Speeches are beneficial and I do not say that religious gatherings are not beneficial, they are also very beneficial. However, in religious gatherings, you are only spoken to for a short period in an oratory manner - you remember some things and forget others - it is your responsibility that you sit in the company of your local Ulama and learn the correct Aqeedah of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah from them, and alongside that, educate yourselves on the rulings pertaining to the fundamental aspects of the Deen (Dharooriyat e Deen).
People are busy with earning [the rewards of] the Dunya. You should not dedicate yourselves to the Dunya, as Muslims were not created for the Dunya, rather the Dunya was created for the Muslims - this whole Dunya was created for the Muslims for the sake of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah says in the Qur’an سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ - Allah has subdued everything for you.
So you were not created for the Dunya, you were created for the Deen. Whatever portion of the Dunya Allah has assigned for you, you will definitely receive it: don’t forget that. BUT, at every moment, you should think about the hereafter (akhirah).
وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّـهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا
“And seek the abode of the Hereafter with the wealth that Allah has given you, and do not forget your part in this world” (Holy Qur'an) - And stay steadfast on the straight path (Siraat e Mustaqeem), which is the Deen of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ, the Deen of the Awliyah, the Deen of Huzur Ghawth e Azam, the Maslak and Deen of Ala Hazrat - for us this is [the means to] great success.
- Transcribed from a speech by Huzur Taaj al-Shari'ah Allamah Mufti Akhtar Rida Khan al-Azhari