EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE GLORIFIES ALLAH
One famous hoopoe (Hudhud), from the world of birds, knew its Lord. Allah says of Sulayman (May peace be upon him):
(He inspected the birds, and said: “What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? ‘I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason. ‘But the hoopoe stayed not long, he [came up and] said: ‘I have grasped [the knowledge of a thing] which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba ‘ [Sheba] with true news. [Found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred them from [Allah’s] Way, so they have no guidance. ‘Al-La this word has two interpretations [Satan has barred them from Allah Is Way] so that they do not worship [prostrate before] Allah, or (b) So that they may worship [prostrate before] Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Lord of the Supreme Throne! Sulayman said:
‘We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are [one] of the liars. Go you with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what [answer] they return.) (Qur’an 27: 20-28)
Al-Hudhud went and, later on, the Queen of Sheba embraced Islam. The reason was that this bird knew its Lord. Some scholars said, “Strange! Al-Hudhud was more intelligent than Al-Fir’aun. Fir’aun disbelieved when things were well, therefore a last-minute faith did not help him. Al-Hudhud, on the other hand, believed and had faith in its Lord when things were well, and that faith benefited him when matters became difficult.
Al-Hudhud said:
So that they may worship [prostrate before] Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden…) (Qur’an 27:25)
Al-Fir’aun said:
(‘I know not that you have a god other than me…) (Qur’an 28: 38)
He is truly wretched who is less intelligent than Al-Hudhud and has less of an understanding than an ant!
(They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not [the truth].) (Qur’an 7: 179)
The world of bees is full of wonders that remind us of Allah’s care. The tiny bee leaves its hive in order to seek out sustenance. It lands on a good and pure surface and sucks out nectar. It then returns with a liquid that provides remedy for people, always returning to its own hive without losing its way.
(And your Lord inspired the bee, saying: ‘Take you habitations in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect. Then, eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of your Lord made easy [for you]. ‘There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying color wherein is healing for men. Verily, in this is indeed a sign for people who think.) (Qur’an I6: 68-69)
When you read these stories, you should realize that there is a hidden care and protection from Allah and that you should supplicate and pray to Him Alone for all of your needs. You should realize that everyone else in this universe is weak and helpless; they also need to worship Allah, to ask Him for sustenance, for health, and for happiness, because He owns everything.
(O’ mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah is Rich [Free of all wants and needs], Worthy of alI praise.) (Qur’an 35: 15)
You must have an unshakeable faith in Allah, and you should know that all of your supplications and hopes have to be directed to Him and not to weak, helpless humans. When you truly appreciate your Lord’s favors, you will feel the need that the transient being has for the Everlasting, the dependence of the poor upon the One who is All-Rich, and the protection sought by the weak in the One who is All-Powerful. True power, wealth, and everlastingness all belong to Allah Alone.
lf you know all of these things, you must apply your knowledge and worship Allah sincerely. If you seek forgiveness from Him, He will forgive you. if you ask Him, He will give you. lf you ask Him for help, He will help you. And if you are thankful to Him, He will increase His favors upon you.
BE PLEASED WITH ALLAH
Along with having faith in the phrase, “I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad as a Messenger,” you must also be pleased with Allah’s commandments and decrees.
When you are selective in your belief in pre-ordainment, your belief is incorrect. Being selective means to be pleased and contented with only those decrees that are compatible with your desires, while complaining against and begrudging those decrees that go against your desires.
Some people would be pleased with their Lord when things were easy, but they would begrudge His decrees when things became tough, and Allah said about them:
(lf good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face [i.e. reverts back to disbelief other embracing islam]. He loses both this world and the Hereafter) (Qur’an 22: 11)
The Desert Arabs announced their Islam openly, and when they found ease and profit in what was revealed, they would say, “This is a good religion.” They would then obey commandments and observe their religious duties.
But when they found the opposite — draught and poverty, for example — they would turn away in disdain, abandoning their religion. The one who practices Islam in this way always expects ease in fulfilling his personal desires.
Whoever is chosen by Allah to worship Him and to carry the flag of Islam, and then is not pleased with this honor, deserves a perpetual and eternal torment.
(The story of him to whom we gave Our Aayaat [proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.], but he threw them away, so Satan followed him up, and he became of those who went astray)
(Qur’an 7: I75)
(Had Allah known of any good in them, he would indeed have made them listen, and even if he had made them listen, they would but have turned away, averse [to the truth].) (Qur’an 8: 23)
Contentment is a path that is followed by people who want to live according to a higher code, a code that is followed by those who are close to Allah.
