THE MUTUAL RIVALRY FOR PILING UP OF WORLDLY THINGS DIVERTS YOU
(The Mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you.)(Qur’an 102: 1)
Once, after having received a handsome sum of money, I rushed to the bookstore with the intention of buying a copy of every book I could get my hands on; the enthusiasm of the moment overwhelmed me. I filled the shelves of my wall with books from many of the sciences. The topics included Islamic jurisprudence, sociology, and books on general knowledge. I wanted to begin to read, but I didn’t know how to go about choosing a starting point. I found that different books in the same science tended to overlap each other. I found others to contain little of significance. I consulted some eminent scholars and asked them how I should go about studying. They guided me to a way that has proven to be successful. They suggested that I read only the main reference books in each Islamic science and that I study them in depth. All other books, they said, I should leave alone, except when research on a specific issue calls for going to a number of books. I was very pleased with the results; I felt more organized and comfortable in following their simple yet sensible advice.
(The mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you, until you visit the graves [i.e. till you die].) (Qur’an 102: 1-2)
There are some students who go to the extreme of searching for rare manuscripts. They are always gathering copies of rare books, yet you will find that most of them have not even completely read the most important reference books in the Islamic sciences. One person I know was sad that he couldn’t get a copy of the commentary of Muqaatil ibn Sulaiman, and yet he hadn’t even completely read the explanation of Ibn Katheer!
(And there are among them [Jews] unlettered people, who know not the Book, but they trust upon false desires and they but guess.)
(Qur’an 2: 78)
Never pursue minor issues when more important ones should be dealt with first. Whoever does not know his purpose will have a long and tiring journey that leads to nowhere.
THE FRUITS OF CONTENTMENT
(Allah is pleased with them and they with Him.) (Qur’an 5: 119)
Contentment bears many blessed fruits. More than anything else, by being contented with that which is decreed, one is able to soar to the highest levels of faith and truthfulness.
Some might wish for only good to befall them, for only pleasant things to occur in their lives, but that is not what being Allah’s slave means. Many of the true believer’s characteristics, which include patience, total dependence, contentment, humbleness, and submission of one’s will, only become manifest when one is confronted with something that one dislikes. So being pleased with that which has been decreed does not mean being contented with only those things that suit one’s disposition; the real gauge for true contentment are those times when one goes through a painful situation. And it is not for the slave to dictate the terms of preordainment; he can be happy or discontented and it makes no difference except that by being discontented, he is sinning. Human beings do not have much of a choice in regards to the divine decree: the choice and decision thereof belong only with Allah. He is All- Knowing and Most High.
BEING PLEASED WITH ALLAH
We should know that if we are pleased with Allah, He is pleased with us. Therefore if you are pleased with a small amount of sustenance, He will be pleased with you for your small deeds. And if you are pleased no matter what the situation, then you will find that you have earned your Lord’s pleasure, and you will realize that Allah is most pleased with sincere people who are content. On the other hand, there are the hypocrites: Allah rejects their deeds, regardless of whether those deeds are many or few. They are displeased with what Allah sends down and they hate seeking His pleasure. Thus their deeds are performed in vain.
FOR THE MALCONTENTED THERE IS WRATH
By being dissatisfied with one’s situation and by thinking inappropriate thoughts about Allah, one opens the doors of anxiety and grief. On the other hand, contentment with one’s situation and with Allah’s Decree opens the door to a paradise on earth even before that of the Hereafter. To question and complain about what has been decreed cannot result in self-contentment and inner peace. Instead, it is by submission and acceptance that we can bring about those propitious results, because the One Who sustains all things should never be accused concerning what He has decreed. I still remember the story of Ibn ar-Rawandi, the well-known atheist philosopher. He saw a common ignorant man who lived in castles and who was very wealthy. Ibn ar-Rawandi turned to the sky and exclaimed, “I am the philosopher of my generation yet I live in poverty, while this ignorant commoner is rich. This is a random and strange distribution? Allah then increased Ibn ar-Rawandi in his misery, humiliation, and poverty.
(…but surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing, and they will never be helped.) (Quran 41: 16)
THE BENEFITS ONE REAPS BY BEING CONTENTED
During hard times, if one remains contented with 0ne’s situation, one is able to remain calm and composed, but moreover, one shows a true belief in the promise of Allah and his Messenger (bpuh). It is as if his heart has a voice that says:
(‘This is what Allah and His Messenger [Muhammad] had promised us, and Allah and His Messenger had spoken the truth, ‘ and it only added to their faith and to their submissiveness [to Allah].) (Qur’an 33: 22)
In contrast, the malcontented heart is filled with sickness, doubt, and instability; such a heart remains rebellious and troubled. lt is as if this heart too has a voice, but the words it speaks are ever so different:
(‘Allah and His Messenger promised us nothing but delusions!)
