DO NOT BE SAD —– ALWAYS REMEMBER ALLAH
Concerning His remembrance, Allah, the All-Glorious, says:
(Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest) (Quran 13: 28)
(Therefore remember me [by praying, glorifying etc.] and I will remember you) (Quran 2: 152)
(And the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward [i.e. Paradise]) (Quran 33: 35)
(O’ you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon [the early morning (fajr) and ‘Asr prayers].) (Qur’an 33: 41-42)
(O’ you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah.) (Quran 63: 9)
(And remember your Lord when you forget…) (Quran 18: 24)
(And glorify the Praises of your Lord when you get up from sleep. And in the night-time also, glorify His Praises, —– and at the setting of the stars.) (Quran 52: 48-49)
(O’ you who believe! When you meet [an enemy) force, take a firm stand against them and remember the Name of Allah much [both with tongue and mind], so that you may be successful.) (Qur’an 8: 45)
In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“The example of one who remembers his Lord in relation to one who does not remember his Lord is that of the living and the dead.”
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) also said:
“The mufarridoon outstrip others.” His Companions asked. “Who are the mujarridoon, O’ Messenger of Allah.” He said, “The men who remember Allah often and the women who remember Allah often.”
And in another authentic hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“Shall I not inform you of the best of deeds, and the purest of them with your Lord? The deed which is better for you than spending gold and silver (for a good cause). and which is better for you than to meet your enemy. and you cut their throats and they cut yours?”
They said, “Yes- O’ Messenger of Allah.” He said, “The remembrance of Allah.”
The following is an authentic hadith:
“A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O’ Messenger of Allah, the commandments of Islam have become too much for me, and I am old in age; so inform of something that I can adhere to.’ He said, ‘That your tongue (continually) remains moist with the remembrance of Allah.”‘
DO NOT BE SAD —- NEVER LOSE HOPE OF ALLAH’S MERCY
(Certainly no one despairs of Allah s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve) (Qur’an 12: 87)
((They were reprieved] until, when the Messengers gave up hope and thought that they were denied [by their people], then came to them Our Help) (Qur’an 12: 110)
(And we delivered him from the distress. And thus we do deliver the believers.) (Qur’an 21: 88)
(And you were harboring doubts about Allah. There, the believers were tried and shaken with a mighty shaking) (Qur’an 33:10-11)
D0 not grieve over the hurt that is inflicted upon you by others, and forgive those that have ill-treated you.
The price of jealousy and rancor is enormous; it is the price that the revengeful person pays in exchange for his malice towards others. He pays with his heart, flesh, and blood. His peace, his relaxation, and his happiness – these he forsakes because he desires the sweetness of revenge and because he resents others.
Jealousy and rancor are illnesses for which Allah has given the cure and remedy:
((Those) who repress anger; and who pardon men…) (Qur’an 3: 134)
(Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish [i.e. don’t punish them]) (Qur’an 7: 199)
(Repel [the evil] with one which is better [i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger and to excuse those who treat them badly], then verily! he, between whom and you there was enmity, [will become] as though he was a close friend. (Qur’an 41: 34)
D0 not grieve over that which has passed you by in life, for indeed you have been blessed with much.
Contemplate the many favors and gifts that Allah has bestowed upon you and be thankful to Him for them. Remind yourself of Allah’s many blessings, for He, the Almighty, said:
(And if you would count the graces of Allah, never could you be able to count them.) (Qur’an 16: 18)
(And [Allah] has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, [both] apparent [i.e. Islamic Monotheism, and the lawful pleasures of this world, including health, good looks, etc.] and hidden [i.e. Ones Faith in Allah (of Islamic Monotheism) knowledge, wisdom, guidance for doing righteous deeds, and also the pleasures and delights of the Hereafter in Paradise, etc.) (Qur’an 31: 20)
(And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help)
(Qur’an 16: 53)
Allah said, establishing His favors upon man:
(Have We not made for him a pair of eyes; and a tongue and a pair of lips? And shown him the two ways (good and evil) (Qur’an 90: 8-10)
Life, health, the faculties of hearing and seeing, two hands and two legs, water, air, food — these are some of the more visible blessings in this world, while the greatest of all blessings is that of Islam and correct guidance. What would you say to someone who offered you large sums of money in return for your eyes, your ears, your legs, your hands or your heart? How great is your wealth in reality? By not being thankful, you do not render justice to Allah’s countless favors.
GRIEVE NOT OVER UNWORTHY THINGS
By being unconcerned over trifles, you display a virtue that will bring you happiness, for the one who is lofty in his aims is engrossed only with concern for the Hereafter.