The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) distributed the spoils of war after the battle of Hunayn. He gave most of the spoils to the chiefs of different tribes and to those Arabs who were late or slow in accepting Islam. He excluded the Ansaar, confident in the degree of contentment and faith that each one of them had. Perhaps some of them did not fully perceive the noble reason for their being excluded from this distribution, so the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) gathered them together to explain to them why they were left out. He informed them of his love for them and that he only gave to the others in order to bring them closer to Islam, an action that was based on their weak level of faith, which was in need of strengthening. He said to the Ansaar:
“Are you not contented that the people are leaving with camels and sheep while you are leaving with the Messenger of Allah! The Ansaar are (like) inner- garments (for me) while others are like outer-garments (meaning that the Ansaar are very close to the Messenger of Allah and high in ranking with him). May Allah have mercy on the Ansaar, the children of the Ansaar, and the grandchildren of the Ansaar. If all people were to tread in a valley or a mountain pass, while the Ansaar traveled through another valley or
mountain pass. I would tread the mountain pass and valley of the Ansaar.”
They were then satisfied; pleasure and tranquility descended upon them. Moreover. Allah and His Messenger (bpuh) were pleased with them.
Those who truly find Allah’s pleasure will not then trade it for even the entire world; there is nothing comparable to the reward of Allah’s pleasure.
One Desert Arab accepted Islam in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (bpuh), who then gave him some money. The Arab said, “O’ Messenger of Allah. I did not pledge to follow you for this.” The Prophet (bpuh) asked, “Then why did you pledge to follow me?” He answered, “I pledged to follow you to have an arrow strike me here (he pointed to his throat) and to exit here (he pointed to the back of his neck).” The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) said, “If you are truthful with Allah, He will be truthful to you (in His promise).”
The man was present at a battle and an arrow struck him just as he desired. He met his Lord, pleased and joyful.
On another occasion, the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) distributed some wealth. He gave to those who were weak in their religion, and he did not give to those whose swords were stained with blood from lighting in the way of Allah, those who used their wealth and bodies to defend the Religion. The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) stood before the people and said:
“I give to people because of the covetousness and anxiety that Allah has put into their hearts. I don’t give to others because of the faith — or goodness — that Allah has put into their hearts. From them is ‘Amr ibn Taghlab.”
‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “These were words (from the Messenger of Allah) for which I would not trade all that is in the world.” This is the epitome of contentment and of seeking what is with Allah, the Exalted. The whole world to one of them was not worth as much as a smile from the Messenger of Allah (bpuh).
The promises of the Messenger of Allah were these: the reward of Allah, His pleasure, and Paradise. He did not promise them castles, positions, or land. He would say to them, “Whoever does such and such, his reward will be Paradise.” Arid he would say to another,
“Whoever does such and such, he will be my Companion in Paradise.” The tremendous sacrifices and efforts of the Companions could not be compensated by paltry worldly tokens; a just reward for them could only be given to them in the Hereafter.
Tirmidhi related that ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went to get permission from the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) to make pilgrimage to Makkah. The Messenger of Allah (bpuh`) answered:
“Do not forget us in your supplication, O’ my brother.”
The speaker of this request was the Messenger of guidance, who was free from sin and who spoke not from desire but from revelation.
‘Umar said of the Prophet’s priceless and cherished words, “l wouldn’t trade these words for the whole world.”
Imagine that the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) had said to you, “Do not forget us in your supplication, O’ my brother.” How then would you feel?
The level of the Prophet’s contentment and pleasure with his Lord is beyond our ability to describe. He was pleased with his Lord in richness and in poverty, in health and in sickness, in harsh circumstances and in comfort.
He experienced the bitterness and sadness of being an orphan. At times in his life he could not so much as find the pit of a date to eat; to alleviate the pangs of hunger, he (bpuh) would tie a stone around his stomach. He had to leave his armor with a Jew as collateral in order to borrow wheat from him. His bed was straw, which would poke into his side and cause pain. Sometimes three whole days passed before he managed to find anything to eat. Despite all of these hardships, he was pleased with Allah, the Lord of all that exists.
