Hamilton, Ontario (Canada): The second day of al-Hidayah Canada 2026, the first-ever three-day residential, spiritual and educational camp of its kind in North America at McMaster University, featured the second part of the three-day keynote lecture series by His Eminence Shaykh-ul-Islam Prof. Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. The session addressed the spiritual treatment of heedlessness ghafla (غفلة) through the love of Allah the Almighty and the longing for the vision of His Divine Countenance.

Continuing the lecture series "From Humanity to Depravity: A Moral and Spiritual Descent," Shaykh-ul-Islam explained that while the opening session had analysed the process of moral decline, beginning with ghaflah, the second session would present one remedy drawn from the complete prescription for its removal izālat al-ghafla (إزالة الغفلة). This is only achievable through kindling the love of Allah in one’s hearts and nurture the desire for the moment when the believers will behold His Delightful Countenance in the Hereafter. He noted that the third and concluding session would explore the psychological, neurological, Qur'anic and spiritual dimensions of ghaflah in detail, along with the complete methodology of its treatment.

The Supplication of the Beloved Prophet (ﷺ)

Shaykh-ul-Islam anchored the session in the supplication of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), reported by Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in his Musnad, Imam al-Nasāʾī in his Sunan, and Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ:

"O Allah, I ask You for the delight of gazing upon Your Noble Countenance and for the longing to meet You." (As’aluka ladhdhata al-naẓari ilā wajhika wa al-shawqa ilā liqā’iqa (أسألك لذة النظر إلى وجهك والشوق إلى لقائك).

He described this as among the most beloved supplications to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and invited the audience to make it the direction and longing of their own lives.

The Promised Vision of the Divine Countenance

Drawing upon the agreed-upon hadith of Sayyidunā Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh (R.A), Shaykh-ul-Islam explained the Prophetic promise: "Indeed, you will see your Lord just as you see this full moon, without difficulty in seeing Him." He elaborated that the wording ʿiyānan (عيانًا) in the narration of Imam al-Bukhārī conveys an actual and direct vision, free from doubt, speculation and mere imagination, a capacity Allah will grant to the eyes of the believers on the Day of Judgment.

He then presented the narration of Sayyidunā Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh (RA), reported in Sunan Ibn Mājah: while the people of Paradise are immersed in their bliss, a light will shine upon them; they will raise their heads and behold their Lord, who will greet them with the words "Peace be upon you, O people of Paradise." The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) explained that this is the meaning of the Qur'anic verse "Peace!—a word from a Most Merciful Lord." (Qur'an 36:58) So long as they gaze upon Him, they will pay no attention to any other delight of Paradise; and when the veil returns, His light and blessing will remain upon them and their dwellings.

Citing the narration of Sayyidunā ʿAlī (AS), recorded by Imām al-Mundhirī in al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb and gathered by ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim in Rawḍat al-Muḥibbīn, he described how Almighty Allah will send the Trustworthy Spirit to the people of Paradise with the announcement: "O people of Paradise, your Lord sends you His greeting of peace and commands you to visit Him in the open court of Paradise." The people of Paradise will come forth radiant with glad tidings, and there the supreme honour will be bestowed upon them: the vision of His Most Generous Countenance.

In further narrations on the subject recorded by Imam al-Mundhirī and gathered by ʿAllāmah Ibn al-Qayyim, Shaykh-ul-Islam related that upon beholding the Countenance of the Lord of all the worlds, the people of Paradise will be overwhelmed by the majesty of that encounter and exclaim, "Subḥānaka! Mā ʿabadnāka ḥaqqa ʿibādatik." ("Glory be to You! We have not worshipped You as You deserve to be worshipped."). Allah the Almighty will reply, "By My grace, I have granted you the vision of My Countenance and admitted you into My Abode."

Practical Preparation for the Meeting with Allah

Shaykh-ul-Islam stressed that longing for the Divine Vision demands more than wishes and emotions; it requires practical obedience. He outlined a programme of preparation: guarding the obligatory prayers, declaring "I can die, but I cannot miss a ṣalāh," for prayer is the believer's rehearsal for standing before Allah; sincere and daily repentance, for in the eyes of the lovers no sin is minor; lowering the gaze and purifying the eyes; abandoning unlawful deeds, relationships and income; cleansing the heart of jealousy, arrogance and malice; constant remembrance of Allah; and serving the entirety of Allah's creation, in the light of the hadith, "All creation is the family of Allah, and the most beloved to Him is the one most beneficial to His family."

He explained that the true believer lives between hope and fear al-khawf wa al-rajāʾ (الخوف والرجاء): hope inspires love, longing and passion for meeting with Allah, while fear protects the believer from heedlessness, arrogance and persistence in disobedience.

The Door of Prostration

In the concluding portion of the lecture, Shaykh-ul-Islam expounded the secret of sujūd (السجود): the body descends into its lowest physical position while the soul rises to its highest station. Ablution purifies the body, he explained, while prostration purifies the heart, removing pride, heedlessness and distance from Allah. He urged the youth to teach their foreheads to recognise the prayer mat, to fill their youth with prostration before age and weakness overtake the body, and to rise in the darkness of the night, for this world is the abode of deeds and the Hereafter the abode of reward: Paradise is the harvest, and this life the field in which it must be planted.

Recalling the weeping of Yazid al-Raqqashi at the approach of death, who said, "I weep for the night prayers I shall no longer be able to offer," he delivered his parting message to the attendees: "Who will pray for you when the time is gone? Do not be deceived by your youth. Change your life, change your priorities, and live to know Allah, to love Allah, and to please Allah. This is the supreme success."

Shaykh-ul-Islam repeatedly invited the attendees to commit to a life of preparation for the meeting with their Lord, and the session concluded amid expressions of devotion from the participants.

Accompanying His Eminence Shaykh-ul-Islam were Prof Dr Hassan Mohiuddin Qadri (Chairman Supreme Council, MQI), Shaykh Hammad Mustafa al-Madani al-Qadri, Shaykh Ahmad Mustafa al-Arabi al-Qadri, Dr Faisal Iqbal Khan, Syed Shahzad Ali Faizi, Syed Saad Ali Faizi, Syed Soban Ali Faizi, Dr Ghazala Qadri (President of Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League International), and Baji Khadija Qurat-ul-Ain Qadri, each exemplifying leadership in the pursuit of authentic, scholarly Islam.

The event also saw the presence of distinguished guests Peter Fonseca, MP Ontario, Canada; Shaykh Yasser Ahmed Albaz; Shaykh Waleed Almakee, founder of Noon Academy; Shaykh Nisar Sulaimani; Shaykh Abdulaziz from Dar Foundation, along with other participants from North America.