Muhammad Alshareef رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ
﷽
Today, I will tell you about the man himself – the legend, the GOAT, Muhammad Alshareef رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ.
I have quoted him many times, but who was he? He memorized Qur’an at a young age and went to study in Madinah University, graduating with a degree in Islamic Law. He was also the founder of AlMaghrib, DiscoverU, Visionaire, and NicheHero. Through his work he has inspired the love of Allah in millions of Muslims around the world, including myself.
The way he spoke wasn’t preachy; he always sounded like someone you could find yourself talking to in class, or in your friend group. And when he recited Qur’an, it was as sweet as honey. He is definitely being missed.
After many years of listening to his lectures I have come to know him as the champion of du’a. I listened to his du’a class once and was blown away by the creative way he approached du’a. I have shared his four du’a lessons previously. They have shaped the way I make du’a to this day. May Allah reward him for all the gems he has shared with the world.
I feel the pain of his passing to this day. Such an inspiration to the Ummah. I hope to become even a fraction of who he was.
Recently, I have been rewatching this video by Muhammad Alshareef called 5 Ways to Live a Full Life. In this video he shares 5 pearls he has learned in life.
Because he is the gift that keeps giving, here they are:
5 pearls by Muhammad Alshareef and my reflections on them.
- Salah
The key to the relationship between Creator and creation. Allah Most High brought us in this world, but he didn’t leave us to ourselves, he gave us prayer, where we can come to connect and feed our souls. We are spiritual beings in a physical world, Salah, is the time where we transcend this realm and engage with الرَّحْمَٰن. I have always seen prayer as an obligation but as I get to learn the meaning of Qur’an and the attributes of Allah more, I realize this special meeting I am in is no longer about requirement but my own desire, yearning to be in sujuud. To say “Ya Rabb, I am here” with my heart and know that he hears me. He sees me, He is with me. - Your career doesn’t matter
To be a doctor, engineer, or lawyer is often an immigrant’s dream. To make our parents proud, to be of service to our communities and most important of all to have a stable income. However, Muhammad Alshareef رَحِمَهُ ٱللَّٰهُ said it doesn’t matter at all. Why? Because the goal is to please Allah. We can please Allah while being artists, athletes, psychologists, etc. Our title doesn’t matter, it’s our intention that does. And the idea of stability is an illusion. When we go to work with the intention of earning an honest living, being able to support our families, contribute with our God-given gifts, that is what matters.
This has given me so much of an open mind, because this is something I hope to pass to my future children. To encourage them to follow their hearts and study and work in whatever brings them joy, to raise them to be accountable and most importantly intentional in all aspects. - Sabr & Shukr
Life is a journey. Some days will be joyful, some bring mourning. The believer is always in a state of sabr (patience) or shukr (gratitude). And even during sabr, we say ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ حَالٍ – All praise is to Allah in all circumstances. Let us take a moment and reflect over our life. If we actually think about it we should be in a constant state of gratitude because the blessings we already have are beyond what we can count. Even as we sleep Allah takes care of our bodies, many of us are blessed with full mobility, cognitive abilities, a roof over our heads, families to share life with, opportunities to work, and that is just the basics.
We are blessed with many more and that’s before we even raise our hands and ask Allah. Each person with their own unique blessings. So, when trials come, it’s not constant; we require sabr here and there. Our natural state is shukr. - Prioritize your regrets from yesterday
This is the key to a beautiful life. Nowadays, there are a lot of videos on social media where young people ask elderly people what their regrets might be. This is something we don’t have to wait till the end of our life to think about. The past month, year, 5 years, what do I wish I had done differently? What do I wish I did more of? Personally, for me I already know the answer to these questions and now I can prioritize them so that they are still not regrets of mine in the future, God willing.
As the saying goes “we’re here for a good time, not a long time” so let us use it wisely and make the most of our existence on earth. Of course that will look differently for everyone, but it’s time to stop wasting away these precious moments and turn to the things we cherish the most.
My biggest regret is not prioritizing Qur’an. I thank Allah every day I am given the chance to do that now. - Allah controls the world, not you
To let go and let God. The greatest challenge of all. As humans we dislike uncertainty and as society evolves we have increasingly more information at our fingertips: when the driver will arrive with our food order, what warehouse our package is currently sitting in, the travel details on the plane showing exactly the countries we fly over. The more we know, the more anxious we become about not knowing, yet the reality is there will be things we will never know or control. We don’t decide how others act or feel, the outcome of tests, applications, etc and these are just small examples. You can think in your life what you don’t have control over.
Muhammad Alshareef told us that Allah controls the world; we don’t, we need to let go. Easier said than done, but we must try.
These 5 pearls are gems that will stay with me for the rest of my days. I hope you all get a chance to check it out on YouTube, and may the teachings of our beloved sheikh Muhammad Alshareef continue to benefit us for many generations.
Ya Allah, have mercy on Muhammad Alshareef, forgive him of his shortcomings. Reward him abundantly for all his efforts and elevate his rank to be with the righteous, the companions, and the Prophets.
Peace and blessings upon the Nabi of Allah.