(Blessed be He Who, if He will, will assign you better than [all] that, —- Gardens under which rivers flow [Paradise] and will assign you palaces (i.e. in Paradise).) (Qur’an 25: I0)
He was pleased with Allah during the most difficult of times in his life: the early years of his mission. The whole world stood against him, with their numbers, their wealth, and their power. During this period, both his uncle — Abu Taalib — and his wife — Khadeejah (may Allah be pleased with her) — died. The Quraysh inflicted all kinds of punishment upon him and his followers. His people slandered him, accusing him of being a liar, a magician, a soothsayer, a madman, and a poet.
He was pleased with his Lord even on the day that he was driven out of Makkah, the city wherein he played as a child and grew up as a young man. Tuming towards Makkah, his eyes swelled with tears and he said:
“You are the most beloved of Allah’s lands to me. If your dwellers had not expelled me from you, I would not have left.”
He was pleased with his Lord when he went to Ta’aif to deliver his noble message, and instead of receiving a welcome, he was greeted with stones that were thrown at him and that made his feet bleed.
The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) was wounded in the battle of Uhud, his uncle was killed, many of his Companions were slaughtered, but immediately after the battle he said:
“Line up behind me so that I can praise my Lord.”
In short, at every moment of his life, he was pleased with his Lord, the reward for which is mentioned in this verse:
(And verily your Lord will give you [all i.e. good] so that you shall be well-pleased.) (Qur’an 93: 5)
A CALL FROM THE NAKHLAH VALLEY
The Prophet Muhammad (bpuh) was forced to leave Makkah, the place of his family, children, and home. He sought refuge in At- Ta’aif, where he was treated with contempt: the elders cursed him, and the children mocked him and pelted him with stones.
Tears of sorrow poured down his face and his feet bled. Where was he to turn? Where was he to seek refuge? The only One in whom one may seek refuge is Allah, the Almighty.
Muhammad (bpuh) faced the Ka’bah, thanked Allah, praised Him, and invoked Him to help him through his difficulties. Read this, his supplication to his Lord after his experience in At-Ta’aif:
“O’ Allah, I complain to you of my weakness, my lack of options, and the contempt of people for me. You are the Most Merciful, You are my Lord; to whom do you entrust me with: To my relatives who are coarse with me or to an enemy that you have made to subjugate me. If you are not angry with me, then I don’t care (how people treat me), except that safety from you is easier for me. i seek refuge with the illumination of Your Face, which has the effect of making darkness shine, and of making good the affairs of this world and the Hereafter, from having your anger descend upon me, or your wrath come down upon me. I blame myself (and will continue in my efforts to please you) until you are pleased. And there is no movement (in the universe) or strength except with you.”
THE FIRST GENERATION OF MUSLIMS
(lndeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave their Baiy’ah [pledge] to you [O’ Muhammad] under the tree, he knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Saki’nah [calmness and tranquility] upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory: (Qur’an 48: l8)
This verse explains the highest goal of the believers: achieving the pleasure of Allah. Allah’s being pleased with you is the most precious thing that you have to gain. This verse mentions Allah’s pleasure for the first generation of Muslims. ln other verses, He mentions forgiveness and pardon for them:
(That Allah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future…) (Qur’an 48: 2)
(Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhajiroon [Muslim emigrants who left their homes and came to Al-Madeenah and the Ansaar (Muslims of Al-Madeenah).)
(Qur’an 9: 117)
(May Allah forgive you [O’ Muhammad]. Why did you grant them leave?) (Quran 9: 43)
Seeking Allah’s pleasure, the companions made a pledge under the tree to sacrifice their lives. Why? Through their martyrdom, the religion grew and spread.
Allah, the Exalted, knew that a high level of faith dwelt in their hearts. They toiled, sweated, starved, and were tortured, but the important thing to these noble hearts was that Allah was pleased with them.
They were separated from their families, their wealth, and their homes only to face harsh realities of desert travel to another land, but they cared only for Allah and His being pleased with them.
Was the reward of these defenders of Islam camels, goats, or money? Do you think that these things would have the effect of soothing their hearts? Never! What soothed their hearts was the pleasure of Allah, His forgiveness, and His eternal reward:
(And their recompense shall be Paradise, and silken garments, because they were patient. Reclining therein on raised thrones, they will see there neither the excessive heat of the sun, nor the excessive bitter cold, [as in Paradise there is no sun and no moon]. And the shade there of is close upon them, and the bunches of fruit thereof will hang low within their reach. And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and cups of crystal., Crystal-clear made of silver: They will determine the measure thereof according to their wishes.) (Qur’an 76: l2-l6)
CONTENTMENT EVEN AFTER BEING RUINED
A man from the tribe of Bani ‘Abs left his town in search for a number of camels that had gone astray. He was away from his home for three days. He was a rich man whom Allah had blessed with great wealth (camels, goats and cows) and a large family. His wealth and children were situated on a vast piece of property. Comfort and opulence surrounded him and his family while it never occurred to them that disaster might befall them.
