Patience, a virtue and a treasure

The heart is grieved and the eyes shed tears. But the tongue shall not say anything that will displease the Creator.

When the Prophet ﷺ says: “Be patient” remember this advice comes from the one who lost both parents & buried 6 children during his life.
And there’s NO ONE, literally no one, on the face of this earth who has been tested and tried with such great amounts of hardships as the beloved prophet of Allah was tested and tried with.
Imagine being driven out of your own city, the place which was most beloved to you, by your own people or having to bear the loss of the 2 people, in the same year, who supported you and stood by you against your enemies or having to bury 6 of your children during your lifetime or having to bear the taunts, abuses, torture and mockery of your own people- all at the same time?
Wallahi, the life of the prophet was one filled with hardship, yet he was the one who was closest and most grateful to His Lord.
Never did he utter words of ingratitude or question the decree of Allah. In fact, there was no one who smiled more, than the Prophet of Allah did. He was someone who knew pain like the back of his palm, yet he wore a smile at all times.

We need to ask ourselves, what is OUR reaction when a calamity befalls us? Do we despair? Do we become arrogant and forget Allah? Are we only grateful to Allah at times of happiness? Or are we thankful to Allah at all times, no matter what the situation is? Do we say Alhamdulillah upon happiness and sorrow? Do we trust that Allah has the best plan for us and that He would never do anything against us? Do we remember that Allah loves us more than 70 mothers and therefore will never plan anything against our favour? Is our reaction رَضِيتُ بِالله رَبَّا? (I am pleased with Allah as my Lord)?

We need to remember, if we want Allah to be pleased with us, we need to be pleased with Him no matter what comes our way.

Sometimes in life, hardships may, no scratch that, hardships WILL befall us.
And sometimes you feel like difficulties just keep adding up- one after another, and the light at the end of the tunnel, seems like a mirage.
But that is the reality of this dunya- Hardships are bound to come. To test you, to purify you and to raise your ranks.
Sometimes calamities comes only as a test of our patience and once your reaction is observed, the hardship is lifted.
Patience is to hold one’s soul from being impatient and displeased, holding the tongue from complaining and the body parts from harming himself or others.
A person who loves Allah finds it much easier to be patient and to persevere. This is because he knows that everything comes from Allah, and if it comes from Allah, there must be a reason for it.
Take control of your heart after defeat. Control your emotions, don’t let them control you. Keep your gaze fixed on the pleasure of the Almighty and consequently, your actions and words will rid itself of anything that will earn His anger. It is difficult to be patient but to lose the rewards for patience is much worse.

At the end of the day, everything boils down to only one thing- the temporary nature of this dunya. Happiness is ever so fleeting and sadness definitely is too. Everything is bound to end, and all that will remain will be the deeds that you have sent forth and the rewards that are safely stored for you in an unending abode.

The Messenger of Allah (sal) said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.”

//And be patient, and your patience is not but from Allah.

Who Are Your Friends?

Sit with those who love Allah, for that enlightens the mind. There is nothing that corrupts a person or rectifies him more than his companion.

Any friendship based on pretence, evil and sin will in fact cost a person their spot in Paradise. In this world they drank, danced and deceived everyone as a team. They were the BFF’s of the century and had each others’ backs at all times. They were inseparable so to speak. However, friendship of this sort, is SHORT LIVED.

Why? Due to the fact that they didn’t meet each other for the purposes of remembering their Lord. They encouraged each other in sin and disobedience to Allah. Thus on the Day of Judgement, these so called friends will hate, despise and become enemies to one another.

True friends nudge you when you’re about to gossip, they force you to be positive, they encourage good thoughts and words, they forgive your shortcomings, they want good for you, they advice you in light of the Quran and Sunnah, they support your dreams and ambitions, they help and respect you and above all, love you because Allah expects this of them.

The Prophet Muhammad (sal) said: “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.”

The company you keep has an affect on your level of faith. So be mindful of who you befriend. Does your company increase you in your love for Allah? Or does your company take you further away from Allah?

//Check your company. Who are your friends?

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Remember Allah Much

The heart is at peace when the tongue is moist with the remembrance of Allah, for undoubtedly, it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find rest.