One of our pious predecessors advised one of his brothers with the following words,
“Be concerned about this only: about meeting Allah, about standing in front of Him, and about the Hereafter.”
(That Day shall you be brought to Judgment, not a secret of you will be hidden.) (Qur’an 69: IS)
There is not a single worry or concern whose significance is not diminished when it is compared to the concerns of the Hereafter. What are the worries of this life? They are status, prestige, fame, income, wealth, mansions, and children. They are all nothing when compared to the accountability before Allah!
Allah described His enemies, the hypocrites, by saying:
(While another party was thinking about themselves [ as how to save their own selves, ignoring the others and the Prophet] and thought wrongly of Allah…) (Qur’an 3: I54)
Their concerns are for themselves, their stomachs, and their lusts; they know nothing of higher motives.
When the people pledged allegiance to the Prophet (bpuh) under the tree, one of the hypocrites left hastily in search of his red camel, which had strayed. He said,
“For me to find my camel is more beloved to me than your ceremony of pledging allegiance.”
And in relation to this incident, the following is related in a hadith:
“All of you have been forgiven, except for the owner of the red camel.”
One of the hypocrites, who was worried only about himself, said to his companions concerning the expedition to Tabuk, “March not forth in the heat.” Allah, the Exalted, said:
(Say: ‘The Fire of Hell is more intense in heat…) (Quran 9: 81)
Another one of them said:
(Grant me leave [to be exempted from Jihad] and put me not into trial.) (Qur’an 9: 49)
And Allah said:
(Surely they have fallen into trial.) (Qur’an 9: 49)
While yet others were troubled and concerned only for their wealth and their families:
(Our possessions and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us.) (Qur’an 48: 1)
These concerns are trifles that none should be preoccupied with – except for those who are themselves trifling and insignificant. As for the noble Companions, they desired the favors of Allah and they longed for His pleasure.
DO NOT BE SAD – REPEL ANXIETY
idleness is destructive, and most people who suffer from worries and anxieties are the same people who are idle and inactive. Rumors and gossip are the only dividends for those that are bankrupt of meaningful and fruitful work.
Apply yourself to something and work hard at it. Read, recite, and glorify your Lord with praises. Write, visit friends, and benefit from your time. In short, do not give a single minute away to idleness. The day that you do will be the day that anxieties and worries will find their way into your life. Superstition and evil whispers will enter your mind, allowing you to become a playground for the games of the devil.
Do not grieve over the person who forgets or denies the favors you once gave to him, for your desire should be solely for the reward of Allah.
Perform righteous deeds purely and sincerely for the pleasure of Allah, and do not expect either congratulation or gratitude from any person. Do not take it to heart if you confer a favor upon someone and he then turns out to be ungrateful, showing no sign of appreciation for what you have done. Seek your reward from Allah. Allah says of His righteous slaves:
(They seek Bounties prom Allah and His pleasure.) (Qur’an 59: 8)
(Say: ‘No reward do I ask of you for this) (Qur’an 25: 5 7)
(And have in his mind no favor from anyone for which a reward is expected in return. (Qur’an 92: 19)
([Saying]: ‘we feed you seeking Allah is Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.) (Qur’an 76: 9)
So make your dealings with Allah alone, as He is the One Who rewards people for good deeds. He gives and He bestows, or He punishes and He takes to account, being pleased with those who do well and angry with those who do evil.
Martyrs were killed in Qandahar, and ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the companions, “Who was killed?” They mentioned some names to him, and then they said, “And people whom you do not know.” ‘Umar’s eyes filled with tears and he said,
“But Allah knows them.”
A pious person fed the best and finest of food to a blind man. His family said to him, “This blind man does not know what he is eating (so give him something of lower quality).” He replied, “But Allah knows!”
Since Allah knows your deeds, knows of the good you do and the help you give to others remain carefree and untroubled about what people think.
Grieve not when others blame and disparage you
(They will do you no harm, barring a tri/ling annoyance.) (Qur’an 3: 111)
(And be not distressed because of what they plot) (Qur’an 16: 127)
(And harm them not. And put your trust in Allah) (Qur’an 33: 48)
(…but Allah cleared him [Moosa] of that which they alleged)
(Qur’an 33: 69)
An Arab poet said:
“The vast ocean feels no harm, When the boy pitches into it a rock.”
In a hadith that has a hasan grading, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“Do not speak ill to me of my Companions, for verily, I would love to leave you with a sound breast.”
