From Him

Your Companion to Him

﴿وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ ۖ وَلَا تَعْدُ عَيْنَاكَ عَنْهُمْ تُرِيدُ زِينَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا﴾

And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect. (Quran 18:28)

It is by human nature that we tend to depend on people; family for love and warmth, a friend for support, or perhaps an acquaintance that makes you content. At times of hardship, it becomes difficult to find a friend that can provide us with the support that we need, but they do exist. The one person who will inspire you to seek patience from your Lord will be the person that is also close to Him, beholds a firm relationship with Him, the person that is mindful of Allah at all times, the person that longs for reuniting with Him one day.

It is with this person; a friend, a family member, or perhaps a group of people that you will find comfort and happiness in your life. Indeed they are rare to find, but they do exist. You will find them “praising Him, glorifying Him, declaring His greatness, and calling on Him day and night”[1]; not only by words but in their manners, their interaction with those around them, and the way they approach life. You will find them with pure souls, happy, and cheerful knowing that Allah is with them. You will find them seeking His pleasure and satisfaction in all of their affairs, fearing His disappointment in them at any point, because for them, Allah is their top priority in this life. Seek the friendship of righteous people, who will bring you closer to Allah, by encouraging you to improve your relationship with Him; by worshiping Him, remembering Him, and seeking Him together. Friends who will motivate you to achieve your dreams, help you at times of need, and catch you before you fall.

Perhaps the most astonishing feature of a righteous friend is that the questions you have raised to your Lord may be answered through them, the messages of hope and motivation you are longing for are sent down from Allah through them. As if they are your personal messenger from Allah, your companions that lead you to Him. These friends are rare, yet a precious blessing. We should seek them in our interactions and hold on tight to them once we find them.

On the contrary, avoid those whose main concern is this world. For those who follow the desires of this world including gossip, complications with people, materialism, and detachment from Allah will never find comfort and happiness. Seek the righteousness of a true friend, that will make you a better person, provide you with spirit and bliss, enrich your soul with reminders of Him at all times, and enhance your relationship with Him. Love your righteous friends for the sake of Allah, as they will give you what you have lost, make your life more meaningful, and ask Allah to unite between you and them in paradise.

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[1] Tafsir ibn Kathir (English Version), pg. 2942

It's in His Hands

﴿فَسَتَذْكُرُونَ مَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ﴾

And you will remember what I [now] say to you, and I entrust my affair to Allah. Indeed, Allah is Seeing of [His] servants." (Quran 40:44)

This life is full of challenges, and depending on the phases we are going through in our lives, some trials can be more difficult than others. Sometimes we must face some of the toughest situations, which may seem impossible to get through, like those that come prior to a major change in our lives, like an obstacle in the way of our lifelong dream. Enduring these challenges involve lots of anxiety, worry, and most notably, lots of thinking. Consequently, our minds can be preoccupied with never-ending thoughts of how to resolve these issues, how to conquer the challenge, how to achieve our goals. Ultimately, these endless thoughts can greatly affect our state of mind causing constant distress, eventually jeopardizing our happiness.

These situations can be perceived as a test of faith. We can create extensive plans of how to achieve our goals, overcome our challenges, or illustrate our ideal future. But, there is only so much we can do. We can plan and work hard to all that is in our hands. Yet eventually, comes worry, fear of whether or not it will happen, or how? How will our dreams come true, in the most rational way? At this point, we must realize that we are approaching our matters incorrectly. We are lacking the most essential way of facing any situation in our life. We need to realize that we can only overcome our obstacles by having faith in Him. Trusting Allah. Believing, not only by reason, but from deep inside that all of our matters are in His hands. He has already written for what is best for us, and He plans for us the best possible plans. Thus, we must trust Him and seek His help. Why? Simply because He is the only One that is well aware of what we have been through, how we really are feeling towards something, what we wish for, what is resting inside our hearts, what is preoccupying our minds, He is the “Knower of All”. As long as you confirm your faith in Him, trust Him, and submit to His control over your matters, He will provide you with the guidance you need to fulfill your goals. He is the “Perfectly Wise” and will arrange matters for you in the finest manner and He is the “All Powerful” and can grant you the impossible, as long as it is the best for you. [1]

