STOP TO REFLECT
Do not be sad, for Allah defends you and the angels ask forgiveness for you; the believers share with you their supplications in every prayer; the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) will intercede for the believers; the Qur’an is replete with good promises; and above all is the mercy of He Who is the Most Merciful.
Do not be sad: the good deed is increased so that its value is multiplied tenfold or seven hundred fold or even much, much more.
Meanwhile, the evil deed is valued without increase or multiplication, and your Lord can forgive even that. How many times do we witness Allah’s generosity, generosity that is unmatched by any! And benevolence from anyone else cannot reach even near His Benevolence.
If you do not associate partners with Allah, if you believe in the true religion, and if you love Allah and His Messenger (bpuh), do not feel sad. lf you feel regret for your bad deeds and you rejoice when you do a worthy act, do not feel sad. You have much good with you that you do not perceive.
lt, in your life, you are able to establish the state of balanced harmony that is referred to in the following hadith, do not feel sad:
“How wonderful is the state of the believer. All of his affairs are good for him! And that is not so, except for the believer. lf he has cause to be happy, he is thankful, and that is good for him. And if he is afflicted with hardship, he is patient, and that is good for him.”
Do not be sad: forbearance in times of distress is the path to both success and happiness.
(And endure you patiently your patience is not but from Allah?)
(Quran 16: 127)
(So [for me] patience is most fitting. And it is Allah [Alone] Whose help can be sought against that which you assert)? (Qur’an 12: 18)
(So be patient, with a good patience.) (Quran 70: 5)
(Peace be upon you for that you persevered in patience!) (Quran 13: 24)
(And bear with patience whatever befalls you.? (Qur’an 31: I7)
(Endure and be more patient [than your enemy], and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you..) (Quran 3: 200)
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Through patience we have now achieved a good life.”
For the people of the Sunnah, there are three things that they resort to when faced with calamity: patience, supplication, and waiting with expectation for a good outcome.
A poet said:
“We have poured them a glass and they have similarly poured one for us (alluding to the blood enemies draw from each other in battle),
But in the face of death, we were the more patient.”
ln an authentic hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“There is none who is more patient when he hears something offensive than Allah. They claim that He has a child and a wife, yet He gives them health and provision. “
The Prophet (bpuh) also said:
“May Allah have mercy on Moosa (Moses). He was tested with more than this (i.e. than what I have been tested with), and he was still patient.”
And he (bpuh) said:
“Whoever is patient, Allah will give him further strength to continue to be patient.”
A poet said:
“l have crawled my way to distinction, and those who have striven have reached it, With the toil of labor, and the sparing of no small effort, Many have tried to reach it, and most became bored or tired during their journey, And they embrace distinction that remain true and are patient, Do not consider distinction to be an apple that you eat, You will not achieve distinction until you beat hardship with your patience.”
Higher goals are not achieved through dreaming or fantasizing, they can only be reached through dedication and commitment.
Do not grieve over how people treat you. And learn this lesson by observing how they behave with Allah.
Imam Ahmad reported a hadith in the book of Zahd, in which the Prophet (bpuh) relates the following saying from Allah:
“Strange are you, O’ son of Adam! I have created you and you worship other than me. I have provided for you and you thank those besides me. I show you love by giving you blessings and I do not need you. While you show me animosity through your sins and you are to me poor. My good is descending to you and your evil is rising to me.”
It is mentioned in the biography of Prophet Eesa (Jesus) (may peace be upon him) that, by the permission of Allah, he healed thirty sick people and cured many who were afflicted with blindness.
Afterwards they turned on him as enemies.
DO NOT BE SAD FROM THE WANT OF AMPLE PROVISION
Verily, the One Who provides sustenance is Allah. He has made it binding upon Himself that whatever provision He has written for His slaves will reach them.
(And in the heaven is your provision, and that which you are promised.) (Quran 51: 22)
If Allah is the One Who provides for the creation, why curry favor with people? And why should one degrade himself in front of another person in the hope of procuring from him his sustenance?
Allah said:
(And no [moving] living creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah.)? (Quran 11: 6)
Whatever of mercy [i.e. of good], Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter) (Qur’an 35: 2)
Do not be sad, for there are means of making it easier to bear calamity. Among them are the following:
Expecting reward and recompense from Allah, the Exalted: _
(Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning.) (Qur’an 39: 10)
Visiting those who are afflicted and seeking comfort in that you are better off than many others.