GRIEVE NOT OVER BEING POOR
The more the body enjoys, the more the soul become sullied, and there is safety in having little. Taking only that which you need from this world is an early comfort that Allah bestows upon those whom He pleases among His slaves.
(Verily! We will inherit the earth and whatsoever is thereon.)
(Qur’an 19: 40)
One poet said:
“Water, bread, and shade,
These form a most worthy bliss,
I have denied the favors of my Lord,
If I said that I had too little.”
What in this world is truly important, but cold water, warm bread, and plentiful shade!
DO NOT FEEL SAD OVER FEARS FOR WHAT MAY HAPPEN
In the Torah, the following has been related:
“Most of what is feared to occur, never happens!”
This means that most apprehensions and fears of impending difficulty fail to take shape in reality. Conjectures of the mind are far greater in number and in scope than the things that actually happen in life.
An Arab poet said:
“I said to my heart when it was attacked by a fit of anxiety, Be happy, because most fears are false.”
This implies that if you hear of an impending calamity, or hear of oncoming disaster, don’t be overly alarmed, especially since the majority of predictions about impending harm are false.
(…’And my affair I leave it to Allah. Verily, Allah is the All-Seer 0f [His] slaves. ‘So Allah saved him from the evils that they plotted [against him]..). (Quran 40: 44-45)
Grieve not over criticism from the
Jealous and the weak-minded
You will be rewarded if you show forbearance to their criticism and to their impertinent remarks. The more they criticize you, the more you are increased in worth, because only someone who is unaccomplished has no one who is jealous of him, and according to the Arab saying,
“People do not kick a dead dog.”
One poet said:
“They are jealous of he who has surpassed them, People show him enmity and opposition, Just like spiteful women, who speak of the fair maiden, With jealousy and malice e that she is of a low and base character. “
Zuhayr said:
“They are jealous of that which he has been blessed with, Allah will not take away from him the cause of their resentment. “
Another said:
“They will envy my death, what wretchedness is this, Even in my death, I am not spared from their jealousy.”
Another poet said:
“I complained about the injustice of gossip-mongers, and you will not find,
The honorable and successful person who has escaped from jealousy,
You remain, O` honorable and worthy friend, the victim of it,
Yet no one begrudges the one who is miserable and wretched. “
In another poem:
“If a person reaches the sky with his nobleness,
Then his enemies will be the numbers of the stars in the sky,
They shoot at him using a bow with every kind of persecution,
Yet their abuses will never bring them to the level of his nobility.”
Prophet Moosa (Moses) asked his Lord to prevent people from abusing him with their tongues. Allah said, “O’ Moosa, I have not done so for myself I have created them and provided for them and they blaspheme and curse me!”
It has been authentically narrated that the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said,
“Allah says: ‘The son of Adam curses me and blasphemes Me, and he has no right to do so. As for his cursing me, he curses the time, and I am the time: I alternate the day and night as I please. As for their blaspheming me, they say that I have a wife and a child, and I have neither a wife nor a child.”‘
You may not be able to prevent people from attacking your honor, but you are able to do well, and ultimately, to ignore and turn away from their criticism and scorn.
Another poet said:
“l move past the fool who curses me, And I continue on my previous course saying: he does not refer to me!”
And yet another said:
“When the fool speaks, then do not respond to him, For better than to answer him is silence.”
Idiots and fools clearly feel insulted by those who shine, those who are noble, and those who display genius.
“If the strengths and good points that I possess, were my sins, then pray tell me, how can I make amends.”
(Woe to every slanderer and backbiter who has gathered wealth and counted it. He thinks that this wealth will make him last forever! Nay! Verily he will be thrown into the crushing Fire.) (Qur’an 104: 1 -4)
A well-known western writer said,
“Do what is right, and then turn your back to every vulgar criticism.”
Do not respond to an injurious statement that is made about you. Forbearance buries faults, tolerance is superior. silence conquers the enemy, and forgiveness is honor for which you shall be rewarded. If defamatory remarks are printed about you, know that half of those that read such things quickly forget them while the other half are uninterested in the first place. S0 do not create further noise and fuss by refuting what has been said.
A wise person said,
“People are oblivious of you and me, and are busily striving for their bread. And if one of them is thirsty, he will forget my death and yours.”
A poet said,
“Do not broadcast your affairs to your sitting companions, because they are jealous and will rejoice at your misfortune.”
A house that has within it serenity and bread is better than a house that is replete with many kinds of expensive foods, yet is a place of trouble and unrest.
