DO NOT CARRY THE WEIGHT OF THE GLOBE ON YOUR SHOULDERS
In a certain class of people there rages an internal war, one that doesn’t take place on the battlefield, but in one’s bedroom, one’s office, one’s own home. It is a war that results in ulcers or an increase in blood pressure. Everything frustrates these people: they become angry at inflation, furious because the rains came late, and exasperated when the value of their currency falls. They are forever perturbed and vexed, no matter what the reason.
(They think that every cry is against them.) (Quran 63: 4)
My advice to you is this: do not carry the weight of the globe on your shoulders. Let the ground carry the burden of those things that happen. Some people have a heart that is like a sponge, absorbing all kinds of fallacies and misconceptions. It is troubled by the most insignificant of matters; it is the kind of heart that is sure to destroy its possessor.
Those who are principled and are upon the true path are not shaken by hardship; instead, hardship helps to strengthen their resolve and faith. But the reverse is true for the weak-hearted: when they face adversity or trouble, it is only their level of fear that increases. At a time of calamity, there is nothing more beneficial to you than having a brave heart. The one who has such a heart is self- possessed – he has firm faith and cool nerves. On the other hand, during the course of any given day, the coward slaughters himself many times with apprehensions and presentiments of impending doom. Therefore, if you desire for yourself a stable life, face all situations with bravery and perseverance.
(And let not those who have no certainty of faith discourage you…)
(Qur’an 30: 60)
Be more resolute than your circumstances and more ferocious than the winds of calamity. May mercy descend upon the weak-hearted, for how often it is that they are shaken by the smallest of tremors.
(And verily, you will find them the greediest of mankind for life)
(Qur’an 2: 96)
As for those who are resolute, they receive help from their Lord and are confident of His promise.
(He sent down calmness and tranquility upon them……)
(Qur’an 48: 18)
DO NOT BE CRUSHED BY WHAT IS INSIGNIFICANT
Many are those that are distressed not by pressing matters of great import, but by minor trifles.
Observe the Hypocrites and how weak they are in their resolution. The Qur’an relates to us some of their sayings:
(Those who stayed away [front Tabuk expedition] rejoiced in their staying behind the Messenger of Allah, they hated to strive and fight with their properties and their lives in the Cause of Allah, and they said: ‘March not forth in the heat’ (Qur’an 9: 81)
‘Grant me leave [to be exempted from Jihad] and put me not into trial.
(Qur’an 9: 49)
(And a band of them ask for permission of the Prophet [Muhammad] saying: ‘Truly, our homes lie open [to the enemy]’ . And they lay not open. They but wished to flee.) (Quran 33: 13)
(We fear lest some misfortune of a disaster may befall us.) (Quran 5: 52)
(And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease said, ‘Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusions!) (Quran 33: I2)
How wretched are the souls of such people!
Their principal concerns are for their stomachs, cars, houses, and castles. They never once raise their eyes to a life of ideals and virtues; the extent of their knowledge is their cars, clothes, shoes, and food.
Some people are distressed day and night, because of a disagreement with their spouse, son, or relative, or because they have had to forbear criticism, or because of some other trivial event. Such are the calamities of these people. They have no aspiration to higher principles or goals to keep them busy, and they have no noble ambition in their lives to an end for which they can strive day and night. It has been said, ‘When water leaves a container, it is then filled with air’. Therefore reflect on that which gives you cause for concern or anxiety, and ask yourself this: does it merit your energies and toils? This is an indispensable question, because whatever it is that causes your anxiety, you are, with mind, flesh, and blood, giving it energy and time. And if it does not merit your energy and time, you will have squandered a great deal of your most precious resources.
Psychologists say that you should judge everything in proportion to its true value and then put it in its proper place. More truthful than this is the saying of Allah:
(lndeed Allah has set a measure for all things) (Quran 65: 3)
So give to each situation according to its size, weight, measure, and importance. And stay away from immoderation or from exceeding the proper bounds.
Take from the example of the Prophet’s Companions, whose sole concern was to give their pledge of allegiance under the tree and thus obtain the pleasure of Allah. With them was a man whose concern was focused on a missing camel, a preoccupation that caused him to miss the pledge of allegiance e and consequently, he was deprived of the rewards that were reaped by the others.
Therefore do not be preoccupied with matters that are insignificant. If you follow this advice, you will find that most of your worries will have left you.
