Having Empathy and Concern Over Others’ Wellbeing

The unique characteristic of the Qur’an is that, because it is from Allah Who Knows what is in all our hearts, the Qur’an also describes the psychology and inner thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, a characteristic not available in other books or biographies and neither one that you won’t be able to observe even if you were a companion of the Prophet together with him. Here Allah describes the Prophet’s feelings over others when they turn away from his guidance, in surah Al-Kahf, verse 6 :

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَّفْسَكَ عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا

“Perhaps, you would kill yourself (O Muhammad ﷺ) in grief over their footsteps (when they turn away from you), because they do not have faith/belief in this narration (the Qur’an).”

This is also mirrored in surah ash-Shu’ara verse 3 and in surah Fatir verse 8 :

أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسَنًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ

“Is he, the one who views his evil deeds and considers them to be good (equal to the one who is rightly guided)?

Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills, and guides whom He wills. So do not destroy yourself in sorrow for them. Truly, Allah is the All-Knower of what they do”

Allah here is narrating to us the feelings of grief the Prophet felt when people do not have faith or perform righteousness.

This teaches us a very important sunnah as a believer, in having genuine concern over others’ wellbeing, especially with regards to their religion. Even though we will not bear the burdens and are not accountable over others’ sins and wrongdoings, we should have a genuine feeling of empathy over wanting them to be guided, wanting to save them from the Hellfire, wanting them to also be entitled for the Mercy of Allah with Paradise in the Hereafter.

Many of us today, we make some effort to give da’wah, deliver a message, share some knowledge, but when we a rejected, we give up and justify to ourselves, that “okay I’ve done my part”.

Imagine if you see person who is walking towards a pit of fire below; that person cannot see or perceive the fire, but you can see it. The believer should not only save himself, but to endeavour and try his level best to save that person; not just give up and let him walk into the fire after a few warnings.

This is essentially the way of life which drives the message of surah Al-‘Asr

“(I swear) By the Time. Verily, mankind is truly in a state of constant loss. Except : those who believe, and work righteousness, and continuously enjoin others towards truth, and enjoin others with patience and perserverence”

May Allah make us amongst those who develop concern and empathy over others to continuously enjoin others towards righteousness and good.

Reminder: recite surah Al-Kahf today.

من قرأ سورة الكهف يوم الجمعة أضاءله من النور ما بين الجمعتين

“Whomsoever recites surah Al-Kahf on the Day of Friday, will be given a light between the two Fridays (i.e. until the following Friday)”

(Narrated by Al-Hakim and Al-Bayhaqi. Graded “hasan” by ibn Hajar and “sahih” in Sahih Al-Jami’ Al-Albani)

Understanding Qur'aan

Alhamdulillah, many amongst us have ramped up our recitation of the Qur’an this Ramadhan. But more importantly is for us to also invest our time and effort to understand, ponder and act upon the Qur’an.

Let’s ask ourselves a very serious honest question : do we really think that the Qur’an – the Divine Message that Inspired the corrupt pagan society of Quraysh, to become the Great Nation of monotheism in the pages of history that would defeat the armies of Persia and Rome – would change a nation merely by reciting and reading without understanding a single word?
Do we really think that the Qur’an – the Message that would reform an idol-worshipping, alcohol addicted, stingy adulterer to eventually become amongst the ranks of the Companions of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam): a believer with the highest of moral standards and an exemplary individual for the rest of history – would change a person by just reciting words one doesn’t understand?

Consider this: We can read Spanish and Dutch – because they’re the virtually the same letters and characters as the English language. But really, is it logically possible to read a Spanish motivational book and be motivated, when we don’t understand anything from it?

