AND HE WILL PROVIDE HIM FROM [SOURCES] HE NEVER COULD IMAGINE
(And He will provide him from [sources] he never could imagine.) (Qur’an 65: 3)
At-Tanookhi related in Al-Faraju B’ada as-Shiddah a story of a man who fell into a state of dire poverty. All doors of ease were shut tight before him. On one particular day his situation became so frightful that he and his family had nothing whatsoever in the house to eat. He later said, “The first day, we went hungry. The second passed in a similar fashion, and when the sun was about to set, my wife said to me, `Go out, and find anything that you can for us to eat, for we are on the verge of dying} l remembered a female relative of mine and set out for her home. Upon meeting her, I informed her of our pathetic situation. She said that they had nothing in the house other that a rotten fish. I told her to give it to us nonetheless, since we were close to starving. I took it home with me, slit it open, and to my astonishment, I found a pearl lodged in its stomach. I sold it for thousands of dinars and then I informed my relative of what happened. She said that she would only take a share of the proceeds, and not everything. My situation improved greatly after that occurrence, and I furnished my house from my share of the profits. And I knew that it was the kindness of Allah, and nothing else.”
(And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah.) (Qur’an I6: 53)
([Remember] when you sought help of your Lord and he answered you.) (Qur’an 8: 9)
(And He it is who sends down the rain.) (Qur’an 42: 28)
A virtuous worshipper recounted to me what happened to him when he was in the desert one day with his family. He said,
“We were in the middle of the desert when we ran out of water. I set out to search for water and I found that the small brook that was near us had gone dry. I continued to search for water in all directions, but was unable to find even a drop. Soon afterwards we were overcome by thirst. My children desperately needed to drink something. I remembered my Lord, Who answers the prayer of the one who is in distress. I stood, made the alternate ablution (Tayammum, which is performed when one cannot use water) with sand, faced the Ka’bah, and prayed two units of prayer. Then I raised my hands and cried. My tears flowed as I was ardently asking Allah for help. I remember now that the following verse repeatedly came before me in my mind:
(Is not He [better than our gods] who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him….) (Qur’an 2 7: 62)
‘And, by Allah, immediately, as l stood from my place of prayer (and there had not been a cloud in the sky) a cloud approached our very spot in the desert. It stopped immediately above us, and it started to rain generously. The brooks around us became replenished. We drank, washed, and made ablution. Then, we praised and thanked Allah. Shortly afterwards, we traveled away from where it rained and I found that the surrounding area was dry and barren: it had only rained where we were. l realized that Allah brought for us the cloud in response to my prayer and I praised Him.”’
(And He it is who sends down the rain after they have despaired, and spreads abroad His Mercy. And He is the Wali [Helper Supporter; Protector; etc.], Worthy of all Praise.) (Qur’an 42: 28)
We have to be assiduous in asking Allah, for only He can provide for, guide, and help His slaves. Allah mentioned one of His Messengers and said:
(And We cured his wake [to bear a child] for him. verily they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and feat; and used to humble themselves before Us.) (Qur’an 21: 90)
AN EARLY: RECOMPENSE
Ibn Rajab and others gave an account of a worshipper who ran out of resources while he was in Makkah. He became extremely hungry and was about to die from lack of nourishment. One day, as he was wandering in the precincts of Makkah, he found an expensive necklace. He put it into his sleeves and headed for the Mosque. On his way he came across a man who was announcing that he had lost a necklace. The poor man later said, “l asked him to describe it to me, and he did so perfectly, leaving no room for doubt. I gave him the necklace without taking reward from him. I said: O’ Allah, I have given it up for you, so compensate me with what is better.” He then went to the ocean and began a journey in a small boat. Only a brief period of time passed before a storm came with heavy winds crashing into the boat. The boat smashed into pieces and the man was forced to cling to a piece of wood. The violent winds propelled him to the left and to the right. Finally, he was washed ashore onto an island. He found there a Mosque filled with people who were praying, so he joined them. He found papers with parts of the Qur’an written on them and he began to recite from them. The people of the island asked him, “Do you read the Qur’an’?” He answered in the affirmative. They said, “Teach our children the Qur’an. ” So he began to teach them, and he took a salary for his services. One day, they saw him writing and they asked, “Will you teach our children to write?”
