Keep Busy with the Present, Rather than the Past or Future

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

What is the point of slapping your cheeks or tearing your garment in sorrow over something you missed or some calamity that befell you?

What is the point in focusing your thoughts and feelings on some incident that has passed so as to increase your pain and make you fall apart?

If it were possible to reach into the past and change its events which we did not like, and alter them the way we like, then going back to the past would be essential.

We would all rush to go back and erase the things we regretted doing and increase our share of good fortune.

But that is impossible, so it is better for us to focus our efforts on what will help us get on with our lives, for that is our only means of compensation.

This is what the Quran drew attention to after Uhud (a battle named after a mountain in Madinah), when Allah said to those who were weeping for the slain and regretting going out in the battlefield:

Say: "Even if you had remained in your homes, those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death" ..

(Surah Aale Imraan - Verse 154)

Be patient to be victorious.

Wasalaam!

Prophet Muhammad (saw) - The Generous One

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Of all of Allah's created beings, none has ever been as generous as the Prophet Muhammad (saw). There are reasons why he was so generous. He was sent to adorn himself and others with the noblest of manners; when he gave to others, he expected nothing in return from them, desiring instead to be rewarded by Allah alone; and, perhaps most importantly, he trusted in Allah so much that he did not fear poverty.

Because the Prophet (saw) possessed the above mentioned qualities, he became the very personification of generosity. An Arab poet once noted that the Prophet (saw) would have altogether forsaken the word No, had it not been for the Tashahud (the testimony of faith):

He said "no" never, except when he made Tashahud,
Had it not been for Tashahud, his "no" would have been a "yes".

What the poet meant, of course, is that, whenever someone went to the Prophet (saw) and asked him for something - money, food, clothing, or something else - he (saw) would never say "No". But he did use the word "No" in the testimony of faith: "No one has the right to be worshipped but Allah".

Among Arabs, certain historical figures are still remembered for their generosity - the likes of Haram, Ibn Jad'an, and perhaps most famously, Hatim. And yet none of these men even approached the generosity of the Prophet (saw). Without thinking twice about the matter, the Prophet (saw) once gave a man an entire flock of sheep that were so numerous that they filled the valley that separated two mountains. 

At around the same time, he gave each chieftain of various Arab tribes one hundred camels. On one occasion, a man asked the Prophet (saw) for the very shirt he had on his back. In response to the man's strange request, the Prophet (saw) removed his shirt and handed it over to the man.

When the Prophet (saw) showed generosity, he expected nothing in return. Many rich men, especially kings, give charity, hoping not for a monetary return, but instead for respect, love, admiration and loyalty. The Prophet (saw) expected none of these things; nay, he acted so humbly that he made a person feel that, by taking something from the Prophet (saw), he was the one who was doing the Prophet (saw) a favour, and not vice versa. 

Or in the words of a poet:
You see him, when you go to him, with a cheerful expression on his face.
Making it seem that you are the one giving him that which you ask for.

If the Prophet (saw) had nothing when someone asked him for something, he would find something to give him. And when he had very little himself, he would give away what little he had, trusting that Allah would reward him and provide for him.

When the spoils of war would be gathered, he would distribute them in less than an hour. His table-spread was like a complementary food stand - any and all comers were welcome to it, except that they were welcome to take generous portions. 

Everyone benefited from the Prophet's (saw) generosity: The traveller he treated as a guest; the hungry he provided with food; his relatives he honoured with good treatment; to the needy he gave without fear of poverty; the rich and the poor alike he treated well; Jews, Bedouins, enemies, and hypocrites all ate with him as his guests. 

It is not mentioned in any narration that the Prophet (saw) ever became weary of being generous, ever said "no" to someone who asked him for help, or ever showed the least bit of displeasure towards someone who demanded his assistance.

On one occasion, a Bedouin pulled back violently at the collar of the Prophet's (saw) robe, so violently, in fact, that a mark was left of the Prophet's (saw) neck. The Bedouin then said: "Give me from what you have in terms of Allah's wealth; from the wealth that is neither your father's nor your mother's". The Prophet (saw) turned to the Bedouin, laughed good-naturedly, and then gave him a generous share of wealth.

When a treasure of gold or silver would come to him, he would distribute it immediately, without saving even a coin from it for himself. When he gave someone money, he was happier to give than was the other person to receive. 

A paragon of generosity himself, the Prophet (saw) exhorted Muslims to follow his example. He said:

"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him be generous to his guest".

In another narration, he said:

"Every person will be under the shade of his own charity (on the Day of Resurrection), until judgement is rendered among people."

According to yet another narration, he said:

"Charity never causes one's level of wealth to decrease".

To give is to be blessed. Whatever you give away in charity, you get back in some form or another. 

Wasalaam! 

Allah

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Truly, I am Allah; there is no God but I; therefore, serve Me.

