Reminder: A telephone and its connection line

Assalamualaikum warahmatullah and hello...

Most of us have used a telephone before, be it a mobile phone, a payphone, or a normal telephone that we all have in our houses. All we merely need to make a successful phone call is a working telephone and a clear telephone line, plus other accessories e.g. phone credits, coins, and the number we want to dial to.

What is a telephone without a phone line, even if it is working perfectly? Let say we call a friend, asking for a favour. With a working telephone and a clear signal, at least our phone-call will be answered, as long as the friend is able to hear his/her phone ringing. And insha Allah the favour we seek from him/her will be returned.

Try use an unconnected phone, and speak to an 'imaginary' friend using the same words as you might have used if the call does go through. There is no way your cry for help will be heeded, because no one actually heard them!

People will do all they can to make sure the connection line is clear. Mobile phone users will go somewhere where the signal is strong, i.e "full-bar". Those at home will get a new telephone cable for their telephones, and some will go to such extent that they reported to the authorities e.g. Telekom Malaysia, so that the old underground, or overground, telephone cables can be replaced.

The same analogy can be applied to our daily prayers. Our act of praying is like a telephone, and our Iman is similar to the connection line. And in the so-called "heavenly terms", the receiver of the call is none other than Allah the Almighty.

An act of prayer without firm faith inside us will render it useless. Obviously, Allah will Hear our prayer, for He is the All-Hearer. But being the Rabb and the Ilah, He has the Absolute Right whether or not to accept our prayers and supplications.

So my friends, how can we make sure the "connection line" is clear? To purify our faith is a tough act, but it is not impossible. All we need is some effort and a very good guide. The guide is none other than the Quran, and the Sunnah of our Prophet.

Follow what they instructed us to do, and avoid what they tell us to keep away from. Befriend those with good intentions in life herein and in the hereafter. Gradually reduce our affinity towards time-wasting acts. Be sincere, and remember Allah in whatever we do.

Put aside our over-reliance towards world-ly matters, in fact it is Only to Allah that we should rely everything upon. The world and its contents are just "tools" for us to achieve our ultimate aim, which is for Allah to be Well-Pleased with us. As the saying goes, "the world in our hands, not in our hearts".

One of the best thing to do is to have no one else set as our example, other than the Prophet himself (peace be upon him), his Companions (male and female), and those who follow his way through what is shown to us in the Quran and Sunnah.

Throw away the images of singers, actors, actresses, sportsmen, statesmen, warriors, businessmen, reality TV icons, pop idols, etc. from our heart. For the best of warriors, statesmen, businessmen, fathers, husbands, teachers, friends and persons is none other than our own Prophet, may peace be upon him.

Understand fully the events of Isra' and Mi'raj, when the act of Prayer was made compulsory to us Muslims. How the Might of Allah encompasses everything, the sacrifices that the Prophet made on the journey, the endings for the adulterers and those involved with usury, and not to forget all the insults and slanders from the foolhardy Unbelievers when they heard of the one-night journey.

That's all from me, jazakallah khair to the person who told me about the telephone analogy. May it be a reminder especially for the one who writes. I seek help and guidance from none other than Allah the Almighty, for all mankind.

Wassalamualaikum warahmatullah

Md Ariff Md Yusof
living my last few days in Old Trafford...