Again he answered in the affirmative and began teaching them for a salary.
A short time later they said to him, “There is an orphaned girl with us whose father was a good man. Will you many her?” He agreed to the marriage and later related, “I married her and when I saw her on the wedding night, I found that she was wearing that exact same necklace. I asked her to tell me the story of the necklace. She said that her father lost it in Makkah and a man found it and returned it to him. She said that her father would always supplicate while prostrating for her daughter to become blessed with a husband similar to that honest man. I then informed her that I was that man.”
He abandoned something for the sake of Allah, so Allah compensated him with something that was better.
“Verily, Allah is good and pure, and He does not accept other than what is good and pure.”
WHEN YOU ASK, ASK ALLAH
Allah’s kindness is very near to us. He hears all and answers our supplications. It is we who are full of shortcomings, and so we badly need to be persistent in our supplications. Boredom or hopelessness should never cause us to stop invoking Allah, nor should one of us say: I prayed yet I have not been answered. Instead, we should press our heads humbly on the ground and beg for help from Allah. The best way to do this is to ask Him by His Perfect Names and Attributes. But until we are answered, we must be persistent in asking Him.
(Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret.) (Qur’an 7: 55)
A writer narrated this story:
A Muslim went to a certain country as a refugee and he implored the authorities there to grant him citizenship. All doors were shut before him. Despite his many efforts at importuning others, all of his contacts failed. One day he met a righteous scholar, and he gave him an account of his predicament. The scholar said to him, ‘Supplicate to your Lord, for He is the One who makes things easy.’ The meaning of this advice is found in the hadith:
“If you ask, then ask Allah; and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. And know that if the nation were to gather together in order to give you some benefit, they would not bring you any benefit, except with what Allah has written for you.”
The refugee later related,
“By Allah, I stopped going to people for help or for intercession, and instead, I began praying to Allah in the last third of the night just as the scholar had told me to do. Just before the break of dawn, I would call to Allah and invoke Him for relief.
Only a few days passed, after which, I submitted an application for citizenship without using any person of position to intercede for me. A few days passed and then suddenly, to my astonishment, I was called to pick up my citizenship request papers. They were stamped with ‘Approved.”’
(Allah is very Gracious and Kind to His slaves) (Quran 42: 19)
PRECIOUS MOMENTS
At-Tanookhi gave the account of a governor in Baghdad who usurped the wealth of an old lady in his province. He took away all of her rights and confiscated her property. She went to him, wept before him, and complained of his oppression and wrongdoing. He was neither regretful nor ashamed of what he had done. In a fit of anger, she said, “I will pray against you.” He laughed at her in mockery and said, “Then you should pray in the last third of the night.” His arrogance had made him say this to her. She went away, and in accordance with the governor’s mock-advice she was steadfast in praying during the last third of the night. It was only a matter of days before he was violently removed from office. As a reward for his tyranny, his properties were seized, and he was publicly whipped. After the whipping, the old lady passed by him and said, “You did well! You advised me to pray in the last third of the night and I found the results to be most favorable.”
The last third of the night is a very precious time in our lives.
Why? During this time, Allah, the Exalted, says:
“Is there someone who is asking, and I will give to him. Is there someone who is seeking forgiveness, and I will forgive him. Is there someone who is supplicating, and I will answer him.”
From childhood until now, I can recall a number of occasions in which it was clear that help comes only from Allah. Approximately ten years ago, I was on a flight from Abha to Riyadh. Shortly after takeoff, an announcement was made that the plane was returning to Abha due to a mechanical problem. They then claimed to have fixed the problem and we took off for a second time. Upon approaching the runway in Riyadh, the landing wheels would not open. We circled the city of Riyadh for a whole hour. The pilot made ten attempts to land, but on each occasion the landing gear did not respond. Many people in the plane panicked and tears were flowing profusely as we waited in the sky for death. At that moment, we saw how insignificant and fleeting this life is, and our hearts became attached to the Hereafter.
