PONDER THESE POINTS
Do not be sad, because sadness causes you to regret the past, to have misgivings concerning the future, and to make you waste away your present.
Do not be sad, because it causes the heart to contract, the face to frown, the spirit to weaken, and hope to vanish.
Do not be sad, because your sadness pleases your enemy, angers your friend, and makes the jealous rejoice.
Do not be sad, because by being sad, you are complaining against the divine decree and showing vexation at what is written for you.
Do not be sad, because grief cannot return to you the one that is lost or is gone away. lt cannot resurrect the dead, it cannot change fate, or bring any benefit whatsoever.
Do not be sad, because sadness is often from the devil and is a kind of hopelessness.
(Have we not opened your breast for you [O’ Muhammad]? And removed from you your burden, which weighed down on your back? And raised high your fame? So verily, with the hardship, there is relief verily with the hardship, there is relief [i.e. there is one hardship with two reliefs, .so one hardship cannot overcome two reliefs]. So when you have finished [from your occupation], then stand up for Allah is worship [i.e. stand up for prayer]. And to your Lord [Alone] turn [all your intentions and hopes and] your invocations.) (Qur’an 94: l-8)
AS LONG AS YOU HAVE FAITH IN ALLAH, DON’T BE SAD
Faith in Allah, the Almighty, is to happiness and peace, while disbelief is to confusion and misery. l have read about many intelligent people of a certain kind, some who might even be called geniuses, geniuses though whose hearts are bereft of the light of guidance. And as such, they spoke wicked words about the Shari’ah (Islamic law). These are two examples that come to mind: Abu al- ‘Ulaa al-Maarri said about the Shariah, “Contradiction, concerning which we can do nothing but stay quiet.” Second, is the saying of lbn Seena, “The element that influences nature is the active intellect.”
I thus came to know that to the degree that one has faith in his heart will one be happy. More recent sayings, similar in meaning to the two above, are the offspring of the evil words of old that were spoken by Fir’aun:
(Fir’aun [Pharaoh] said: ‘O’ chiefs! I know not that you have an ilah [a god] other than me…) (Qur’an 28: 38)
(Fir’aun said: ‘l am your lord, most high.) (Qur’an 79: 24)
James Allen, author of How Man Thinks, said:
“Man will come to know that each time he changes his opinions and thoughts concerning things and other people, those same things and people will in their part also change…
Suppose someone to have changed his thinking, and we will be astonished to learn how quickly the state of his material life changes. Therefore the sacred thing that shapes our goals is our own selves.”
Regarding incorrect thinking and its effects, Allah, the Exalted, says:
(Nay but you thought that the Messenger [Muhammad] and the believers would never return to their families; and that seemed fair in your hearts, and you did think an evil thought and you became a useless people going for destruction.? (Qur’an 48: 12)
(And they thought wrongly of Allah — the thought of ignorance. They said, ‘Have we any part in the affair?’ Say you [O’ Muhammad]:
‘Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allah.) (Qur’an 3: 154)
James Allen also said:
“Everything that a person accomplishes is a direct result of his personal thinking… And man is capable of triumphing and of achieving his goals through his thinking; he will remain weak and miserable if he refuses to acknowledge this.”
Allah, the _Almighty, said of true determination and correct thought:
(And if they had intended to march out, certainly; they would have made some preparation for it, but Allah was averse to their being sent forth, so He made them lag behind…) (Qur’an 9: 46)
(Had Allah known of any good in them, He would indeed have made them listen..) (Qur’an 8: 23)
(He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down As-Sakinah [calmness and tranquility] upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory..)
(Qur’an 48: IS)
DO NOT GRIEVE OVER TRIVIALITIES FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD IS TRIVIAL
A righteous person was once thrown into a lion’s cage, and Allah then saved him from its claws. He was later asked, “What were you thinking about at the time.” He said, “I was considering the saliva of a lion — whether it is considered by scholars to be pure or impure (i.e. whether, when I die, I will be in a state of purity or not).”
