STEPS TO TAKE IF YOU ARE FEARFUL OF A JEALOUS PERSON
Recite the last two chapters of the Qur’an, remember Allah, and supplicate to Him:
(‘And from the evil of the envier when he envies.) (Qur’an 113: 5)
Hide or keep secret your affairs from the jealous person:
(‘O’ my sons! Do not enter by one gate, but enter by different gates….) (Qur’an I2: 67)
Be generous to a person who attempts to harm you, for perhaps he will then desist:
(Repel evil with that which is better) (Quran 23: 96)
GOOD MANNERS
Good manners lead to prosperity, while bad ones lead to misery.
ln a hadith, the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said:
“Through good manners, one reaches the status of the person who not only fasts, but who also stands late in the night to pray.”
He (bpuh) also said:
“Shall I not inform you of the most beloved to me and the one seated closest to me on the Day of Resurrection:
‘Those of you who are best in manners.”‘
(And verily you [O’ Muhammad] are on an exalted standard of character) (Qur’an 68: 4)
(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)
(….and speak good to peoples….) (Qur’an 2: 83)
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) described the Prophet
(bpuh) with the following words:
“His character was the Qur’an.”
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
lf you toss and turn during the night without being able to fall asleep, do the following:
Remember Allah with Prophetic supplications or supplications taken from the Qur’an:
(Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.) (Qur’an 13: 28)
Avoid sleeping during the day, except when you have no other choice:
(And have made the day for livelihood.) (Qur’an 78: 11)
Read or write until sleep comes:
And say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge. ‘
(Qur’an 20: 114)
Work hard during the day:
(And [it is He Who] makes the day Nushur [i.e. getting up and going about here and there for daily work, etc., after one s sleep at night or like resurrection after ones death].) (Qur’an 25: 47)
Consume stimulants such as coffee and tea in moderation.
THE EVIL CONSEQUENCES OF SINNING
Listed below are some of the evil consequences of sinning.
A barrier develops between Allah and the evildoer:
(Nay! Surely, they [evildoers] will be veiled from seeing their Lord that day) (Qur’an 83: 15)
When a person perpetrates evil deeds on a continual basis, he will become despondent, losing hope of being saved.
The evildoer often falls into a state of depression and anxiety:
(The building which they built will never cease to be a cause of hypocrisy and doubt in their hearts…) (Qur’an 9: 110)
Fear permeates the heart of the evildoer:
(We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined others in worship with Allah…) (Qur’an 3: 151)
Life becomes wretched for the evildoer:
(…verily, for hint is a lure of hardship…..) (Qur’an 20: 124)
The heart of the evildoer blackens and becomes hard:
(…and made their hearts grow hard.) (Qur’an 5: 13)
An evildoer’s face loses its light and becomes morbid:
(As for those whose faces will become black [to them will be said]: ‘Did you reject Faiths….) ( Qur’an 3: 106)
People feel contempt for an evildoer.
The worldly circumstances of an evildoer become straitened:
(And if only they had acted according to the Torah, the Injeel [Gospel, and what has [now] been sent down to them from their Lord [the Qur’an], they would surely have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet.) (Qur’an 5: 66)
The wrath of Allah, a decrease in faith, and calamity — all of these are the lot of the evildoer:
(So they have drawn on themselves wrath upon wrath.) (Qur’an 2: 90)
(But on their hearts is the Raan’ [covering of sins and evil deeds] which they used to earn.) (Qur’an 83: 14)
(And they say, ‘Our hearts are wrapped [i.e. do not hear or understand Allah’s Word].) (Qur’an 2: 88)
STRIVE FOR YOUR SUSTENANCE, BUT DON’T BE COVETOUS
The Lord of the worlds provides for the worm in the ground:
(There is not a moving [living] creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you.) (Qur’an 6: 38)
Allah provides for the birds in the sky and for the fish in the sea:
(And it is He Who feeds but is not fed.) (Qur’an 6: 14)
You are worthier than a worm, bird, or fish, so don’t worry about sustenance.
l have known people who were stricken by poverty simply because of their distance from Allah. Some of them were rich and healthy, but instead of being thankful they turned away from obedience to Allah, they abandoned prayer, and they perpetrated major sins. Allah took away from them their health and their wealth, replacing these with poverty, sickness, and anxiety. They were then afflicted with hardship upon hardship, calamity upon calamity.
