Jannah Drive-Thru

[Credit]

"Yes, can I please have a bucket of marjan, two plates of mann and salwa, then a bowl of aanaba. And for my drinks, I'll have the salsabil water, with a mix of kafuur. That would do. Thanks!"

Woah.

How I wish going to jannah is that easy; just order what you want, as what you will usually do when you drive-thru fast food restaurant (McDonald's and Starbucks not included).

But in reality, going to jannah ain't gonna be easy. We will need to pay for a very high price to be admitted to jannah. 

As narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a.:

"The (Hell) Fire is surrounded by all kinds of desires and passions, while Paradise is surrounded by all kinds of disliked undesirable things."

[Sahih al-Bukhari]

That's the price we'll have to pay to go to jannah; all kinds of disliked and undesirable things.

Gulp. 

And that would include something like standing firm on your imaan, struggling to ward off the rusts of jahiliyyah, being ridiculed by people around you for being different and encountering trials and tribulations that would shake your faith to its core. 

"Aliif lam miim. Do the people think that they will be left to say, 'We believe' and they will not be tried?

But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars."

[al-Ankabut, 29:1-3]

Aiyaya yaya!

The secret to be admitted to jannah, must lie in the manhaj (system) that Allah has provided to all human being. This manhaj is called Islam. Islam is perfect and complete (syamil wa kamil) simply because it was drafted by the Grand Lord Himself. Nothing should be added to it nor nothing should be taken away. 

When we recite "Ihdinas siratal mustaqim" - show us the straight path - at least seventeen times per day (though I'm sure most of you recite it much more than that), what we really mean is we ask Allah to guide us and grant us strength to embrace Islam. The true Islam and not the modified version of Islam.

As we cannot pick and choose to enter into jannah, the same goes with Islam; we cannot pick and choose which elements in Islam that we would like to practise.

I call this 'Happy Meal Islam.' 

Do you remember the time when you were still a chubby cute little kid, you went to your favourite fast food restaurant - McDonald's* - with your mum; what did you order? I bet you went for Happy Meal right?

*At time when we didn't boycott McDonald's just yet 

You either chose Set A because you liked beef burger with a racing car toy, or you opted for Set D because you didn't really feel like eating; you just wanted to get hold on the chubby alien toy. 

But no, Islam is not like that. Islam cannot be like that.

"Ahhh I want to pray and pay my zakah, but can I commit zina?"

"Don't worry. I'll fast during Ramadhan. I'll perform my hajj when the time comes. And I'll read Quran. But hey, what is life without partying and drinking?"

"Islam is... Syahadah, salah, saum, zakah and hajj. Not forgetting forgery, interest and fornication. Woohooo!"

Fall from chair.

Allah says in the Quran:

"O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy."

[al-Baqarah, 2:208] 

Kaffaah. Completely. Holistically. Without leaving even the smallest detail. Even if we don't like it. Even if we find it very hard to follow. 

Why?

Because the price to jannah is expensive. Everyone deserves jannah, yes, but not everyone can afford to enter it.

Only those who are willing to endure the sufferings and hardships as a believer - the price of jannah - will get the ticket to enter jannah.

[To the righteous it will be said], "O reassured soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him], and enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise."

[al-Fajr, 89:27-30] 

Ninja chopping onions. 

"I'm  sorry sir. We don't sell jannah in bits and pieces like that. You have to enter jannah first, then you can pick and choose whatever you want."

Sparkling smile.

-gabbana-