While yes, it is true, out of the Mercy and Bounty of Allah, we are granted rewards for the mere recitation of the Qur’aan (even if we don’t understand it), as the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said:

"‏ مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لاَ أَقُولُ الم حَرْفٌ وَلَكِنْ أَلِفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلاَمٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ ‏"‏
“Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah, he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a ten-fold reward.
I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter."
(Narrated by At-Tirmidzi, graded hasan)

But really, what we need is to focus on how we can bring about a long term benefit ourselves and others from the Divine Guidance of the message of the Qur’an. The Prophet said:
 
خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمه
“the best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it” (Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari)

Allah says:
وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا
“And We send down of the Qur’aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, but it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers and oppressors) in nothing but loss” (Surah al-Isra’ 17:82)

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on this verse:
Here Allaah tells us about His Book, which He revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and which is the Qur’aan which “Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise” [Fussilat 42:41- interpretation of the meaning], that it is “a healing and a mercy to those who believe” – i.e., it takes away the diseases in the heart such as doubt, hypocrisy, shirk, deviation and misguidance; the Qur’aan heals all of that.

And it is also a mercy which brings about faith, wisdom and the pursuit of and desire for goodness. This is only for those who believe in it and follow it; for such it will be a healing and a mercy.

But as for the disbeliever and those who wrong themselves thereby, their hearing the Qur’aan only makes them further away (from truth) and increases them in disbelief. The problem comes from the disbeliever, not from the Qur’aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur’aan) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)” [Fussilat 41:44]

May Allah make us amongst those who understand, ponder, act upon, and spread the message of Qur’aan – ameen.

Fasting and Taqwa

Alhamdulillah, all Praises and Thanks to Allah, as we tread these blessed days and nights of Ramadhan, we should remind ourselves again on the whole objectives and goals of fasting, to stay focused and keep our eyes on the prize before we reach the finishing line on our well-deserved ‘Eid-ul Fitr.

There are those who say that fasting is for empathizing with the poor and the less fortunate; there are those who say that it is to build a sense of gratitude to God; there are those who say that it is a spiritual training to endure some ‘pain’ for the sake of God; etc.

Yes, these things are good - But the objectives and goals of fasting are a lot more comprehensive than all those combined. Allah says in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ - ١٨٣
“O you who believe! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed to the people before you (i.e. the people of the Book), so that you may attain Taqwa” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183)

The entire goal of fasting is to achieve Taqwa– But what does it mean to have taqwa and how is that achieved through fasting?

One of the companions of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) by the name Ubayy ibn Ka’ab was onced asked, “What is taqwa?”. Ubayy replied by asking him, “Have you ever walked on a path/road that has thorns on it? What did you do (i.e. how did you go about it)?”. The questioner said, "I rolled up my sleeves and I struggled (to avoid stepping on those thorns)”.
Ubay ibn Ka’ab said, “That is taqwa”.

Taqwa is the consciousness to live our lives in such a way that we deliberately avoid what is disliked by Allah, fearing the consequences of “stepping on those thorns” or performing acts which transgress the limits and boundaries set by Allah.

But to take it a step further, taqwa isn’t simply about avoiding the Haram, or avoiding Allah’s Displeasure; taqwa is also about inculcating the consciousness to perform good deeds to seek His Pleasure.

It is an attitude and mindset driven by the consciousness of iman and the belief that one will surely return to Allah and will have to be accountable for every single one of our deeds – big, small, open or hidden:

وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّـهِ ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ - ٢٨١
“And have Taqwa (fear) a Day when you will be returned to Allah. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:281)

A consciousness to have genuine fear of the terrible punishment from the All-Just (العدل); yet at the same time, a consciousness to have a yearning and hopefulness of a great reward from the Most Merciful (الرحمن, الرحيم), All-Generous (االجواد, الكريم), the All-Rich and free from any Needs (الغني), King and Possessor of the Heavens and the Earth (المالك).

Beyond that, Taqwa is also a consciousness driven by one’s Love of Allah, one’s thankfulness to Him and one’s genuine mercy and compassion of His slaves.
This is the quality that differentiates a person from true belief and hypocrisy; the one driver that allows one to make the right choice, even in the absence of others, even without ‘enforcement’ or ‘penalties’. The driver that makes one truly sincere in his actions, and in constantly improving oneself to become a better person.