A poet said:
“lf not for the many mourners around me, Who weep for their brothers, I would have taken my own life.”
So look at those who surround you. There will not be one, except that hardship or affliction has touched him.
APPRECIATE THAT, COMPARED TO OTHERS, YOUR TRIAL IS LIGHT
lf you know that your trial is not in your religion, but is in worldly matters, then be content.
Know that no trick or artifice can be used to undo what has already taken place. A poet said:
“Do not use trickery to change the circumstance, For the only trick is in leaving all trickery.”
Appreciate that the choice of what is good for you or not good for you belongs only with Allah:
(…and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you.)
(Qur’an 2: 216)
DO NOT MIMIC THE PERSONALITY OF OTHERS
(For every nation there is a direction to which they face. So hasten towards all that is good.) (Qur’an 2: 148)
(And it is He Who has made you generations coming after generations, replacing each other on the earth. And he has raised you in ranks, some above others…) (Qur’an 6: 165)
(Each [group of] people knew its own place for water) (Qur’an 2: 60)
Every person has his own set of talents, abilities, skills, and preferences. One aspect of the Prophet’s character was his ability to lead: he employed his Companions each in accordance with his talent and expertise. ‘Ali was both just and wise, so the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) appointed him to be a judge. The Prophet (bpuh) used Mu’aadh for his knowledge; Ubaee for the Qur’an; Zayd for rulings in matters of inheritance; Khaalid for jihad; Hassaan for poetry; and Qays ibn Thaabit for public speeches (may Allah be pleased with them all).
To melt into the personality of another, for whatever reason, is akin to suicide. And to imitate the natural traits of others is to deliver a deathblow to one’s own self. Among Allah’s signs that one should marvel at are the diverse characteristics of people — such as their talents, the different languages they speak, and their different colors.
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), for example, through his gentleness and tenderness, greatly benefited Islam and this Nation. ‘Umar, on the other hand, helped lslam and its adherents to be victorious through his stern demeanor and austerity. Therefore, be comfortable with your inherent talents and abilities. Develop them, expand on them, and benefit from them.
(Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope) (Qur’an 2:286)
ISOLATION AND ITS POSITIVE EFFECTS
If applied with a correct understanding, isolation can be most beneficial.
Ibn Taymiyah said:
“At times, it is necessary for the worshipper to be isolated from others in order to pray, remember Allah, recite the Qur’an, and evaluate himself and his deeds. Also, isolation allows one to supplicate, seek forgiveness, stay away from evil, and so on.”
Ibn al-Jawzi dedicated three chapters of his well-known book Sayd al-khatir to this topic. He said:
“I have not seen or heard of anything that brings repose, honor, and dignity as much as seclusion does. It helps one to stay away from evil, it protects one’s honor, and it saves time. It keeps one away from the jealous minded and those who take pleasure in your affliction. It promotes the remembrance of the Hereafter, and it allows one to reflect on the meeting with Allah. In times of seclusion, one’s thoughts may roam in that which is beneficial, in that which contains wisdom…”
Only Allah knows the full benefits of seclusion, for in seclusion, one’s mind develops, views are ripened, the heart finds repose, and one finds himself to be in an ideal atmosphere for worship. By remaining isolated at times, one distances himself from trials, from flattering the person who deserves no praise, and from the eyes of jealous and envious persons. One is saved from the haughtiness of the proud and the follies of the idiot. In isolation, one’s faults, deeds, and sayings are all secluded behind a veil.
During periods of isolation, one is able to delve deep into a sea of ideas and concepts. In such a state, the mind is free to form its opinions. Isolated from the company of others, the soul is free to achieve a state of rapture and to hunt for the stimulating thought.
When alone, one does nothing for show or ostentation, since none but Allah sees him, and since none but Allah hears him.
Every person who was a genius, a mental giant, or a great contributor to the human race watered the seeds of his greatness from the well of isolation, until the seed became a plant, and then finally, a formidable tree.
Al-Qadi ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al-Jurjani said:
“I never tasted the sweetness of life until I became a companion of home and book, There is nothing more honorable than knowledge, So I seek in no other an associate, Truly, the only degradation is in mixing with people, Therefore leave them and live nobly and stately.”