BE CONTENT WITH THAT WHICH ALLAH HAS GIVEN YOU AND YOU WILL BE THE RICHEST OF PEOPLE
Wealth, appearance, children, house, and talents – you must be content with your share in these things:
(So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful.) (Qur’an 7: I44)
Most Islamic scholars and pious Muslims of the early generations of Islam were poor; needless it is to say, then, that they did not have beautiful houses or nice cars. Yet, despite these disadvantages, they led fruitful lives, and they benefited mankind, not by some miracle, but because they used all that they were given, and spent their time in the correct way. Hence they were blessed in their lives, their time, and their talents.
On the contrary, there are many people who have been bestowed with wealth, children, and all forms of blessings, yet these blessings have been the very reason for their misery and ruin. They deviated from what their inborn instincts were telling them, namely, that material things are not everything. Look at those that have obtained degrees from world-renowned universities, and yet they are paragons of obscurity. Their talents and abilities remain unused. Meanwhile, others who are limited in the scope of their knowledge have managed to make mountains out of what they have been given, benefiting both themselves and society.
If you are a seeker of happiness, be satisfied with the looks Allah has favored you with, with your family situation, with the sound of your voice, with the level of your understanding, and with the amount of your salary. Certain educators go further than this by saying that you should imagine being contented with even less than you actually have now.
Here for you is a list of those who have shone from our Islamic heritage despite each being challenged by various disadvantages:
‘Ataa ibn Rabah was a world-renowned scholar of his time. He was not only a freed slave and snub-nosed, but he was also paralyzed.
Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays was famous among the Arabs for his singular level of patience. He achieved that fame despite being emaciated, humpbacked, with crooked legs and a fragile frame.
Al-A’mash was among the most famous scholars of hadith in his time. He was a freed slave, he had bad eyesight, and he was poor. His clothes were ripped, his appearance was disheveled, and he lived in straitened circumstances.
ln fact, every Prophet was at one time or another a shepherd. Dawood (David) was a blacksmith, Zakariah (Zacharia) a carpenter, and ldrees (Enoch) a tailor; and yet they were the best of mankind.
Therefore your value is in your abilities, good deeds, manners, and contributions to society. Do not feel grief, then, over that which has passed you by in life in terms of good looks, wealth, or family; and be content with what Allah has allotted for you.
(It is we who portion out between them their livelihood in this world.) (Qur’an 43: 32)
Remind yourself of Paradise, which is as wide as are the Heavens and the Earth.
lf you are hungry in this world, if you are sad, ill or oppressed, remember the eternal bliss of Paradise. lf you do this, then your losses are really profits and the hardships you face are really gifts.
The most wise of people are those that work for the Hereafter, because it is better and everlasting. And the most foolish of mankind are those that see this world as their eternal abode – in it reside all of their hopes. You will find such people to be the most grief-stricken of all when faced with calamity. They will be the most affected by worldly loss simply because they see nothing beyond the insignificant lives that they lead. They see and think only of this impermanent life. They wish for nothing to spoil them in their state of felicity. Were they to remove the veil of ignorance from their eyes, they would commune with themselves about the eternal abode – its bliss, pleasures, and castles. They would listen attentively when they are informed through the Qur’an and the Sunnah about its description. Indeed, that is the abode that deserves our attention and merits our striving and our toiling, so that we may achieve the best of it.
Have we reflected at length about the description of the inhabitants of Paradise? Illness does not befall them, grief does not come near them, they die not, they remain young, and their attire remains both perfect and clean. They are in a beautiful home. In Paradise is found that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has imagined. The rider travels under a tree in Paradise for one hundred years and yet he still does not reach its end. The length of a tent in Paradise is sixty miles. Its rivers are constant, its castles are lofty, and its fruits are not only close-by, but are also easily picked.
(Therein will be a running spring. Therein will be thrones raised high, and cups set at hand, and cushions set in rows, and rich carpets [all] spread out.) (Qur’an 88: 12-16)
The happiness of Paradise will be absolute. So why do we not contemplate this fact?
lf Paradise is our final destination – and we ask Allah for Paradise – then the hardships of this world are less heavy than they may seem, so let the hearts of the afflicted ones find solace.
O’ you who live in poverty, or are afflicted with calamity, work righteous deeds so that you shall live in Allah’s Paradise.
