In the past, one of my biggest worries I used to have was the possibility that I would depart from this world without having left behind a positive legacy for others. To live a life of insignificance, as if my presence in this world added no value to others. Like foam in the sea. Or - if you’re in the mood for some poetic sci-fi - like tears in the rain.
To die, without having invested in those three deeds that keep up rewarding us after we depart, as mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ in the authentic hadith: continuous charity, knowledge which is benefitted from, and a righteous child that supplicates for us, and then to come to meet Allah on the day of judgment, realizing that my good deeds were deficient, and to come shortchanged, with the shocking realization that I don’t have much of these “spare” change in the tank – desperate for these legacy deeds to help me out.
One particular figure would always be my number one source of inspiration, optimism, motivation and hope that put my fears to rest: Prophet Ibrahim, alayhissalam.
IBRAHIM WAS AN UMMAH
Allah says, in praise of Ibrahim:
إِنَّ إِبْرَهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَـنِتًا لِلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
“Verily, Ibrahim was (himself) an Ummah, obedient to Allah, a Hanif (monotheist), and he was not one of those who worship idols” (Surah An-Nahl, 16:120)
In this ayah, Allah describes Ibrahim as an Ummah. This word, “أُمَّةً” literally means a nation, a community, a group, or a period in time. Although scholars of Tafsir mention that this means "imam", there is no other person in the Qur’an whom Allah refers to with this title of "ummah". His virtue as a community-builder was so great, that he was virtually an entire nation in the Sight of Allah, the Lord of the Universe.
The significance of this title can even be seen today, in the 21st century: Considering his figure as the common patriarch of the “Abrahamic religions”, Prophet Ibrahim is the most respected and loved human being on the planet today, which includes followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - covering over 55% of the world population as we speak. That’s over 4 billion people in the snapshot of today, alone.
On a more personal level, we Muslims today honor Prophet Ibrahim on a daily basis. Every single one of us would actually supplicate for Prophet Ibrahim in every single prayer, as we recite the salawat ibrahimiyyah in our tashahhud – at least five times a day, every day.
A "Great Legacy” would seem like an understatement.
Yet, what’s interesting to note is that this one-man nation barely had any followers throughout his lifetime!
When he was about to confront the tyrant Namrud (Nimrod), Ibrahim said to his wife Sarah,
يَا سَارَةُ، لَيْسَ عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ مُؤْمِنٌ غَيْرِي وَغَيْرُكِ
“O Sarah! There are no believers on the surface of the earth except you and I.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Despite calling people to abandon their worship of idols since his youth, yet after all these years, the ONE and only person who followed him in belief in his years of adulthood was his wife, Sarah!
How was his legacy kept alive after all these centuries?
The entirety of the legacy of Ibrahim was through his two sons: Prophet Ishaq and Prophet Isma’eel. It was through Prophet Ishaq – that sired the lineage of Israel (Ya’qub) and the entirety of the Children of Israel, hence all the other Prophets sent with the exception of the final Prophet. And it was through Isma’eel, that the final and greatest messenger was sent: Prophet Muhammad, Rasulullah ﷺ.
Most of his legacy was spread far and wide AFTER his death.
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
But to really understand the wisdom of the story, let’s empathize one level deeper: WHEN in his lifetime were his sons born? Was it during the prime of his youth? When he had his whole life ahead of him?
After years of calling his people to Tauhid, Allah sent his angels to warn Ibrahim of the incoming punishment, as the final straw, after years of rejecting the call of tauhid. When the angels arrived, they informed of this news, but also conveyed a bonus piece of information to the wife of Ibrahim’s: Glad tidings of a child.
In astonishment, she responded:
قَالَتْ يوَيْلَتَا ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَاْ عَجُوزٌ وَهَـذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا إِنَّ هَـذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌ - قَالُواْ أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَـتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَّجِيدٌ
She said "Woe unto me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband an, old man. Verily, this is a strange thing!”
The angels responded, "Do you wonder at the decree of Allah? The mercy of Allah and His blessings be on you, O family of Ibrahim! Surely, He (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.” (Surah Hud 11:70-71)
In his Book of Tafsir, Ibn Kathir comments:
The Muslims and the People of the Book agree, and indeed it is stated in their Book, that Isma`il was born when Ibrahim, was 86 years old, and Ishaq was born when Ibrahim was 99 years old. (Ref: Surah As-Saffat, 37:101)
Allahu Akbar… think about it. His entire life, since his youth, Ibrahim had been living a life with the sole purpose of calling people to Allah and being rejected by his people, with barely any followers. Decades living in relative anonymity and rejection. And only when he was 86 years old – and 13 years after that for his second son – did Allah gift him with the source of his greatest legacy.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS
Be Patient. Focus on YOUR Efforts. Leave the Results to Allah.
Great things take time. Be patient and remain steadfast: Perhaps our greatest legacy – the barakah in our deeds – is yet to come.
Don’t be disheartened if our sincere efforts, especially in da’wah, seem to have no apparent results. Don’t be demotivatd by the apparent lack of followers, shares or likes. In fact, don’t even be disheartened when people – including your own family members – reject you.
Perhaps your biggest opportunities are ahead of you, and Allah is preparing you for that moment. Testing your sincerity. Allowing you to grow. No matter how old you are, NEVER consider that you have "peaked" or "past your prime". You never know when your big break - your tipping point - will be gifted with the Barakah from Allah in the days, months, or years to come.
After all, Prophet Ibrahim - the khaleel of Allah - his “big break” through his first child only happened when he was 86 years old. Yet, out of the wisdom of Allah, all of his years before that were crucial experiences in his life journey to shape who he was leading up to that tipping point.
Sometimes, we might live our lives never fully seeing the fruits of our labor. Yet Allah could honor us after we depart.
Prophet Nuh called his people to Tauhid for 950 years (Surah Al-Ankabut 29:14). Yet how many followers did he gain in his lifetime? Ibn Kathir states that Nuh only had EIGHTY followers of believers who followed him on his ark (Ref: Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Al-A’raf 7:64).
Let that sink in: 80 followers in 950 years. That’s ONE follower in 12 years.
Yet here we are, thousands of years later. Allah honored him in His Book as one of the most honorable human beings that has existed - among the ulul-’azm (the people of strong will) among the Messengers of Allah.
Still, all things considered, 80 followers is still somewhat substantial, in comparison to some other prophets.
The Prophet ﷺ said, “'The nations of the past were shown to me. I would see one or two prophets who had a few followers of less than 10 people. And I would also witness a prophet who would have no followers.” (Al-Bukhari)
Zero followers, yet prophets nevertheless! Still the most beloved to Allah, despite the apparent “lack of results”.
And this is one major reminder that I always remind myself, and to the team at The Barakah Effect, and now to all of you out there: Don’t worry about how many followers or “likes” you get for any of your deeds. Don't get disheartened when people don't respond.
Worry about our efforts, and leave the results to Allah. Worry about how what is WITHIN our control – our ikhlas, the ihsan in our efforts, the patience in remaining steadfast – and put our trust in Allah.
If Allah accepts the deed, HE himself will add the Barakah, even if it is just through just ONE person!
(And that one person might even appear AFTER you pass away!)
But we will only know for sure, after we leave. For now, it’s time to maintain ikhlas, keep our head low, put in the work, and keep moving forward: Continue seeking knowledge, improving ourselves, and keeping our eyes peeled for opportunities - and put your trust in Allah.
Perhaps your Greatest Legacy is yet to come.
May Allah grant us steadfastness upon iman, righteous deeds, and calling others upon truth and patience until the day we depart from this world.
No comments:
Post a Comment