So when Allah prescribes fasting for us, “لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ” (So that you may attain Taqwa), it is implying here that fasting is to achieve a holistic spiritual development to develop our consciousness in Allah. So what’s interesting for us to note is the significance of Allah singling out fasting as a great driver for spiritual development, some of which we may already be aware :

1. Feeling of hunger and pain for the sake of Allah – this directly builds taqwa: how often do we endure a little bit of hardship for the sake of Allah? Compare that to the level of hardship and effort we go through for our worldly matters – our jobs, our education, our businesses, our children, our achievements. Isn’t it more worthwhile to put in that little bit of hardship of His Reward?

2. Build shukr (thankfulness) and Generosity – to realize the difficulty of those less fortunate than us; while ‘empathizing with the poor’ is a rather strong term (because technically you’re not really empathizing when you know you have that banquet feast awaiting you in iftar).
Rather, this realization should also build a sense of generosity inside of us. And that is why in Ramadhan there is always a tendency to give out more charity on top of our obligatory zakat; in fact the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam), he himself was described as “the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when (the angel) Gabriel met him” (Hadith narrated by ibn Abbas in Sahih Al-Bukhari).

3. Restraint from the Haram (prohibitions) – in fasting, you would restrain yourselves from what is normally halal (food and drink, intercourse with the spouse, etc) – so how silly would it be to do what is already haram anyway, regardless of whether you are fasting or not? Thus in that sense, committing sins during fasting is almost a form of hypocrisy, which should make us more conscious of our deeds.

4. Keeping your deeds secret – no one knows if you’re really fasting. You could always sink your teeth in a chocolate bar when no one’s watching, or when the parents or ‘authorities’ are out of sight. There’s nothing to restrain your actions except the consciousness of God, and this should be a reminder to us, that if Allah knows every morsel of food you secretly swallowed, then every other deed – whether it be in our words or actions – is even more Known to Him, the All-Seer, All-Hearer and All-Knowing.

5. Less vain talk, less gossip – lunch times, water cooler hangouts: the most ripe scenarios to gossip, backbite, slander, and waste our good deeds away as we oppress others with our speech. No more this month.

6. No “hot dates” – the universal method of "picking up" non-mahrams of the opposite gender (“let’s go out for a coffee”, “I’ll buy you dinner”, “lunch is on me”, etc) also becomes conveniently halted. Alhamdulillah

7. More time for the sake of Allah – You might not realize it, but eating and drinking takes up a lot of our time – precious time which can be much better utilized in good deeds and strengthening our taqwa.
It’s interesting to note that some scholars such as Imam An-Nawawi used to survive on the bare minimum food, as they savoured every minute of their lives for benefitting themselves and others around them; eating is considered wasting time, because in eating, you incur loss of productivity from – preparing the food, eating the food, increased toilet time, and increased sleeping time.
And that is perhaps also why the Prophet said, “'The human does not fill any container that is worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat what will support his back. If this is not possible, then a third for food, a third for drink, and third for his breath." (Narrated by At-Tirmidzi and ibn Majah, graded sahih).

And these are just some of the many wisdoms behind how fasting develops our taqwa.

So this Ramadhan, let’s focus on deeds that can build our taqwa. Let’s not just have a ‘capitalistic’ “KPI-driven” quantitative approach to our good deeds – recite superfast Qur’an, or conduct super fast 20-rakaah taraweeh – how can this ever develop our taqwa?
When you recite, recite with tadabbur, with understanding, with genuine sincerity of wanting to understand the words of Allah. When you pray, pray with the consciousness that perhaps this may be your last prayer, and that this is your private time with Allah, Lord of the Universe. When you deal good with others, deal with them with the consciousness, that you want to earn the love of Allah, as our good akhlaq is something pleasing to Allah.

We want to develop ourselves spiritually in such a way that, after Ramadhan, our souls and hearts are ready to defeat the whisperings and temptations of Shaytan when they are released from their imprisonment after Ramadhan.

May Allah grant us a blessed Ramadhan, and may He make us amongst the Muttaqun (people of Taqwa), and may He grant us steadfastness to strive for the best Ramadhan of our lives that He is Pleased with. Amin

Lessons from the Stories of the Prophets in Qur'an

A major role of the Qur’an is a source of MOTIVATION and ENCOURAGEMENT for the believers, where Allah uplifts them and reassures the believers that they are on the right path to keep them focused.

