Cricket is something we are all familiar with. We all understand the ecstasy of bowling, batting, and winning a tight match.
Picture this:
You are involved in a Test match of cricket. You are a fast bowler, but you haven’t taken any wickets for a long time, and your bowling economy is increasing at an alarming rate. Then you decide to bowl an inswinging yorker. This delivery hits the middle stump, and you have bowled out the batsman!
Think of the joy! The ecstasy of watching the middle stump unearthed and rolling along the ground! The batsman—shocked and bewildered! I know this feeling; as a former fast bowler in my younger days, I can completely relate to it! Indescribable passion and exhilaration!
What about as a batsman?
You may have toiled for many overs to reach decent double figures. You have faced the trickery of spin bowling and the sheer pace of fast bowlers. The bowlers have narrowly missed the outside edge of your bat plenty of times during your innings. You have survived and are now settled.
Then imagine scoring your fifty! That immense feeling of joy upon reaching a milestone is unmatched. Your fellow team members applaud your feat from the balcony in the distance, and your partner on the wicket gives you a hug.
These examples are just a small fraction of the elation you experience in the game of cricket. Cricket does that to you. Team cricket brings out the fighting spirit within you. This game, like other team sports, pushes you to work hard and play to the best of your abilities. If your team is in a league, you are driven to win it. To contribute to your team’s success, you work hard in the nets, putting in hour after hour to perfect your cover drive or line-and-length bowling.
To add to winning as a team, your coach may give you personal targets. Perhaps you aim to take the most wickets this season or score the most runs. There are so many facets to this game that provide endless motivation to work hard and push yourself to the limit.
Even when you’re not playing, in certain parts of the world, being a cricket fan can be obsessive. There’s a deep passion for following the game. Fans invest a lot of time, especially if they attend matches or spend hours watching on TV. Words like passion, hard work, and obsession naturally come to mind when describing the emotions this game evokes.
This proves that all of us can work hard, become passionate, and even obsessive. We have experienced these emotions firsthand.
So in turn, let’s ask the questions that if we can channel such strong emotions for cricket, why not use them for the purpose of our lives?
If we can cultivate qualities like:
- Hard work ethic
- Passion
- Focus
- Obsession
- Discipline
Surely, we can apply these same qualities to worshipping Allah (SWT). Not only can we pray five times a day, but we can also pray with focus and devotion!
If we can discipline ourselves to avoid getting out during a cricket match or resist getting caught or smashed to the boundary, we can also discipline our nafs (self) to avoid free mixing and haram relationships.
Think about it deeply: the passionate feelings you experience in cricket can be redirected towards practicing Islam. You cannot say you don’t possess these emotions because you do! Just remember yourself as a cricket player or a cricket fan and you’ve reached those feelings—they are within you.
The youth, especially Pakistani youth, have an innate passion for cricket and other aspects of life. When they channel this God-given tool towards worshipping Allah (SWT), seeking knowledge, and avoiding forbidden acts, they will not only transform themselves but can also truly change the world. Insha’Allah!
Ibn Qayyim:
“All hard work is easy for those who believe in Allah, when they know that Allah hears them.” (Al-Fawaa’id, p.119)
Rumi:
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
