The Bare Minimum

Assalamalaikum

Bismillah wa Alhamdulillah

Discussion Question: What do you consider as the bare minimum? What does this mean? Why do think sticking to the bare minimum so common in our times? 

Introduction: Dilemma of the Youth Today- Sticking to the Bare minimum

 There is a trend that is taking place among our community of doing only what is necessary to get by. We are used to instant results from commercial on TV where taking pills for a week will make us shed our desired weight between two weeks. We are used to getting things done quick, fast, doing little, not working hard but still expecting awesome results. For this reason, today we see Muslims across the world that love to stick to 'the bare minimum'. That just praying fard salah will be okay with out any intention of doing more. That learning 5 Surahs is enough for the rest of their life. That going to Jummah once a week is a sufficient routine, that just doing enough to get you by is enough to get to Jannah. We forget our examples of the past, of the people that went out and beyond their capabilities to get a place in Jannah. By doing the bare minimum, we not only do ourselves injustice but we are cheating outselves, we risk out chances of getting into Jannah.

-The Scales on Yawm ul Akhirah

The reason why sticking to the bare minimum is risky is because of our scales. Every time we do something good, no matter how small it is written as something good that will be on ours scales as something good. However, when we sin, which is something we all do, because none of us are perfect, that sin weighs on our bad side. When you stick to the bare minimum, doing just enough to get by, but still we as humans keep sinning, then at the end of the day, your good and your bad may cancel out. If you just stick to the minimum but still make mistakes, you are left with nothing. Thus, you have to go far and beyond, do more do more and do more so that we can get more and more good deeds that will weigh heavier than our bad and maybe even cancel some of our bad deeds out.
Another reason why sticking to the bare minimum is dangerous is because we are never guarenteed whether our good deeds are accepted or not. We may never know if our salah has been accepted because we might have made a mistake and didn't remember or we might have mispronounced something and forgot and thus doing more and doing extra makes up a little bit for the mistakes that you may make along the way. 

-Racing towards good Deeds like a Tortoise, not a Hare.

Instead of doing just enough, instead of getting by with a 70, we need to change our aims. We need to aim for an A and then work towards an A. One important thing when thinking and planning to do extra deeds is to start slow but consistently. For example, if you want to start praying the extra sunnah of any type of nafl' prayer, start with a small number of rak'ahs and the increase. Don't be like the hare who went too fast and ended up losing the race. Stick to small but consistent steps. Our beloved salla Allahu alayhi waslam, also told us that the best of deeds are those that are done consistently. 

The Prophet, salla Allahu Alayhi waslam, was guarenteed Jannah but still did Istighfar, he still prayed extra rakahs, he still stood up in the night and prayer to Allah. Even though he already had a secure place in Jannah, he always did more. And when asked why? He replied that should he not be a grateful slave? If the Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi waslam, who was guarenteed Jannah still did more, what does that say about us? We should definitely be striving to do more and constantly keep improving to follow his footsteps in shaa' Allah. 

‘Let’s try to stop looking for loop holes, to get the most ‘liberal’ way out or to choose the ‘easiest’ path that is the most convenient to our desires. Let’s stop sticking with minimum here, avoiding anything that is extra. In order to cultivate and grow your iman, you constantly have to keep striving for more, constantly keep struggling to better yourself. At the end of the day if your bad equals your good, the cup remains empty, so stock up on the good, and keep stocking every day. Remember, Firdaws is for those that strive the hardest, so keep struggling.”

‘Oh mankind, indeed you are ever toiling towards your lord, painfully toiling…
But you shall meet Him’ (84:6)