SATISFACTION IS RICHNESS AND SAFETY
Whoever fills his heart with satisfaction regarding the Divine Decree, Allah fills his heart with richness, safety, and comfort. And whoever becomes dissatisfied, then his heart will be filled with the opposite, and his heart will be preoccupied with matters that clash with happiness and success.
Therefore contentment empties the heart of all superfluous carriage, thus leaving it entirely for Allah. Discontent removes from the heart all thought of Allah. And so there is no real life for the resentful, complaining person who always feels that he is shifting from one problem to the next. He feels his sustenance to be insufficient, his luck poor, his problems manifold, and above all, he feels that he is deserving of more. Basically, he is discontented with what Allah decreed for him. How then can such a person find comfort, peace, and a good life?
(That is because they followed that which angered Allah, and hated that which pleased Him. So He made their deeds fruitless.) (Quran 47: 28)
THE FRUIT OF CONTENTMENT IS THANKFULNESS
Contentment leads to thankfulness, which is among the highest levels of faith. In truth, it is the reality of faith. The epitome of all the differing levels of righteousness is thankfulness of Allah. And the one who is not content with Allah’s favors and rulings and with His giving and His taking away is not thankful to Him. Indeed, the thankful person is the most blessed and prosperous of people.
THE FRUIT OF DISCONTENTMENT IS DISBELIEF
Resentment causes one to deny the favors of Allah. Eventually perhaps, it could even lead to disbelieving in Allah. lf the slave is pleased with his Lord in all circumstances, what follows necessarily is being thankful to Him. He therefore becomes among the pleased and thankful ones. But if he is devoid of contentment, he becomes among the resentful ones and follows the ways of the disbelievers. Falsehood and deviation in beliefs only occurred because many of Allah’s slaves wanted to become their own gods, to the point that many of them attempted to dictate to their Lord their wants and desires.
(O’ you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allah and His Messenger) (Qur’an 49: 1)
DISSATISFACTION IS A TRAP OF THE DEVIL
The devil prevails in his subjugation of man most often in two areas: dissatisfaction and desire. ln these instances he finds his prey to be extremely vulnerable, particularly when displeasure becomes deep-rooted. At this point, he says, he does, and he thinks that which displeases his Lord. P or this explicit reason, the Prophet (bpuh) said upon the death of lbraheem:
“The heart is sad, the eye sheds tears, and yet we don’t say anything, except that which pleases our Lord.”
The death of one’s child is something that might lead to resentment in a person’s heart. Hence, the Prophet (bpuh) informed us that, in such a situation, a situation regarding which most people are resentful and which causes them to say or do that which is displeasing to their Lord, they must not say anything except that which pleases their Lord. lf one were to keep the following three matters at his fingertips when he is displeased and angry about what has happened to him, then the burden of his calamity will lighten significantly. They are:
To know and to believe in the wisdom of Allah, and in the fact that He knows best what is good and beneficial for His slaves.
To be conscious of the great reward and recompense that Allah promised to the slave who becomes afflicted and is then patient.
To know and accept that rulings and judgments are with Allah, while submission and obedience are for His slaves.
(ls it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord?) (Qur’an 43: 32)
ANOTHER WORD ON CONTENTMENT
The desires of one who is contented are subservient to what his Lord wants from him- meaning that which Allah loves and that with which He is pleased. Hence, contentment and the blind following of one’s own desires can never coexist in the same heart. And if one has a share of the former and a share of the latter, his heart will be conquered by the stronger of the two.
(‘And I hastened to you, O’ my Lord, that You might be pleased.) (Qur’an 20: 84)
Contemplate this hadith:
“Become acquainted with Allah in good times, He will know you in harsh (times).”
“Become acquainted with Allah,” means that you should seek closeness to Him by being obedient to Him, by being thankful to Him for His blessings, and by turning to Him sincerely before hardship befalls you.
“In good times,” refers to times of peace, safety, blessings, and good health. “He will know you in harsh (times),” by alleviating your hardship and by giving you an exit from every difficult situation.
It is very important that a special relationship exists in the heart between the slave and his Lord, a relationship that allows the slave to feel so close to his Lord that he requires no other. Thus, he finds company when he is alone, and he tastes the sweetness of remembering Him and supplicating to Him. Allah’s slave will continually face hardship and difficulty until he dies, but if he has a special relationship with his Lord —- that of being an obedient slave e all of the hardships of life will become easy for him.
The desires of one who is contented are subservient to what his Lord wants from him- meaning that which Allah loves and that with which He is pleased. Hence, contentment and the blind following of one’s own desires can never coexist in the same heart. And if one has a share of the former and a share of the latter, his heart will be conquered by the stronger of the two.
(‘And I hastened to you, O’ my Lord, that You might be pleased.) (Qur’an 20: 84)
Contemplate this hadith:
“Become acquainted with Allah in good times, He will know you in harsh (times).”
“Become acquainted with Allah,” means that you should seek closeness to Him by being obedient to Him, by being thankful to Him for His blessings, and by turning to Him sincerely before hardship befalls you.