We began to repeat, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah alone and He has no partners. The kingdom belongs to Him; all praise is due to Him and He is upon all things capable.” An old man stood and exhorted the people to turn to Allah to supplicate to Him, to seek forgiveness, and to make repentance. And Allah said about people that:
(And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith pure for Him only….) (Quran 29: 65)
We invoked the One Who answers the prayer of the one who is in distress. On the eleventh attempt, we descended safely, and when we landed, it was as if we were returning from our graves. Tears dried, smiles appeared, and our peace of mind returned. How merciful and kind is Allah!
An Arab poet said:
“How often do we ask Allah when we become afflicted? But when our troubles leave us, we forget Him, when in the ocean, we invoke Him to save our ship, when we return safely to land, we disobey Him, We fly in the sky in safety and comfort and we don’t fall because our protector is Allah.”
DIVINE PRE-ORDAINMENT
In Al-Qaseem, a newspaper printed in Syria, an article was written about a young man who booked a flight to travel abroad. He informed his mother of the flight time and asked her to wake him up a short time before departure. After he fell asleep, his mother heard on the radio that the weather conditions were awful and that the wind was blowing violently. The compassion that she felt for her only child caused her to not wake him up in the hope that he would miss the flight. When she was sure that the flight had taken off] she went to wake up her son. Upon entering his room, she found that he was lying dead on his bed.
(Say [to them]: ‘Verily, the death from which you flee will surely meet you, then you will be sent back to [Allah], the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, anal He will tell you what you used to do.) (Qur’an 62: 8)
DEATH
Ash-Shaykh ‘Ali at-Tantawi related that a man who drove a truck in Syria once picked up a passenger to give him a lift. The passenger sat in the back where there was neither roof nor cover. There was, however, a coffin that had been prepared for burial. Lt started to rain and the man, noticing that it was a large coffin, decided to seek shelter inside of it. Another passenger came onto the truck and he also made his way to the back. He happened to choose a seat beside the coffin. While it continued to rain the second passenger thought that he was alone in the truck. Without warning, the first passenger stuck his hand out of the coffin to see if the rain had subsided. On seeing the hand, the second passenger became terrified, thinking that a dead man in the coffin was rising to life. From the sheer terror and shock of the moment, the man stumbled backwards, fell out of the truck, and smashed his head on the pavement, dying instantaneously.
This unexpected way of dying is how Allah had written for this man to die.
“Everything happens according to a Divine decree, and in the deaths of others are morals and lessons.”
lt is incumbent upon everyone to realize that death is hovering above us. At any moment, day or night, death can come. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed in lucid terms the reality of our life:
“The Hereafter is traveling towards us and this life is traveling away from us, so be from the children of the Hereafter and not from the children of this world. For today is action without reckoning (judgment), and tomorrow is reckoning without action.”
From this saying, we can learn how imperative it is for us to improve ourselves, to renew our repentance, and to know that we are dealing with Allah, Who is most Generous and All-Powerful.
Death does not ask a person for permission prior to arrival, nor does it give one an early warning about its being on its way:
(No person knows what he will earn tomorrow. and no person knows in what land he will die.) (Quran 31: 34)
(…the Appointment to you is for a Day, which you cannot put back for an hour [or a moment nor put forward.) (Quran 34: 30)
At-Tantawi related another story that equally illustrates the unexpectedness of death. A bus full of people was moving when the driver suddenly pressed on the brakes. The passengers asked him what was wrong. He said, “I am stopping for this old man who is waving so that he can get on the bus.” They all said in wonder, “We do not see anyone.”
He said, “Look at him over there.” They repeated that there was no one to be seen. He said confidently, “Now look, he is coming to get in.” Now the situation was beyond wonder, and they exclaimed, “By Allah, we don’t see anyone.” Then, in an instant, the driver died in his seat.
Thus death came to him in the most bizarre and unexpected of scenarios:
(When their term is reached, neither can they delay it nor can they advance it an hour (or a moment).) (Qur’an 7: 34)
Man is cowardly when he faces danger; his heart begins to thump when the possibility of death arises, and then, without prior warning, he dies at a time when he feels most safe.
([They are] the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat [at home]: ‘lf only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed. ‘Say: ‘Avert death from your own selves, if you speak the truth.) (Qur’an 3: 168)
The strange thing is that we do not think about meeting Allah or about the transient nature of this life.