And one of the many ways in which He does this is by narrating the stories of the people of the past. These aren’t folk tales or bedtime mythology, these are actual historical events that took place with ordinary people like you and me.

Let’s take some general yet profound lessons of the stories of the Prophets of the past  :

1. Nothing worth doing in life is easy. If you think your task/job adds value, guess what – the jobs of Allah’s Prophets were the most value adding of all, and it was no walk in the park. Allah Knows your Efforts and how sincere you are, and that’s all that matters.

2. "The Night is darkest before the Dawn" - For His Righteous slaves, Allah will Spare an immediate success for a greater success. “Failure” is relative – so put things in the right relative perspective. In seeking the Ultimate success, people around you might perceive your efforts as a waste, but Allah, ash-Shakur will NEVER let an atom’s weight of your efforts be wasted. Imagine if Nuh gave in when people mocked him as he made the Ark.

4. The Prophets: People who were more skilled and better in conduct than you have met with considerably worst challenges. So don't get cocky or arrogant.

5. Never give up on your people. The Prophets met with people who are much WORSE than the people you’re dealing with – people who rejected and opposed the Message even when the truth was laid bare in front of their eyes. Yet even they, some of the hardest enemies CAN become good people in the end. If you give up now, you might miss out on that one “push” that could tilt the scales.

6. Allah rewards for your EFFORTS, not your RESULTS. There are Prophets who have no followers – but they still are rewarded Paradise.
   
7. A sign that you are on the path of success is to have the integrity to still be persistent and patient despite the nonsense around you. “So hold on - It’s only a matter of time!”

8. Just because you have “facts” and “the truth”, doesn’t mean people are going to support you or like you. So don’t compromise the truth. It just means you might have to try again and again : perhaps with better wisdom.

9. Losing arguments doesn’t mean you are wrong, it just means your opponent is louder or more eloquent. Some people argue for the sake of arguing - and they’ll never surrender.

10.Don’t be disheartened when your opponents use Character assassination against you by attempting to make you look stupid just to block your message or distort the facts. They are using the same tactics as Fir’awn, Namrud, Abu Lahab and others – yet the Prophets never used this, or allowed themselves to be affected by it. Stand your ground and don’t sink yourself to their level.

.. And there’s so much more. The reality is, human nature has always been the same – characters, behaviours and mindset have been constant: only the names change, only ‘technology’ improves. Our job is to derive from this accumulated wisdom and apply it.

So when we recite and learn Qur’an, we shouldn’t just treat it as a ritual – don’t just treat stories as stories: It’s an actual tool for us to keep on track. Allah doesn’t Narrate to entertain us, He Narrates to us to TEACH us. So let’s learn =).

And what a great time to turn to Qur’an on this weekend amongst the first 10 days of Dzul-Hijjah =)


فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿١٧٦﴾
“So relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:176)

نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ﴿٣﴾
“We relate to you, [O Muhammad], the best of stories in what We have revealed to you of this Qur'an although you were, before it, among the unaware.” (Surah Yusuf 12:3)

38:75-76 - the First Racist in the History of the Universe:

Are we also guilty for following in his footsteps?

قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْعَالِينَ

قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ

(Allah) said: "O Iblis (Satan)! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with Both My Hands.

Are you too proud and arrogant (to fall prostrate to Adam) or are you one of the high exalted?"

[Iblis (Satan)] said: "I am better than he, You created me from fire, and You created him from clay." (38:75-76)

Iblis refused to obey a from Allah to prostrate to Adam, believing that because he was created from fire, he was more superior to Adam who was created from clay.

This refusal exposed a true disease in his heart – the first racist. The arrogance to believe in his self-superiority, which in fact wasn’t even on accord of his own actions – it was a given to him. An arrogance which would grow so great that it would eventually lead him to be condemned and accursed until the Day of Judgment & forever.

Now, there are profound lessons that we need to learn from the story of Iblis. The reality is, out of the wisdom and mercy Allah, He grants some of us certain things which are not of our own effort : our race, our family, our good looks, our intelligence, our status in society, etc. 

