Loving Life

Alhamdulillah. I managed to attend a majlis ilmu by Shaykh Ali Gomaa, a scholar and former Mufti of Egypt on 181019 at Madrasah Aljunied on the topic of Understanding the Love of Life (fiqhu hubbul hayaat). Here are some of my takeaways:

1. Theres a difference between loving life (hubbul hayat) and loving worldly life (hubbu hayaati dunya). Worldly life or dunya is just a small part of our life (because we have many phases to go through as a servant of Allah). Allah gives explanation in Surah al-An'am: 32) that summarised "the life in this world is just a play and amusement, but the hereafter is better for you if you observe your piety or taqwa, so do exercise intellectualism ('aql)".

2. We have to strive to utilise what Allah has given us for the benefit of Hereafter. This include how we make use if our faculty of 'aql or intellect, qalb or heart, jism or body, and all the blessings in this world to gain His Mercy and Forgiveness. But Allah warned us not to forget our responsibilities and rights in this world, in terms of establishing good and forbidding wrongdoings because we should preserve the sanctity of dunya as how Allah has created it (i.e. do not anger Allah by doing injustice). This is explained in Surah al-Qasas: 77. (Sidenote: to understand the concept of amanah).

3. Man is created to love the life of dunya interms of materials and possessions including women and children (because these group of individuals are to be guided and protected by men as leaders), and this is actually a distraction and test for those who are believers. For examples, refer Surah al-Baqarah: 21 and ali-Imran: 14.

4. To understand better of our purpose in dunya, we have to learn religion.

5. There are many aspects to sincerely loving life in this world; loving Allah's Creation of Universe (al-akwan), of human beings (al-insan), of the ground (al-jamad), the plantations (an-nabaat), and of earth/continents (al-ard and al-auton). We have the responsibility to preserve these aspects and study how we can be dutiful to Allah in these aspects of world life.

6. Shaykh Ali also reminded us to be kind to one another, and do not spread hatred. He gave examples of what is happening in the world right now amongst people who establish war in the name of religion. So do not misunderstand what Allah wants us to do, by referring to the Quran and Sunnah, and the 'ulama.

Wallahu a'lam. May Allah grants His Mercy and Forgiveness upon us. Amin.