“In good times,” refers to times of peace, safety, blessings, and good health. “He will know you in harsh (times),” by alleviating your hardship and by giving you an exit from every difficult situation.
It is very important that a special relationship exists in the heart between the slave and his Lord, a relationship that allows the slave to feel so close to his Lord that he requires no other. Thus, he finds company when he is alone, and he tastes the sweetness of remembering Him and supplicating to Him. Allah’s slave will continually face hardship and difficulty until he dies, but if he has a special relationship with his Lord —- that of being an obedient slave e all of the hardships of life will become easy for him.
OVERLOOKING THE FAULTS OF ONE’S BROTHERS
(Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish [i.e. don’t punish them].) (Qur’an 7: 199)
It is not right for you to forsake your brother because of one or two faults that you find in him, especially if the rest of his character is honorable. As we know, perfection for any one of us is unattainable.
Al-Kindi said:
“How is it that you want your friend to possess a specific pattern of characteristics when your soul —— which is the closest of souls to you — does not always obey your commands. What right do you then have to expect another person’s soul to follow your orders.”
(Even as he is now so were you yourselves before till Allah conferred on you His Favors (i.e. guided you to Islam)…) (Qur’an 4: 94)
(So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him.) (Qur’an: 53: 32)
It is enough for you that you are satisfied with the main part of your brother’s character. Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“To reproach your brother for something is better than to lose him altogether?
Some of the wise said:
“We are still not satisfied with ourselves, so how then can we expect ourselves to be satisfied with others.”
It has also been said:
Don’t remain aloof from someone who impresses you with a good character and sound judgment because of some minor fault that is surrounded by an ocean of virtues. You will not find, as long as you live, a person so cultivated that he is free from blemish and sin. Contemplate your own self and how it often errs and strays. This kind of introspection makes your demand on others more balanced and makes you more sympathetic to the sinner.”
An Arab poet said:
“Who is the one whose character is untainted, sufficient worthiness for someone is that his defects can be counted.”
It has been said that one’s suspicions concerning one’s brother should not ruin a good mutual trust that has been tested over time.
Ja’far ibn Muhammad said to his son. “O’ my son, whoever among your brothers becomes angry with you three times, and on each occasion speaks only the truth about you, take him as a close friend.”
Al-Hasan ibn Wahb said,
“From the rights of mutual love is to forgive and overlook shortcomings?
(So overlook their faults with gracious forgiveness.) (Qur’an 15: 85)
Ibn Roomi said:
“These are people and the world, and there is no doing away with dust that irritates the eyes or spoils the drink. From the lack of fairness is to expect refinement in the world, while you yourself are unrefined.”
(And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins.) (Qur’an 24: 21)
A poet said:
“You seek a cultivated person who is free from defects, but does the aloe exude a pleasant odor without smoke.”
(So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him.) (Quran 53: 32)
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HEALTH AND FREE TIME
You must not waste your health and free time: d0 not become remiss in performing deeds of obedience to your Lord because you depend on past good actions. Take advantage of your health and free time by working and striving. Remember that you cannot always make up for lost time and that sooner or later, you will rue those times that you have wasted away in idleness. Bazrjamhar said: “If work causes one to tire, then inactivity causes one to decay.”
One of the wise said:
“Don’t spend your day doing something that will not benefit you and don’t let your wealth remain idle by not investing it in some project. For there is too little time in one’s life to throw it away on something useless, and one’s supply of money is too small not to invest it. So the wise one is too judicious to waste his time in nonsense and to spend his money in something that will not bring a return.”
More profound than that is the saying of ‘Eesa (Jesus):
“Piety is in three: in speech, in sight, and in silence. Whoever’s speech is not in remembrance (of Allah) has spoken nonsense. Whoever looks without trying to learn a lesson has forgotten (his true purpose). And whoever’s silence is not accompanied with reflection has been heedless.”
ALLAH PROTECTS THOSE WHO BELIEVE
Every man, whether he admits it or not, is in need of a god, and it follows that that god must possess certain qualities, such as omnipotence, power, richness, and everlastingness. The One who has all of these — and all other perfect qualities — is Allah, the Lord of all that exists.
Therefore the sincere seeker is drawn to and then finds comfort in his belief in Allah. He is the sanctuary of the weak and of the ones who seek refuge.
([Remember] when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you.) (Qur’an 8: 9)
(And He protects [all], while against whom there is no protector:
[i. e. if Allah saves anyone none can punish or harm him, and if Allah punishes or harms anyone none can save him) (Quran 23: 88)
(….when there will be neither a protector nor an intercessor for them besides Him…) (Qur’an 6:51)
Whoever worships other than Allah, even if he loves Him to a certain degree, is much worse off than the one who enjoys eating food that has been poisoned.
(Had there been therein [in the heavens and the earth] gods besides Allah, then verily both would have been ruined. Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, [High is He] above what they attribute to Him!)
(Qur’an 21: 22)
The need we have for Allah is shown by the connection sought by us between the transient and the Everlasting, the weak and the Almighty, the poor with the All-Rich. And whoever does not take Allah to be his Lord and God will positively take other than Him as a god. He will, for example, take pictures, objects of love, or his desires to be his deity, and then he becomes the slave and servant of that false deity. And of this there is no doubt.