It is very common among humans that one always remembers those whom he loves and cares about. But that doesn’t necessarily become a two way remembrance. It isn’t often that you can guarantee that the person you are thinking about is DEFINITELY thinking about you. But with the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted, it is a two way street. In fact, the response of the Most Gracious, is greater in intensity as compared to the believers.
As Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi:
I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.’” (Bukhari)
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And whom Allah grants with His remembrance, it will definitely result in ultimate contentment of one`s soul.
Allah tells us in the Quran:
“..For without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (13:28)
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It is the key to the nearness of Almighty Allah- the more abundant the Zikr, the more one will get nearer to Allah, and greater the indifference to Zikr, the greater will be the distance from Him.
There is not a single corner in the heart of a man which cannot be filled but with Zikr. When Zikr controls the heart, not only does it fill up this corner but also leads the person to that kind of contentment which any amount of wealth would fail to produce. Such a person gets respect among people, which his family or party fails to bring about. He earns such a control over people that a sovereign would never dream of. On the other hand, disgrace descends over an indolent in spite of all his wealth and riches, party, strength and powers.
Zikr transforms distraction into concentration, remoteness into nearness. It lightens every burden, and relieves every affliction. While being engaged in Zikr the angels remain busy in constructing houses in Paradise for the performers. When Zikr is stopped, the angels also stop construction of the houses. When asked why a particular construction was stopped by the angels, they reply, The construction had to be stopped because funds for it were stopped.It gives life to the heart. It is food for the heart and soul, and to deprive them of Zikr is like depriving the body of its food. It cleanses the heart of its rust. It has been mentioned in the Hadith: everything rusts according to its nature; and the heart rusts with worldly desires and indifference; to purify it, Zikr is necessary.
The faces of those who perform Zikr remain illume in this life, and will carry a special radiance in the Hereafter.
On the other hand, there are stern warnings against those who do not remember Allah and whose hearts are heedless. Allah says in His book:
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
And be not ye as those who forgot Allah and therefore He caused them to forget their souls. Such are the evil-doers. (59:19)
Thus, when one forgets his own soul, he becomes careless and forgets his real interests, which leads to his ruin, in the same way a garden or field is ruined when its owner fails to look after it. To remain protected from this ruin, one should keep his tongue always busy in Zikr to such an extent that it (zikr) becomes a necessity for him- just as water is for the thirsty, food for hungry or a house and clothes for the needy. As a matter of fact, one should be more mindful towards Zikr than any of these material necessities which if lost, are a small loss as compared to the spiritual death of the heart.
Allah says in Surah Taha, V124:
And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind.

Hafiz Ibn Qayyim (RA), a well-known Muhadith, has written an authentic book, ‘Al-Waabilus Sayyib’, on the virtues of Zikr, which are more than one hundred and he has listed seventy nine of these, which are briefly given in the following link. Head over and graze to your heart’s content.
https://www.islamicity.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31174&title=73-benefits-of-zikr-huge-list

.يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ ذِكۡرً۬ا كَثِيرً۬ا
//O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance.”
(33:41)

May Allah make us of those who remember him while standing, sitting and reclining. Aameen

Prostrate and draw near to Allah

For a turbulent heart, there’s no better therapy than sujood. And no greater tranquillity than the calmness you feel with your face on the ground.

There are days when you don’t feel like praying. When your soul feels dark and your heart feels down. Those are the days when you need to pray- more than ever- for those are the days where you need it the most. Turn anxiety, fear and concern into Dua.
See it as another reason to bow down in Sujood- the position when you are closest to Allah.
And if you find the strength to bow down before your Lord at such times, know that you have defeated a big part of your nafs and have taken a big step towards getting closer to your Lord.
No matter what, lead your heart to prayer. And one day, it will lead you.

Allah says in the Qur’an:
“Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah.” (96:19)
In this verse, Allah gives us a very clear ruling on how to get near to Him- which is, through Sujood.

Here’s something to think about. In Salah, we move our bodies, we move our lips. But do we move our hearts in Salah? Are our hearts in the state of complete humility before Allah?
We need to feel the pull of our hearts in Sajdah and humble ourselves completely before our Lord as we place the most dignified part of our body onto the ground in submission to Allah, the Most High.
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Prolong your Sujood and pour out every concern and worry which is on your mind to the One who hears everything. The best part is He knew what was in your heart even before you uttered anything and yet, He listens to your every word.
Bow down until you feel at peace and when you raise your head, be rest assured that you’ve handed over your problems to the only One who has the power to take care of everything.
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//Pray the pain away.

True Love? Or Mere Lip Service?

Well, what does it really mean to love someone? Is it enough to just say you love someone through mere words while your actions prove the complete opposite?
Think of someone in this dunya whom you love.
Would you say you love them, yet disobey their command?
Would you say you love them, yet make them angry by doing what displeases them?
Would you say you love them, yet not want to meet them?
Would you say you love them, yet not think about them the whole day?
Would you not think of them when something good happens to you?
Would you not rush to them when a calamity befalls you?
Would you not strive to please them and obey them every chance you get?
Would you not put in your utmost to seek their approval?
Now relate this to your relationship with Allah. How many of us claim to love Him but we delay our Salah? How many of us claim to love Him, yet we disobey His commands and make Him upset with us?
Love demands action. The question is, how can we increase our love for Allah?

If you want to know your worth to Allah, then see what you are doing with your life.