(Peace be upon you, because you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final home!)
(Qur’an 13: 24)
THUS WE HAVE MADE YOU A JUST NATION
(Thus we have made you a just nation) (Qur’an 2: 143)
Both your conscience and your Religion demand that you be just, which means that you should neither exaggerate nor understate, neither go into excess nor do too little. Whoever seeks happiness should be just, regardless of whether he is in an angry, a sad, or a joyful mood. Exaggeration in our dealings with others is unacceptable. The best course is the middle course. Whoever follows his desires will likely magnify the importance of any given situation, always making a big deal out of nothing. He will feel jealousy and malice toward others. Since he lives in a world of exaggeration and imagination, he will envisage everyone else to be against him, even to the extent that he feels others to be always conspiring to destroy him. Because of this, he lives under a dark cloud, constantly overcome by fear and apprehension.
Living according to hearsay and superstition is prohibited in our Religion.
(They think that every cry is against them.) (Qur’an 63; 4)
More often than not, what you fear will happen in the future does not end up taking place. Here is something you should try: when you fear something, imagine that the worst possible outcome takes place, and then train yourself to feel prepared and contented with that outcome. If you do this, you will find that you have saved yourself from apprehensions and superstitions that would otherwise have caused you much grief
Lend your attention to each matter in proportion to its importance. In any given situation do not exaggerate mountains from molehills; rather, keep in mind your objectivity and fairness. Do not follow false suspicion or the deceitful illusion of the mirage, but be balanced. Listen to the balance of love and hate as explained by the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him);
“Love the one who is beloved to you in due moderation, for perhaps the day will come when you will abhor him. And hate the one whom you detest in due moderation, for perhaps the day will arrive when you will come to love him.”
(Perhaps Allah will Make Friendship between You and those whom you hold as enemies. And Allah has power [over all things], and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (Qur’an 60: 7)
Being sad is not encouraged in our religion
(So do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad…)
(Qur’an 3: 139)
(And grieve not over them, and be not distressed because of what they plot)(Qur’an I6: 127)
(Be not sad, surely Allah is with us) (Qur’an 9: 40)
Referring to true believers, Allah informs us that:
(…upon such shall come no fear; nor shall they grieve.) (Quran 2: 38)
Sadness enervates the soul’s will to act and paralyzes the body into inactivity. Sadness prevents one from action instead of compelling one towards it. The heart benefits nothing through grief the most beloved thing to the Devil is to make the worshipper sad in order to prevent him from continuing on his path. Allah, the Exalted, says:
(Secret counsels [conspiracies] are only from Shaytan [Satan], in order that he may cause grief to the believers.) (Qur’an 58: 10)
In the following hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“ln a company of three, it is forbidden for two to hold secret counsel to the exclusion of the third, since doing so will be a cause of sadness for him.”
Contrary to what some believe (those who have an extreme ascetic bent), the believer should not seek out sadness, because sadness is a harmful condition that afflicts the soul. The Muslim must repel sadness and fight it in any way that is permissible in our Religion.
There is no real benefit to sadness; the Prophet (bpuh) sought refuge from it in the following supplication:
“O’ Allah, I seek refuge in you from anxiety and grief.”
Grief is coupled with anxiety in this hadith. The difference between the two is that if a bad feeling is related to what is going to happen in the future. then one is feeling anxiety. And if the cause of this feeling concerns the past, then one is feeling grief. Both of them weaken the heart, causing inactivity and a decrease in will power.
Despite what has been mentioned above, grief may sometimes be both inevitable and necessary. When they enter Paradise, its dwellers will say:
(All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed from us [all] grief) (Qur’an 35: 34)
This verse implies that they were afflicted with grief in this life, just as they were afflicted with other forms of hardship, both of which were out of their control. So whenever one is overcome by grief and there is no way to avoid it, one is rewarded, because grief is a form of hardship, and the believer is rewarded for going through hardship. Nonetheless, the believer must ward off grief with supplication and other practical means.
As for the saying of Allah, the Almighty;
(Nor [is there blame] on those who came to you to he provided with mounts, and when you said: ‘I can find no mounts for you, ‘ they turned back, while their eyes overflowing with tears of grief that they could not find anything to spend.) (Qur’an 9: 92)
They were not praised for their grief in itself, but for what that grief indicated and pointed to M namely, strong faith. This occurred when they remained behind during one of the Prophet’s expeditions, due to their inability to find the necessary resources needed to make the trip. The verse also exposed the hypocrites, because they did not feel grief when they remained behind.
