By Muhammad Alshareef
You may know someone who is studying for final exams these days. Final exams are always a nice time to focus on the true exam of life.
1. In school, you can often redo your exam if you fail. In the hereafter, if one fails there is no going back.
2. In school, you often do not know what questions will be asked. In the hereafter, there are only 3 questions: Who is your Lord? What is your Deen? And who is this man who was sent to you? But the answers are answers you live by.
3. In school, we stay up at night to cram for the exam the next day. So too in Allah's exam, we should be staying up in night prayers.
4. In school, we pray and hope and work for an outstanding mark. So too should be our attitude towards Allah's exam.
5. In school, when we get a great mark, we erupt with happiness. So too will the believers erupt in happiness when they get their books in their right hands. Work for it.
6. In school, when we get a bad mark, sadness can be seen on our faces, and we dislike to face others. So too in the hereafter. Protect yourself from that.
7. During a school exam, you cannot ask anyone for help. In the hereafter, you can prepare from now to get assistance from Allah's Messenger, the Quran, and other ways of intercession.
8. In school, when exam time draws near, we banish distractions to focus on what is really important. In Allah's exam, isn't death within 1 heart beat? Banish distractions and focus.
9. In school, until exam results come out, we worry about the result. In Allah's exam, we don't know what our result will be, so we spend our days in hope and worry until the results come out.
What do you think?
Do you have other reflections on exams?
MashaAllah !! great article !! JazakAllahu khairan...
ReplyDeleteI am so forwarding this to all my friends inshaAllah.
ReplyDeleteJazakAllahu khayr. Insha Allah, shall share it with others. May Allah swt help to ponder and reflect over it
ReplyDeleteAssalaamu alaikum and barakallâhu feek, ya Sheikh.
ReplyDeleteI am one of the brothers from Denmark that had the honour of meeting you at JIMAS in the UK not so long ago, alhamdulillâh.
MashaAllâh, these are great points to ponder over, may Allâh always be please with you and your work, ameen.
Please remember us all in your prayers.
Wa assalaamu alaikum
Tahir
wasalam bro
ReplyDeletegood article ....
Simply written, yet managed to deliver a powerfull message.
ReplyDeleteMasha'ALLAH Simply beautiful and so well explained. Jazak'ALLAH Khair.
ReplyDeletea couple of more comparisons:
ReplyDeletein the worldly exams we are not worried about what other students are writing in their answer sheets...similarly in the exam of life we should be more concerned with our own deeds rather than criticizing others.
In school exams we are not arrogant about our personalities or our looks because we know that it is what we write that matters and there are no marks for dressing in expensive clothes or using a parker pen... similarly in the hereafter we will not be asked about our salaries or the size of our houses or how fashionably we dressed... it will just be our deeds that will matter.
lastly in the worldly exams we read as many books as possible and do thorough research to find the most authentic knowledge... similarly for success of the hereafter we need to read books and get authentic knowledge.
Great Article....Jazakallah ho kher...shall share it with friends n loved ones.
ReplyDeleteShazia
Another excellent article, MashaAllah.
ReplyDeleteI make Dua your next course brings you to Bradford Inshallah.
Brother (Qabeelah Mass)
Jazaka Allahu Khyraan Katheraan.
ReplyDeleteIt's astonishing =)!!
Sara
Assalamualaikum wbt,
ReplyDeleteJazakallah for the the article.. Nice and simple. will share it with my friends when exams in Japan starts (^_^)
owh and another comparison :
Usually we will ask for blessings from our parents, or tell them that we are going to take an exam. And they will be very concern about us.Prepare breakfast for us or send us off on the big day. In Allah's test, we have to take good care of our parents.The most important people after Allah and Rasul(saw).
at medical school with exams every 3 months we were shaped by the need to be ready for the test - complacence was your greatest enemy.
ReplyDeletei wish sh mohammad al shareef could clone himself - many more daies who simplify and make relevant our deen are despaerately needed
jazaka Allahu Khairan
ReplyDeletei will share this with my students.
Alihamdulilahi, may ALLAH inrease you in knowledge, indeed we must moved toward Allah and Prophet Muhammad and seek ALLAH mercy to pass His exam.
ReplyDeleteMay make it for us. Amin.