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﴿ قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَمَّن يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَمَن يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَمَن يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ ۚ فَسَيَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ ۚ فَقُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴾

Say, "Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?" They will say, “Allah," so say, "Then will you not fear Him?" (Quran 10:31)

The most reasonable way to approach any situation is to begin by establishing our trust in Allah. “Recognizing His Oneness in divinity and worship, for He is the one Who sends down water from the sky, splits the earth with His power and will allow things to grow from it. He is the One who has granted us from endless blessings including our own sight and hearing, and can likewise grant us with many more gifts and deprive us similarly from anything on this earth. He has the ultimate power to be capable of bringing life to death and death to life.”[2] He encompasses all power and control in this world, thus He is the most capable of resolving our issues, easing our struggles, granting us success after hardship, and placing us in the most optimum situations. Allah is our Creator, and He loves His creation, He will dispose of our affairs in the most excellent ways only to protect us and provide us with what is best for us.

Rely on Allah, trust Him, and recognize that all of your matters are in His hands. It might take some time, plenty of patience, some twists and turns, and yes, He might push you down to the ground before lifting you back up, only because He loves you and so that you may learn to appreciate the blessings you have been gifted with. And as life goes on we may have to face that our plans may have not been completely fulfilled, perhaps our lives may have taken an unexpected turn. But in the end, we must come to realize that things only happen in a way that is best for us, because He wants us to live in comfort, in content, in happiness, and sooner or later we will realize that everything turned out in the best way possible.

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[1] Tafsir ibn Kathir (English Version), pg. 4452

[2] Tafsir ibn Kathir (English Version), pg. 2228

Wake Up

﴿ قَالَ كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّ مَعِيَ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ ﴾

[Moses] said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me." (Quran 26:62)

Many of us have hiked a long path to be where we are today, facing numerous types of situations, enduring several hardships, overcoming so many obstacles. And somehow, we still seem to be okay, or in fact stronger, thanks to all of what we have been through. But, there is still much more to come. And it is only going to get harder, or it may seem so. And to some extent we have had enough, after making it so far, it’s almost as if we cannot move on anymore. Exhausted from all that we have had to endure, left with no more energy to continue. But, we need to get back up. We need to keep going. Why is it that we don’t want to, or cannot take it anymore? Perhaps we have been looking in the wrong direction, hiking the trail without the most essential gear, reflecting upon this world with the wrong understanding.

At one point, it gets too tough, from all around, and it seems that we have reached a dead end, a door shut. Yet essentially, it’s the closed door we slam into that wakes us up, brings us back alive, and forces us to realize what this life is all about, how this life should truly be lived. The trail we are hiking, the steps we are climbing, the earth we are wandering, all require guidance, from Him. Like Prophet Moses standing on the shore of the Red Sea with his companions fearful, not knowing what to do, they were protected by His guidance, protected by Him. Allah miraculously split the sea into two creating a path for them to cross and escape. Likewise, You and I, must go on. We must endure and overcome everything to come, keeping in mind that we cannot wander this world without Him by our side, without His guidance leading our way. It’s at the shut door that we make the most profound realization of our life, the realization we might have been avoiding for so long, that the key to the shut door is His guidance.

This life has thrown so much at our way and somehow we have managed to make it so far. Yet if we continue to fight at this world the same way as before we are only bound to hurt ourselves. Failing to recognize Him and not acknowledging His guidance will only lead us to become helpless, feel insecure, never be content, and remain in anxiety. It is time for us to accept the most valuable token of life, that we are helpless without recognizing His presence in our life. And even then, accepting His guidance does not necessarily mean that we will be eradicated from all of our hardships, rather He will provide us with support to endure them effectively.

Yes life hurts, yes our thoughts are scattered everywhere, yes we’ve had enough, yes we have ran into a closed door. It is time we take a step back, recognize Him, His presence in our life, His place in our heart, and open the door with His guidance that will lead us on a path for Him, seeking Him, towards Him. And when that time comes, and we have found Him, we must ask Him to help us face our fear, ask Him to guide us to what is right, and most importantly, ask Him to bring us closer to Him. For there is absolutely nothing in this world that will give us content, true happiness, and internal peace, but Him.