ALLAH ALONE IS ALL-POWERFUL
Sometimes it is a minor incident that wakes one up to the reality of life. In 1413 Hijri, I traveled to Riyadh in order to meet a friend of mine. He had to work late on the day of my arrival, so I went directly to my hotel. Being a quiet season, there were not many people in the hotel. The porter directed me to a room on the fourth floor far away from the activities of the hotel staff after entering the room; I placed my briefcase on the bed and went to the washroom to make ablution. I closed the washroom door behind me, and after washing up, I went to the door to get out. To my vexation, the door was jammed and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t open it. I tried many times using different techniques. Soon I realized that I was stuck in this constricted place with no window, no telephone, and worst of all, no one nearby to whom I could call for help. I remembered my Lord and supplicated to Him for assistance. I stood absolutely powerless for twenty minutes, though it seemed to be more like three days. For those twenty minutes I sweated, my heart rate increased alarmingly, and my body began to shake. The main cause of my high level of panic was that this had happened suddenly, without warning, and that I was in a strange place with no means of contacting anyone for help.
After what seemed like a lifetime, I decided to try and force the door open using bodily strength. I began to shake and jerk the door with my weak, skinny body. I continued to shake it until I tired and needed to rest. I carried on in this manner for a while, taking rest whenever I became exhausted. Finally, the door gave in and I emerged with the sort of feeling that someone might have who has come out of his grave. I praised and thanked Allah. I remembered how weak human beings are and how helpless we can become in the passing of an instant. Then I remembered our shortcomings and our forgetfulness of the Hereafter.
(And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah.)
(Quran 2: 281)
(Wheresoever you maybe, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!) (Qur’an 4: 78)
Death comes in ways that we do not expect. I have read and heard of men who go forth seeking death, and in the end, they are granted a long life. Meanwhile, there are others who go forth seeking safety and who end up dying in the very place that they felt most secure. One person seeks treatment for a sickness and in this way meets his death while another lives dangerously and remains safe. How perfect is Allah, the Most-Wise; He has created everything and planned everything according to his divine Wisdom.
UNEXPECTED RELIEF
I recently read of a story of a man who was paralyzed. He remained bed-ridden in his home for years, and eventually, boredom and a sense of failure overcame him. Doctors were unable to do anything for him. One day, while alone in the house, a scorpion descended from the ceiling of his room, and even though he saw it coming, he was unable to move. After landing on his head, the scorpion repeatedly stung him. His whole body, from his feet to his head, broke out into convulsions. Slowly, and to his astonishment, sensation returned to his limbs, and after a short period of time, he found himself to be walking about in the room. He then opened the door and went to his wife and children. They could not believe their eyes when they saw him standing before them. Only when they finally calmed down was he able to inform them of what had taken place.
How perfect is Allah, Who caused the scorpion to be a remedy for his ailment!
l mentioned this story to a doctor and he accepted its occurrence as being plausible. He told me that there are kinds of poisonous serum that, when their toxicity is chemically reduced, are used by doctors to treat paralyzed patients.
And Allah has not sent down a sickness, except that He has also sent down for it a cure.
ALLAH ALLOWS MIRACLES TO OCCUR FOR HIS RIGHTEOUS SLAVES
Silat-ibn Ashyam, a pious Muslim of the second century, was traveling in the way of Allah, and when night fell, he decided to take shelter in an adjoining forest. He entered it, made ablution, and then stood for prayer. Without warning, a lion was rushing in his direction; and as it came dangerously near him, Silat continued to pray. lt began to circle around Silat, yet he did not break away from his prayer, instead remaining steadfast, beseeching Allah for help. He made the final salutation that one makes to exit the inviolable state of prayer, and he then said to the lion, “If you have been ordered to kill me, then do so. And if you have not been ordered to do so, then leave me alone so that I may speak privately to my Lord.” The lion departed quietly and left Silat alone.