Allah described those who were with the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) according to their intentions:
(Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter)
(Qur’an 3: 152)
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that a person’s value is measured according to his determination and his goals. A wise person once said words to the same effect:
“Inform me of a man’s determination and I will tell you what kind of man he is.”
A vessel capsized at sea, and a worshipper was hurled into the water. He began to make ablution, one limb at a time. He managed to ” get to shore and was saved. He was asked about the ablution and why he made it, to which he replied, “I wanted to make ablution so that I would die in a state of purity.”
Imam Ahmad, during the pangs of death, was pointing to his beard while others were making his ablution for him, reminding them not to miss a spot.
(So Allah gave them the reward of this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter) (Qur’an 3: 148)
D0o not grieve when you are shown overt enmity, for if you forgive and forget, you will have achieved nobility in this world and honor in the next.
But whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah. (Quran 42: 40)
Shakespeare said words to the effect of,
“Don’t light the oven too much for your enemy in order not to burn yourself by the fIame.”
Someone said to Saalim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, a scholar from the early generations of Islam, “You are an evil man.” He quickly replied, “None knows me save you.”
A man said in a verbal attack to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him):
“By Allah, I will curse you with such curses that will enter with you into your grave.” He calmly answered, “Nay, but they shall enter with you into yours.”
And someone said to ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas,
“l will dedicate myself to waging war against you.” ‘Amr replied, “Now have you fallen into what supersedes all else, and it will be your preoccupation (i.e. your misely).”
General Eisenhower once exclaimed:
“Let us not waste one minute in thought over those whom we do not love.”
The mosquito said to the tree:
“Remain firm, for I wish to fly away and leave you.” The tree answered, “By Allah, I felt not your landing on me! Then how will I feel you when you fly away.”
Hatim said:
“I forgive the generous one when he saves some of his wealth, And I turn away from the curses of the accursed one generously. “
(And if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity.? (Qur’an 25: 72)
(And when the foolish address them [with bad words] they reply back with mild words of gentleness.}? (Qur’an 25: 63)
Confucius said:
“The angry man is always replete with poison.”
One man asked the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) to give him advice three times. He (bpuh) answered each time:.
“Don’t be angry.”
The Prophet (bpuh) said of anger in the following hadith:
“Anger is an ember from the fire.”
The Devil overcomes man on three occasions: when he is angry, when he feels lust, and when he is in a state of forgetfulness.
THIS IS HOW THE WORLD IS
Marcus Aurelius, one of the more wise of the Roman Emperors, stated one day:
“Today, I shall meet people who speak much, who are selfish, loathsome, and who love only themselves. Yet I will not be annoyed or bewildered by them, because I don’t imagine the rest of the world to be any different.”
STRIVE TO HELP OTHERS
Aristotle said:
“The ideal person is he who takes pleasure in serving others, and who is ashamed when others do things for him, since showing compassion is a sign of superiority, while receiving it is a sign of failure.”
More concise and to the point is the following hadith:
“The Upper Hand is better than the Lower Hand.” The upper hand refers to the giving hand, and the lower one refers to the receiving hand.
DO NOT FEEL DEPRIVED AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A LOAF OF BREAD, A GLASS OF WATER AND CLOTHES ON YOUR BACK
A mariner once became lost at sea, and remained lost for twenty- one days. When he was saved, someone asked him what the greatest lesson was that he took away with him from the experience. He answered,
“The biggest lesson that I learned from it was that if you have fresh water and sufficient food, you should never complain.”
It has been said that, “Life in its entirety is a morsel of food and a drink of water. Whatever exceeds that is excess.”
Jonathan Swift said that the best doctors in the world are “the proper diet doctor,” “the rest doctor” and, “the doctor of happiness. .. “
The reasoning behind Swift’s comment is that corpulence is a reprehensible disease that causes the level of one’s intelligence to diminish. Meanwhile, rest and moderation and happiness are satisfying forms of nourishment for the mind, heart, and soul.
BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE
Dr. Samuel Johnson said:
“The habit of looking on the bright side in every circumstance is more valuable than having a large income.”
(See they n0t that they are tried once or twice every year [with different kinds of calamities, disease, famine, etc.]? Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from it))
(Quran 9: 126)
One of our pious predecessors said to someone:
“Verily, I see upon you the signs of blessings, and my advice to you is to lock your blessings up and keep them safe by being thankful.”
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks [by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah], I will give you more [of My Blessings], but you are thankless [i.e. disbelievers], verily! My Punishment is indeed severe.) (Quran I4: 7)
(And Allah puts forward the example of a township [Makkah], that dwelt secure and well content; its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it [its people] denied the Favors of Allah [with ungratefulness]. So Allah made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine] and fear because of that [evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad] which they [its people] used to do.) (Qur’an 16: 112)
YOU ARE CREATED UNIQUE
Dr. James Gordon Gilkee said:
“The dilemma of wanting your own identity is as ancient as the beginning of history, and it is common to all human life. Similar is the problem of not wanting to be your own self, which is the source of much personal imbalance and disturbance. “
Someone else said:
“You are a unique entity among creation: nothing is exactly similar to you, nor are you exactly similar to anything, because the Creator has brought diversity to the creation.”
(Certainly, your efforts and deeds are diverse [different in aims and purposes].) (Qur’an 92: 4)
Angelo Battero wrote thirteen books and thousands of articles related to the topic of child education. He once wrote:
“There is none more miserable than the one who grows up not being himself, who grows up imitating others in appearance and thought.”
(He sends down water [rain] from the sky and the valleys flow according to their measure…..)
(Qur’an 13: 17)
Every person has his own idiosyncrasies, talents, and abilities, so no one should fuse his personality into that of another.
Undoubtedly, you have been created with restricted means and abilities that will help you to accomplish very specific and limited goals. It has been wisely put: Read yourself and know yourself; you will then know your mission in life.
Emerson said in his essay on self-reliance:
“The time will come when the knowledge of man will reach the level where his faith will be that jealousy is ignorance and imitation is suicide. And one will accept his own self, as he is, no matter what the circumstances, because that is his lot. Also, despite the fact that the world is filled with good things, one will not accomplish anything until he plants and cares for the land that was given to him. Hidden strengths that are inside of him are new to the world, and he does not know the extent of his abilities until he tries.”
And say [O’ Muhammad], ‘Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers. ii (Qur’an 9: 105)
Contemplate these verses:
Say: ‘O’ My slaves, who have transgressed against themselves [by committing evil deeds and sins]! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly; He is oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.?
(Qur’an 39: 53)
(And those who when they have committed Fahisha [illegal sexual intercourse etc.] or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; —- and none can forgive sins but Allah —- And do not persist in what [wrong] they have done, while they know)
(Quran 3: 135)
(And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah’s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)
(Qur’an 4: 110)
(And when my slaves ask you [O ‘Muhammad] concerning me, then [answer them], I am indeed near [to them by My Knowledge], I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on me [without any mediator or intercessor]. So let them obey me and believe in me, so that they may be led aright) (Quran 2: 186)
(Is not He [better than your gods] who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations. Is there any ilah [god] with Allah? Little is that you remember’?