Akeem G.Muraina
Great reminders in an excellent and interesting way...hope that we all successfully past this exams of life...Allah bless u. Ameen
ReplyDeleteJazakum Allah khaira
ReplyDeleteJazakAllah khair for a simple yet lasting message. Our stay in this world is very little yet it's deception is too great. Most of us spend our lives focusing on things that won't even matter in the hereafter. We tend to forget that our wordly life is merely a test of our actions based on the free will given to us during this limited period. Once the time is up, that free will will be taken away and the only thing that would matter then will be whatever we have written on our 'book of deeds'.
ReplyDeleteMay Allah(swt) guide during our lives, help us on the day of judgment and save us from the torments of hell fire.
Sabih
Great lecture, Jazaka Allah khayr.
ReplyDeletewww.Mohammedlali.multiply.com
Excellent article mashallah, concise & impactful.
ReplyDeleteJazakAllahu khairun Shaikh, may Allah grant u & us all straight A's in this life's exam, Aameen.
mashallah very true..if we only live this life for sake of hereafter all our actions will change
ReplyDeleteIn school, we know that to be successful and get a high grade on an exam you need start early and study small bits/sections at a time...sometimes cramming helps (due to the pressure) but it doesnt bring out the best in you!
ReplyDeletemashallah Shaikh may Allah be please with you in this Duniya and Akhira Ameen.
ReplyDeleteAsselam Aleikum wa rahmetullahi wa barakatuh...
ReplyDeleteJazzak'Allah khair.
Great reminders in an excellent and interesting way My Allah s.w.t.give you Jannah and your family Aminn.
LAHAULAWALA QUWATAILLAH BILLAH,"THE LAST BREATH" nasheed by ahmad bukhatir really guide to sheikh Muhammad Alshareef guiding examination...syukran jazillah.May all islam brothers and sister get the real and meaning message from sheikh.
ReplyDeleteVery good article and reminder. JazzakAllah khair!
ReplyDelete1. In the worldly exam we do not have access to the books. in the other, we can look at the book, copy from others, ask the knowledgeable and even have answers written by the sunna of the sahabas. Only problem is we do not look at these answers but search for answers in the wrong places.
ReplyDelete2. in the worldly exam the examiner will not help us. in the other the examiner (allah) is nearer to us than our own jugular vein. Only problem is we forget to ask him to help us.
3. in the worldly exam only few chances are given. in the other we can resit (ask thouba) again and again
4. the worldly exam - we have a choice of sitting or not. in the other we have no choice. we are always being tested.But the qualification is much higher.
Jazakallah khair for a nice article...
ReplyDeletethe life test is "graded" with perfect justice, by THE MOST JUST keeping in mind our circumstances, abilities, knowledge and more, that we cannot even imagine. In a final exam in school or university, you cannot get points for effort.
ReplyDeleteas sallamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
ReplyDeletegreat article mashaallah, Iam going to share it in my facebook in shaallah,
barakallahu feekum
JazakAllah Khair,
ReplyDeleteVery good reminder in simple words.
in school, when kids get good grades parents would shower them with praises and gifts. In the akhirah, ALLAH would give us His reward (wayy better than whatever our parents can give us, or whatever the richest parent can give)
ReplyDeletein school, once you're done with final exams, you always have other difficulties to face afterwards (further exams in high school, college, higher education, life). In Akhirah, the final exam is truly the final one.
ummsakinah
Mashallah great post. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteAssalam alaykum
ReplyDeleteWOW!!!!!! amazing this is so true if only more people would think this way..keep up the good work hope to see more article like this one..
insha allah.
Assalamu Alaikum
ReplyDeleteMay Allah grant you and your family the highest level of Jannah, insha Allah for these kind and relevant examples.
It all comes down to believing in having a day where we will be examined. If we can strengthen the faith and fight off shaitaan then iA hope for success.
Please keep articles like these coming - people truly benefit ...
SubhanAllah, very true, and a clear guidance for us - great idea to compare exams with the idea of being tested in this life, and rewarded with the accolade of success in the next. JazarkhaAllah
ReplyDeletemasyaallah...u make me open my eyes n mind..thanks akh..