Another said:
“I found company in my solitude and I remained fervently in my home, So felicity was perpetual for me and my happiness grew, I have severed human relations and I couldn’t care, Whether the army has gone forth or the president has given us a visit!”
Ahmad ibn Khaleel al-Hanbali said:
“Whoever strives for dignity and comfort From a long and tedious anxiety, Let him be one of the people, And be contented with a little.
As long as one lives unwholesomely, How can he find pleasure in life?
Between being poked by the deceitful And giving flattery to the conceited,
Between tolerating the jealous And forbearing the stingy, Woe to becoming acquainted with People, and with all of their ways and follies.”
Another poet said,
“Meeting with people brings about no benefit, Except with the increase of, ‘it has been said’, and, he said,’ So spend less time in conversing with others, though barring,
The acquirement of knowledge or the improvement of one’s condition.”
Ibn Faris said:
“They asked how I was, and I said, well, and thank you, A need is fulfilled and another is neglected, When distress is such that my heart becomes constricted, I say that perhaps one day will bring with it some aid, My comrade is my cat and my soul’s companions are my books, And the object of my love is my night-lantern.”
DO NOT BE SHAKEN BY HARDSHIPS
Hardship strengthens your heart, atones for your sins, and helps to suppress an inclination towards pride and haughtiness. You might remember that in times of hardship you abandoned senseless folly and you remembered Allah. When you were afflicted, others extended brotherly compassion to you, and you became the fortunate recipient of the supplications of the righteous. At such times, you willfully and humbly surrendered yourself to Allah’s will and resigned yourself to His decree. Affliction begets circumspection and provides the afflicted with an early warning against following the path of evil. The one upon whom calamity has fallen can display courage with patience; and his circumstances, unlike the one who is drunk with worldly pleasures, permit him to solemnly prepare for a meeting with his Lord. He is able to pass judgment on this world with an impartial ruling, and thus he will come to know it as something that is not worth pining for. Other points associated with the wisdom and benefits of sometimes facing hardship, though they might escape our comprehension, are definitely present and known to the Lord of all that exists.
PAUSE TO THINK ABOUT HARDSHIPS
Do not be sad, for sadness will weaken your determination and the quality of your worship. One of the offshoots of depression is that it often causes one to be pessimistic, to find blame in everyone, including —-and we seek refuge in Allah — Allah Himself
Do not be sad, for sadness, grief, and anxiety are the roots of mental problems, the sources of stress.
Do not be sad, for you have with you the Qur’an, supplication, remembrance, and prayer. You can lighten the load of your anxiety by giving others, doing well, and being productive.
Do not be sad, and do not surrender to sadness by taking the easy path of idleness and inactivity, but pray, glorify your Lord, read, write, work, visit relatives and friends, and reflect.
(Invoke Me [ask me for anything] I will respond to your [invocation].) (Qur’an 40: 60)
(Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors) (Qur’an 7: 55)
(S0, call you [O’ Muhammad and the believers] upon [or invoke] Allah making [your] worship pure for Him [Alone] [by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in Worship]. (Quran 40: 14)
(Say [O’ Muhammad]: ‘invoke Allah or invoke the Most Beneficent [Allah], by whatever name you invoke Him [it is the same], for to Him belong the Best Names.) (Qur’an 17: 110)
DO NOT BE SAD —THE FUNDAMENTALS OF HAPPINESS
Know that if you do not live within the scope of today, your thoughts will be scattered, your affairs will become confused, and your worrying will increase —- these realities explain the hadith:
“When you are in the morning, do not expect to see the evening, and when you are in the evening, do not expect to see the morning.”
Forget the past and all that it contained. Being absorbed in things that are gone is sheer lunacy.
Do not be preoccupied with the future. Because the future is in the world of the unseen, do not let it bother you until it comes.
Do not be shaken by criticism; instead, be firm. And know that, in proportion to your worth, the level of people’s criticism rises.
Faith in Allah and good deeds: these are the ingredients that make up a good and happy life.
Whoever desires peace, tranquility, and comfort can find it all in the remembrance of Allah.
You should know with certainty that everything that happens, occurs in accordance with a divine decree.
Do not expect gratitude from anyone.
Train yourself to be ready and prepared for the worst eventuality.
