The Need to Change the Environment We Live In

Hazrat Moulana Inaamul Hasan Kaandhelwi (rahimahullah) once mentioned the following:

The environment in which a person lives plays a vital role in making a person. If the environment is an environment of deen, then deen will enter his life. If the environment is an environment of dunya (i.e. the love for wealth and material), then dunya will enter his life. Therefore, our main effort should be directed towards preparing the environment of deen so that we will be able to tread on the path of deen and we will be able to strive for deen.

For this, we will have to do four types of efforts: (1) participate in gusht i.e. go out to meet the Muslims and invite them to deen (2) conduct ta’leem in our homes and the musjid (3) be punctual on our ma’moolaat i.e. zikr and tasbeeh (4) ensure that we perform all our salaah on time (in the musjid with jamaat). When these four types of efforts will be carried out with punctuality, devotion and dedication, then through this, we will see an environment of deen being created in our localities.

In an environment where everyone is punctual upon performing salaah, the person who does not perform salaah will feel difficult to leave out salaah. This environment of salaah will encourage him to commence performing salaah. In an environment where everyone is punctual upon zikr and making tasbeeh, the person who does not make zikr will find it difficult not to engage in zikr, and this environment of zikr will then motivate him to commence making zikr.

Therefore, the thing we need to make an effort on is to change the environment and make it an environment of deen.

(Sawaanih Moulana Muhammed Inaamul Hasan [rahimahullah] 3/176)