( فَأَثَابَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِمَا قَالُوا )
“For saying this, God has rewarded them”
( وَلُعِنُوا بِمَا قَالُوا ۘ )
“And they are rejected for what they have said”
Never underestimate words.
One word may lead you to Paradise,
And another word may lead you to Fire!
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Mu’adh, pointing at his tongue, “Control this.”
Mu’adh said: O Messenger of Allah, will we be taken to account for what we say?
Then the Prophet said: May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’adh! Is there anything that throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces except the harvests of their tongues?
( قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَىٰ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا ۖ )
“And he replied, ‘My son, tell your brothers nothing of this dream, or they may plot to harm you”
Do not talk about what Allah has granted you in front of everyone.
Some hearts are ill,
And some eyes are envious.
Protect Allah’s grants to you with praise and concealment,
Or at least do not expose them before everyone.
Nothing pleases the envious person but end of the bliss.
Anciently the brothers envied their brother on a dream;
Do you wish be saved from people’s eyes on a job, wife, money, or position?!
( يَوْمَئِذٍ تُحَدِّثُ أَخْبَارَهَا )
“On that Day, it will tell all”
Every place where you worship Allah will witness for you.
And every place where you disobey Allah will witness against you.
So increase your witnesses.
Make a prostration in every place you go.
Give a charity in every city you visit.
Go to a Masjid in every village you come.
This earth is not just dust and pebbles;
It is a main witness in the most just court on earth,
The Court of Allah Glory be to Him!
( فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا صَالِحًا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا )
“And so, when Our command was fulfilled, by Our mercy We saved Salih and his fellow believers from the disgrace of that day.”
Meditate it well: “By Our Mercy.”
When relief comes after distress, remember that it has come by the Mercy of Allah.
When healing comes after illness, it is not from medicine or doctor, but it has come from the Mercy of Allah.
When a job comes after unemployment, it is not due to your certificates or abilities, but it has come by the Mercy of Allah.
When a boy begot to you after cutoff and despair, it is not due to medicine or your strength, but it has come by the Mercy of Allah.
All these causes present neither benefit nor harm until Allah gives permission!
How many sick people got medicine but were not healed?!
How many people have certificates but do not get jobs?!
How many married people but were not given children?!
Every good you have is by the Mercy of Allah;
So admit favour to the Owner of the Favor (Allah)!
( وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا ۖ يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ )
“We graced David with Our favor. We said, ‘You mountains, echo God’s praises together with him, and you birds, too.’ We softened iron for him”
Be with Allah, and He will be with you.
Do not ask when, how or where.
It is not difficult on the One Who softened iron for David (peace be upon him) to soften people’s hearts to you.
It is not difficult for the One Who made mountains and birds to repeat His praises to make you accepted before people.
You draw close to Allah with acts of worship and He promises you with success.
So present to Allah what He loves and He will give you what you love!
( وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَىٰ آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ )
“When Moses reached full maturity and manhood, We gave him wisdom and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good”
Some matters you will not attain before growing up;
If you take them early, you will waste them early.
The One Who granted victory to Muslims in the Battle of Badr was able to help them in Mecca while they were still weak.
But He delayed the victory to educate them first; to grow up and realize that the message (of Islam) they bear is much bigger than Quraysh.
It is the Message of Monotheism for which the universe was created.
Oh my dear, if we break the egg before the chick fully forms, it will die!
And if we harvest the wheat before its due time, it will not become bread!
And the food that is not cooked well on fire, will be raw and cannot be eaten!
Everything has its due time, so do not be hasty!
( إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ )
“I have asked no reward from you; my reward is with God alone”
A wise man was asked: Is there anything worse than niggardliness?
He said: Yes, a good man when talking about his good deed.
Observe Allah in every good deed you perform.
Do not wait a reward from anyone.
Do not look forward to applause and praise.
Any deed you performed for the sake of people; it is for people;
And any deed you performed for the sake of Allah; it is for Allah.
This saying of Ibn Al-Qayyem is so terrifying:
If you do not practice sincerity (to Allah) in any act you do, then do not do it.
( وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا )
“No leaf falls without His knowledge”
Then how about goodness within your heart?
How about love you bear for people?
How about your happiness for others’ success as if it is yours?
And how about you pain for others’ pain as if it is yours?
My companion, Allah does not look at us from the above;
He looks to us from the inside!
So repair the position to which the King (Allah) looks.
“In the body there is a piece of flesh; if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt.
It is the heart!”
( يَا لَيْتَنِي قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِي )
“Would that I had provided for this life to come”
This is the wish of the people in the graves:
Would that I had provided for this life to come!
It is not, “Would that I had provided in that life that passed.”
That is because our true life has not started yet.
Our true life starts when being laid down in our graves.
It may be either a garden from the gardens of Paradise or a pit from the pits of the Fire.