(20:14)

Allah is the most sacred Name that indicates the Being Most High, His oneness and His godly attributes.

Say: He is Allah, One: Allah, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, and has not been begotten, and to whom there is no equal.

(112:1-4)

No god is to be worshipped other than Allah. 

And call not upon another god with Allah; there is no god but He. All things perish, except Himself.

(28:88)

Things exist by the will of Allah.

When We decree a thing, We need only say: "Be", and it is.

(16:40)

He supervises their affairs:

Surely your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then ascended His throne, ordaining all things ..
(10:3)

And He is God; there is no god but He. His is the praise in this world and the hereafter; His too is the power supreme, and to Him you shall be recalled.
(28:70)

While other Names are attributes, Allah is the proper name of God, that has never been given to any other being in Islam or pre-Islamic times.

Do you want to experience the glory of Allah? Bow down and worship Him.

Wasalaam!

No One is Ever Completely Happy

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

You are making a big mistake if you think that life must always be one hundred percent in your favour. This is something that will only happen in Paradise.

In this world, however, happiness is relative. You will not get everything you want; there will always be some problems, sickness, adversity and trials.

So, be grateful at times of ease and patient at times of hardship.  Do not be too idealistic and expect good health with no sickness, richness with no poverty, happiness with nothing to spoil your joy, a husband with no negative aspects, a friend with no faults.

That will never happen.

Learn how to overlook the negative aspects and mistakes, and look at the positive aspects and good things. Think well of others and make excuses for them, but put your trust in Allah only, because people are not fit to be relied upon or to have your affairs delegated to them:

Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah (if He wants to punish you ..) ..

(Surah Jaathiyah, Verse 19)

Wasalaam!

Prophet Muhammad (saw) - the Patient One

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

In the English language, patience is sometimes defined as the capacity for calm endurance of pain, trouble and inconvenience. 

As an Islamic virtue, patience has an additional spiritual quality to it: To endure hardships for the sake of Allah, consciously making the intention that, by being patient and by not complaining, one will hopefully receive rewards from Allah in the Hereafter. After all, many hardy people in this world calmly endure pain and hardship; but relatively few people do so for the sake of Allah. 

As for the Prophet (saw), he was a paragon of patience. For him, being chosen to be the seal of the Prophets meant, not an easy life, but a life of difficulties and hardships, of trials and tribulations, of pain and suffering. In fact, no one in the history of mankind faced as many hardships as did the Prophet (saw).

Death would have been easier than the personal tragedies the Prophet (saw) experienced throughout his life, and yet he never complained, but instead remained steadfast, patient, and thankful to his Lord.

In being patient, he was obeying his Lord's command:

And endure you patiently (O Muhammad), your patience is not but from Allah ...

(Surah An-Nahl - Verse 127)

He patiently endured being an orphan, being poor and being hungry. He was patient when he was forced to leave his homeland, his house, and his family. He was patient when he was being persecuted, when some of his Companions were being tortured, and when others among his family members and Companions were killed. He was patient when his enemies waged war against him, when Bedouins acted ignorantly with him, when Jews plotted against him, when hypocrites conspired to harm him, when many of his own relatives forsook him and declared war upon him.

He was patient in other ways as well. He patiently resisted the temptations of this world, the allure of riches, and the appeal of being strong and powerful. He turned away from all of the above because, instead of those worldly attractions, he longed only to please His Lord.

In every aspect of his life, and in every stage of his prophethood, the Prophet (saw) was patient. Patience, in fact, was his armour against everything that is harmful in this life. Every time he remembered what his enemies said, he recalled the words of Allah:

So bear patiently (O Muhammad) what they say ..
(Surah Ta-Ha, Verse 130)

Every time a difficult situation became almost too difficult to bear, he remembered the saying of Allah: 

... So (for me) patience is most fitting ..
(Surah Yusuf, Verse 18)

And every time he faced almost certain destruction at the hands of his enemies, he remembered Allah's saying:

Therefore be patient (O Muhammad) as did the Messengers of strong will ..
(Surah Ahqaf, Verse 35)

His was the patience of a man who is perfectly confident that Allah will help him and that Allah will reward him for his hardship and for his patience. His was the patience of a man who knew that Allah was with him and that Allah was all the help he needed in life. As such, nothing - no harsh word, no curse, no rude behaviour, and no physical torture - could shake him, faze him, perturb him, or even annoy him.

When his uncle died, he was patient. When his wife died, he was patient. When Hamzah (ra) died, he was patient, even though Hamzah was killed in an especially gruesome manner.

When he was forced to leave Makkah, he was patient. When his son died, he was patient. When most of his people rejected his message, he remained patient. When his pure and chaste wife was accused of doing a vile deed, he remained patient, seeking help from none save Allah.

When his people labelled him a poet, a sorcerer, a madman, and a liar, he remained patient. When they cursed him, persecuted him, waged war against him, and physically assaulted him, he remained patient.