Because these are a GIVEN to us, we have NO right to feel superior over others because of what Allah granted us. Likewise, we shouldn’t feel INFERIOR to others who are ‘preferred’ in this sense either because this plants the seeds arrogance – that feeling that you would have been superior, if only you had been granted 'it'.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said:

“Whosoever has an ATOM’S WEIGHT of ARROGANCE (kibr) shall not enter Paradise –

arrogance is to deny the truth, and to scorn (look down upon) the people” (Sahih Muslim, Book #001, Hadith #0164).

So if any of us has any hopes of entering Jannah, don’t ever discriminate others on the basis of race, good looks, family stature, talents, intellectual capacity, or physical ability – If you got it, you don’t have to flaunt it: These are all gifts and a trust from Allah. What matters isn’t what Allah Granted us, rather, what we DO with what He Granted us.

Even our achievements, our wealth, our jobs, our education, our successful families, aren’t completely our efforts – there are people out there who are better and 'more deserving' than us, but are not decreed by Allah to be in the position that we are in for Wisdoms best known to Him Alone. 

We need to humble ourselves to always acknowledge Allah’s blessings and therefore live in shukr (thankfulness) of Allah; never turn Allah’s blessings into a source of Arrogance which will prevent us from entering His Paradise.

وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا

“And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others.

For men there is reward for what they have earned, (and likewise) for women there is reward for what they have earned, and ask Allah of His Bounty.

Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything” (Surah An-Nisa 4:32)

Remember – at the end of the day, the most honourable in the sight of Allah is nothing to do with the ‘givens’. The most HONOURABLE is something that EVERYONE can develop without barriers – the one with the most taqwa (righteousness, consciousness and love/fear of Allah)

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. 

Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has the most Taqwa. 

Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” 

(Surah Hujarat 49:13)

So let's ditch any hint of arrogance from our hearts, and strive towards what we CAN develop: TAQWA.

May Allah remove all forms of arrogance from our hearts, and make us amongst His humble and thankful slaves who strive to be of the people of taqwa .. ameen.

55:60 - The Recompense of Excellence..?

As we cruise down further into the last few days of Ramadhan and in seeking the night better than a thousand months, as fatigue and tiredness starts to occasionally kick in, this verse is a concise and important reminder for us to keep going, and finish strong :


هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ
"Is there any reward for Ihsan (goodness, excellence) other than Ihsan?” (55:60)

A rhetorical question from Allah, it's a short but powerful statement to remind us that

1. Your efforts of ihsan to seek the Pleasure of Allah will never go to waste!If you put in the effort, is it befitting that Allah, the Most Just (العدل), Most Generous(الجواد،  الكريم), All-Appreciative (الشكور), reward you with anything less than excellence?

No, you should look at all your deeds as an investment. Like every investor is hopeful in seeing the fruits of his investment, likewise, you should be optimistic in what Allah has in store for those who invest.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said :
"if one if you makes good (performs with ihsan in) his Islam, his good deeds will be rewarded ten times to 700 times for  good deed, and an evil deed will be recorded as it is" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 2,#40)

10 to 700 multiples : That's 1000% to 70, 000% return on investment! How crazy do people go over to get a lousy 7% percent investment, that's not even a "guarantee"? compared to this promise from Allah, الحق!

And that's on a "normal" day - imagine if those efforts of yours hit Laylat-ul Qadr.. Multiply that by a further 1,000 months.


2. Did you think that the Excellent Rewards of Allah will come FREE? And this is more in line with the context of the verse - After Allah narrates to us the excellent rewards of Paradise, then He mentions this verse, as if asking, "is there any other way of obtaining this excellent rewards, other than excellent effort?"

So don't be complacent with whatever effort we've put into our deeds, especially in seeking Laylat-ul Qadr. Awesomeness requires awesome effort, and really, we shouldn't "syok sendiri" and pat ourselves on the back.

Set high benchmarks for yourselves - can anyone of us even equal half that of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam)? He prayed qiamullayl until his feet cracked. Did he NEED forgiveness from Allah? No -  he did it out of pure shukr of Allah. Here we are, in desperate need of the forgiveness and pardon of Allah, we should be cracking our feet even more. As far as I know, our feet are still in tip top condition by the time Shawwal comes - ok je nak pegi byk open house.