ReplyDeleteSalam Bro..this article have taught me something that i will take into consideration. May Allah reward you for the best in this world and the here after. Wasalam.
ReplyDeleteTruly this life is an open book test...the book? Qur'an....JazakAllahu Khair for this!
ReplyDeleteAsalamu Alikum, what a great anology and how truly does it help us focus on judgement day. Jazaka Allahu khier. Keep these articles coming!
ReplyDeleteVery well said brother. I am a student and focus more on my uni exams than my real life exams. a very good reminder to me.JazakAllah khairan for this email. will send ti to my friends.
ReplyDeleteAssalaamu'Alaykum, Jazak Allahu Khayr. Please make dua for all muslims and for the guidance of non muslims and for peace on earth and that Allah gives alMaghrib a much greater role in the world and that they are always on Al Haq.
ReplyDeleteDuring a school exam, you don't get extra credit for telling someone else the answer, infact, you are punished. In Allah's exam, telling someone the answer gives you reward and the more your knowledge is spread, the more reward you get. Share your answers(knowledge).
slmz!
ReplyDeletevery interesting article and a good reminder to me and all of us! :)
MashaAllah tabrakALLAH!
ReplyDeletewhat a wonderful and benefitual article!
May Allah Ta'alla build you a casal in jannahtul feridaws!...you are indeed a true ahlul jannah..may allah make us among you!.
keep them emails coming..we look forward on the nxt ones inshaALLAH.
fe aminallah
salam very nice. it is good to remind ourselves of this important lesson. may Alla make it aesy 4 us Amin. zuleah
ReplyDeletemashAllah thanks for this great reminder! i make du'aa it benefits us all inshAllah. u are doing a great job alhumdullilah.
ReplyDeleteWa 'Alaikum As Salaam just to reply to the greetings you sent my dear brother
ReplyDeleteand JazakAllaahu Khairun for the remiders MashaAllaah
1.In the worldy exam, you don't get rewarded for your good intentions, you only get rewarded for what you write down. In the exam of the hereafter, you get rewarded for your intention of answering a question even if you ran out of time!
ReplyDelete2. The exam of the hereafter is so easy that it is an open book exam, whereas most of the worldy exams are not! But how many 'students' will open 'the book'?
3. Exam of the hereafter: you even know all the questions that will come up on the exam beforehand! You even know the order in which they will be laid out in the exam paper! You know the answers that people who have passed the exam already have written! Even the invigilators will help with you the answers! The only catch is: You have NO IDEA how long the examination is. It could end any second.
Jazak Allah khair
ReplyDeletewow i just dont know how to describe my words beacuse this is an Incredible msg and it soooo true i hope everyone will make a good use of this Thanx alot for showing us the right path appreciate this. At the end i would like to ask some questions which iam not sure from where to ask is there a website if we could go if anyone knows could u plz tell me jazakAllah khair everyone for this wonderful msg.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMashallah I love this, it really had me thinking because it is true we don't really notice how much we stress out for school, but not for the hereafter. We forgot how fast death can approach us, and how easily we can fail Allah Azowajals exam if we don't do alot of studying.(Praying Fard, and sunnah, dua, learning, reading quran, etc)
ReplyDeleteJazakullah Ya Sheikh Muhummad Al Shareef.
May Allah Grant you, and all of use Jannahtull Firdowse. Ameen!
your amazing!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the article bro
AA, mashallah, this is a really amazing article, really opened up my :)
ReplyDeleteSUCCESS in School exams secure comfort for a SHORT span of WORLDLY life and the SUCCESS in the Exams of the HEREAFTER will inshAllah secure comfort for ETERNITY-a time span with no end.........
ReplyDeletesalaam Alhamdollilah very true and good reminder...it's an obvious fact.It's just so annoying how we get so caught up with this life and easily forget about the afterlife which is a reality.May Allah not leave us even for a blinking of an eye and set right for us all our affairs ameen.
ReplyDeleteSubhanallah, this was just in-time !
ReplyDeleteI'm expecting my final results in a week and been agitated ever since I wrote the exam (Please make dua for me).
Been so worried that I'm thinking let me just have the result, I don't care if I pass or fail, i just want to get over with this feeling.
Allahuakbar, this reminded me of how on the Day of Judgment the people would be so much in fear that they would want the reckoning to start as soon as possible.