(Qur’an 27: 62)
(Those [i.e. believers] unto whom the people [hypocrites] said, Verily; the people [pagans] have gathered against you [a great army], therefore, fear them. ‘But it [only] increased them in Faith, and they said: ‘Allah [Alone] is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs [for us]. ‘So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allah. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty. ) (Qur’an 3: 173-174)
(‘And my affair i leave it to Allah. Verily, Allah is the All-Seer of [His] slaves’. So Allah saved him from the evils that they plotted [against him]…) (Qur’an 40: 44-45)
MUCH THAT IN APPEARANCE IS HARMFUL IS IN FACT A BLESSING
William James said:
“Our handicaps help us to an extent that we never expected. If Dostoyevski and Tolstoy had not lived painful lives, they would not have been capable of writing their ageless journals. So being an orphan, blind, poor, or away from home and comfort are all conditions that may lead you to accomplishment and distinction, to advancement and contribution. “
A poet said:
“Allah can bestow His blessings through trials that are small or large, And He puts some to trial by giving them of His blessings.”
Even children and wealth can be the cause of misery:
(So let not their wealth 0r their children amaze you [O’ Muhammad]; in reality Allah’s Plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world) (Qur’an 9: 55)
Upon becoming crippled, Ibn Atheer was afforded the opportunity to complete his two famous books. Jam’ey al-usool and An-Nihayah. As-Sarakhsi wrote his acclaimed book, Al-Mabsoot, all fifteen volumes of it, while being imprisoned at the bottom of a well. Ibn al-Qayyim wrote Zaad al-Ma’ad while journeying on a riding animal; Al-Qunubi wrote a commentary on Saheeh Muslim while traveling on a boat; Most of Ibn Taymiyah’s Fataawa was written while he was in jail.
The scholars of hadith gathered hundreds and thousands of ahaadeeth (hadiths): these were people that were poor, people that were strangers to the word ‘home.’ A righteous person informed me that he was imprisoned for a while, and during the period of his incarceration, he memorized the entire Qur’an and studied forty large volumes on Islamic jurisprudence.
Abu al-‘Ulaa dictated his books to others because he was blind. Taha Hussain lost his sight, and forthwith he began writing his renowned journals and books. Many bright people, upon being removed from their positions or jobs, contributed to the world in knowledge and thought much more than they ever previously did in their lives.
Francis Bacon said that,
“A little philosophy makes one lean towards disbelief and to delve into philosophy brings the mind closer to religion.”
(And these similitudes we put forward for mankind, but none will understand them except those who have knowledge [of Allah and His Signs, etc]. (Qur’an 29: 43)
(it is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.) (Qur’an 35: 28)
(And those who have been bestowed with knowledge and faith will say: indeed you have stayed according to the Decree of Allah, until the Day of Resurrection…) (Quran 30: 56)
(Say [to them O’ Muhammad]: ‘l exhort you on one [thing] only: that you stand up for Allah s sake in pairs and singly, —– and reflect [within yourselves the life history of the Prophet, he is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment.) (Quran 34: 46)
Dr. A. A. Brill said:
“The true believer will never be afflicted by mental sickness.”
(Verily those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger (Muhammad) ] and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent [Allah] will bestow love for them [in the hearts of the believers].)
(Quran 19: 96)
(Whoever works righteousness, whether male of female, while he [or she] is a true believer [of lslamic Monotheism] verily to him We will give a good life [in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do [i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter) (Qur’an 16: 97)
(And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the straight path.) (Qur’an 22: 54)
FAITH IS THE GREATEST REMEDY!
One of the foremost experts in psychology of our time, Dr. Carl Jung, mentioned on page 264 of his book The Modern Man In Search Of Spirit:
“Over the last thirty years, people from all over the world have come to me seeking advice. I treated hundreds of patients and most of them were middle-aged, or more than thirty-five years old. The problem with every one of them returned to one issue – seeking refuge in religion, and by doing so, being able to have a perspective or outlook on life. I can reasonably say that every one of them became sick because they missed out on that which religion has to offer to the believer. And the one who does not develop a true faith cannot be healed.”
(But whosoever turns away from My Reminder [i. e. neither believes in this Qur’an nor acts on its orders, etc.] verily for him is a life of hardship…)
(Qur’an 20: 124)
(We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah…) (Qur’an 3: 151)
(Darkness, one above another if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light.) (Qur’an 24: 40)
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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