Are you pleasing Allah or disappointing Him?
If you don’t like your answer, here’s good news for you.

The fact that you are seeking closeness to Allah means He wants you to remember Him.
Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi;
“I am as My servant as thinks of Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his, and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.”
(Sahih Muslim).
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Getting close to Allah takes time. We cannot expect everything to magically fall into place by doing a righteous deed. Have a strong intention, be patient and consistent in your journey towards gaining His closeness and avoid sins and wasting time AT ALL COSTS.

1. Get to Know Allah [SWT] Through His 99 Beautiful Names

How can you love Allah and want to get closer to Him if you don’t know Him that well? We fall in love with people as we get to know them more and realize that they have a lot of beautiful qualities and characteristics. Of course Allah is above any analogy, but you need know Him more.

Wanting to get closer alone won’t do you any good without falling in love with your Creator. Start with the name of Al-Wadud, the Ever-Loving. Allah’s love for you is unconditional. He does not need or want anything from you in return. He loves you so He keeps giving you even if you disobey Him.

Ask Allah with His 99 Names. He is the One who is closest to you. So ask Him to bring you closer to Him. Call on Him using the name Al-Wadud and ask Him to love you more and make you love Him more. It’s as simple as that.

Let me share with you my all time favourite Hadith:

Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates that the Prophet said, “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Jibreel! Love him.’ Jibreel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven. ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,’ and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth.” .

2. Increase in Sajdah (Prostration).

Allah says: And bow down in adoration, and bring yourself the closer (to Allah). (96:19)

Increase the length of your prostration, increase your supplications and humility whilst in Sajdah.

3. Be of those who rush towards doing good deeds.

Allah says: As for the Foremost, they will be the foremost! They shall be near-stationed (to their Lord) (56:10,11)

Sabiqoon are not only righteous people that only do alot of good deeds to get closer and closer to Allah, but when they see someone doing more good deeds, earning more rewards, getting closer to their Lord, they become very competitive and race to out-do others so as to become the closest to their Lord.

Hence they will be the front runners into Paradise just as they were front runners to perform good deeds. They will be brought nearest to Allah in Jannah. May Allah grant us the highest station in Paradise. Aameen.

4. Remember Allah Much.

Remembering Allah is essential in achieving closeness to Him.
Allah says: “…for without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (Surah Al-Rad, 13:28)

The most elegant form of remembering Allah is by looking at His creations. When you are in between tasks like driving or walking, remember Allah by doing more Zikr.
The more you remember Allah, the more He will remember you.

5. Follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad

By following the Sunnah of our prophet we will gain the love of Allah.

Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (3:31)

6. Stay Connected to the Qur’an

Read, understand and act upon it. Try your best to act the way we were asked to in the Qur’an. Strive for the best. Reflect on its meanings; it will give you answers to your daily life’s complications.

Worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don’t see Him then truly He sees you.

7. Stay Away from Poisons

Fix your heart, by staying away from anything that Allah doesn’t love. Who are your friends? Do they bring you closer to Allah? Or do they encourage you in sin?

The Prophet Muhammad said: “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.”

May Allah guide us on the path that brings us closer to Him. Aameen.

Better Things Are Coming

Then Allah sends upon the hearts of those who are patient,
A happiness, that makes them forget what they cried for.
Unknown

And do you cry over that which has passed? I swear to you if there was any good in it, it would have stayed. Be sure that there is something waiting for you after much patience, to astonish you to a degree that you forget the bitterness of the pain.

And remember, Allah says, “What’s coming is better than what has gone by.”(93:04) Allah knows what’s best for you and when it’s best for you to have it. So let your heart be calm in the knowledge that Allah never takes away anything you have without replacing it with something far better that you even imagined owning.

After much patience, beautiful things await.

I Wonder…

I wonder at the man who knows that he is to die and indulges in laughter.

I wonder at the man who knows that this world will come to an end one day but hankers after it.

I wonder at the man who knows that everything is predestined should lament the loss of anything.

I wonder at the man who believes in the reckoning in the hereafter should amass wealth.

I wonder at the man who has knowledge of the fire of hell should commit any sin.

I wonder at the man who believes in Almighty Allah should remember anybody other than Him.

I wonder at the man who believes in Paradise should feel pleasure in anything of this world.

I wonder that a man who knows that Satan is his eternal enemy should obey and follow him.
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The truth is evident, so what is it we go after?

Life Is A Delusion

This life is a delusion,
A pretty little lie,
It’s bound to be over
So why do you sigh?

You handed your heart over,
Wrapped in a fragile case.
You’ve chosen wrong my friend,
You’ve trusted the wrong place.

This dunya is a place of heartbreak,
A place of pain,
By striving for this world,
What is it we gain?

