OPTIMISM
Ibn Abi Dunya’s book Husn az-Zan Billah contains more than one hundred and fifty texts from the Qur’an and the Sunnah which entreat the believer to be optimistic, to repudiate hopelessness, and to strive towards betterment through work. And here is a promising fact: those revealed texts that promise good for doing righteous deeds far outnumber those that warn of impending punishment for perpetrating evil deeds. And Allah, the Exalted, has given to everything its measure.
LIFE IS TOIL
Don’t grieve over the vicissitudes of your existence — you cannot escape hardship.
Life, for the most part, involves work and responsibilities.
Happiness is an exception or only a fleeting phase that comes and goes sporadically. You long for this life, yet Allah does not want it to be a permanent abode for His righteous slaves.
lf this world were not a place of trial, it would have been free from disease and hardship; it would have been a comfortable abode for the best of men —- the Messengers and Prophets. Adam faced difficulties and troubles until the day he left this world. Nooh’s (Noah) own people scoffed and ridiculed him. lbraheem (Abraham) was tested by the fire and by the command of slaughtering his son. Ya’qoob (Jacob) was separated from his son and wept until he lost his sight. Moosa (Moses) endured the tyranny of Fir’aun and afterwards the disobedience of his own people. ‘Eesa (Jesus) was poor (may peace be upon them). Muhammad (bpuh) patiently endured poverty and the impudence of his people, and he poignantly felt the loss of one of his favourite uncles — Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (bpuh) said:
“This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.”
And in a literal sense, there are countless examples of the righteous, the scholars, and the truthful being imprisoned for their beliefs.
PAUSE TO REFLECT
Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) say:
“Whoever’s main concern is this world, Allah will scatter his affairs and afflict him with poverty between his eyes; moreover, nothing will come to him from this world except that which was written for him. And as for those who long for the Hereafter, Allah will unite (and make smooth) their affairs. He will instill richness into their hearts and the world will come to them, though it might do so unwillingly.”
‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (bpuh) say:
“Whoever transforms all of his concerns into one concern only — concern for the Hereafter — Allah will satisfy his demands and needs in this life. As for he who devotes his concerns to worldly matters, Allah will not care in which valley he perishes.”
TREADING THE MIDDLE PATH SAVES ONE FROM DESTRUCTION
There are two factors that help one lead a happy life:
Moderation in anger.
Moderation in fulfilling one’s desires.
One has to be moderate in fulfilling his desires, lest his desires and lusts increase to the point of constantly seeking to be satisfied, an outcome that will lead to his destruction. The same can be said about anger, for it too can lead to destruction.
What is required in all affairs is moderation. Strength, when in excess, makes violence and killing easy. And yet if there is a shortage of it, one will not be able to defend oneself against transgressors. But when one uses strength moderately, he can display the qualities of patience, bravery, and wisdom, each in its proper place and time. The same goes for desire; if there is too much of it, then wickedness and licentiousness will prevail; if there is too little of it, then one will become weak. However, if it is present in due moderation, one will achieve both chastity and satisfaction.
“Upon you is to follow the guidance of moderation”
(Thus we have made you [real believers of Islamic Monotheism] a just [and the best] nations….) (Qur’an 2: 143)
ONE IS JUDGED BY ONE‘S DOMINANT CHARACTERISTICS
To be successful means for you to have good qualities which outnumber and overshadow your bad qualities. When this becomes a reality in your life, you will find that people will shower compliments upon you, even for qualities that you do not possess. People will not accept criticism of you either, even if what is said about you is true —- a mountain is not increased in worthiness by an extra rock nor is it diminished by one less rock.
Although here and there I have read criticism of Qays ibn ‘Aasim, the generous one of the Arabs and of Qutaybah ibn Muslim, the famous leader, I have found that criticism and censure of such people is neither prevalent in books nor accepted by the masses. The reason for this is that their bad qualities were lost and drowned in their ocean of goodness. On the contrary, I have read some good things about Al-Hajjaj, Abu Muslim al-Khurasani, and Al-‘Ubaydi.