The whole family fell asleep one night during their father’s absence. Allah sent upon them a torrential flood that propelled rocks, as one would expect a strong wind to propel dust. The house was uprooted and the absent father’s entire family and wealth were destroyed. After the weather had calmed, no trace of either family or wealth was left. It was as if they had never been.
After three days the man returned to his home. He returned only to find a hollow and empty land that showed no trace of life. With the shock that he felt, it took some time to take in the fact that he had lost everything.
And then, to make matters worse one of his camels tried to run away. He attempted to grab it by the tail, but with its hind legs, it kicked him in both of his eyes, making him blind. Alone in the desert, the man called out for someone to take him to safety. After a long time had passed, he finally heard a Desert Arab answering his call. The Desert Arab took him before Al-Waleed ibn ‘Abdul Malik, the Khaleefiih in Damascus. The man told his story and the Khaleefith asked, How are you? “The man answered firmly, “l am pleased with Allah.”
These powerful words spoken by this Muslim who carried true Monotheism in his heart became a lesson and moral for those to come after him. What was this moral? To always be pleased with Allah.
And let one who is not pleased and contented try another way if he so wishes:
(Let him stretch out a rope to the ceiling and let him strangle himself Then let him see whether his plan will remove that whereat he rages!)
(Qur’an 22: 15)
BE RESOLUTE IN MAKING A DECISION
(Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah…)
(Qur’an 3: 159)
(Certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust [in Him].)
(Qur’an 3: 159)
Whenever a decision has to be made, many of us become confused and hesitant, and this often results in headaches. Whenever presented with choices, a Muslim should consult others and perform that prayer which is prescribed for decision-making (Salaatul- lstikhaarah). You should think things through before making a final decision or before taking the first step in any given direction, but if convinced that one course is better than another, you should take action without wavering. The time for consultation and planning is then over and the time for action begins.
The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) consulted the Muslims on the day of Uhud. They advised him to go out for battle, and so he put on his armor and took his sword. When his Companions said, “Perhaps we have forced you (to go out) O` Messenger of Allah? Maybe you should stay in Madeenah,” he answered, “It is not for a Prophet to don his armor (for battle) and then take it off before Allah makes a judgment between him and his enemy.” Once the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) decided to go out, the matter needed no more deliberation. Instead, determination, action, leadership, and bravery were required.
Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) consulted the Companions before the battle of Badr:
(…and consult them in the affairs) (Quran 3: 159)
(…and who [conduct] their affairs by mutual consultation….)
(Qur’an 42: 38)
They voiced their opinions, a firm decision was made, and they then went forth to do battle.
Always being hesitant is a defect in one’s character and often leads to failure and confusion. I know people who for years have been oscillating between decisions that should have been routine and easy. It is they themselves who have invited failure and frustration to enter into their lives.
You should study the practicability of your plans and ideas. Give yourself time to think things through, seek counsel with experienced and wise people, and pray to your Lord to guide you to the best between two or more choices. But in the end take action and do not tarry or linger in making your decision.
After the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) died, many of the Arab tribes refused to pay Zakah (compulsory charity). Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) consulted with the people regarding how he should deal with the situation. The people, including ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), advised him not to wage war against those tribes. Nevertheless, after weighing the various arguments, Abu Bakr decided that they had to fight them. He was firm and resolute, and he did not waver in the least. He said, “By the One Who has my soul in His Hand, I will fight the one who makes a distinction between the prayer and the compulsory charity. By Allah, if they refuse me the headband that they used to give up to the Messenger of Allah, l will fight them over it.” ‘Umar said, “When l realized that Allah had opened Abu Bakr’s heart (to fight), I knew that it was the truth.” Abu Bakr, after weighing the options, made that tough decision. They fought the apostates and were victorious.
A characteristic of the hypocrite is to make a plan fail by endlessly questioning what should be done and by always requesting for the matter to be further deliberated upon.
(Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder; and they would have hurried about in your midst [spreading corruption] and sowing sedition among you….)
(Quran 9: 47)
([They are] the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat [at home]: ‘if only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed. ‘Say: Avert death from your ownselves, if you speak the truth.) (Quran 3: 168)
Their favorite words are ‘what if’ or, ‘would that we had done such and such’ or, ‘maybe’ they are always wavering on unstable ground.
([They are] swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those…..) (Quran 4: 143)
At times they are with us and at other times they are with them. In times of crisis, they say:
(‘Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.) (Quran 3: 167)
They lie constantly. In good times they are present, but should a difficult situation arise, they go into hiding or run away. One of them says:
(‘Grant me leave [to be exempted from Jihad] and put me not into trial.) (Quran 9: 49)
In order to flee from duty, they said before the battle of Ahzaab:
(‘Truly our homes lie open [to the enemy] `And they lay not open.)
(Qur’an 33: 13)
THE BELIEVER IS FIRM AND RESOLUTE
(Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and afterward doubt not….) (Qur’an 49: 15)
As for others:
(So in their doubts they waver) (Qur’an 9: 45)
There was a man who for four years could not decide whether he should divorce his mean and cruel wife. Finally, he went to a wise person to seek advice. The latter asked how long he had been married to her, and the man answered, “Four years.” The wise man was astonished and said, “For four years now you have been sipping poison!”
It goes without saying that patience and forbearance are called for in situations similar to that of the previous story, but until when?
At what point do we say, ‘Enough!’ A sensible person has a good idea whether the ending of such a relationship is good or not, and then he takes action.
Confusion and hesitancy attack people in many different situations, but in the following four especially:
Deciding upon a major in studies; a person who is weak in making decisions will be uncertain of which faculty to enter. Some people remain undecided even after the deadline for registration has passed. Others study in a faculty for one or two years and then transfer to another; at first, they will be leaning towards religious studies, then economics, then medicine — gradually wasting away their life in this fashion.
lf the same person had consulted others who have more wisdom and experience than he does, and had sought guidance from Allah, he would have made better use of his time.
Deciding upon an appropriate job. Some people cannot pinpoint the most suitable job for their temperament. They move from job to job, always dissatisfied with the previous one. Finally, they decide to go into business for themselves. This kind of wavering often leads to financial instability.
I say to such people, “If you are comfortably earning money in the profession you work in, you should stick to it.”
Marriage. Many young people are in confusion, finding it difficult to choose their partner. In this regard, one can easily be influenced by the opinions of others. Sometimes the father deems a particular girl to be worthy of marriage, and the son agrees; however, the mother demurs. (The scenarios are endless concerning choosing a wife.)
My advice concerning marriage in particular is that one should wait until he is satisfied with a girl’s religion, looks, and character, because in the case of marriage, we are talking about a woman’s life, not some trifle to be discarded when one gets bored.
Confusion and lack of resolve are common to people who are contemplating divorce. One day, the husband might decide that separation is better, and on another day, he decides that things can be worked out.
The lack of peace in one’s life that results from this kind of wavering has to be amended by a resolute decision. Life is short, so we should all try to do our part in making every moment of life a happy one, both for ourselves and for those around us
THE TAX ON BEING AN ELOQUENT SPEAKER
We are successful to the degree that we are dutiful to Allah, and after that, to how we interact with His slaves. We can easily combine words and embellish our speech to please an audience; the difficult thing is to back up our words with virtuous deeds and a noble character.
(Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allah) on the people and you forget (to practice it) yourselves, while you recite the Scripture [Torah]! Have you then no sense?) (Qur’an 2: 44)
A severe punishment awaits a person who orders others to do good without doing it himself; and who forbids others from evil while he perpetrates it himself. The dwellers of the Fire who had known him on earth for his sermons will ask why he is being punished so painfully. He himself will answer: “I had ordered you to do good without doing it myself, and I had forbidden you from evil while perpetrating it myself.”
An Arab poet said:
“O’ you who are a teacher of others, Would that you had sought first for yourself instruction?
The famous orator Mu’aadh ar-Raazi would cry and make others cry during his sermons. In one sermon he recited these verses:
“An unrighteous man ordering people to righteousness, a doctor treating people while he is sick.”
When some of our pious predecessors wanted to exhort others to give charity, they would first give it themselves. Some of them related that the people would then voluntarily respond to their call.