3. All deeds of good that others have done for you - is it befitting that you don't reward them with good? This verse also serves as an indirect warning to us, don't take others' good deeds for granted. Don't overlook people's kindness or good words, in whatever form - have the decency to always be appreciative & thank others : either directly by saying JazakumUllah khayr (may Allah reward you with good) as taught by the Prophet, or indirectly, by making du'aa for the person.
The Prophet said, "لم يشكر الناس، لم يشكر الله عز و جل"
"those who aren't thankful to the people, aren't thankful to Allah" (Tirmidzi)

This hadith is serious, brothers and sisters! Do we want to be praying to Allah in a state of unthankfulness to Him?
Before you spend your days in the night in thankfulness to Him, spend your days thanking other human beings who have done good for you.





4. Don't think that your good deeds to others will go to waste! 

For those amongst us who do good to others, you shouldn't be expecting anything in return. The reality is, if they don't even bother to thank you or make du'aa for you, Allah has Reserved  greater reward for you.
 
Remember, whatever deeds of ihsan you do, is for Allah, not for the people.
Their unthankfulness, is their business with Allah. You just keep at it: keep up your good akhlaq, your charity, etc., because ihsan to others is your personal brand. Your excellent rewards await when you meet Him –

هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ
"Is there any reward for Ihsan (goodness, excellence) other than Ihsan?” (55:60)

29:14 - Don't be Discouraged by the "RESULTS" of your Da'wah & Efforts for the sake of Allah

A reminder to my brothers and sisters out there whom I love for the sake of Allah: those who strive and struggle to spread the deen, to dakwah and islah of the ummah to bring us back on track: those who enjoin the good and forbid the evil.

Perhaps you've run into this situation before: You organise a halaqah or an Usrah.. And only a few people turn up. You enthusiastically invite your friends/family to come to a beneficial course/class and aggressively distribute flyers, but no one seems to come or be interested. You repeatedly enjoin your family/friends to good and forbid them from evil, yet they don't seem to change. You post some good advice shared on Facebook.. But people don't seem to "like" it. You give out books or lectures to others.. Yet they aren't interested. You desperately seek out a team to organise your dakwah efforts, yet no one seems to volunteer or take initiative to support.

As human beings, naturally we might feel a little bit discouraged. Maybe even a little demotivated, or maybe even burnout.

But Allah reminds us through the story of Nuh - be steadfast!
It's NOT about the QUANTITY of your results;
it's about the QUALITY of your EFFORT.



وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فَلَبِثَ فِيهِمْ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ إِلَّا خَمْسِينَ عَامًا فَأَخَذَهُمُ الطُّوفَانُ وَهُمْ ظَالِمُونَ

"And indeed We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people, and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years (i.e. 950 years), and the flood overtook them while they were Zalimun (wrong-doers, polytheists, disbelievers, etc.)" (29:14)

950 years Nuh steadfastly called people to dakwah the worship of the One True God - and what was the result? How many believers did he successfully recruit?


وَمَا آمَنَ مَعَهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ
"And none believed with him, except a few" (11:40)

"Except a few"? - In ibn Kathir's Tafsir of this verse, it is narrated that ibn Abbas said the followers of Nuh only numbered 80 people.
Eighty? After calling people for 950 years? As in, less than one follower in every TEN years?

And yet this "low result" never made Nuh any less noble in sight of Allah - quite the opposite, Nuh is in fact of the ulul 'azm of the Messengers : the 5 most honourable human beings ever. This tells us, it's not about results, it's about effort: steadfastness, patience and trust in Allah.

And to take things to a closer context, let's look at the example of the Prophet Muhammad (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) - throughout the duration of his 23 years of Prophethood, the first 13 years (majority of the time) was in Makkah. And the number of sahabah (companions) after 13 years, numbered only about 80-90 people.