But nobody remembers such praise nor would anybody believe that any good qualities were present in the likes of such men. This is because these qualities are lost in the mass of their evil and wicked deeds. How perfect and how just Allah is in managing the affairs of His creation!
ONE’S INBORN CHARACTER
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“Made easy for everything is that for which it was created.”
Why then are talents neglected and discarded? Among the most miserable and wretched of people is the person who wishes to be somebody else. The intelligent and wise person is he who studies himself and then fulfils that purpose for which he was created. If it is to be a driver, he will drive, and if it is to be a farmer, he will farm. Sebaway’, the scholar of Arabic grammar, studied the hadith sciences, but found it to be too difficult. He moved on to grammar, and he became not only an expert but also one of the foremost grammarians in history. A wise person once said,
“The person who pursues a line that is not suited to him is like the one who plants a date-palm tree in Damascus, or like the one who plants a citron in the Arabian Peninsula.”
Consider this: Hassaan ibn Thaabit did not have a voice suited for being the Caller to Prayer because he was not Bilal, and Khalid ibn al-Waleed did not distribute the estate of the deceased because he was not Zayd ibn Thaabit (who was well versed in Islamic Inheritance Law) (may Allah be pleased with them). So seek out and determine your place in the scheme of things. An Arab poet said:
“For battles, are warriors that were created for them, And for books are writers and poets.”
IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE MERELY INTELLIGENT: ONE NEEDS TRUE GUIDANCE AS WELL
While listening to the news, I heard of the attempted assassination of playwright Najeeb Mahfooz, a Nobel laureate in literature. As I was listening to the report, my thoughts returned to those books of his that I read, and I asked myself this question: In spite of his obvious cleverness, how did he remain ignorant of the truth — the truth that reality transcends imagination, that everlastingness is greater than this transient life, and that divine principles are more important and higher than human ones?
(Is then He, Who gives guidance to the truth, more worthy to be followed, or he who finds not guidance [himself] unless he is guided?) (Quran I0: 35)
He wrote his plays from his imagination, using his prodigious ability to visualize, present, and inspire. In the end, however, he produced nothing but stories that have no basis in truth.
After reading his biography, I grasped an important principle:
One cannot succeed by making others happy at the expense of one’s own happiness. It cannot be considered correct, never mind sane, to make others pleased with you whilst you yourself are sad and miserable. Some writers have praised men of genius, not because they realized happiness and peace, but because they allowed themselves to burn on the inside in order to bring illumination to others. The true genius, however, is illuminated on the inside first, and then he shows others the way. He will build a foundation of guidance and goodness first of all for himself, and then for others.
The Hereafter and the world of the unseen — you will not find these themes in Najeeb Mahfooz’s writings. What you will find, though, is a world of imagination, dreams, and emotion; his works are alluring and so they became popular and successful. But where are the higher aims and noble messages one finds in great works? Truth be told, you will not find these themes discussed in his books.
(To each-these as well as those — We bestow from the Bounties of your Lord. And the Bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden.) (Qur’an 17: 20)
I concede that Najeeb Mahfooz realized what he had set out to do, but it is not enough for one to realize what one always wanted: what is required is that one fulfils what Allah wants.
(Allah wishes to make clear (what is lawful and what is unlawful) to you, and to show you the ways of those before you, and accept your repentance, and Allah is All-Knower; All-Wise. Allah wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you [believers] should deviate tremendously away from the Right Path) (Qur’an 4: 26-27)
I cannot say for certain who will enter Paradise and who will enter the Fire, except a person who has been identified through revelation as heading towards one or the other. That being the case, I can only judge people by their sayings and deeds.
(But surely, you will know them by the tone of their speech!)
(Qur’an 47: 30)
As an afterthought on the subject, what will one benefit if one becomes a king while his heart is perverse and full of falsehood? If talent and success do not lead one to salvation, what then are they good for?