Keep the goal in mind my beloved,
For all this is bound to cease.
An eternity of bliss awaits us,
So hang in there please?

You Are, The Deputy of Allah

Believe me when I say, you weren’t just born to eat, sleep, work and die.

You were made for a higher purpose. Allah put you on this Earth as a deputy- to pass on the message of monotheism to all of mankind. And what greater honour than to be chosen by the King of Kings as his own deputy?

Allah says in Surah Baqarah Verse 30: “And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?” Allah said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.”

The responsibility of conveying to the entire nation was placed on the shoulders of one man- the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and he fulfilled his mission completely. After his demise, the responsibility now lies on our shoulders- to spread the message of one true God to all of humanity.

Allaah says “Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:104]

Sounds like a big task isn’t it? Well it is. So what are we waiting for? Put yourself out there and strive with your life and property. And don’t give up. The reward is truly limitless.

From Darknesses Into Light

With the first step I took to begin my journey with the Qur’an, in understanding its meaning and delving into its depths, I knew it would be life changing for me. In fact, I began merely for that very reason- To change myself for the better.

From darkness that obscured my vision
Into light that brought perfect distinction
Between the right and the wrong, the good and the bad
My journey began with the Quran in my hand.

The past few months of my life have been a metarmophosis for me. Like a caterpillar that roams around in the mud, despicable to some people, I knew, my heart was in need of some change. My heart was in need of healing. My heart was in need of a good clean up – to remove the layers of rust and darkness caused by sin. And deep down I KNEW that all these could only be achieved by forming a connection with my Rabb through His words.
And it could only be by letting the beauty of His words touch and cleanse my heart, by letting the stories of the pure character of His beloved messenger ﷺ, engrave in my mind in order for me to rise and reform myself everyday.

It has been a never ending struggle with my nafs and Satan urging me on the path to evil. Urging me to deviate from the straight path that Allah alone has guided me on.
For example, it isn’t all that easy to control your anger when you are provoked. We try and fail, time and time again. But when we believe in the words of Allah and the promise of reward from Him, everything becomes worth it. Throwing away that massive ego and pride and letting go of a very good and sarcastic comeback, is definitely a battle. But our Lord promises us much more. So we have to make choices everyday- do we want to follow our desires which will only lead us to misery? Or follow the commands of Allah which will only lead to eternal success?

My journey with the Qur’an not only transformed my days but my nights as well. The transition from nights that were spent in evil to nights spent crying at the door of my Lord, begging for His forgiveness and great favour. From nights that I wasted away in heedlessness to nights where I only yearn to be closer than I have ever been to the Most Loving.

Subhanallah, it’s the love that Allah has for us that never fails to amaze me. We spend our days and nights in His disobedience but yet, HE Himself chooses such sinful people like us to be among His chosen ones? He guides us and calls us to Him just so that we don’t burn in fire of Jahannam? Just so that we can enter the Gardens of Paradise which He has prepared for His righteous slaves? Just so that we can abide in bliss forever? Just so that we can achieve His pleasure? The pleasure of the one who has given us everything and more. The pleasure of the most High, the pleasure of the king of kings.
The price of Jannah is huge. It isn’t something that can be obtained easily and we need to ask ourselves what is that one deed we do that is worthy of such a huge reward?

Let me share with you the story of the caterpillar who turns into a butterfly.
On the journey between a caterpillar to a butterfly, the caterpillar encloses itself into a cocoon. Within that cocoon, the entire caterpillar is broken down into a soup-like mixture. Just about all of the major structures are broken down and rebuilt including the heart. Soon the butterfly emerges, free to fly with hardly a trace of the caterpillar.

The journey with the Qur’an is a metamorphosis.
A spiritual one rather. A journey where we evolve from human beings that merely eat, sleep, work and exist, into human beings with much greater purpose in our lives. Human beings with the goal of Jannah and the pleasure of Allah in our minds. Once we’ve got the drive to achieve the loftiest rank in Jannah, no dark cocoon can be too difficult or uncomfortable for us. Remember just as the caterpillar faced hardship inside that cocoon, we will too. But the caterpillar knew that there was something much greater waiting for it on the other side. This is our journey too- a journey where we evolve from nasty caterpillars into the most beautiful of butterflies. More beautiful in heart, in our speech and in our deeds. So no matter what we go through along this life changing journey, let us keep our eyes fixed on the goal- Jannatul Firdouse and never give up striving and sacrificing in the way of the Most Generous. Your Lord who has promised to reward you in full. And your Lord never goes against His promise.

Oh how we pray that on the day we meet our Lord, that our names are called from every gate in Jannah. How we pray, that Al Wadud Himself says to us,

“O soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction!
Come back to your Lord, Well-pleased (yourself) and well-pleasing unto Him!
Enter you, then, among My honoured slaves,
And enter you My Paradise!”

Aameen.