While good deed is the wish of people in their graves,
You are living their wish now; so act accordingly.
One day Al-Hasan Al-Basri stood before a grave, in which a deceased was buried, he said to people around him: What do you think his wish is?
They said to him: That is to get back (to life) to perform righteous deeds.
Thereupon he said to them: You are living this wish now; so act accordingly!
( وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا )
“No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow”
Do not spend your life worrying about your future.
Lead your life seeking Allah’s Pleasure and feel no worry.
Future is possessed by Allah Alone!
No one will get your provision,
And no one will perform your worships on your behalf.
Indeed Allah has guaranteed your provision and commanded you to work;
Therefore do not occupy yourself with what He has guaranteed for you neglecting what He has commanded you with!
( فَأَثَابَكُمْ غَمًّا بِغَمٍّ )
“And God rewarded you with sorrow for sorrow”
Allah afflicts you with loss to know that no one remains for you but Him.
Allah afflicts you with betrayal to know that He is your Only Security.
Allah afflicts you with stumbling to know that no one can raise you but Him.
Afflictions are not always for revenge; most of them are for disciplining and correcting the way!
( لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ )
“God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear”
Allah does not burden a branch with fruits it cannot bear.
Every responsibility placed on your shoulders, you are capable of fulfilling it.
Every battle you are thrust into, you are strong enough to face it.
Every position entrusted to you, guard it firmly, for that is your charge—stick to it.
Every worry, grief, or sadness that befalls you is proportionate to your strength, and you are capable of bearing it.
Challenges and hardships are a means of growth, so do not abandon your position!
( فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ * لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ )
“If he had not been one of those who glorified God, he would have stayed in its belly until the Day when all are raised up”
He (Prophet Yunus) remembered Allah during the time of prosperity,
Therefore Allah remembered him during the time of adversity.
And no one is more faithful than Allah!
Save for yourself righteous deeds before Allah so that when you face hardships, He recalls your worship during times of ease and delivers you.
( فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ ۖ )
“But it is best to be patient”
Be patient, my companion!
Keep on reciting the Qur’an and offering your prayers regularly.
Seek reward for your pains from Allah; for it is Allah’s fate.
The world is nothing but a test that will come to an end and a transit station that we will eventually pass through.
Be sure that one day we will sit under the shadow of a tree in Paradise, laughing at all this triviality of the world!
( وَجَزَاهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرًا )
“And reward them, for their steadfastness, with a Garden and silken robes”
That is because the dawn prayer (Fajr) is challenging,
Fasting is tiring,
Hajj (pilgrimage) is exhausting,
Speaking the truth is dangerous,
Desires are inflamed,
Wealth is precious,
Chastity requires striving,
Honesty is harder than betrayal,
Lowering the gaze goes against inclinations,
The soul commands evil.
The path to Paradise is thorny,
And the path to Hell is paved!
( مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ )
“From the earth We created you, into it We shall return you”
A busy life:
Knowledge, job, wife, children, and collecting money!
And then what?!
Then they will through dust over our (dead) bodies and leave …
After that the (true) journey will begin:
It may be either to Paradise or to Fire.
The world is nothing but a beast through which you will pass to the Hereafter;
Therefore choose your beast!
( وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ )
“We are well aware that your heart is weighed down by what they say”
Hurtful words pained him,
And bad speech constricted his heart;
While he is a Prophet!
Then how about those lower than him?
So peace, and peace, and then peace be upon those who choose their words as they choose their cloths;
As they know that speech also has elegance!
As for the Cause:
( فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ )
“There is the one who gives, who is mindful of God”
And as for the Result:
( فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ )
“We shall smooth his way towards ease”
If the world constricts you, give charity from your wealth and your heart:
Feed the hungry, guide the lost, support the stumbling, and pay off a debt.
Charities are not only money;
Pleasing hearts is a charity,
Wiping tears is a charity,
And soothing broken hearts is a charity.
Nothing brings worries more than acts of disobedience,
And nothing comforts the heart more than acts of obedience.
So when your chest becomes constricted and your heart gets away from Allah, revise your worships!
( فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَلَمْ يُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ ۚ )
“But Joseph kept his secrets and did not reveal anything to them”
It is true that reproaching clears hearts and cleanses wounds.
And cleansing the wound before stitching is brings healing quicker,
But not all circumstances are suitable for reproaching.
Sometimes you have to pretend that you did not understand; however, you have understood everything!
And sometimes you have to pretend that you did not see; however, you have seen everything!
Overlook things sometimes even if this appears to you a momentary loss.
Noble people know that: Gaining people is worthier than gaining situations.
Yusuf kept his secrets within his soul and this shows that overlooking is a characteristic of noble people.
Imam Ahmed used to say: Nine-tenth of well-being lies in overlook.
Imam Al-Shaf’i said: The wise smart person is the overlooking astute.