(But whosoever turns away from My Reminder; verily for him is a life of hardship…) (Qur’an 20: 124)
(That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in their own selves) (Qur’an 8: 53)
(And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.) (Quran 42: 30)
(If they [Non-Muslims] had believed in Allah, and went on the Right Way [i.e. Islam]. We should surely have bestowed on them water [rain] in abundance.) (Quran 72: 16)
THE SECRET OF GUIDANCE
Contentment and happiness are blessings that are given only to those who follow the straight path. Muhammad (bpuh) left us upon one end of this path, and at the other end of it are the gardens of Paradise.
(And indeed we should then have guided them to a Straight Way)
(Qur’an 4: 68)
By happiness we mean this: when one adheres to the straight path, though he may be afflicted with hardships along the way, he is confident of a happy ending and a future abode in Paradise. As a result, he will follow the Prophet (bpuh), who spoke not from his own desires, who was immune to the whisperings of the Devil, and whose sayings are a proof upon mankind.
(For each [person], there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the Command of Allah.) (Quran 13: 11)
One can sense the joy of a righteous person by his mannerisms and by his treading the straight path. He knows that he has a Lord and that he has a role model in the Messenger (bpuh); he has the Book of Allah in his hand, illumination in his heart, and a conscience that prompts him to do well. He is advancing to a greater state of bliss and is always striving for betterment.
(This is the Guidance of Allah with which he guides whosoever He will of His slaves.) (Qur’an 6: 88)
There are two paths: one that is figurative and the other that has a physical reality. The first path is that of faith, which one treads in this transient life e a life that is fraught with temptations and desires.- The second path is in the Hereafter. Every person will have to go across that second path in order to reach Paradise. Anyone who fails will plunge into the Fire. This path or bridge is teeming with spikes. Whoever is guided to the path of faith and belief in this life will safely cross the path of the Hereafter—the speed at which he crosses will be proportional to the level of his faith. And know that if one is blessed with being guided to the straight path, his worries and anxieties will quickly vanish.
TEN GEMS FOR A GOOD AND NOBLE LIFE
Wake up in the last third of the night to beg forgiveness from Allah.
(And those who pray and beg Allah s Pardon in the last hours of the night.)
(Quran 3: 17)
At least once in a while, seclude yourself from people in order to contemplate.
(And [those who] think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth…) (Quran 3: 191)
Stay in the company of the righteous.
(And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord…)
(Quran 18: 28)
Remember Allah often.
(Remember Allah with much remembrance.) (Quran 33: 41)
Pray two units of prayer with sincerity and devotion.
(Those who offer their prayer with all solemnity and full submissiveness) (Quran 23: 2)
Recife the Qur’an with understanding and reflection.
(Do they not then consider the Quran carefully?) (Quran 4: 82)
Fast on a hot, dry day.
“He abandons his food, drink, and desire —- all for me.”
Give charity secretly.
“Until the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand has spent.”
Provide relief and aid to the afflicted Muslim.
“Whoever gives relief to a Muslim from one of the vicissitudes of this life, Allah will relieve him from a calamity that is from the calamities of the Day of Judgment”
Be as abstemious and abstinent as possible in this fleeting world.
(The Hereafter is better and more lasting.) (Quran 87: I 7)
Among the delusions of Prophet Noah’s son was his saying:
(‘I will betake myself to a mountain, it will save me from the water) (Quran 11: 43)
Had he betaken himself to Allah, his outcome would have been very different. The cause of misery for An-Namrood (Nebuchadnezzar) was his saying, “l bring about life and I cause death.” He tried wearing a garb that wasn’t his and he claimed to have a quality that he didn’t in fact have — and thus his downfall became complete.
