Dispersed Affairs and Their Impact on Investing in Ramadan
The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) used to seek refuge in Allah from things that some might perceive as small; however, in the scales of the hearts, they are monumental because they have a profound impact on one's spiritual construction or destruction.
One of the most dangerous of these matters is: The Dispersion of Affairs (Shatat al-Amr).
Dispersion (Shatat): It is fragmentation, a lack of discipline, being preoccupied with what is unnecessary, and prioritizing what should be delayed, and vice versa.
There is a Quranic expression that refers to this: {وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا} It means: {and obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost} [Al-Kahf: 28]
His affair (Amruhu): His interests in both his religious and worldly life.
Lost (Furuta): His affairs have become wasted and scattered.
One of the greatest causes of human dispersion is the absence of life's ultimate purpose: Servitude to Allah (Uboodiyyah).
Therefore, the greatest cure for this heedlessness is "Remembrance" (Thikr).
And the most noble form of remembrance is the Qur'an; the Qur'an rescues you entirely from the depths of heedlessness.
The era of screens is the era of distraction and the fragmentation of identity.
The dispersion of affairs is not just about scattered time; it is the dispersion of identity and purpose. This is why the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge from it; for if the heart becomes scattered and fragmented, faith within it follows suit, and intentions weaken.
▫️A person does not collapse under the weight of responsibilities unless the meaning behind what they carry vanishes.
The State of the Dispersed: Prayer without presence, Qur'an without impact, supplication (Dua) without fervor; and consequently, a Ramadan without transformation.
Ramadan will not grant you its spiritual openings unless you approach it with a focused heart and a soul that knows what it wants and why it has come.
Ramadan does not want hearts and minds that are open to everything (distractions).
▫️Investing in Ramadan is not about having numerous schedules and programs; rather, it is about "Unifying your Concern" (Jam' al-Hamm).
Ask yourself: What do I really want in Ramadan? What is the major goal I want to achieve this Ramadan?
What is the spiritual wound I want to heal during this month?
Whoever unifies their purpose, their path becomes easy; and whoever survives the dispersion of affairs, their heart finds tranquility.
If Allah unifies your heart upon one singular concern; He will suffice you.
A beneficial story regarding preparation for Ramadan specifically, and for life in general: A delegation visited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to ask about various matters:
(They came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to bid him farewell. He sent Bilal to them, who gave them more generous gifts than he usually gave to delegations. The Prophet ﷺ asked: «Is there anyone left among you?» They said: "A young boy we left behind with our belongings; he is the youngest among us." He said: «Send him to us.» When they returned to their camp, they told the boy: "Go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and present your need to him, for we have finished our business and bidden him farewell." The boy approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am a man from Bani Abdha, from the group that just visited you and whose needs you fulfilled. So fulfill my need, O Messenger of Allah." He asked: «And what is your need?» He replied: "My need is not like the need of my companions"..)
Is your need different from those around you in your neighborhood, school, or family?
Are you distinguished in your aspirations? What is your true need?
Are your concerns like everyone else’s, or are they different?
Are your concerns like those of Rabi’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) when he told the Prophet ﷺ: “I ask for your companionship in Paradise”, despite his worldly needs? He did not ask for that which perishes.
Anything that perishes should not be your primary "Concern" (the heavy, preoccupying anxiety). If you have worldly matters, transform them into that which remains; such as your wealth, children, spouse, breaths, and time...
📃(The boy said: "My need is not like the need of my companions, even though they came desiring Islam and brought their charities. By Allah, nothing brought me from my land except that you ask Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, to forgive me, have mercy on me, and to place my richness in my heart.")
Few are those whose hearts are truly present in Dua; because many do not remind themselves of what they truly want from Allah. Similarly, some enter prayer without knowing what they seek.
📃(The Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned to the boy and said: «O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, and place his richness in his heart.»)
Richness (Ghina) is in the heart, not in the pocket. Therefore, this is a vital concern to be occupied with until you enter your grave: How do I make my richness reside in my heart? Seek that out.
📃 (Later, they met the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the Hajj season at Mina in the tenth year. They said: "We are the tribe of Bani Abdha." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked: «What happened to the boy who came to me with you?» They replied: "O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, we have never seen anyone like him, nor have we heard of anyone more content (Aqna') with what Allah has provided him. If people were to divide the world among themselves, he would not even look at it or turn toward it." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «Praise be to Allah; I truly hope that he dies 'all together' (with a unified heart).» A man asked: "Does not every man die all together, O Messenger of Allah?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: «His desires and concerns become scattered in the valleys of this world. Perhaps his appointed time (death) will reach him in one of those valleys, and Allah will not care in which of them he perishes.»)
The scattering of concerns in the valleys of this world; where a person has no concern except worldly anxieties, acquisitions, and trades... then death comes suddenly while he is preoccupied with all of that!
Where was the concern for the Qur'an in his life? For the night prayer? For seeking forgiveness at dawn? These were not among his priorities; instead, the primary concerns became secondary, and the secondary concerns became primary!
How many times have you traveled for the sake of this world? And how many times for the sake of your Hereafter?
How many times have you traveled to attend a circle of knowledge? Or to seek lawful (Halal) income and avoid the prohibited (Haram)? Or to join a teacher of the Qur'an?
📃(They said: That man lived among us in the best of states, most ascetic regarding the world, and most content with what he was provided. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away and some people of Yemen apostatized, he stood among his people and reminded them of Allah and Islam, and not a single one of them turned back. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to remember him and ask about him until he heard of his noble stand, so he wrote to Ziyad ibn Labid recommending him highly.)
Conclusion:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «Whoever focuses all his concerns on one issue, the concerns of the Hereafter, Allah will suffice him and spare him the worries of this world. But whoever wanders off in concern over different worldly issues, Allah will not care in which of these valleys he is destroyed.»
Because you occupied yourself with the "Remaining Concern," Allah will suffice you in the "Perishing Concern."
This young man was the youngest of them, but he knew that the most dangerous thing a person can lose is their heart—when it is distributed among many anxieties.
He did not ask for a change in circumstances, but a change from within.
He did not ask for the lightening of burdens, but for the unification of his direction.
He did not want the world, but he wanted a purer heart.
Whoever's heart finds its richness in Allah, his limbs will find contentment; and whoever's concern becomes stable, he has been saved.
In Ramadan, we need this previous Hadith to echo within us>
Dispersion is the disease of the age!
As screens increase, dispersion increases. Distraction reaches you through screens from where you least expect it!
Therefore, an essential means to reduce dispersion is: Reducing screen time.
Use an app that shows you how much time you spend on various platforms, such as (QualityTime), and monitor yourself for a week. I believe that after seeing the results, you will feel regret and repent.
One of the most important steps in preparing for Ramadan is: (Digital Fasting); I want you to regulate screens through "immunity" rather than just "prohibition."
Remember: Ramadan seeks a single concern and a sincere passion. Whoever enters Ramadan with a scattered heart may gain something, but there is a vast difference between them and the one who enters with a Unified Concern.
* Adapted from a lecture by Sheikh Muhammad Khairy.