Summer: A Way to Allah

This fact seems to be strange even to many Muslims. Summer is widely known to be a time of vacations, beaches, play, and so on. Kids adore summer travel and trips. Youth usually organize summer camps to enjoy their free time. Elders wish to have rest from heavy work and business.

Still, there are some Muslims who view summer in a different way. For them, summer is a way to Allah. It’s time of increasing worship, maintaining ties of kinship, and contributing to social activities in the community. Below are some activities for the summer vacation.

• Giving more time to the family: In summer, family members should have more time to care for each other. They can go on family trips to enjoy their time and help one another solve personal problems.
• Giving more time to the community: A Muslim pays due care to his community. A Muslim spares no effort to help the needy, alleviate the pains of the suffering, and participate in the social activities of the Muslim and non-Muslim community. Summer gives Muslims opportunities to serve their communities and to prove that they are part and parcel of their societies.
• Enriching one’s knowledge of Islam: Seeking beneficial knowledge is highly recommended in Islam. The more a person acquires useful knowledge, the more he or she draws closer to Allah.
• Doing voluntary acts of worship: In addition to observing the obligatory acts of worship, doing voluntary acts is virtuous and entails great reward. Free time in the summer should be utilized in beneficial practices, such as memorizing the Qur’an, making dhikr, and offering supererogatory prayers. Also, if one can afford to go, to make `Umrah, it will be greatly rewarded by Allah.
• Refreshing one’s self by means of permissible forms of play and recreation: Islam is a practical religion that recognizes people’s needs to refreshment and recreation. Therefore, it allows the practice of sports which are not harmful either to one’s self or one’s society.
• Reflecting on the beauty of nature: Islam encourages reflection on nature and creation, which are signs of Allah’s power and knowledge. By reflecting on Allah’s creation, Muslims will deepen their faith in Allah and implant love for Allah in their hearts.
• Taking care of one’s health: Tough and busy schedules may hinder a person from giving due attention to his or her health. In summer time, a more relaxed atmosphere allows one to consider one’s health status. One should try to undergo a comprehensive medical checkup so as to maintain good health and avoid late treatment of diseases.

The above actions, though mostly yielding benefits in this life, pave the way for gaining Allah’s pleasure, provided that they are done with good intentions and are meant to help one draw closer to Allah. So, let’s seize the golden opportunity of summer and turn a “way” to Allah in the real sense of the word.

Wa’il `Abdel-Mut`aal Shihab is the deputy managing editor of the IOL Shari`ah Department (English). He graduated from Al-Azhar University, then obtained his MA from Al-Azhar in Islamic studies, specializing in Islamic jurisprudence and its principles. Now he is working on his PhD on the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. He writes occasionally for IslamOnline.net. You can reach him at wael.shihab@iolteam.com.