Aktham bin Saifi said: The one who is rigid causes division and the one who is lenient fosters unity. Happiness lies in overlooking (mistakes).
Ibn Al-Qayem said: It is from generosity to overlook people’s slips!
( فَلَا يَحْزُنكَ قَوْلُهُمْ ۘ )
“So [Prophet] do not be distressed at what they say”
They will tell lies about you, so do not care and seek solace from those who preceded you and who are better than you!
They said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is magician, mad and liar!
They accused Yusuf (peace be upon him) of robbery!
They accused Mariam the virgin with adultery!
Put this truth before your eyes:
There is no escape from people’s tongues, no matter how righteous you are!
It was reported in “Hulyat al-Awliaa”:
Moses (peace be upon him) said to his Lord: Oh my Lord, I pray to you to make all people remind me with goodness.
Allah said to him: Oh Moses, I did not make this thing for Me, so should I make it for you?!
People said that Allah the Al-Mighty has a wife and a son,
Then do you want be saved from them?!
( قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۗ )
“[Prophet], say, ‘You brought it upon yourselves”
When you are afflicted with worries and defeats, check yourself.
Allah may afflict you to fix something within you that cannot be fixed except through affliction!
People narrating news and biographies said:
During the time of Suliman (peace be upon him) the sky stopped raining, so people got out for prayer for rain (to descend). Then Suliman saw an ant raising its hands towards the sky and saying: Oh Allah, You know that the affliction comes due to a sin and is not removed except through repentance. And we are a part of Your Creation and slaves among Your slaves, so do not destroy us due to sins of the Sons of Adam.
Thereupon Suliman (peace be upon him) said to the people: Go back, Allah will answer you due to the supplication of this ant!
( رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِي نُفُوسِكُمْ ۚ )
“Your Lord knows best what is in your heart”
If people told lies about you,
If they suspected your intention,
If they accused you with bad assumptions,
If they made sly remarks about you and criticized you subtly,
Nothing of this would harm you as long as Allah knows what is in your heart!
And if people exaggeratedly praised you,
If they honored you and categorized you among the righteous,
If they counted you among the pious,
Nothing of this would benefit you as long as Allah knows what is in your heart!
Remember: Indeed Allah does not look to your faces,
But He looks to your hearts;
So fix the position to which the Creator (Allah) looks and then go forward reassured!
( إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ )
“I plead my grief and sorrow before God”
Complaining to people brings pity,
And complaining to Allah brings mercy.
A weak person should not complain to another weak person; and all people are weak.
A poor person should not complain to another poor person; and all people are poor.
The weak seeks refuge with the strong, and none is stronger than Allah!
And the poor seeks refuge with the wealthy, and none is wealthier than Allah!
Appear your weakness completely before Allah:
Weep, complain, plead and supplicate!
But when being before people, raise your head and cover your wound;
Glances of pity in people’s eyes is additional break,
And leaning on people’s shoulders is additional lamb!
( فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ )
“So remember Me; I will remember you”
You do not know with which you are more pleased: the cause or the result?
The cause: Remember Me.
The result: I will remember you.
Allah the Al-Mighty is not disobeyed out of dominance, nor obeyed except out of graciousness!
This is the most beautiful thing in obedience; that is you know that Allah has showered you with His Graciousness.
He has looked within your heart, approved it, and so inspired you to remember Him.
What a promotion, and what a medal of honor!
Then enjoy the result: I will remember you!
Meditate the scene with your heart; you remember (Allah) with your tongue and count your glorifications to Him on your fingers, and the King of the Kings and the Dominant of the Heavens and the Earth remember you!
If it is said to you that a president or a king mentioned you, you would become so happy and you might not sleep that night;
Then what is the matter when the One Who possesses everything (Allah) has remembered you?!
( وَلَا تَيْأَسُوا مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ )
“And do not despair of God’s mercy– only disbelievers despair of God’s mercy”
It was said: The best worship is to wait for the relief!
That is when all things around you reveal that there is no solution, but you believe that this matter is possessed by Allah and that is all things around you are just causes that judge people not God.
Do not despair; Jacob (peace be upon him) did not say this word in prosperity. He said it when losing Benjamin, after he had lost Joseph (peace be upon him).
And within days, he could smell Joseph.
And then after few days, he could embrace him.
So always put your trust in Allah!
( لَّا يَضِلُّ رَبِّي وَلَا يَنسَى )
“My Lord does not err or forget”
Allah will not forget for you the hearts you pleased, the tears you wept, and the sadness you removed.
Allah will not forget for you the tears you shed when supplicating to him while believing in the answer.
Allah will forget neither your concealment of harm; however, you have the ability to respond to it, nor your withdrawal from a battle that all its parties are losers.
Allah will forget neither your patience during time of distress, nor your gratitude during time of prosperity.
You will see the reward Allah will grant you for all these deeds!