Sunday the 6th of March witnessed Ustaz AbdulHakeem Kosoko taking members and guests of the MICA Floor on a spiritual journey to reconnecting with Allah. With a lot of us experiencing dissatisfaction in our personal lives that have little to do with material convenience, we find lack of spiritual fulfillment permeating our souls.We find ourselves worshipping but not connecting nor concentrating; and praying but with neither focus nor faith. This according to our esteemed lecturer-Ustaz Kosoko, is because of the disease of the heart that has encased our everyday living.
Diseases of the Heart are problems that engulf the careless and bother the conscious believer. To help identify the symptoms, prevent and cure the ailment, Ustaz AbdulHakeem Kosoko, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Religious Affairs, did a great work in explaining.
Starting on the topic, he noted that most believers of the present day can hardly avoid falling prey to this ailment of the soul and it is more often due to the unconscious slips that we make 
in our daily/ mundane lives than it is due to self-desire to actually disobey Allah. We fall prey to this disease because we belittle some sins and overlook certain flaws for a long period of time and before know they become embedded in our character and then lead us far away from the righteous path.
in our daily/ mundane lives than it is due to self-desire to actually disobey Allah. We fall prey to this disease because we belittle some sins and overlook certain flaws for a long period of time and before know they become embedded in our character and then lead us far away from the righteous path.In identifying the symptoms, he mentioned the first most fundamental and yet the most overlooked symptom as ASSOCIATING PARTNERS WITH ALLAH (SWT).
This he emphasized with an Hadith of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (SAW) as related in Bukhari:” Allah does not have any reason to forgive anyone who associates anyone or anything with Him”. Also in the Holy Qur’an, chapter 4 verse 116.
Explaining this he said, Allah has blessed us humans with everything and every knowledge we need to understand, survive this world and appreciate Him, Allah (AZW) as the One worthy of worship. Giving examples of how perfect Allah has created everyone with all he/she needs to live, he mentioned an incredible fact about certain people living in a peculiar part of Ethiopia that has little oxygen. These people have been created by Allah in such a way as to live most conveniently and comfortably that for any one that is not an indigene, will find it air-deprived. Allah formed their anatomy in such a way for them to adequately and satisfyingly manage their air-supply by giving these people small nostrils…Allahu Akbar!
All creatures of Allah have blessed and bestowed with all they need to live in their natural habitat. This being the case, Allah created Adam, and gave him and his progeny everything they need to live well in this life.
Of the blessings He bestowed on us, here are some astounding lists:
· Allah created our father, Adam (AS) with His own Hands and the Hands of Allah is beyond Human comprehension.
· Allah blew His breath in to the body of Adam (AS) to give him life.
· He taught Adam everything about his world that was not known to the angels of Allah.
· He (AZW) commanded the Angels to respect Adam and bow to him.
· Allah gave Adam and his progeny control of all that is on the earth.
And to this Allah (SWT) say to us that He has given us everything and yet little gratefulness do we show… We associate partners to Him and disobey Him, and may Allah save us from these.
These among other reasons are why Allah (SWT) does not forgive unrepentant Shirk.
Other little things we over-look that disconnect us from Allah’s rahmah are:
· Anger: The God-fearing men are those who spend in ease and in adversity; those who control their wrath and those who are forgiving towards mankind.(Ali Imran)
Holy Prophet (PBUH) said,” Anger comes from the devil, who was created from fire, which is extinguished by water. Should anyone of you get angry, let him make ablution”(Abu-Tawed)
· Lying: even and especially while joking
· Slander: saying things that are untrue about other people
· Backbiting, Jealousy, and Greed are all but the simple little things we overlook and hardly know exposes us to lack of faith as explained by the lecturer.
Preventing this, he says, we need to first and foremost check ourselves. It’s like going to the hospital without knowing what we will tell doctor is wrong. We have to make conscious effort to check and note what we unconsciously do.
Other ways include prayers, avoiding unlawful things especially eating unlawful foods; having contentment of the heart and appreciating the favours of Allah.
This he says are just simple ways to avoid the trap of shaytan and reconnecting with Allah while keeping our Faith intact.
May Allah make us find favours with Him and save us from the subtle trap of Shaytan, Amin.