Therefore the good kind of grief is that which stems from missing out an opportunity to do a good deed or from performing a sin. When one feels sad because he was negligent in fulfilling the rights of Allah, he shows a characteristic of a person who is on the right path. As for the hadith,
“Whatever befalls the believer in terms of anxiety, hardship or grief, Allah will make it an atonement for (some of) his sins,”
– it indicates that grief is a trial with which the believer is afflicted, and through which some of his sins are atoned for. However, it does not indicate that grief is something to be sought after; the believer should not seek out means of finding grief, thinking that he is performing an act of worship. lf this were the case, then the Prophet (bpuh) would have been the first to apply this principle. But he didn’t search out for misery; rather, his face was always smiling, his heart was content, and he was continually joyful.
As for the hadith of Hind, “He was continually sorrowful,” it is considered to be unsubstantiated by scholars of hadith, because among its narrators is someone who is unknown. Not only is the hadith weak because of its chain of narrators; it is also weak because it is contrary to how the Prophet (bpuh) really was.
How could he have been continually in grief when Allah had informed him that he was forgiven for everything (guaranteeing his entry into Paradise) and had protected him from feeling grief over matters pertaining to this life: for example, Allah forbade him from feeling grief over the actions of the disbelievers’? How could he have felt grief when all the time his heart was filled with the remembrance of Allah, and when he was at peace with Allah’s promise? In fact, he was always pleasant and his teeth were always visible due to his constant smiles. Whoever delves deeply into his life will know that he came to remove falsehood and to eradicate anxiety, confusion, and grief. He came to free our souls from the tyranny of doubt, disbelief confusion, and disorder. He came to save our souls from destruction. So many indeed are the favors that were bestowed upon mankind through him (Blessings and Peace be upon him).
And as for the alleged hadith, “Verily, Allah loves all sad hearts,” the chain of its narrators is unknown, so it is not an authentic hadith, especially in view of the fact that the basic principles of our religion are contrary to its import. Even if we were to suppose the hadith to be authentic. Then its meaning would be that sadness is one of the hardships of life imposed upon the worshipper as a form of trial. And if the worshipper is tested by this trial, and if he perseveres through patience, then Allah loves him. As for those who have praised melancholy and have lauded its many virtues (while claiming that our religion encourages it) then they are very mistaken. In fact, every text from revelation that touches upon sadness forbids it and orders its opposite: namely, that we should be content with the mercy and blessings of Allah, and happy with that which has been sent with the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon him). Those who incline towards extremes in asceticism also relate the following narration:
“If Allah loves one of his slaves, He makes that slave’s heart that of a weeper. And if he hates one of his slaves, then he places a flute in his heart (thus making him constantly light and happy).”
First, we must note that this is an Israelite tradition, which is claimed to be found in the Torah. Nevertheless, it does have a correct meaning since, truly, the believer feels grief due to his sins and the evildoer is ever playful and frivolous, light and joyful. So if the hearts of the faithful grieve, then it is only due to opportunities lost in terms of righteous deeds or because of sins committed. This is contrary to the sadness of the evildoers, whose grief is caused by losing out on physical pleasure or worldly benefit. Their yearnings, anxieties, and sadness are always for these ends and for nothing else.
In this verse, Allah says of his Prophet Israa’eel (Israel):
(And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing.)
(Qur’an 12: 84)
Here we are informed of his grief over losing his beloved son. Simply informing about something does not in itself signify either approval or disapproval of that thing. The fact is that we have been ordered to seek refuge from sadness, as it is a heavy cloud that hangs above its victim, and is a barrier that prevents one from advancing to higher aims.
There is no doubt that sadness is a trial and a hardship, and is in some ways similar to sickness. However, it is not a stage, level, or condition that the pious should actively seek out.
You are required to seek the means of happiness and peace, to ask Allah to grant you a good life, one that gives you a clear conscience and a mind at peace. The achievement of this is an early reward, a point that is underscored by the saying of some, “ln this world is a paradise, and whoever does not enter it shall not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter.”
And we ask Allah to open our hearts to the light of faith, to guide our hearts to His straight path, and to save us from a miserable and wretched life.
TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Let us make these supplications, their purpose being to eliminate hardship, anxiety and grief:
“There is none worthy of worship except Allah, the Ever Forbearing, the Most Great. There is none worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne. There is none worthy of worship except Allah, the Lord of the Heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the Noble Throne. O’ Ever-Living, and O’ One Who sustains and protects all that exists, there is none worthy of worship except you, and by your mercy do we seek your aid.”
“O’ Allah, Your mercy do I hope for; so do not leave me to myself not even for the blinking of an eye. And make well for me all of my affairs. There is none worthy of worship except you.”
“I seek forgiveness from Allah; none is worthy of worship except Him. He is the Ever-Living and the One who sustains and protects all that exists, and I turn to Him in repentance.”
“There is none worthy of worship except you, and how perfect you are; verily, I was among the wrongdoers.”
“O’ Allah, verily I am your slave, the son of your slaves; my forelock is in your hand, your order concerning me will be executed and just is your judgment upon me. I ask you by all of your names that you have named Yourself with, have revealed in Your book, have taught to one of Your creation, or is in Your knowledge only from the matters of the unseen) – make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sadness, and the purger of my anxiety.”
“O’ Allah, I seek refuge in you from anxiety and grief from inability and laziness, from avarice and cowardice, from being engrossed by debt, and from being overpowered by men.”
“Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us).”
SMILE
Laughing moderately can act as a cure or as therapy for depression and sadness. It has a strong influence on keeping the soul light and the heart clear. Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “l make it a practice to laugh in order to give rest and comfort to my heart. And the noblest of people, Muhammad (bpuh), would laugh, sometimes until his molars became visible.”
Laughing is an efficacious way to achieve comfort and light- heartedness, but keep in mind that, as in other things, you should not be immoderate. The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“Do not laugh excessively, for verily, excessive laughter kills the heart.”
What is called for is moderation.
“And if you smile in the face of your brother, then that is a form of charity.”
(So he, Sulayman, smiled, amused by her speech.) (Quran 27: 19)
Also, when you laugh, you should not do so in a mocking or jeering fashion:
(But when he came to them with Our Aayaat [proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.] behold! They laughed at them.)
(Quran 43: 47)
Among the pleasures of Paradise will be laughter:
(But this Day [the Day of Resurrection] those who believe will laugh at the disbelievers) (Quran 83: 34)
The Arabs would hold in high esteem a person who was known for his smile and laughter. They believed this to be a sign of a generous personality and of a person who has a noble disposition and a clear mind.
The truth is that the principles of Islam are based on moderation and on good measure, whether it is in matters of belief, worship, manners, or conduct. Islam does not condone a rigid, frowning expression, nor does it condone a constant playful giddiness; rather what it does promote is seriousness when it is called for and a reasonable level of light-heartedness when it is called for.
Bearing a gloomy mien and a frowning countenance are marks of a lowly character, a troubled nature, and hot-headedness.
(Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way…)
(Quran 74: 22)
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“Do not disparage (underestimate) any good deed (no matter how small it is), even if that deed was to meet your brother with a friendly countenance”
Ahmed Ameen said in his book Fayd al-Khaatir:
“People who are always smiling not only make their own lives more joyful, but what is more, they are more productive people in their work and have a greater ability to live up to their responsibilities. They are more prepared to face difficulties and to find expedient solutions for them. They are prolific workers who benefit themselves and others.”
If I were given a choice between having status in society and plentiful money, and between having a happy, radiant, smiling self, I would choose the latter. For what is great wealth if it begets misery?
And what is high position if what comes with it is constant gloominess? And what good is the most beautiful wife if she transforms her house into a living hell? Much better than her – a thousand times at least – is a wife who has not reached such a pinnacle of beauty, but nonetheless has made her house a kind of paradise.
Consider this imagery: In a sense, the rose is smiling and so is the forest. The oceans, rivers, the sky, the stars and birds are all smiling. Similarly, the human being by his very nature is a smiling entity, were it not for those things that counteract this natural disposition, such as greed and selfishness, evils that contribute to his frowning. As such he is an anomaly and at odds with the natural harmony of all that surrounds him. Therefore the person whose heart is sullied cannot see things as they truly are. Every person sees the world through himself- through his actions, thoughts, and motives.