After 13 years, ya Shaykh. The best person on earth, with the best support , perfect manners, knowledge directly from Allah.. the best quality of dakwah; had to endure massive prolonged periods of lack in real physical support, before gaining the Ansar and the stepping stone towards establishment.
How many years have we been at it? And now we feel like burning out?

Don't be discouraged by your family not listening to you (yet) or the low number of attendees to your halaqah/Usrah, low number of "likes", "shares", "hits", "re-tweets", etc.

Don't allow any room for us to feel Riyaa' - that we do this seeking the approval of people.
Don't have hasan (envy) over others' perceived success - you don't know what they went through or are going through.

Keep moving towards improvement and keep your ikhlas : prove to Allah that you still stick to it despite lack of support.

Put in the effort; leave the results to Allah. If there is goodness in you, He will increase in it and add barakah in it.

Remember, Allah appreciates and recompenses every atom’s weight of effort (17:19), and He will never allow any deeds done with excellence go to waste (18:30).

You're doing this for His Pleasure, not for the people, so stay focused and be steadfast, O people of taqwa!

Still loud and clear in my mind the Imam of Masjid an-Nabawi weeping when he recited this verse:

فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِين
".. And be patient. Surely, the (good) end is for the people of taqwa" (11:49)

36:55 - Who are The Truly "Busy" People?

Many times the word ‘busy’ is often used as a disclaimer to justify the lack of proactiveness towards performing good deeds – too busy to pray early, too busy to spend time to seek knowledge, too busy to learn & memorize Qur’an, too busy to keep family ties & visit each other, too busy to be nice to the spouse, too busy to go for hajj/umrah, etc. etc.

Interestingly, in Dr. Muhsin Khan’s English translation of the Qur’an, if you were to do a search of the word “busy”, there’s only ONE result. And that is in Surah Ya-Seen 36:55 –

إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ الْجَنَّةِ الْيَوْمَ فِي شُغُلٍ فَاكِهُونَ

“Verily, the dwellers of Jannah (Paradise), on that Day, will be BUSY in joyful things.” (36:55)

The only occurrence of the word “Busy” in fact dscribes the People of Paradise. will be engulfed in so much luxury, so much enjoyment, so much excitement, that they will be BUSY enjoying them.

Now, that should instil a complete paradigm shift in what we define as “busy” & how we constantly make excuses that we are too busy to attain Jannah (Paradise); in fact, our activities should instead be re-prioritized to be amongst those BUSY SEEKING Jannah – so we become those busy IN jannah – insha Allah!

Simple example, we all know that the MOST beloved of all deeds to Allah is “solat (prayer) early at its fixed times” (Hadith narrated @ Al-Bukhari) – but many a times, our prayer gets rescheduled due to our work schedule.

If people take several 10-minute smoke breaks in a day, why can’t we have the discipline to take 10-minute prayer breaks to pray early & in jama’ah, on time, every time? Don’t we want to at least present this one proof that we did this deed most beloved to Allah, on the Day we meet Him?

The same applies to every other path to goodness – seeking knowledge, going for Hajj/Umrah, making tawbah, spending quality time with the family & maintaining ties of kinship – How much do we strive to squeeze them in our priority list?

Have we ever considered taking leave the last 10 days of Ramadhan just to make sure we can get the best of Laylatul Qadar?

Our jobs, our occupations, our studies, our responsibilities to our families, and our businesses – are only a means, not the goal. We boldly declare “kerja itu ibadah” (i.e. work is worship): a means to a Higher Goal - so it doesn’t make sense to compromise our worship because of work. Stay focused!

Do we think that the companions (sahabah) of the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) not have jobs, careers, businesses, occupations or families? No, they had very demanding jobs – and much bigger families than us. But they never let those things become excuses or barriers for becoming the best of the best. They fully utilized whatever spare time they had to maximize as much good deeds as they could, knowing the ‘end in mind’, and the ‘busy’-ness that awaits them later.

You’ve only got one shot – so stay focused. Start change today: Prioritize your priorities.

May Allah make us amongst those who steadfastly become those who are busy to attain Jannah – and may He in turn, out of His Mercy & Grace, make us amongst those who are busy enjoys in Jannah - Ameeen!!