(Have you seen him who has taken as his god his own desire?)
(Qur’an 25: 43)
(Yet they have taken besides Him other gods (Qur’an 25: 3)
In a hadith, the Prophet (`bpuh) asked someone:
“How many do you worship?” The man answered, “l worship seven: six on the earth and one in the heavens.”
The Prophet asked, “Who from them do you hope from and fear?” He replied, “The One in the heavens.” The Prophet said, “Then abandon the ones on the earth and worship the One in the heavens”
Know that the need of the slave to worship Allah alone, without associating partners with Him, is more urgent than the need to breathe air.
A person’s reality resides in his heart and soul. And neither one’s heart nor soul is healthy except by worshipping Allah.
“Whoever craves for a meeting with Allah, loves Him, And Allah will be for him stronger in love, the opposite holds true for the one who hates. So ask Allah for His Mercy and Favor, but don’t depend (i.e.: on this alone, but perform good deeds also).”
Even if one finds pleasure in other than Allah, it is a condition that will not last, for when one becomes bored with one object or person, he immediately seeks another. He will find blessings with this person at one time, and End annoyance and vexation with the same person at another time. Indeed, he might even come to hate a person whose company at one time had given him the utmost of pleasure.
As for Allah, one is in constant need of Him, on all occasions and at all times.
“l wish that You were pleased with me and every human was with me angry, lf You are pleased with me, that is the pinnacle of my hopes. “
The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever pleases Allah by making people angry, Allah will be pleased with him and He will make them to be pleased with him. And whoever angers Allah by pleasing the people, Allah will be angry with him and He will make the people to be angry with him also.”
(And thus we do make the wrong-doers supporters and helpers of one another [in committing crimes etc.], because of that which they used to earn.) (Quran 6: 129)
SIGNPOSTS ON THE SEEKER’S HIGHWAY
lf one wants to know whether one is climbing upwards toward success, there are certain signs and indications that can help him to determine his progress.
As one becomes more knowledgeable, one becomes more humble and merciful to others. Think of an expensive pearl: the more heavy and valuable it is, the deeper it is in the ocean. A wise person knows that though knowledge is a gift, Allah tests the one whom He gives it to. When one is thankful for the gift of knowledge, one will be raised in ranking.
(Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge) (Qur’an 58:11)
The more one performs good deeds; the more one becomes cautious and fearful, in the sense that he does not feel secure from error, such as a slip of the tongue or a change of heart. He is always in a state of watching over himself and of being wary. He is like a careful bird: each time it lands on a tree, it soon leaves it for another, afraid of the skilled hunter and his bullet.
The older one gets the less covetous should one be for this world, for he comes to know with certainty that his time is soon finished.
The wealthier one becomes the more generous should one be towards others. The wealthy Muslim must understand that his wealth is a trust given to him, and that Allah is testing him in that wealth.
The higher one’s status becomes in society, the closer should he be to ordinary people, showing humility and fulfilling their needs.
But there are also signs that indicate wretchedness:
The more knowledge one attains the more haughty and arrogant he becomes. Such a person’s knowledge is not beneficial. His heart is empty and his company is heavy to bear.
The more he increases in deeds, the more proud he becomes and the more contemptuous he becomes of others. He doesn’t give the benefit of the doubt to anyone except to his own self Thus, he deems that he is the only one who achieves salvation while all others are bound for destruction.
The older he gets, the more avarice and cupidity become part of his character. He gathers, but he never shares. Calamities and misfortune fail to move him into becoming a benefactor to others.
The wealthier he becomes, the more miserly he becomes with his money.
The higher his position in society, the higher his level of arrogance and haughtiness. The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“The arrogant ones will be gathered on the Day of Judgment in the form of small ants. People will trample on them with their feet.”
In each of the points discussed above, I mentioned some of Allah’s favors, favors by which He tests His slaves: some of those slaves will pass the test while others will fail it.
BEING BLESSED WITH HONOR IS ALSO A TEST
lf one is endowed with power, honor, status, rank, or wealth, he must realize that he is being tested. When Prophet Sulaymaan (Solomon) saw the throne of Bilqees (Queen of Sheba) brought before him, he said:
(‘This is by the Grace of my Lord — to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful!) (Qur’an 27: 40)
Thus Allah gives a blessing to see who accepts it properly — by being thankful for it, by preserving it, and by taking advantage of it in a good way; and to see who denies it — by not being thankful, by wasting away the favor, or even by using it to wage war against the One Who gave it to him in the first place!
We must understand, therefore, that blessings are trials from Allah. It is through trials that the gratitude of the grateful person becomes revealed while the ingrate becomes exposed. And we must remember that Allah tests us in good times as well as in bad times.
(As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honor and gifts, then he says (puffed up): ‘My Lord has honored me!. But when He tries him, by straitening his means of life, he says: ‘My Lord has humiliated me! Nay!….) (Qur’an 89: 15-17)
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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