. Authenticated by Al-Albaani in his authentication of Mishkaah al-Masaabeeh). This is what true freedom is all about. Alhamdulilah that Allah has given us the Quran and the Sunnah to show us the way that which is good for us and that which leads our hearts and souls to true contentment. The best part of it all is that if we do things which are good for us (i.e. what Allah has commanded us) and we do it for Allah's sake alone and according to the Sunnah, we get rewarded for it! This stuff I think is just amazing masha'Allah. Truly, Allah is the Most Merciful. He has given us so much. We will never be able to count all His blessings. Alhamdulilah. All praise is due to Allah. Lâ ilâha illâ-Llâh. There is no god (diety) that deserves to be worshipped except Allah. May Allah help us to worship Him in the best way. Ameen.