So if our actions are noble, if our thoughts are pure, and if our motives are honorable, then the spectacles through which we see the world will be clean, and the world will be seen by us as it really is – a beautiful creation. If the spectacles become dirty, and their lenses stained, then everything will seem to be black and morbid.
There are those souls that are able to turn everything into misery, whilst there are those that are able to derive happiness from the most difficult of circumstances. There is the woman whose eyes fall upon nothing but mistakes. Today is black because a piece of fine china broke or because the cook put too much salt in the food. Then she flares up and curses and no one in the house escapes from her execrations. Then there is the man who brings misery upon his own self and, through his disposition, heaps the same upon others. Any word that he hears he interprets in the worst possible way. He is affected gravely by the most insignificant of things that occur to him, or that have occurred to him through his actions. He is drawn into misery by profits lost. By profits expected that went unrealized, and so on. The whole world from his perspective is black, and so he blackens it for those around him. Such people have much ability to over-exaggerate the trifles that occur to them. Thus they make mountains out of molehills. Their ability to do well is negligent, and they are never happy or content with that which they have, even if what they have is plenty. No matter how great their possessions, they will never feel any blessings from what they have.
Life is like an art or a science: it needs to be learned and cultivated. It is much better for a person to plant love in his life than to glorify money, using all his might to help it ease its way into his pocket or into his account. What is life when all its energies are exploited and used for the sole purpose of accumulating wealth, an existence where no energy is directed towards the cultivation of beauty, splendor, and love’?
Most people do not open their eyes to the beauty of life, but open them only to gold or silver. They pass by a lush and luxuriant garden, a beautiful bed of roses, a flowing river, or a group of singing birds, yet they are unmoved by such scenes. All that moves them is the coming and going of money into or out of their pockets. Money is but a means to a happy life. They have reversed this fact, have sold their happy existence, and have made money to be an end in itself our body has been equipped with eyes t0 see beauty with, yet we have trained them to look on nothing but money.
Nothing causes the soul or the face to frown more often and with more intensity than despondency. If you want to be a smiling person, wage war with despondency and hopelessness. The door to opportunity is always open to you and to others, and so is the door to success. So indoctrinate your mind with hopes of prosperity in the future.
lf you believe that you are inconsequential and have been created for things of only minor importance, then your achievement in life will never surpass this initial goal. And if you believe that your calling in life is to achieve extraordinary feats. You will feel in you a determination that can destroy all kinds of barriers. This can be exemplified as follows. Whoever enters a 100m race will feel tired the moment he completes it, whereas anyone that enters a 400m race, will not feel fatigue after passing the 100m or 200m mark. Therefore the soul gives resolution and will power in proportion to your goal.
Hence you must identify your goal, and let it be high and difficult to achieve. And never feel despondency as long as everyday you are taking a new step in its direction. What blocks the soul, making it frown and placing it in a dark prison? The answer is despondency, hopelessness, seeing everything as being evil, searching for faults in others and constantly speaking about the evilness of the world.
Blessed is the one who has a teacher that helps him to develop his natural abilities and broaden his horizons. The best teacher is the one that instills kindness and generosity into his pupil, and teaches that the noblest of pursuits that one can strive for, is to be a source of goodness to others, in accordance with one`s abilities. The soul should be like the sun, radiating light and hope. The heart should be filled with tenderness, virtue, benevolence, and a genuine love for spreading goodness to all those that are connected to it.
The smiling soul sees difficulties, and loves to surmount them. When it sees problems, it smiles, reveling in the opportunity to solve and overcome them. The frowning soul, when faced with a problem, magnifies it and belittles its own determination, while spending all its time justifying. It loves success in life, but is not willing to pay its price. On every path, it sees a grinning lion. It waits only for gold to shower down upon it, or to chance upon some treasure in the ground.
Difficult things in life are only relative, for everything is difficult for the ordinary person, while there is no great difficulty for the remarkable person. While the remarkable person increases in worthiness by overcoming obstacles, the weak person increases in meanness by running away from them. Problems are comparable to a vicious dog. When it sees you scared or running away, it barks and follows in pursuit. However, when it sees your scorn, your lack of concern, and when you shine your eyes in its direction, it gives way and draws back.