In short, he was, and continues to remain the leader of those who practice patience, and the ideal role model of those who are thankful.

Wasalaam!

Prophet Muhammad (saw) - The Truthful One

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Of all men who have ever walked the earth, none has - nor will any ever be - as truthful as the Prophet (saw). How could anyone come close to him, when he never spoke a single lie in his entire life, not even one that was meant as a joke?

And while he held himself to a high standard of truthfulness, he ordered his followers to do the same. He said: "Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness and piety, and this piety leads to Paradise. And, a man continues to be truthful and to search out for the truth until, with Allah, he is written as a truthful person".

The Prophet (saw) informed Muslims that, while a believer might be miserly or cowardly on occasion, he will never lie; furthermore, he forbade Muslims from lying even if they do so only as a joke, in order to make others laugh.

Enough of a testament to his truthfulness is the fact that Allah entrusted him with the job of conveying His message to both mankind and jinns. The Prophet (saw) then carried out that job with complete truthfulness and trustworthiness, accurately conveying the entire message he was entrusted with, without adding or removing even a single letter of that message.

The Prophet (saw) was truthful on all occasions and in all situations - in times of war and times of peace; when he was happy and when he was angry; when he was serious and when he was joking; when he was engaged in normal conversations and when he issued legal rulings. 

And he was truthful with all people - with close acquaintances and strangers, with men and women, with friends and enemies. When buying and selling, when signing contracts or treaties, when delivering sermons or writing letters, when issuing legal rulings or telling stories - in these and all other situations, the Prophet (saw) was completely truthful. In fact, he couldn't lie, for Allah not only forbade him from lying, but also protected him from it.

The Prophet (saw) was truthful not only in speech, but also with his gestures and signals. For instance, in certain situations, he considered the act of winking to be a lie, because it gave key information to some people, while leaving others in the dark.

Allah said:
O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).
(Surah Tawbah - Verse 119)

And, in another verse, He said:
.. Then if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.
(Surah Muhammad - Verse 21)

The Prophet (saw) was truthful with Allah, truthful with himself, truthful with his family, truthful with his friends, truthful with people in general, and even truthful with his enemies. 

Had the truth been an actual man, that man would have been Muhammad (saw). He was known as, The Truthful, Trustworthy One prior to the advent of Islam; imagine, then, how he became once he began to receive revelation from his Lord, once he became a Prophet, once he became blessed with guidance and uprightness. 

Wasalaam!

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) - His Book

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The Book he was sent with is the Quran - categorically the best and the most sacred of all books, the only Book on the face of the earth that is perfect and that is free from any and all defects. Not a line, not a word, nay, not even a letter of falsehood can be found in any of its pages; which is not surprising, considering that it was revealed by the All-Wise, the One Who is worthy of all praise. 

Everything about the Quran - its meanings, the ordering of its words, the arrangement of its chapters, the legal rulings it contains - is perfect.

What is more, it is a blessed Book: One is blessed when one recites it, when one contemplates its meanings, when one uses it to cure one's physical and spiritual ailments, when people turn to it to judge their disputes, and when one applies its teachings. For each of its letters that one recites, one receives ten rewards.

The Quran is the best of companions, being always available, truthful, comforting, trustworthy and beneficial. It has about it a quality of sweetness. It surpasses all else, but is never surpassed itself. It is neither magic nor poetry nor the speech of man; rather, it is the speech of Allah. From Him it emanated, and to Him it shall return. That most trusted of Angels, Jibraeel (as), came down with it to the heart of the Messenger of Allah (saw).

The Quran was revealed in clear Arabic. To all who know the Arabic language, it is the standard of eloquence, and yet it is a standard that no man can meet or equal or reproduce in any way. It is, moreover, guidance, mercy, an admonition, light, a clear proof, and a cure for what is in the hearts of men. 

It is divinely protected, so that, no matter how much Islam's enemies try to corrupt or change its verses, it cannot be changed in the least. Allah will always protect it from any additions or deletions. As such, the Quran is an eternal and lasting miracle.

The Quran is a protection for those who follow it; a means of salvation for those who apply its teachings; a gateway towards happiness for those who follow its guidance; and a door to ultimate success for those who turn to it for judgement in every aspect of their lives.

The Prophet (saw) said: "Recite the Quran; for indeed, it will come as an intercessor for its people (for the people who recite it and apply its teachings) on the Day of Resurrection". 

According to another narration, the Prophet (saw) said: "The best among you is he who learns the Quran and teaches it to others". 

And according to yet another narration, the Prophet (saw) said: "Verily, through this Book, Allah raises certain people; and, through it, He lowers others".

It is the Book that has confuted poets, silenced philosophers, struck dumb the most eloquent of people, amazed scholars, and left speechless the wise.

Verily, this Quran guides to that which is most just and right ..
(Surah Al-Isra, Verse 9)

Wasalaam!