I read of an orator from the early centuries of Islam who wanted to persuade others to free their slaves. He saved money for a period of time, and after he had saved enough, he purchased a slave, whom he immediately freed. In a moving speech, he then exhorted others to do the same; as a result, many slaves were freed.
PERFECT COMFORT AND REST ARE IN PARADISE
(Verily We have created man in toil) (Quran 90: 4)
Imam Ahmad was asked,” When is there rest?” He answered,
“When you put your foot in Paradise you will find rest.”
There is neither rest nor comfort of a lasting nature until one enters Paradise. This life is full of problems, trials, ordeals, sickness, and worries.
A colleague of mine from Nigeria told me that, when he was a child, his mother would wake him up during the last third of the night to pray. He would answer, “Mother, I want to rest a little. ” She would say, “I am only waking you up for your comforts sake. O’ my son, when you enter Paradise you will find your repose.”
Masrooq, a scholar from the early generations of Islam, would remain in prostration until sleep overcame him. On one such occasion, a companion said, “Rest a little.” He answered, “lt is rest that l am seeking.”
Those who seek ease in this life by abandoning obligatory prayers are only bringing about a precipitated punishment. The disbeliever seeks all his comfort here, which is why he says:
(Our Lord! Hasten to as Qittana [i.e. our Record of good and bad deeds so that we see it] before the Day of Reckoning!) (Quran 38: 16)
Some scholars interpreted Qittana to mean this: “Our share of good and our share of sustenance before the Day of Judgment?
(Verily1 These [disbelievers] love the present life of this world, and pat behind them a heavy Day [that will be hard].) (Qur’an 76: 27)
They think not of tomorrow or of the future, and that is why they lose them both. We were created to die. This life is like a volatile liquid, always changing: one day it is ease and richness, the next it is difficulty and poverty.
And this is the end:
(Then they are returned to Allah, their Maula [Due master (God), the just Lord (to reward them)]. Surely, His is the judgment and He is the Swiftest in taking account.) (Quran 6: 62)
GENTLENESS HELPS YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS
In previous chapters, I quoted revealed texts to illustrate the importance of being gentle; here we expand on the same theme by mentioning some examples. Imagine yourself driving a car on an extremely narrow road that is enclosed on either side by a wall. There is no way for a car to pass except with a great deal of care, gentleness, and caution. However, if a driver attempted to go through this street at a high speed, he would constantly crash into the wall on the right, and then into the one on the left, eventually causing his car to break down. In both of these instances— that of driving carefully and that of driving recklessly at a high speed — the street is the same and the car is the same, but the way of driving is different.
A small plant that we nurture can be watered in different ways. If you pour water on it slowly, it will absorb the water and find nourishment in it. But if you pour the water from the jug all at once, you will only succeed in uprooting it. The quantity of water used is the same; the difference lies in the method.
Someone who is gentle in handling his clothes, in putting them on and taking them off can be confident that they will last for a long while. The one who treats his clothes in an opposite manner always complains of rips and tears. We need to establish a degree of gentleness into our lives — gentleness with ourselves:
“Verily, your soul has a right upon you.”
And gentleness with our brothers and wives:
“Verily, Allah is gentle (and kind) and He loves gentleness. “
The Turks built many wooden bridges over rivers. At both ends they would inscribe these words: “Gentleness, Gentleness.” The one who passes calmly won’t fall, unlike the one who speeds across.
Written upon an entrance to some gardens of roses and flowers is, “Be Gentle.” The one who runs through the garden carelessly will not succeed in seeing many of the flowers, but to the contrary will probably wreak havoc to them.
There is a saying that goes:
“The sparrow is not gentle like the bee.”
In a hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“The Believer is like the bee, which eats what is pure, produces what is pure, and destroys not the tiny branch when it lands on it.”
A flower does not feel the bee as it calmly sucks its nectar, thus achieving its goal with gentleness. On the contrary, when the sparrow lands on something, it announces its presence to people.
One of our pious predecessors said:
“A proof of one’s understanding of the religion is if he is gentle in entering, exiting, wearing garments, taking off shoes, and riding a mount.”
You will usually cause harm when you are hurried and rough, because goodness finds its roots in gentleness. The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“Whenever gentleness is present in something, that thing is beautified; when gentleness is removed from something, that thing becomes spoiled.”
The hearts of people are attached to the one who possesses a gentle nature:
(And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you)(Qur’an 3: 159)
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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