Furthermore, there is nothing more deadly than a feeling of inferiority, a feeling that makes its holder lose all faith in his adequacy. So when he embarks upon a project, he is immediately doubtful of its completion or success and he acts accordingly by gratifying these doubts. Thus he fails. Having self-confidence is a noble virtue, and is a pillar of success in life. lt is important to note, though, that there is a vast difference between conceitedness and confidence. Conceitedness means to rely upon a deceitful imagination and false pride. Confidence means to rely upon true abilities; it means fulfilling responsibilities, developing talents and organizational skills.
How much in need we indeed are of a smile, a friendly face, easy-going manners, and a gentle, generous soul. The Prophet said:
“Verily, Allah has revealed to me that you should be humble, so that none of you should transgress upon another, and so that none of you should be arrogant and proud to another.”
SMILE —– PAUSE TO REFLECT
When you experienced sadness yesterday, your situation didn’t get any better by you being sad. Your son failed in school, and you became depressed, yet did your depression change the fact that he failed? Your father passed away, and you became downhearted, yet did that bring him back to life? You lost your business, and you became saddened. Did this change your situation by transforming losses into profits?
Do not be sad: You became despondent due to a calamity, and by doing so, created additional calamities. You became depressed because of poverty and this only increased the bitterness of your situation. You became gloomy because of what your enemies said to you; by entering into that mental state, you unwittingly helped them in their attack against you. You became sullen because you expected a particular misfortune, and yet it never came to pass.
Do not be sad: Truly a large mansion will not protect you from the effects of depression; and neither will a beautiful wife, abundant wealth, a high position, or brilliant children.
Do not be sad: Sadness causes you to imagine poison when you are really looking at pure water, to see a cactus when you are looking at a rose, to see a barren desert when you are looking at a lush garden, and to feel that you are in an unbearable prison when you are living on a vast and spacious earth.
Do not be sad: You have two eyes, two ears, lips, two hands, two legs, a tongue, a heart, peace, safety, and a healthy body.
(Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinns and men] deny?) (Qur’an 55: 13)
Do not be sad: You have the true Religion to live by, a house to live in, bread to eat, water to drink, clothes to wear, a wife to find comfort with; why then the melancholy?
THE BLESSING OF PAIN
Pain is not always a negative force and it is not something that you should always hate. At times a person benefits when he feels pain.
You might remember that, at times when you felt a lot of pain, you sincerely supplicated and remembered Allah. When he is studying, the student often feels the pangs of heavy burden, sometimes perhaps the burden of monotony, yet he eventually leaves this stage of life a scholar. He felt burdened with pain at the beginning but he shined at the end. The aches and pangs of passion, the poverty and the scorn of others, the frustration and anger at injustices – these all cause the poet to write flowing and captivating verses. This is because he himself feels pain in his heart, in his nerves, and in his blood, and as a result, he is able to infuse the same emotions, via his work, into the hearts of others. How many painful experiences did the best writers have to undergo, experiences that inspired brilliant works, works that posterity continues to enjoy and benefit from today.
The student who lives the life of comfort and repose and who is not stung by hardships- or who has never been afflicted with calamity will be an unproductive, lazy, and lethargic person.
Indeed, the poet who knows no pain and who has never tasted bitter disappointment will invariably produce heaps upon heaps of cheap words. This is because his words pour forth from his tongue and not from his feelings or emotion, and though he may comprehend what he has written, his heart and body have not lived the experience.
More worthy and relevant to the aforementioned examples are the lives of the early believers, who lived during the period of revelation and who took part in the most important religious revolution that mankind has ever seen. Indeed, they had greater faith, nobler hearts, more truthful tongues, and deeper knowledge than those that came after them: they had all of these because they lived through pain and suffering, both of which are necessary concomitants to great revolutions. They felt the pains of hunger, of poverty, of rejection, of abuse, of banishment from home and country, of abandonment of all pleasures, of the pains of wounds, and of death and torture. They were in truth chosen ones, the elite of mankind.
They were models of purity, nobleness, and sacrifice.
That is because they suffer neither thirst nor fatigue, nor hunger in the Cause of Allah, nor they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers nor inflict any injury upon an enemy, but is written to their credit as a deed of righteousness. Surely, Allah wastes not the reward of the doers of good.) (Qur’an 9: 120)
ln the history of the world there are those that have produced their greatest works due to the pain and the suffering that they experienced. Al-Mutanabbi, when afflicted with a severe fever, wrote some of his best poetry. An-Nu’maan ibn Mundhir threatened An-Naabighah with death, and that is when the latter produced some of his best poetry. The well-known line he spoke, roughly translated is:
“Verily, you are the sun, and the other kings are the stars: for when the sun rises, no star in the sky is visible.”
ln fact there are many examples of those that prospered and achieved as a result of the suffering they experienced.