The key to our happiness can be summed up in one simple yet
profound phrase, the Phrase of Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism):
“There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger”
When one pronounces this phrase on earth, it will be said to him in the heavens, “You have spoken the truth.”
(And he [Muhammad] who has brought the truth [this Qur’an and Islamic Monotheism] and [those who] believed therein.)
(Qur’an 39: 33)
And when one lives his life in harmony with this phrase on a practical level, he will be saved from destruction, shame, and the Hellfire.
(And Allah will deliver those who are the Muttaqoon [pious] to their places of success [Paradise].)
(Qur’an 39: 61)
When one not only applies the Phrase of Tawheed, but also calls others to it, his name will be remembered and he will be made victorious:
(And that Our hosts, they verily would be the victors) (Qur’an 37: 173)
When one loves the Phrase of Tawheed, he will be elevated in ranking and endowed with honor.
(But honor; power and glory belong to Allah, His Messenger [Muhammad], and to the believers…)
(Qur’an 63: 8)
Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) called out with the Phrase of Tawheed and his situation underwent a dramatic inward change that ran parallel to his outward change of being freed from slavery.
(He brings them out from darkness into light.) (Qur’an 2: 257)
Abu Lahab balked at and desisted from saying the Phrase of Tawheed. He died in a weak and pathetic state.
(And whosoever Allah disgraces, none can honor him.) (Qur’an 22: 18)
The Phrase of Tawheed is an elixir that transforms the base human being into a paragon of pureness and devotion.
(But we have made it [this Qur’an] a light wherewith we guide whosoever of our slaves we will.) (Quran 42: 52)
Whatever you do, do not exult in wealth acquired if you have turned your back on the Hereafter. If you do turn your back on the Hereafter, a harsh punishment and severe chastisement will lie in wait for you:
(‘My wealth has not availed me. My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone] have gone from me!) (Qur’an 69: 28-29)
(Verily your Lord is Ever Watchful [over them].) (Quran 89: 14)
Also, do not exult excessively in your child if you have forgotten your Lord. Turning away from Him is the ultimate failure.
(And they were covered with humiliation and misery…) (Qur’an 2: 61)
And finally, do not be complacent about your wealth if your deeds are evil, for such deeds will be your disgrace in the Hereafter.
(But surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing.)
(Qur’an 41: 16)
(And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us [i.e. pleases Allah], but only he [will please Us] who believes [in the Islamic Monotheism], and does righteous deeds…)
(Quran 34: 37)
DON’T BE SAD —- LEARN TO DEAL WITH YOUR REALITY
In this life, if you inwardly disparage something you can’t have, its value will diminish for you. And if you are contented with not getting something that you really wanted, then your heart will find solace.
(‘Allah will give as of His Bounty and [also] His Messenger’ [from alms, etc. ]. We implore Allah [to enrich us].) (Quran 9: 59)
I once read about a man who fell out of a window. The ring he was wearing became stuck around a nail that wasn’t nailed down completely on the ledge, and consequently, his ring finger was pulled from its root, leaving him with four fingers. The amazing thing is not the incident itself, but the contentment shown by the man long after the accident, contentment that is illustrated in the following words,
“It hardly ever crosses my mind that I have four fingers on one hand or that I have lost a finger. It only comes back when I remember the accident. Otherwise, my work is going well and I am content with what happened?
“Allah has made His decree, and as He pleases, He does.”
I know a man who lost his left arm as a result of a disease. He has lived for many years since: he got married and has children. He drives his car without difficulty and performs the various tasks of his work with ease. He is so at ease that it is as if Allah created him with only one arm to begin with.
“Be content with what Allah has portioned out for you and you will be the richest of people.”
How quickly we adapt to our circumstances! And it is amazing how we adapt our thinking when a change in life-style is imposed upon us. Fifty years ago, a house consisted of a carpet made from palm tree leaves, a jug for water, a small amount of coal, and a few other paltry items. People managed as they do now, and a lack of resources or comfort did not make life any less important than it is now. An Arab poet said:
“The soul desires more if you encourage it, But it returns to contentment when it is disciplined?