Ibn Katheer, in Al-Bidayah wan Nihayah, mentioned a story analogous to the one just related. Safeenah (may Allah be pleased with him), the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (bpuh), was traveling with his Companions along the shore of the ocean. When they moved inland, a lion approached them menacingly. Safeenah said, “O’ lion, I am from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, and I am his servant. These are my companions, so there is nothing that you can do against us.” The lion turned around and raced away as if it were fleeing from them.
Many such stories are true and have been related by reliable sources. What is important, though, is that you take away from them a realization that our Lord is Most Merciful and Most Wise and that He is aware of all that takes place in the universe.
(There is no Najwa [secret counsel] of three, but He is their fourth [with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne, over the seventh heaven], nor of five but He is their sixth [with His Knowledge], e not of less than that or more. but He is with them wheresoever they may be.)
(Quran 58: 7)
ALLAH IS ALL-SUFFICIENT AS A DISPOSER OF AFFAIRS
In his Saheeh, Imam Bukhari related that a man from the children of Israel asked another to lend him one thousand dinars. The second man asked, “Do you have a witness (for this transaction)?”
The first man replied, “I have no witness except Allah.” The other then asked, “Do you have a guarantor?” The man said, “I have no guarantor except Allah.” The second man said, “Allah is Ever All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.” He then gave him the thousand dinars; they parted and between them there was an agreement upon a place and time for the paying back of the loan. As it happened, they lived on opposite sides of a river. When the time drew near for the transaction, the borrower went to the shore to find a boat so that he could repay his debt. To his disappointment, he found no boat. He continued to wait until long after nightfall without succeeding in finding someone to take him across to the other side. He said, “O’ Allah, he asked me for a witness and I found no one but You; he asked me for a guarantor, and I found no one but You. O’ Allah, make this letter reach him.” He took a piece of wood, hollowed it out, and inserted the thousand dinars with the letter. Then he hurled the piece of wood into the river. By the permission of Allah, it floated forward according to a guided course. The lender went to the shore in keeping with the appointment. He waited for a little while, and when the other man did not come, he said to himself, “Why don’t I at least take some firewood for my family?” He passed by the piece of wood and took it home. Finding that it was hallow, he broke it open and found the money with the letter.
(And in Allah should the believers put their trust.) (Quran 3: 122)
(And put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed.) (Quran 5: 23)
I mention these stories here so that your faith in Allah’s promise increases, and so that you will supplicate to Him and invoke Him in solitude. Allah, the Almighty, ordered you with the following:
(Invoke Me, I will respond to your [invocation].) (Quran 40: 60)
(And when my slaves ask you [O’ Muhammad] concerning me, then [answer them], I am indeed near [to them by My Knowledge]. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on me [without any mediator or intercessor].) (Quran 2: 186)
Al-Hajjaj ordered for Al-Hasan al-Basri to be brought before him in order to inflict harm upon him. While Al-Hasan was going to him, Allah’s protection and kindness were in his mind. Having a strong trust in Allah’s promise, Al-Hasan started to pray to Allah, asking Him by His Perfect names and attributes. Allah caused Al- Hajjaj’s heart to change by infusing terror into it. When Al-Hasan arrived, he was surprised to see that Al-Hajjaj welcomed him in a friendly manner. During the meeting, Al-Hajjaj was gentle, polite, and obsequious with Al-Hasan.
(There is not a thing but glorifies His Praise. But you understand not their glorification. Truly; He is Ever Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.) (Quran 17: 44)
It is authentically established that Sulayman (May peace be upon him) was taught the language of the birds. One day, he set out to pray with the people for rain, and on his way to the masjid, he saw an ant lift its legs: it was praying to Allah. Sulayman said, ‘O’ people, return, for another’s prayer was enough and sufficient for you.”
The rain started to pour because of the ant’s prayer; Sulayman had understood its speech. Once, when he was marching forth with his huge army, one ant warned the others:
(One of the ants said: ‘O ‘ ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulayman [Solomon] and his hosts crush you, while they perceive not. ‘So he [Sulayman] smiled, amused at her speech…) (Quran 27: 18-19)
Allah’s kindness and mercy often descend because of animals.
Abu Ya’la related a hadith, wherein the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon him) related that Allah. the Exalted, said:
“If it wasn’t for decrepit old people, infants, and pasture-seeking beasts, l would have prevented you from the drops of the sky.”
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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