STOP TO REFLECT
Do not be sad: for sickness is a transient state of being; the sin can be forgiven; the debt will be repaid; the captive will be released; the beloved one who is abroad will return; the sinner will repent; and the poor will he increased in their wealth.
Do not be sad, for do you not see how the black clouds disperse and the violent winds subside? Your hardships will be followed by comfort and your future is bright.
Do not be sad, for the blaze of the sun is extinguished by luxuriant shade; the thirst of noon is refreshed by fresh water; the pangs of hunger find relief in warm bread; and the anxiety of sleeplessness is followed by calm repose; the pains of sickness are soon forgotten after the return of health. It is only upon you to forbear for a short time and to be patient for a few moments.
Do not be sad, for even doctors, wise men, scholars, and poets are weak and unable to defy or change that which has been decreed.
‘Ali ibn Jabla said;
“Perhaps a way out will come, perhaps, We comfort ourselves with perhaps, So do not despair when you meet With affliction that weakens your spirit, Since the closest one comes To relief, is when he loses all hope.”
Do not be sad: select for yourself that which Allah has chosen for you.
Stand if He causes you to stand and sit if He orders you to sit. Show patience if He has made you to be poor and be thankful if He makes you to be rich. These points are understood from the statement, “I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as a Religion, and with Muhammad as a Messenger?
And an Arab poet said:
“Do not weave a plan for yourself; The people of plotting are destroyed, Be contented with our decree, We are worthier to plan for you than you yourself.”
DO NOT BE SAD: OVERLOOK THE ACTIONS OF OTHERS.
They can lay no claim on giving benefit or harm, death or life, reward or punishment.
Ibraheem ibn Adham said:
“We live such a life (of amazing pleasure in the worship of Allah) that if the kings knew about it, they would fight us over it with swords.”
Ibn Taymiyah said:
“Sometimes the heart is in such a state, that I say: if the people of Paradise experience this, then they indeed have a wonderful life.”
He said on another occasion:
“The heart sometimes dances rapturously, from the happiness of remembering Allah and of feeling close to Him.”
He also said upon entering prison, as the guards were closing the doors upon him:
(So at wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy and outside it will be torment.) (Quran 57: 13)
He said while he was in prison:
“What can my enemies do to me! My garden and my paradise are in my breast, wherever I go they are with me. If my enemies kill me, I become a martyr and if they banish me from my country, I go abroad as a tourist; and by imprisoning me, they allow me to have solitude (so that I can worship Allah).
A wise person once said:
“What has he found who has lost Allah, and what has he discovered who has found Allah? They can never be equal; the one who has found Allah has found everything and the one who has lost Him has lost everything.”
Do not blindly feel grief; instead, make sure you know the value of the thing over which you feel sad.
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“For me to say, ‘How perfect is Allah, All praise is for Him, there is none worthy of worship except Him, and Allah is the greatest,’ is more beloved to me than all that the sun rises upon.”
Of rich people, their castles, houses, and wealth, one of our pious predecessors said:
“We eat and they eat. We drink and they drink. We see and they see. We will not be called to account and they will be held accountable (i.e. for their wealth, how it was acquired and how it was spent).”
In the words of a poet:
“The first night in the grave causes one to forget, the castles of Khosrau and the treasures of Caesar.”
Allah said:
(And truly you have come unto us alone [without wealth, companions or anything else] as we created you the first time.) (Qur’an 6: 94)
The believers say:
QT his is what Allah and His Messenger [Muhammad] had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth. (Qur’an 33: 22)
And the hypocrites say:
(Allah and his Messenger promised us nothing but delusions!)
(Quran 33: I2)
Your life is the product of your thoughts. The thoughts that you invest in will have an indelible effect upon your life, regardless of whether they are happy thoughts or miserable thoughts.
A poet said:
“Fear does not till my heart before the occurrence of that which is feared, And I don’t become overly distressed if that event does occur.”
DO NOT BE SAD — DO GOOD TO OTHERS
Being of service to others leads to happiness. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“Verily, Allah will say to His slave as He is taking account of him on the Day of Judgment, ‘O’ son of Adam, I was hungry and you did not feed me? He will answer, ‘How can I feed you and you are the Lord of the worlds!’ He will say, ‘Did you not know that my slave so and so who is the son of so and so felt hunger, and you did not feed him. Alas! Had y0u fed him you would have found that (i.e. reward) with Me. O’ son of Adam, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. He will say, ‘How can I give you drink, and you are the Lord of the worlds!” He will say, ‘Did you not know that my slave so and so, the son of so and so felt thirsty and you did not give him drink. Alas! If you had given him, you would have found that (i.e. reward) with Me. O’ son of Adam, l became sick and you did not visit Me.” He will say, “How can I visit you and you are the Lord of the worlds!” He will say, “Did you not know that my slave so and so, the son of so and so became sick and you did not visit him. Alas! Had you visited him, you would have found me with him.”’