A battle between two tribes in the central Mosque of Kufa broke out when members of each tribe began to hurl insults at the other tribe. A man who was in the Mosque stealthily made his escape in order to seek out Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays, who was recognized by all as a consummate peace-maker. The man found him in his house milking a goat. Al-Ahnaf was dressed in a garment that was not even worth ten dirhams (i.e. it was ragged and cheap). He was emaciated, haggard looking, and one of his legs was longer than the other, which gave him a bad limp. When he was informed of the news, no change became manifest on his countenance and he remained calm. This display of fortitude stems from the fact that Al-Ahnaf had witnessed much strife and hardship during his life, and consequently, he became used to such an occurrence. He told the man, “By the will of Allah, everything will be all right.” He then began to take his breakfast as if nothing had happened. His breakfast consisted of a morsel of dry bread, oil, salt, and a glass of water. He mentioned Allah’s name and ate. Then he praised Allah and said, “Wheat from Iraq, oil from Syria, water from Dajlah (Tigris), and salt from Merv. Verily, these are great blessings.” He put on his clothes, took his walking stick, and made his way to the people. When they saw him, their gazes became fixed on him and they listened attentively to what he had to say. He said words of peace and of compromise, words that pleased both sides, and he requested them to depart and go their own ways. They all acquiesced and each of them left without a trace of rancor remaining in his heart, and in this way the ordeal ended peacefully. An Arab poet said:
“One can reach nobility even if His clothes are tattered and his pocket is patched.”
There are many lessons to be learned from this narrative. One of them is that greatness is not in appearance or clothes; other lessons are that having few material possessions is not an indication of misery and that happiness does not reside in comfort and wealth.
(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!)
(Qur’an 89: l5 -16)
Another lesson we should take away from the narrative is that a person’s character and qualities are the yardsticks of his worth, and not his clothes, shoes, or house. His worth is weighed by his knowledge, generosity, manners, and deeds.
(Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is that [believer] who has At-Taqwa [who is pious].) (Qur’an 49: 13)
The connection between the narrative and the subject matter of this book is that happiness is not found in opulence, mansions, gold, or silver; instead, happiness is something that manifests itself in the heart through faith, contentment, and knowledge.
(So let not their wealth or their children amaze you.) (Qur’an 9: 55)
(Say: ‘ln the Bounty of Allah, and in His Mercy [i.e. Islam and the Qur’an], – therein let them rejoice.’ That is better than what [the wealth] they amass) (Qur’an 10: 58)
Train yourself to surrender your will to whatever is decreed for you. What will you do if you do not believe in the decree of Allah?
Whatever you plan other than complete submission to Allah’s Divine Decree will provide no benefit for you. And so, you may ask, what is the solution to hardships?
The solution is to say sincerely, “We are contented, pleased, and have surrendered our wills.”
(Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!) (Qur’an 4: 78)
One of the most difficult days of my life, and a most painful day it was, was when the doctor told me that the arm of my brother Muhammad had to be amputated. The news fell upon my ears like thunder. l was overcome (with emotion) and my soul sought comfort in Allah’s sayings:
(No calamity befalls. but with the Leave [i.e. decision and Qadar (Divine Preordainments)] of Allah, and whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart [to the true faith]…) (Qur’an 64: 11)
(But give glad tidings to the patient ones. Who, when afflicted with calamity say: ‘Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.)
(Qur’an 2: l55-l56)
These verses instilled a sense of peace and comfort in my soul.
There is no form of artifice that can prevent from happening that which is decreed. Therefore we must keep faith and submit our wills.
(Or have they plotted some plan? Then We too are planning.)
(Qur’an 43: 79)
(And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs…)
(Qur’an 12: 21)
(When He decrees a matter: He only says to it: ‘Be! — and it is.)