Allaha'lam
In the hear-after we have mid-term exam and final exam. When the person dies he will face mid-term questions i.e. Who is your Lord? what is your religion? And who is you prophet? And on the day of judgment (final exam), every will be asked 4 questions. It is exactilly what we focus on in our schools.
ReplyDeleteI read it twice so as to absorb the purpose of it all.I pray for myself to start action from today to prepare and focus on the hereafter and I pray for you that Allah gives you even more insight and strength to keep writing such powerful articles to make people pause and meditate.
ReplyDeleteJazakallah.
Masha allah. good pieces of advices.May allah (swt) keep all of us under His mercy
ReplyDeleteIn school exams you have to be ready so when you go to Allah you will have to be ready!
ReplyDeleteThanks brother. This message really helped alot. It got me thinkin and I really needed this boost. Jazakallahukhair.
ReplyDeletethis life is but a test, only one many do not realise they are taking.
ReplyDelete1. We lose sleep over school exams, but don;t lose sleep to pray at night for the exam set by Allah.
2. People hate exams, in genereal, and in general, people love this world, even thought its the biggest test ever.
3. There aren't just a few hundred kids taking this test, or marked by a dozen teachers; its every human being who has been created since the beginning of time to the end of it, and there is only ONE Judge; Allah.
wonderful and so benefiacial
ReplyDeleteyou have really succeeded to make such a comparison in a fantastic way
may Allah grant you the highest ranks of paradise .
I am great fan of you
a sister from ALGERIA
Actually we are all born in this as such, to learn & hoping for good grade.
ReplyDeleteBut in reality for all, we are been created by ALLAH to live & to learn for our achievement.
In all, ALLAH is the greatest & the magnificent.
The change of the World today is what’s people need to learn & do understand that the knowledge’s of mankind is driven from ALLAH as it could be done in the split of the second, if ALLAH need to happen without us.
Salam
Mdarf
MASHALLAH very nice thanks for the email !!!!
ReplyDeleteAsslamo Alykum wa ra7mtulah
ReplyDeletevery interesting topic barakallaho feek, we all have to know that we are in a test always and the best way to deal with that is to pure our intentions and follow the foot steps of Muhammed pbuh and may Allah help us all in this life and hereafter
wa asslamo alykum
mashallah great said
ReplyDeleteBeautiful things that you have mentioned there may Allah(swt) give you the best in this life and in the hearafter.Ameen
ReplyDeleteIn school we can find ways of cheating, in the hereafter there will be no such thing!
ReplyDelete>Hafsah!
NICE VIEWS. NICELY EXPRESSED. NICELY PRESENTED.
ReplyDeleteMAY ALLAH BLESS YOU AND US.
HASMAT
JAZAKALLAHKHEIR, HOW TRUE ARE YOUR WORDS
ReplyDeleteAs salamu alaiukum
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful article ...but we humans beings forget very soon ...so it is better to write and paste some where, so that we are reminded about it always..or even we can maintain a diary for such important things...
may Allah guide all of us to the straight path till our last breath Ameen.
ma as salam
Ayesha Quadri
As Salamualaykum nice reminders.
ReplyDeleteAs an unschoooler/homeschooler my children wouldn't understand this comparison!
For us living /learning are all the same thing.
we do it all the time even if we dont realsie we are learning.
as salamualykum
Assalamu alaykum shaykh.
ReplyDeleteJazak allahu khairan for the inspirational thoughts.
May Allah swt. bless you and your family.
May Allah swt. accept your Hajj, insha Allah..ameen.
Also Assalamu alaykum to my muslim brothers and sisters.
Please keep on carrying the hard work to revive the mind and sould of individual.
Insha- allah your work will be reward in the hereafter. INSHA-ALLAH! :-)
from your brother in Islam.
abuu Moosa.
Assalam u alikum WW,
ReplyDeleteJazakAllah khair for his beautiful reminder. May Allah reward you and your family with the greatest of his bounties for the efforts you make in spreading and recovering His deen (Ameen). And may He (SWT) accept you Hajj (Ameen).
Assalam u alikum WW
Mashalah may Allah bless you.and grant you paradise.ameen.plz pray for us ya sheikh.