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Reference:

Tafsir ibn Kathir (English Version), pg 3615

Keep your Expectations High

﴿ فَمَا ظَنُّكُم بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴾

Then what is your thought about the Lord of the worlds? (Quran 37:87)

Why is it that we always assume the worst? Why is it that we have such low expectations of the future? Constantly worrying about tomorrow, anxiously wondering how things will work out, always afraid of the nightmare that awaits us. The world around us holds a plethora of distractions, all of which have seemed to have taken over our thoughts and assured us that no matter what happens we are bound to fail. Success is seemingly unattainable, our dreams will eventually be crushed into pieces, we are not worthy of happiness, and only devastation lies ahead.

We have become so busy with our lives, preoccupied with the world we live in, dependent of the people surrounding us that we have forgotten to lay our trust entirely in the One Who has complete control of our life. Our doubt in the future could potentially indicate that our faith in Allah and His decree is tapering. This lack of faith has forced us to become the victims of Satan’s mischief. We have allowed him to enter into our minds and point our thoughts into one direction, poverty (Quran 2:268). Consequently being fearful of tomorrow, anxious of the world ahead, and predominantly being pessimistic about life as a whole. Satan’s manipulation of our thoughts has ultimately influenced us to mistrust our future and live a life full of worry and absolutely no hope. We cannot go on like this. This life was never meant for constant tension, indeed it is full of challenges and struggles, however the most suitable way to deal with life is to draw yourself closer to your Lord, and restore your faith in Him. Believing in Allah and submitting your faith in Him allows you to live this life with relief, being sure that He is by your side at all times. Therefore, it is imperative that we trust our Lord and have faith that as long as our matters in His hands, we are unquestionably going to be okay.

But, what if? What if it just doesn’t work out? The only way to eliminate these restless thoughts from our head is to raise our expectations in Allah’s decree.

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'I am to my slave as he thinks of Me.”[1]

Getting rid of anxiety and worry is simple, be hopeful of your Lord, optimistic of His decree, and most importantly trust Him. Trust that He knows what is best for you, trust that your happiness is His priority, and trust that He loves you. If you think of your Lord as the One who will grant you peace, mercy, and happiness, then He will surely provide you with greatness. Your Creator loves you more than anyone on earth and He will never hurt you. Have faith in your lord, have hope that tomorrow He will grant you peace, and never ever despair in His mercy.

Your Lord is the Creator of all things, the Maker of order, the Giver of all. Everything in your life will occur to preordainment, and when the time is most suitable He will provide you with what you are in deep need of. Your dreams will only come true at the time you are in desperate need of it, so that when He fulfills your dreams, you will truly appreciate it, and most importantly appreciate His generosity and His presence in your life. Wait patiently for a happy outcome, for waiting patiently one of the best forms of worship [2]. “Tomorrow is from the world of unseen, a bridge we do not cross until it comes” [3]. Then, why should we worry about crossing the bridge if we are certain that Allah has placed greatness for us at the end?

This life is short, and we will regret wasting our entire lives being worried, fearful, and anxious. It is time to change our outlooks on life, live life more appropriately, enjoy it for what it beholds. Believe in Allah, have faith in His mercy, have hope in His decree, trust that He is the Preventer of harm, call upon Him at times of need, be patient, and play your part by fulfilling your duties towards Him. As long as you hold onto your Lord, you are in the safest place there can possibly be. And later on in life, you will be grateful for every single thing that happened to you, whether it may have been the toughest times of your life, or the best. Because one day, the storm will pass, the clouds will take on, and the sun will shine bright. And as for your dreams, as long as you have faith in Him, certainly your dreams will come true because, “When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.” (Quran 2:117)

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[1] Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'I am to my slave as he thinks of Me, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him). (Sahih al-Bukhari 7505. Book 97, Hadith 130)

[2] Al-Qarni, A'id. (2003). Don’t Be Sad. (pp.104). International Islamic Publishing House.

[3] Al-Qarni, A'id. (2003). Don’t Be Sad. (pp.65). International Islamic Publishing House.

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