(Qur’an 2: 117)
Al-Khansaa an-Nakh’aiyah was told in one breath of the death of her four boys, who all died in the path of Allah, at the battle of Al-Qaadisiyah. Her only reaction was to praise Allah and thank Him for choosing what was best. Faith fortifies one’s ability to persevere through hardship. And through gratitude, one achieves happiness in this life and in the Hereafter. lf you are loath to follow this advice, then ask yourself this: is there a viable alternative’? lf that alternative is bitterness, complaining, and a refusal to accept what has happened, then you will only bring upon yourself pain in this life and in the Hereafter.
“Whoever is contented, then for him is pleasure, and whoever (displays) anger, then for him is wrath.”
The best remedy and course of action after a calamity is to say with sincerity, “Verily, We belong to Allah and indeed, to Him is our return.” This means that we are all from Allah’s creation; that we belong to Him; that we are in His kingdom; and that we shall return to Him. The beginning is with Him and the return is to Him. The whole affair is in the Hands of Allah.
An Arab poet said:
“My own soul that possesses things is itself departing, So why should I cry over a possession when it leaves.”
Allah, the Exalted, said:
(Everything will perish save His Face.) (Quran 28: 88)
(Whatsoever is on it [the earth] will perish.) (Quran 55: 26)
(Verily, you [O’ Muhammad] will die and verily they [too] will die.
(Quran 39: 30)
If you were shocked to learn that your house burned down, that your son died, or that your life’s savings were lost, what would you do? From this moment, prepare yourself mentally. Trying to escape or elude what is decreed is a fruitless endeavor that brings no benefit. Be satisfied with what has been decreed, acknowledge your reality, and earn your reward. You have no other option. Sure, you might say that there is another option, but it is a base one and I warn you to stay clear from it: it is to complain and grumble, and to lose your composure by flaring into rage and anger. What can this attitude and – behavior possibly accomplish? You will earn anger from your Lord, and people will revile you. Furthermore, what you have lost will not return and your calamity will not be lightened for you:
(Let him stretch out a rope to the ceiling anal let him strangle himself Then let him see whether his plan will remove that whereat he rages!) (Quran 22: 15)
DON’T BE SAD —- SOONER OR LATER EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD PERISHES
Death is the end of us all: the oppressor and the oppressed, the mighty and the feeble, the rich and the poor. Your death is no novelty. Nations before have gone and nations after will perish.
Ibn Batoota related that in the north, there is a graveyard with one thousand kings buried in it. At the entrance of this graveyard is a sign that reads:
“The Kings: ask the dirt about them, And about the great leaders; they are all bones now.”
A cause for wonder is the forgetfulness of man and how he remains heedless of death, the menace of which hangs over him day and night. Man deludes himself into thinking that he is immortal on this earth.
(O’ Mankind! Fear your Lord and be dutiful to Him! Verily; the earthquake of the Hour [of Judgment] is a terrible thing.) (Qur’an 22: 1)
(Draws near for mankind their reckoning, while they turn away in heedlessness.) (Qur’an 21: 1)
When Allah destroyed a nation and wiped out a transgressing people, He, the Almighty, said:
(Can you find a single one of them or hear even a whisper of them?) (Qur’an 19: 98)
DEPRESSION LEADS TO MISERY
The newspaper Al-Muslimoon reported that in 1990 two million people suffered from depression around the world. Depression is a sickness that has quietly wreaked havoc on humankind. It does not distinguish between people from the west or east, or between the rich and poor. It is a malady that attacks all kinds of people… and may in certain cases lead to suicide.
Depression does not recognize or stand in awe of wealth, nobility, or power. However, it does stay aloof from the believer. Some statistics indicate that 200 million people are now suffering from depression.
The findings of a recent study showed that at least one out of every ten people has at one time or another suffered from this dangerous sickness. The danger is not restricted to adults; even the young are now susceptible to depression. Even the fetus in the womb is at risk, for a depressed mother can turn to abortion as a means of escaping from her problems.
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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