Perhaps what has happened is in your best interest (though you may not comprehend how that is so).
Everything that is decreed for the Muslim is best for him.
Enumerate the blessings of Allah and be thankful for them.
You are better off than many others.
Relief comes from one hour to the next.
In both times of hardship and ease, one should turn to supplication and prayer.
Calamities should strengthen your heart and reshape your outlook in a positive sense.
Indeed, with each difficulty there is relief
Do not let trifles be the cause of your destruction.
Indeed, your Lord is Oft-Forgiving.
Do not be angry;. Do not be ang1y… Do not be angry.
Life is bread, water, and shade; so do not be perturbed by a lack of any other material thing. And in the heaven is your provision, and that which you are promised. (Qur’an 51: 22)
Most evil that is supposed to happen never occurs.
Look at those who are afflicted and be thankful.
When Allah loves a people, He makes them endure trials.
You should constantly repeat those supplications that the Prophet (bpuh) taught us to say during times of hardship.
Work hard at something that is productive, and cast off idleness.
Don’t spread rumors and don’t listen to them. If you hear a rumor inadvertently, then don’t believe it.
Your malice and your striving to seek revenge are much more harmful to your health than they are to your antagonist.
The hardships that befall you atone for your sins.
WHY GRIEVE WHEN YOU HAVE THE SIX INGREDIENTS?
The author of Ease after Difficulty mentioned the story of a wise person who was afflicted by calamity. His brothers went to him and tried to console him over his loss. He answered, “I have put together a remedy that is composed of six ingredients they asked him what those ingredients were, and he answered,
“The first is to have a firm trust in Allah, the Almighty. The second is resigning oneself to the inescapable fact that everything that is decreed will happen and will follow its unalterable course. The third is that patience has no substitute for the positive effect it has on the afflicted. The fourth is an unwavering belief in the implications of this phrase: Without showing forbearance, what will l accomplish?’ The fifth is to ask myself why should I be a willful party to my own destruction. The sixth is knowing that from one hour to the next, circumstances are transformed and difficulties vanish.”
Do not grieve if others inflict upon you harm or pain, nor should you grieve if you are oppressed or are the subject of envy.
Shaykh al-lslam (Ibn Taymiyah) said:
“The believer does not seek quarrel or revenge; nor does he find blame or fault in others.” l
Do not despair if you face obstacles or problems; rather, forbear and be patient.
“O’ time, if you have any of that leftover,
From which you bring down the worthy- then let me have it. “
Patience, as opposed to anxiety, bears the fruit of comfort; and the one who does not voluntarily show patience will have it forced upon him by circumstances. Al-Mutanabbi said:
“Time has showered me with trouble until
The arrows on my heart have formed a cover,
That now when I am struck with an arrow,
The blade of it strikes into the shaft of another,
Now I live without a care for troubles,
Since I have not profited by caring.”
Do not be distressed if someone refuses you a favor, or if you are frowned upon, or if the miserly person refuses you.
lf, by refraining from asking others, you prevent the sweat of humiliation from pouring down your face, then a wooden hut or a tent of cloth is better for you than a spacious house and a beautiful garden, material things that will only bring you worry and disquiet.
Tribulation is similar to sickness: it must run its course before it goes away, and the one who is hasty in attempting to remove it often causes it to augment and increase. It is imperative that the one who is afflicted be patient; he must wait with hope for relief, and he must be persistent in his prayers.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF HAPPINESS —- VERSES UPON WHICH TO REFLECT
(And never give up hope of Allah s Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.) (Quran 12: 87)
(And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?) (Quran 15: 56)
(Surely, Allah’s Mercy is [ever] near unto the good-doers.)(Quran 7: 56)
(You know not, it may be that Allah will afterward bring some new thing to pass. ) (Quran 65: 1)
(It may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know. )
(Quran 2: 216)
(Allah is very Gracious and Kind to His slaves.) (Quran 42: 19)
(…and My Mercy embraces all things.) (Quran 7: 156)
(‘Be not sad [or afraid], surely Allah is with us.) (Quran 9: 40)
((Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you.) (Quran 8: 9)
(And He it is who sends down the rain after their have despaired, and spreads abroad His Mercy.) (Qur’an 42: 28)
(And they used to call on us with hope and fear; and used to humble themselves before us.) (Qur’an 21: 90)
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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