14:7 - the Key to increase in the Blessings

Surah Ibrahim, Verse 7 - the key to increase in the Blessings granted to us.

Alhamdulillah, now in the final few days of Ramadhan, as well as the final hour of Friday in of which "no Muslim happens to ask Allaah for good at that time, except that He will grant it to him, and it is after ‘Asr.” (Musnad Ahmad,  Sahih lighayrihi)
– as we continue to make lots of du’aa, we should remind ourselves of a key important aspect in the adaab (manners) of our du'aa and invocations of Allah,  an act which, if done, Allah will increase in those blessings He Granted us.

That act is thankfulness -  shukr :

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed:
"If you give thanks, I will add more (of My Blessings) for you,
but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe” (14:7)
In the same manner that many imams are doing at the start of their Qunoot du'aa in witr prayer, before we start to ask Allah to grant in whatever we are lacking in or are short of, we should first ACKNOWLEDGE what He HAS granted us - and indeed, He has granted us a lot.

Have we actually taken time to think about the great Blessings we have with us? Our iman, The Qur'an, to be able to fast and to pray in Ramadhan, our wealth, our spouse, our family, our fully functional limbs, our car, our good health, our intellect, our peaceful country, our friends whom we love for the sake of Allah, to be reminded with this reminder, etc...

Allah says if we are thankful to Him, He will add more. So many of us have declared our thanks to Allah for just these few blessings we mentioned?

Allah granted them to us, and Allah can take it away from us - if we take them for granted and fail to acknowledge Allah's favor, then we have no guarantee of still having it tomorrow. In fact we have no guarantee that it will be a source of blessings.. It could be a source of regret and anguish, in a way we do not yet see.

So pronounce your thanks, O mankind, of all those things beloved to you, that Allah may increase in it, and add blessings upon blessings to it. Let us strive to elevate ourselves from the rest of mankind and be the awesome minority :

.. وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ
".. But few of My slaves are grateful" (Saba 34:13)

32:17 – The Great Rewards that Await the Righteous

Surah As-Sajdah, Verse 17 -  the Great Rewards That Await the Believers

Have we ever wondered what Jannah (Paradise) is like? 

Maybe try to picture it in your imagination - stretch your imagination to the furthest limits, and envision the most the greatest pleasure your mind can possibly conceive. Go ahead and be a child again.
 
Done? Ok.
 
Fact: Jannah is better. WAY better.
 
The fact that you CAN imagine it, means it's not good enough to be categorized as a “reward” in Paradise.
 
In a Hadith qudsi, the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said,
Allah said: "I have prepared for my Righteous slaves, that which the eye has never seen,
The ear has never heard,
And the heart has never imagined"
 
The Prophet continued and said, "if you wish, you can recite -
فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَّا أُخْفِيَ لَهُم مِّن قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

"No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do" (as-Sajdah 32:17)
(Hadith narrated @ Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book #54, Hadith #467)

No matter how much we fantasize Paradise it will never be as good as what Allah prepared for us. Allah has only revealed a tiny fraction of pleasures in this dunya; our senses have never experienced anything close to what's in store for the righteous slaves of Allah.
 
Of course if you still wanted those stuff you can imagine, you can STILL have it:
وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ

"Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask for." (Fussilat 41:31)
 
Such a great reward! Allahu akbar! Do we actually think it's FREE?

How much effort do we put to get a JOB (which we sometimes don't even like)? How much effort do we put to get straight A's in exams? How much effort do we put into our hobbies?
 
So why is it, when it comes to the eternal, never ending pleasures of Jannah, the true success of our existence, we procrastinate, make excuses, we’re complacent with minimum effort, "not ready",  "too difficult", "too tired", find loopholes to bypass obligations, and so on..?

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ
"Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who strove hard (in His cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sabirin (the patient &  steadfast)?" (3:142)
 
Let's set our eyes on the prize and put in the sincere effort towards it - you only have one shot to get this reward. If you miss Paradise, there's only one alternative.
And we don't wanna go there.
 
May Allah make us amongst those who steadfastly put in the effort to earn His Pleasure and His Mercy, in optimistic hopes of entering Jannah. Ameen!