Therefore, do not become excessively anxious when you think of pain, and do not fear suffering. It might well be that through pain and suffering you will become stronger. And furthermore, for you to live with a burning and passionate heart that has been stung is purer and nobler than to live the dispassionate existence of a person who has a cold heart and a shortsighted outlook.
(But Allah was averse to their being sent forth, so He made them lag behind, and it was said [to them], “Sit you among those who sit [at home].” (Quran 9: 46)
The words of a passionate sermon can reach the innermost depths of the heart and penetrate the deepest regions of the soul, usually because the one who gives such sermons has himself experienced pain and suffering.
(He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakeenah [calmness and tranquility] upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory) (Quran 48: 18)
I have read many books of poetry, and a high percentage of them are passionless, without life or soul. This is because their authors never endured hardship, and because they were composed among surroundings of comfort. Hence the works of such authors were cold, like blocks of ice.
I have read books filled with sermons that do not shake a hair on the body of the listener and that lack an atom’s weight of impact. The orator (whose sermons were put to print) is not speaking with feeling and sentiment, or in other words, pain and suffering.
(They say with their mouths, that which is not in their hearts.)
(Quran 3: I67)
If you wish to affect and influence others, whether it is with your speech or with your poetry, or even with your actions, you must first feel the passion inside of you. You must be moved yourself by the meanings of what you are trying to convey. Then, and then only, you will come to realize that you have an influence upon others.
(But when we send down water [rain] on it, it is stirred [to life], it swells and puts forth every lovely kind [of growth].) (Quran 22: 5)
THE BLESSING OF KNOWLEDGE
(And Allah taught you that which you knew not. And Ever-Great is the Grace of Allah unto you [O’ Muhammad]. (Qur’an 4: 113)
Ignorance kills one’s conscience and soul.
(I admonish you, lest you be one of the ignorant) (Qur’an 11: 46)
Knowledge is a light that leads to wisdom. It is life for one’s soul and fuel for one’s character.
(Is he who was dead [without Faith by ignorance and disbelief] and We gave him life [by knowledge and Faith] and set for him a light [of Belief] whereby he can walk amongst men, like him who is in the darkness [of disbelief polytheism and hypocrisy] from which he can never come out) (Qur’an 6: 122)
Happiness and high-spiritedness come with enlightenment, because through knowledge, one may fulfill his goals and discover g what was previously hidden from him. The soul, by its very nature, longs for the acquisition of new knowledge to stimulate it and the mind.
Ignorance is boredom and grief because the ignorant person leads a life that never offers anything new or mind provoking.
Yesterday is like today, which in turn is like tomorrow.
If you desire happiness, then seek out knowledge and enlightenment, and you will find that anxiety, depression, and grief will leave You.
(And say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge’) (Qur’an 20: 114)
(Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created [all that exists])
(Quran 96: 1)
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“If Allah wishes good for someone, He gives him an understanding of the Religion?
Therefore if someone is ignorant, let him not be proud of either his wealth or his status in society: his life is lacking in meaning and his achievements are woefully incomplete.
(Shall he then who knows that what has been revealed unto you (O’ Muhamaad) from your Lord is the truth be like him who is blind?)
(Qur’an 13: 19)
Az-Zamakhshari, the well-known commentator of the Qur’an, said in verse form:
“The sleepless nights l spend in learning the sciences, are more beloved to me than the company or caresses of the enchanting woman,
My rapturous exhilaration when understanding a difficult concept, is more delicious to me than the most exotic drink, more delightful to me than the sound of a woman’s hand on the drum, are my hands on my papers in order to remove dust.
O’ he who tries to attain my level by wishful thinking, how much difference there is between the one who finds the pain of climbing to be too much and between the one who climbs and reaches the summit,
“Do I toil through the night, while you sleep through it, yet you hope to surpass me?”
How noble is enlightenment! And through it, how happy is the soul!
(Is he who is on a clear proof from his Lord, like those for whom their evil deeds that they do are beautiful for them, while they follow their own lusts [evil desires]?) (Qur’an 47: I4)
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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