ReplyDeletebest regards.mahina
Jazak Allah khayran Ya sheikh. this is very uplifting. ma cha allah
ReplyDeleteWalaikum Assalam Wa Rahamatullahi Wa Barakatuhu...
ReplyDeleteSo true was your message that it brought tears in my eyes. Articles are good to read and easy to forget. Is there a way which we can adopt to remember and implement these? How to be steadfast and focussed?
Answer me if you have time and pray for my imaan... May Allah bless and guide us all. Let the fountain of knowledge keep flowing from you and give life to many dead souls and may you be rewarded manyfolds by Allah(SWT) for your efforts. Ameen.
Bro in Islam,
Musthafa
As'Salaam Alaikum,
ReplyDeleteMay Allah bless you with the good of this life and the good of the hereafter… Ameen
Ma'Sha Allah, this is a nice article, and a wonderful reminder. I will forward this article to my college students and to my son who’s in the tenth grade at W.D. Mohammad High School here in Atlanta, GA. A great remind, not only for them but to us adults as well. You will be blessed In sha Allah for everyone who pick up this article, read it, and benefit from it...Alhmadulillah! Sister Afriqah of Wisconsin forwarded the article to me… “A good message will travel from state to state, country to country, and ending with Alhamdulillah”.
Your sister in Faith,
Sister Jamilah
ALHAMDULLILAH!!! Bro. Al Shareef you have hit another home run in the hearts of the muslims and the beleivers! We travel through this life always getting prepared for work, school, jummah ,eid ect. But how much time to we spend preparing to meet ALLAH in Al Akhirah? Your lectures and khutbahs are always thought provoking and touch me and I'm sure others in a way that makes us want to do so much more to be pleasing to our Lord and Master.
ReplyDeleteMay Allah(SWT) bless you always for your efforts in doing dawah and helping us to be better servants to Allah.
May Allah cover and protect you always my bro.
Your Sister N Faith
Afriqah A. Imani
salam alaykum
ReplyDeletePLEASE CAN I COPY AND PASTE SOME OF THE COMMENTS HERE OF THE COMPARISONS? I'V READ ALL THE COMMENTS HERE AND I WANT TO SHARE SOME WITH OTHERS.
jazakh'Allah khair.
A sister in islam.
ASA
ReplyDeleteMy brother in Islam: I live in United States and this post was sent to me from my Islamic daughter in Africa! That is how Allah sents Good News!! Al Hamdulillah May Allah Give You The Best of This Life But The Better Of The Hereafter!!!! Please continue to send out more post like these!!!
Salamo Aleykoum Wa Rahmatoullah Wa Barakatouhou Brother,
ReplyDeleteBarakalahou fik for your wonderful message. May Allah Bless you, AMINE.
Wa Salam
Rakyata B. DIALLO
As salaam alaikum,
ReplyDeleteSubuhanallah, this topic has been weighing in my mind for a while now. I am a student but also a parent. Since starting school, I felt like I have been so focused on getting good grades to get my degree that I have often neglected my deen. For this reason, I have dropped out of school (college). I am not saying that this is the ansewer, but for me, I decided that I needed the time to rethink my priorities for this life and the hereafter. Insha Allah, when I feel like I can handle all three, including taking care of my family, I will eventually go back to school if Allah wills.
how to get a bad grade:
ReplyDeletejust don't get up from your bed, yeah, continue to hit your Snooze button until your stomach can no longer suffer from hunger and then get up, and grab a bite then you can do either one or do both of option, A) carry on with your last night's procrastination or B) carry on with your snoozing.
Great blog!! Thank you
ReplyDeleteAssalaam alaikum
ReplyDeletejazakalaa khairan
MAY ALLAH ACCEPT UR SERVICES.
May ALLAH help us also to succeed in both the life. May be you will be our guiding teacher for it inshalla. AAMEEN.
really , this is our last chance!!we cannot re do anything.it is pass or fail!! when we r so concerned about worldly exams then can we imagine how much serious we ought to be in allah's exam which will permanently put us in jannah or hell!!how sad that inspite of knowing everything we r still running blindly after this world which will kick us as soon as we breathe our last.
ReplyDeletefarhin wasim.
dubai, uae.