← Back to Are You Important? Series
This content has been automatically translated. View original in Arabic
In the name of God, all praise is due to God. Peace and blessings be upon the beloved of hearts, our master Muhammad, the Messenger of God, and upon his family, companions, and those who follow them.
I remind you, young people, what was our goal for this session? Simply put, our goal is to continue the topic: "Why Are You Important?" In the first session, we discussed the reasons that prevent you from feeling important and addressed them one by one. We also explained in the introduction why all my attention should be focused on my importance in the sight of God the Almighty, and that this is the true importance that will reflect in my life in this world and the Hereafter.
Then, in the second session, we discussed the stations of God’s honor for the human race and reached the peak. After that, we moved to what we do not want to fall from that peak—what are the things that make you fall headfirst—may God protect us—so that you may avoid them with the utmost caution? We also discussed how you can assess your standing with God the Almighty.
I asked the youth: How do you think I can know my standing with God the Almighty? As Zaid answered: "If a worker wants to know his standing with the Sultan, let him see what work he assigns him and with what he occupies him." If you are engaged in beneficial deeds in which you excel, then God the Almighty has chosen you for them and you have a standing with Him. But if hours and days pass without purpose, then you are insignificant in the sight of God—may God protect us.
We mentioned three things that make a person insignificant in the sight of God after reaching the peak:
"Let men abandon boasting about their people, for they are but embers of the fire of Hell, or they will be more insignificant in the sight of God than dung beetles."
"[They are] upright for God, not associating with Him anything. And whoever associates with God—it is as if he had fallen from the sky and was snatched by the birds or the wind carried him to a far-off place." (Quran 22:31)
And clinging to the earth and following desires, as in God’s saying: "And recite to them the story of the one to whom We gave Our signs, but he detached himself from them, so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators. And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby, but he clung to the earth and followed his desire. So his example is like that of the dog: if you chase it, it pants, or if you leave it, it pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that they might reflect." (Quran 7:175-176)
Today, we continue and conclude the topic: What follows from knowing that you are important?
The first consequence is the love and magnification of God who gave you this importance. Realizing the extent of God’s honor toward you increases your attachment to Him and your hope in His mercy, and this is the most noble pursuit in your life.
You begin to read the Quran with a new mindset and a different "general framework." Read the Quran this time while feeling "that you are important," and grasp this meaning in God’s address to you. When you read:
"And We have certainly honored the children of Adam" (Quran 17:70), you realize that He honored you to fulfill a great mission that elevates your standing: "And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." (Quran 51:56) This assignment is for your benefit and honor, for God loves that the effects of His names and attributes be manifested in His servant.
Religious obligations no longer feel heavy to you; instead, they become a source of pride and gratitude. When you lower your gaze or rise for the dawn prayer, you do not do it with annoyance or reluctance, but you feel that God has chosen you and given you importance by assigning you this great task.
Realizing your importance reflects on your self-esteem and protects you from psychological illnesses (such as obsession, depression, or emotional fragility). One of the main causes of psychological weakness is not recognizing your value. But when you feel that you are a creation of importance to God, you gain strength against these feelings.
You no longer seek a sense of importance from people; you do not chase "likes" or admiring glances in any form or manner. You now have a compass focused on one direction: "God’s gaze upon me and my value in His sight." This value is earned through obedience, something you control.
You will act like an important person: you take care of your health, make the most of your time, and move through life with motivation and determination to excel in beneficial deeds. Every second becomes accountable to you because you realize that every situation is recorded and may elevate your ranks in Paradise.
An important soul seeks important goals. The person who mocks your religiosity or commitment is often a lost soul without a compass, whose goal does not go beyond eating and drinking. But you, knowing your importance, will set goals worthy of your standing with God.
You will see your children or younger siblings as human souls honored by God, so you deal with them with respect. Every human being is born with a "hunger" for appreciation, and Islamic upbringing satisfies this hunger with dignity so that they do not fall prey to false slogans (such as extreme feminism or Western associations) that cloak their poisons in a veneer of imagined appreciation.
Feeling important brings about a tremendous transformation in how we interact with people. We respect their time, rights, and feelings because they are important to God. You do not differentiate in your dealings or caution between a poor neighborhood and a wealthy one, for every human soul has its sanctity and dignity. Similarly, in the matter of smoking, one who realizes they are dealing with important creatures does not harm their health with secondhand smoke in enclosed spaces, nor does he belittle their rights for which they will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment.
If you realize you are important, you master learning and work. A doctor or engineer cannot cheat in their studies because they realize they are dealing with "important souls." Your negligence in a medical detail could lead to the death of a servant of God whom He created to populate the earth, and you will be held accountable for this negligence. Likewise, an engineer’s negligence in design (such as seismic design) could cause disasters, and fate and destiny are not excuses for failure or negligence.
An important person overcomes side battles and practices "the art of ignoring" (turning a blind eye), whether in reality or on social media. You will not allow your time to be wasted or your feelings to be disturbed because someone said, commented, or insulted. You have great goals to achieve, and God the Almighty will suffice you against them.
Your circle of relationships changes as you seek those who recognize their own importance and help you remember yours. You will avoid gatherings of backbiting or trivial conversations that waste time in material comparisons (cars and real estate). Instead, you will seek a friend who respects your values and encourages you toward excellence, and you will completely distance yourself from a bad friend who encourages you toward sin.
Stop imitating people in their priorities and habits, for many of them do not realize the importance of themselves. You are not obligated to sanctify academic or social systems that may graduate you without understanding anything about your religion, your mental health, or raising your children. You are an important human being; you have your own path, habits, and priorities derived from your Sharia.
Change your call to others; instead of destruction and reproach, make those you call feel their importance so you elevate them from sin. Tell them: "You are an important person in the sight of God, and your status as a Muslim is high. This trivial sin does not befit you."
I will tell you about my father—may God have mercy on him—when he was appointed to a school with a class of disruptive students (troublemakers) who respected no one. He entered their chaotic and disrespectful classroom and began speaking to them about "the dignity of the human being in Islam."
He told them how precious humans are in the eyes of God. As a result, the student who had been carelessly slouching straightened up, the one who had been raising his feet put them down, and they all listened intently. His words truly satisfied their "hunger for appreciation," to the point that they clung to him and refused to let him leave the class. This is the impact of making people feel their importance in the sight of God.
In conclusion, young people, may God honor you, we are important—our hearts, minds, hearing, sight, health, and time are all valuable. We will not allow anyone to preoccupy us with trivialities or make us feel worthless before the Lord of the Worlds.
Make your motto from now on: "I am important, and you are important," and base your interactions on this principle. I was truly delighted to meet you in these three sessions, as I found in myself a joy in your interaction that I do not find in front of lifeless cameras.
May God reward you for your good listening, bless you, and honor you. And we hope to meet you again soon on another topic, God willing.
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God, the Exalted, and His blessings.