“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me”. [Qur’an, Surah Adh-Dhariyat: The Winnowing Wind, 51:56]
Nasrine Abdirachid reflects on what it means to do acts “for the sake of Allah”.
T
he meaning of life is clear in the Qur’an and ‘Sunnah’ (Prophetic traditions); solely and wholeheartedly worshipping Allah, The Most High. The way you lead your life, the choices you make and the people you surround yourself with, all affect the quality of this worship. Fortunately there are many acts of worship and ways of attaining the reward of Paradise. Alongside Prayer (Salah), Fasting (Sawm) and Charity (Sadaqah), acts of kindness, such as being good to neighbours or showing love towards your spouse can all add to your scale of good
Ilma Magazine / Issue 14
deeds. Even the smallest acts, such as saying ‘Praise be to Allah’ (Alhamdulillah) midsentence or giving ‘greetings of peace’ (Salam) to a stranger are all acts that count as worship. Many of us tend to pass the small acts off as habit, but these all fall under the broader umbrella that is ‘Remembrance of Allah’ (dhikr). It truly is a blessing to know that any deed you do with Allah on the forefront of your mind will be rewarded accordingly. But how do you ensure that these deeds, however small, are ‘fi sabilillah’ (for the sake of Allah)?
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