(Qur’an 33: 12)
The people who possess this kind of heart are contradictory in their dealings. lf they have rights upon another, they hurry to claim their rights. Yet if they are sought after to fulfill their obligations, they turn away in disdain. When good befalls them they feel calm and complacent, but when they are put to the test, how sudden is their change for the worse! They are those who have lost not only this world, but also the Hereafter.
(That is the evident loss.) (Qur’an 22: 11)
So those are two opposites which yield results that are equally opposite in nature: contentment leads to peace, which eventually leads to prosperity; resentment about Allah’s decree leads to anxiety, which eventually leads to failure. You must remember that from the greatest of blessings that Allah can give to one of his slaves is bestowing tranquility upon him, and one of the best ways of achieving tranquility is being contented and pleased with Allah at all times.
DO NOT CHALLENGE YOUR LORD
By being contented, one is saved from being like those who challenge their Lord in His decrees and rulings. To understand this, one needs only look at the case of Iblees (the Devil). He argued and disputed with his Lord because he was displeased with His decree and ruling. Those who refuse to believe in Allah only do so because they seek to challenge Him in might and power instead of submitting to Him. Then they abandon His orders, perpetrate what is unlawful, and challenge His divine decree by showing resentment.
A JUST DECREE
Allah’s ruling is binding upon His slave: it will come to pass, and it is a just ruling, as mentioned in the hadith:
“Your decree concerning me will be carried out, and You are Just with me in Your Ruling.”
Allah, the Most High, has forbidden Himself from being unjust with his slaves. Indeed it is people themselves who do wrong and are unjust.
The above-mentioned hadith, “And You are Just with Me in Your Ruling” also includes the decree of sinning, in its effect and its punishment. Allah is the Most Just regarding His decree for sinning and for its punishment. He may have ordained a sin for one of His slaves for reasons that are beyond our grasp. There might be a purpose which, due to its being so profound in its ramifications, is known only to Him. And that is the belief of the Muslim.
RESENTMENT YIELDS NO RETURN
Being resentful about one’s situation generally issues from two possibilities. Either it is caused by not achieving what one desires, or by the occurrence of what one hates. Yet if one truly believes that whatever has passed him by was never meant for him, and whatever afflicted him was always meant to be, then he has no reason to feel disgruntled. The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him), said:
“The pen has dried concerning what you will meet with, O’ Abu Hurayrah. The ordaining is finished with, the decree is completed, the measure of things has been written, the pens are raised, and the pages have dried.”
SAFETY IS IN CONTENTMENT
Contentment offers safety in that the contented heart is healthy and free from deceit, corruption, and rancor. And it is only a sound and healthy heart that will be saved from Allah’s punishment, a heart that is safe and free from doubt, disbelief, and the various tricks of the devil. Such a heart is only concerned about how to please Allah.
(Say. ‘Allah [sent it down]. ‘Then leave them t0 play in their vain discussions. (Qur’an 6: 91)
Bitterness and resentfulness are concepts that are foreign to the healthy heart, and so, the more one is contented with Allah’s Decree, the more healthy and sound one’s heart will be. Wickedness, corruption, and deceit accompany discontent, while a healthy heart, righteousness, and sincerity accompany contentment. Also, jealousy is another of the fruits of discontent.
Being pleased with Allah is a quality that is like a good tree that is nourished by the water of sincerity in the garden of pure Islamic Monotheism. Its roots are faith and its branches are good deeds. It is a tree bearing fruit that is fresh and sweet. The Prophet (bpuh) said:
“One has tasted the taste of faith if one is pleased with Allah as his Lord, with Islam as his religion, and with Muhammad as a Messenger”
DISSATISFACTION IS THE DOOR TO DOUBT
Dissatisfaction opens the door that leads to doubt in Allah: in His Decree, in His Wisdom, and in His Knowledge. Rarely is the complainer free from these accompanying doubts that mix within his heart and permeate his being. If he were to delve deep into his self with honest introspection, he would find his faith to be infirm and questionable. Contentment and faith are like brothers that accompany one another; meanwhile, doubt and discontentment have a similar fraternal relationship. Tirmidhi related that the Prophet (bpuh) said:
“If you are able to show contentment with faith, then do so. If not, then verily there is much goodness in patience with that which the self hates.”
So those who are dissatisfied are resentful on the inside, and also angry, even if their anger is not expressed in words. Inside them mingles an assortment of questions, such as why has this happened, or how could this be?
Source: Islam Basics By Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarnee
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