When People Ignore Your Favor,
Do Not Despair;
It Is Sufficient That
Allah Knows Who You Are
( قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ )
“Small thanks you give”
Allah continues His blessings upon us to the extent that we assume they are our entitlement, and thus we become negligent in showing gratitude!
We buy what we want and forget the One Who has given us the money!
We go and come with strength and forget the One Who has given us health!
We pass beside hospitals and forget the One Who has given us the well-being!
We pass beside prisons and forget the One Who has given us the freedom!
We watch death and destruction presented on television and forget the One Who has given us security!
The most dangerous disease that afflicts man is to become accustomed to blessings to the extent that he cannot see them as blessings anymore!
The house that shelters you is a blessing; look at the homeless.
The husband who supports and comforts you is a blessing; look at the widows.
The son who runs towards you is a blessing; look at those deprived of childbearing.
We are immersed in Allah’s blessings yet fall short in expressing gratitude to the One Who grants them.
So always say, ‘Alhamdulillah’ (All praise is due to Allah), for with gratitude, blessings continue!
( إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ ۚ )
“For good things drive bad away”
It is a simple equation:
If you cannot leave an act of disobedience, then besiege it with acts of obedience!
If you look to what is not lawful, perform ablution and pray.
If you committed to backbiting, give a charity.
If Satan defeated you once, there are a thousand acts of obedience through which you can defeat him.
Groans of the disobedient are beloved by Allah more than supplications of the obedient!
The Satan may feel despair with the obedient,
But the disobedient is still indulged in the war.
He gets broken due to the disobedience and then repairs himself with the obedience.
He falls due to the sin and then gets up with the worship.
As long as you sin while feeling broken and return to Allah with shame,
Be assured that you are in a good state!
( فَسَقَىٰ لَهُمَا ثُمَّ تَوَلَّىٰ إِلَى الظِّلِّ )
“He watered their flocks for them, withdrew into the shade”
Do not wait to be praised for every good deed you perform.
And do not search for clapping for every heroic act you carry out.
Live with a white heart;
Aid those in need to help.
Comfort those in need to condolence.
Help those in trouble and bring victory to the weak.
Make performance of good deeds be your nature like breathing.
When giving charity, drive away your sight quickly so that you would not see the poor sense of brokenness before your eyes.
What a noble attitude of Moses (peace be upon him) is!
When he helped (the two women), he left; and so Allah rewarded him with what is better than the word of thanking.
Always remember that you are dealing with the Most Generous (Allah)!
( قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ )
“But he said, You will hear no reproaches today. May God forgive you!”
They planned for killing him,
And then they decided to carry out the lesser of two evils;
They threw him into the well and he was sold at markets like slaves.
And when they apologized to him, he accepted their apology and quickly turned the page.
This is the characteristic of noble people; they do not talk about the past.
Masood Al-Hamazany used to forgive people,
And when anyone apologizes to him, he used to reply: Past should not be remembered!
And then when Masood died, he was seen in a dream. It was said to him: What has Allah done with you?
He said: Allah made me stood before Him and said, “Oh Masood, the past is not to be remembered.” Then He commanded, “Take him to Paradise!”
( وَلَا تَنسَوُا الْفَضْلَ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ )
“So do not forget to be generous towards one another”
I will not quarrel with you;
I do not raise a sword against someone whom I love.
I cannot belittle the bond we have shared, and I do not forget the favor between us.
But when things reach a dead end and a part of respect and trust is lost,
I perform ablution, pray two Rak’ah and then supplicate:
Oh Allah, strengthen his heart and mine, and replace me with someone better for him and replace him with someone better for me.
Then I bid him farewell and move forward,
And when I move forward, I do not return!
( قَالَ أَخَرَقْتَهَا لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا إِمْرًا )
“Moses said, ‘How could you make a hole in it? Do you want to drown its passengers? What a strange thing to do?”
Al-Khadir was not the only hero in this story,
Moses (peace be upon him) was also a hero!
When he denied making a hole in the ship,
This was because that deed appears to be aggression.
And when he denied killing a young boy,
This was because that deed appears to be a crime.
He represents a man of noble principles;
He did not keep silent when seeing something wrong!
In addition, he did not overlook the deeds of Al-Khadir; however, he travelled a long distance to learn from him!
Oh Allah, grant us certainty like the certainty of Moses when he saw the sea in front of him and the Pharaoh behind him, and his followers said:
) إِنَّا لَمُدْرَكُونَ)
“We shall definitely be caught.”
Moses rather said:
( قَالَ كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ )
“No, my Lord is with me: He will guide me.”
Oh Allah, grant us certainty like the certainty of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when Abu Bakr said to him:
“If any of them looked down his feet, he would see us.”
Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Oh Abu Bakr, what do you think about two whom Allah is their Third?!”
( وَأَصْبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَارِغًا ۖ إِن كَادَتْ لَتُبْدِي بِهِ لَوْلَا أَن رَّبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قَلْبِهَا )
“The next day, Moses’ mother felt a void in her heart––if We had not strengthened it to make her one of those who believe, she would have revealed everything about him”
Oh Allah, grant us something like that;
Strengthening of the heart
Like that of the heart of the mother of Moses!
( قَالَ قَدْ أُوتِيتَ سُؤْلَكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ )
“God said, Moses, your request is granted.”
Oh Allah, grant us something like that;
For what we wish, for what we wait for, and for what we long for:
For what people do not know, but You know!
( تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ )
“Let me die in true devotion to You. Join me with the righteous.”
Oh Allah, make it light, neither for us nor against us.
May we neither hurt nor be hurt,
Neither humiliate nor be humiliated.
O Allah, grant us a gentle crossing, where we do not bring misery to anyone, nor does anyone bring misery to us!
( يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ ۖ )
“Governing everything”
Here the heart finds rest,
And submission becomes pleasant.
Who then can manage affairs as the Master of affairs does?!
( فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبْلُغَا أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا )
“So your Lord intended them to reach maturity and then dig up their treasure”
Put your trust in Allah;
Be sure that there is wisdom behind delay of grants, even if this wisdom is not shown off to you.
Be sure that there is mercy in deprival, even if you do not realize this mercy.
By the time you will realize that what Allah has intended for you is better that what you intended for yourself!
( إِنِّي أَخَافُ اللَّهَ )
“I fear God”
The most beautiful apology for avoiding conflict in history was spoken by Abel to his brother Cain!
Do not let them make you forsake your religion, even if this costs you your life.
Yes, man can live without religion;
But have you ever asked yourself how he lives?
He lives like livestock, may Allah honor you.
He looks for the greatest amount of pleasure,
And the longest time to survive,
And eventually he dies.
The Root of Evils is Four:
1- Arrogance
( أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ )
“I am better than him”
This was said by Iblis.
2- Pride
( مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ )
“Who could be stronger than us?”
This was said by ‘Ad.
3- Tyranny
( مَا أُرِيكُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَرَىٰ )
“I have told you what I think.”
This was said by Pharaoh.
4- Vanity
( إِنَّمَا أُوتِيتُهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِي ۚ )
“This wealth was given to me on account of the knowledge I possess.”
This was said by Qarun.
Neither did the caravan come of their own accord,
Nor did their water-bearer lower his bucket by choice,
Nor did the Aziz purchase him because he willed it.
It is simply that:
( أَلَا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ )
“But for those who are on God’s side there is no fear, nor shall they grieve.”
( فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ وَقَصَّ عَلَيْهِ الْقَصَصَ قَالَ لَا تَخَفْ ۖ )
“When Moses came to him and told him his story, the old man said, Do not be afraid”
This is the most beautiful thing you can introduce to someone is
To soothe his heart!
It is Chapter of the Cave:
If the ship was not holed, it would be stolen:
Allah inflicts you with minor affliction to save you from major one!
And if the young boy was not killed, he would bring misery to his parents:
There is grant in Allah’s deprival!
And if the wall was not established, wealth of the two orphans would be lost:
What kind of this goodness, Oh God?!
Therefore with every hole,
With every loss,
And with every bliss,
Always repeat: “Oh Allah, grant us patience in matters beyond our knowledge.”
( يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ )
“They wish to put His light out with their mouths. But He will perfect His light, even though the disbelievers hate it.”
The Qur’an will not fade,
The veil will not be removed,
The call to prayer will not be silenced,
And jihad will not cease.
The caravan of Islam continues its journey;
Those who join it will reach their destination,
And those who lag behind will stray.
And this matter will reach wherever the night and day extend!
The close one (to Yusuf) said:
( اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ )
“Kill Joseph!”
While the stranger said:
( أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاه )
“Look after him well!”
Indeed love is sustenance, and you never know in whose heart your sustenance lies.
( أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ )
“I have learned something you did not know: I come to you from Sheba with firm news.”
When a hoopoe knows what is hidden from a prophet,
This is a profound lesson that calls to be modest.
What we have missed of knowledge far exceeds what we have grasped.
As Abu Nuwas said to Al-Nazzam:
Say to whoever claims mastery in philosophy:
You have learned something, but many things remain unknown to you.
( فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَجْمَعُوا أَن يَجْعَلُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ ۚ )
“Then they took him away with them, resolved upon throwing him into the hidden depths of a well.”
The boy who was thrown into the well,
Lifted out by a bucket,
And sold for a meager price;
He was being carefully prepared to become the ruler of Egypt.
A harsh chapter in the book of your days might just be the prelude to the most beautiful pages of your life,
So think well of Allah!
( فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ ۗ )
“And [each time] wives either be kept on in an acceptable manner or released in a good way.”
The end of relationships does not sadden me,
For life itself will one day come to an end.
What truly saddens me is the manner in which they end.
I wish to leave my relationships with an embrace, as though bidding farewell to a dear one at the airport,
Not to leave them bleeding as if I had been in a battle.
( وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ )
“Urge one another to the truth, and urge one another to steadfastness”
When I advise you,
I am not telling you that I am better than you,
But I mean: I wish good for you!
( يَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ الْمُتَّقِينَ إِلَى الرَّحْمَٰنِ وَفْدًا )
“On the Day We gather the righteous as an honoured company before the Lord of Mercy”
Do not worry if you miss the delegations heading to earthly kings;
What truly matters is not missing the delegation heading to the King of Kings!
( وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي ۖ إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ )
“We inspired Moses’ mother, saying, ‘Suckle him, and then, when you fear for his safety, put him in the river: do not be afraid, and do not grieve, for We shall return him to you and make him a messenger.’”
Oh Allah!
The certainty that You planted in the heart of the mother of Moses,
As she cast him into the river,
With full trust that You would return him to her;
Grant me like that certainty!