IF ONE HAS INNER BEAUTY, HE WILL DISCERN BEAUTY IN THE UNIVERSE
To be truly happy, one should enjoy the beauty and splendor of life, an enjoyment that is limited only by the boundaries set forth by Islam. Allah has created for us beautiful gardens because He is Beautiful and He loves beauty, and in order for us to study His signs that are present in His wonderful creation.
(He it is who created for you all that is on the earth.) (Qur’an 2: 29)
The sweet-smelling odor, the delicious meal, and the awe- inspiring vista — these all bring lightness and happiness to the soul.
(Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth…..) (Qur’an 2: 168)
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“What has been made beloved to me from your world are perfume and women. And the delight of my eye is in the Prayer.”
Extremes of self-denial and rigid austerity have clouded and distorted for some the wonders of life. They live a life of celibacy, they purposely live in a state of penury, and they deprive themselves of food. The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) said:
“But I fast sometimes and eat (without fasting) at other times; I stand (for prayer at night) and I relax; I many women; I eat meat. So whoever deviates from my way, He is not from me.”
It is strange and confusing to see what the adherents of some sects have subjected themselves to; some have abstained from certain foods; others have given up laughing; and yet others have forbidden themselves from drinking cool water. It is as though they do not realize that these actions are tantamount to torturing one’s self and to extinguishing the light of one’s soul.
(Say [O’ Muhammad]: ‘Who has forbidden the adoration with clothes given by Allah, which He has produced for his slaves, and At-Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful things) of food]?)
(Qur’an 7: 32)
The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) ate honey, and he is the most pious and righteous human being. This is because Allah created honey to be eaten:
(There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying color wherein is healing for men.) (Qur’an 16: 69)
The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) married a virgin, and he also married women who had been either widowed or divorced.
(Then marry [other] women of your choice, two or three, or four…) (Qur’an 4: 3)
He wore the best of clothes on religious holidays and on other occasions as well.
Take your adornment [by wearing your clean clothes], while praying and going round [the Tawaaf of] the Ka ‘bah….) (Qur’an 7: 31)
The Prophet (bpuh) —- whom we must follow and who was sent with the true Religion —- fulfilled the rights of both, body and soul.
RELIEF AFTER HARDSHIP
Hardship, no matter how great and far-reaching it becomes, never endures or lasts. Rather, the harsher and more difficult one’s circumstances become, the closer one comes to ease, comfort, and relief then help and aid are forthcoming from Allah. Is not the end of every dark night a bright morning?
YOU ARE ABOVE JEALOUSY
The most blessed of people is the one who desires the Hereafter and is not jealous of other people for what Allah has given them. He is someone who carries with him a message of higher principles and he wishes to impart that message to others. If he is unable to help others, then at least he brings them no harm. Take the Ocean of Knowledge and the Interpreter of the Qur’an. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him), as an example. He managed, through his lofty manners and his generous soul to transform enemies (Banu ‘Umayyah, Banu Marwan, and their supporters) into friends. As a consequence, more people were able to benefit from his knowledge and understanding. He filled gatherings with knowledge and the remembrance of Allah. He forgot the days of Al-Jamal and As- Siffeen, and he left behind what came before and after those battles.
He proceeded to build and to unite and to repair differences. Everybody came to love him and he became the “Eminent Scholar” of the Islamic nation. On the other hand there is Ibn Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the epitome of nobleness, generosity, and sincere worship. He, however, preferred to confront rather than to give up personal rights, so much so, that he became preoccupied in this pursuit and consequently many Muslims were lost. Then the worst of it happened. The Ka’bah became a place of fighting because his enemies found him in its precincts and many were slaughtered. Finally, he himself was killed and then crucified.
May Allah be pleased with him and with all of the Prophet’s noble Companions.
(And Allah’s Command must be fulfilled.) (Qur’an 33: 38)
I do not mean to disparage some and to praise others; I am merely attempting to study history with an eye for seeking out morals and lessons. Gentleness, compromise, and forgiveness — these qualities are present only in a minority of people. This is because, to achieve them and to incorporate them into one’s character, one must repress and even subjugate one’s self, forgetting lofty desires and ambitions.
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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