Here is an interesting point, in the last third of the hadith are the words: “…you would have found Me with him.”
This is unlike the first two parts of the hadith: “You would have found that (i.e. the reward for feeding and giving drink) with Me.”
The reason for the difference is that Allah, the Allah-Merciful, is with those whose hearts are troubled, as is the case with the person who is sick. And in another hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“There is reward in each moist liver (i.e. to do service to any living creature will be rewarded).”
Also, know that Allah admitted the prostitute from the children of Israel into Paradise because she gave a drink to a dog that was thirsty. So what will be the case for the one who feeds other humans, giving them drink and removing from them hardships! In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said,
“Whoever has extra provision should give from it to the one who has no provision. And whoever has an extra mount should give with this extra to the one who has no mount.”
Commanding his servant to search out for guests, Hatim said in some of his more beautiful verses:
“Burn the coals, for truly, the night is chilly,
If you bring me a guest, then I have set you free.”
And he said to his wife:
“Whenever you make food, then search for he who is hungry, as I do not eat alone.”
Ibn Mubarak’s neighbor was a Jew. He would always feed him before feeding his own children and would provide clothing for him first and then for his children. Some people said to the Jew, “Sell us your house.” He answered, “My house is for two thousand dinars. One thousand is for the price of the house and one thousand is for having Ibn Mubarak as a neighbor!” Ibn Mubarak heard of this and he exclaimed, “O’ Allah, guide him to Islam.” Then, by the permission of Allah, he accepted Islam.
On another occasion, Ibn Mubarak passed by a caravan of people who were traveling to make the pilgrimage to Makkah, and he too was on his way to do the same. He saw one of the women from the caravan take a dead crow from a cesspit. He sent his servant to inquire about this and when he asked her, she replied, “We have had nothing for three days except that which finds its way into it.” When Ibn Mubarak heard of this, his eyes swelled with tears. He ordered for all of his provision to be distributed among those of the caravan, and having nothing with which to continue the journey, he returned to his home and gave up making the pilgrimage for that year. Later, he saw someone in a dream saying, “Your pilgrimage has been accepted, as have your rites; and your sins have been forgiven.”
Allah says:
(And give them preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that themselves) (Quran 59: 9)
One poet said:
“Even if I am a person who is far, from his friend in terms of distance,
I offer him my help and wish to alleviate his difficulties, And I answer his invitation and his call to me for help, And if he dons a wonderful new outfit I will not say, Alas, were I to be blessed with the clothes that he wears.”
By Allah, how wonderful are good manners and a generous soul!
No one regrets having done well even if he was extravagant in doing so. Regret is only for the mistake or for the wrong done, even when that wrong is a minor one.
JEALOUSY IS NOT SOMETHING NEW
If you hear the beating of resentful words in your ears, do not worry W jealousy is not something new. As a poet said:
“Devote yourself to the gathering of virtues, and work, And turn your back on someone who cools his jealousy by giving you censure, Know that your life’s-span is the season of good deeds, In it, they may be accepted, and after is death, when all jealousy ceases.”
A wise person said:
“When facing criticism or the unjust rebuke, those who have sensitive feelings must pour a certain amount of coolness into their nerves by force.”
Another said:
“The coward dies many deaths and the brave man dies one.”
If Allah wishes good for one of His slaves, He covers him with slumber as a security, as occurred to Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) before the battle of Uhud. A short time before the battle, while the disbelievers waited in nervous apprehension, he was covered with a slumber that made him, on a few occasions, drop his sword, so serene and calm did he feel.
Allah, the Almighty, said:
(Say: ‘Do you wait for as [anything] except one of the two best things [martyrdom or victory; while we await for you either that Allah will afflict you with a punishment from Himself or at our hands. So wait, we too are waiting with you) (Qur’an 9: 52)
(And no person can ever die except by Allah’s Leave and at an appointed term.? (Qur’an 3: J45)
‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Which of the two days of death do I fear? The day in which it was not decreed for me to die or the day in which death was preordained for me. As for the former, I fear it not. And as for the latter, it is destined to happen, and even cautious ones cannot be saved on that day.”
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Seek out death (i.e. be brave) and you shall be granted life.”
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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