Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahimahullah) once said:
People have given a lower position to the worship and servitude of Allah Ta‘ala compared to the position they give to working for people and serving them. The general condition of slaves and employees is that they are seen to be permanently engaged in the work of their master, and they regard this to be their main duty and purpose. While going about in the service of the master, whatever food or drink they manage to get hold of, that is what they eat and drink.
However, when it comes to Allah Ta‘ala, then the condition of the servants is that they mainly remain engaged in their worldly occupations, and in those activities which they desire and enjoy in life. It is only now and again that they will take out some time from their personal work and enjoyment to engage in some work for the sake of Allah Ta‘ala.
For example, they perform salaah, or spend or donate some wealth in avenues of goodness, and thereafter, they think to themselves, “This what we have done for deen is enough! Now we have fulfilled that which Allah Ta‘ala and deen requires from us!” whereas fulfilling the right that we owe to Allah Ta‘ala as His servants demands that the work of deen should be our main and primary work in this world, while eating, drinking and earning a livelihood should merely be a secondary effort and concern in our lives.
(Compiler’s Note: This statement of Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahimhullah) does not mean that people should abandon their worldly occupations and cease earning a halaal livelihood. Rather, it means that everything a person does, he should do it in total conformity to the right of servitude which he owes Allah Ta’ala. In everything one does, he should try to serve deen and uphold deen in the ummah (as this is the primary purpose of our creation). As for one’s worldly needs, such as food, drink and other similar needs, then this should always be considered as secondary in one’s life, just as a slave regards remaining engaged in the service of his master as his primary work and he regards eating and drinking as secondary in his life.)
(Malfoozaat Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) pg. 24)
