A Tradition (Hadith) on Balance

786

One of the practical advices to balance our hearts can be found in the saying of the Holy Imam Musa Kazim(as):

"Try to divide your day into four parts. The first part is for whispering to God. The second part is for occupation. The thrid part is our time for brothers and those whom we trust. The fourth part is for halaal (permissible) enjoyment."

This hadith seeks to promote harmony in the soul of the human being by dividing his routine into different needs he has. The first and most central need for a human being is maintaining a healthy connection with His Creator. It must be revived in him frequently to establish balance. This most significant connection gives the human being purpose, vision, and a goal to strive towards constantly. It leads to the development of a sound intellect. The need for the frequency of prayer can be seen in the example of our own lives. How easy is it for us to be overwhelmed by the problems and worries we are faced with? Is it not all we ponder about and mull over day in and day out? Along the same lines, the glitter of this world tends to take us away from the more meaningful and valuable things in life; the apparent pleasure that it calls us towards while it slowly destroys our inner being and we are heedless of our situation. In both of these cases, we forget the greater vision and goals that God (Glory be to Him, The Most High) has revealed to us.

Nay, you prefer the life of this world; (87:16)
But the hereafter is better and lasting. (87:17)

In these verses of the Holy Qur'an, God shows us the major flaw in our thinking. Our energies and focus is constantly directed towards the life of the present -- The life of this world. The next life, as God points out, is of a greater nature (Khayr); it is better in comparison to this life. And the next life endures and lasts whereas this life is temporary and meant to perish. Can these two truly be compared? And when it is so clear, why do we forget the affairs of the hereafter and forget to invest in the next life as well as this life? The frequent prayer is a means of keeping our focus in check. It pegs the human being and firmly establishes in his heart this broader interpretation and vision of existence. There is much that can be said about the benefit and wisdom of connecting with God but let me conclude with an encouraging tradition:

"If your prayer is accepted, then everything else will be accepted. If your prayer is not accepted, then everything else will be rejected."

Therefore, let us dedicate a portion of our day to this most important act and seek to reach harmony within ourselves by establishing a genuine connection with Our Creator...

My next post will examine the rest of the opening tradition which was with regards to dividing one's time.