Our life is a series of episodes. Happy Episodes. Sad Episodes. That’s the beauty of it and that’s how it is balanced. If we experienced happy episodes entirely, that would be ridiculous, because then this dunya wouldn’t be dunya, it would be Jannah!
And if we experienced sad episodes entirely, well, that wouldn’t be possible and true, because Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى says “After every hardship comes ease” and also that “Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity.” Therefore, this life can’t be made up of this or that entirely, rather it is a puzzle of happy and sad pieces both.
Every new day opens a new episode. None knows except the All-knower of what the new episode unleashes. It can be an episode of gloom or glad. It trains us for the upcoming ones. The glad ones teaches us gratitude. The gloomy ones give us strength and humbleness. Just like stars can’t shine without darkness, likewise, we need to be grateful for the struggles because without it we wouldn’t have stumbled across our strengths.
Recall the beautifully amazing hadith of our beloved Prophet ﷺ,
“My Lord offered to make the valley of Mecca into gold for me. I said: O Lord, let me be filled one day and hungry another day. When I am hungry, I will humble myself before you. When I am filled, I will be grateful and praise you.”
{Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2347}
Pause for a moment. Ponder over the above hadith! Allahu Akbar! What a strong Imaan our Beloved Prophet possessed!
We all have had times where we feel the need of a shoulder to lean on, to cry on! A friend to talk to, to cry our heart out to! Someone to count the tears, to wipe our tears! Someone to shoo the restlessness, the desperation, the sadness away! However, amidst these times, during the ups and downs, and the frets and frowns, we need to remember one thing, that we must complain of our sufferings to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى only.
“I only complain of my suffering and grief to Allah.”
– Said by Yaqub عليه السلام, the father of Yousuf عليه السلام
A Good news:
What if I told you that, “That Someone” who we want so desperately to be there for us, to listen to us, to be there by our side, is already, always near us. Nope. That’s not your cellular device. I am talking about the ONE who is closer to us than our very jugular vein. Yes! That close! Subhaan Allah! All glory be to The Most Glorious One. It is none other than Our Creator who is the Most Loving. Yes! It is ALLAH, the Most Merciful!
“And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein” [Surah Qaf Ch 50 Verse 16]
Oh! But, you would ask if Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى is that close then why do we feel so far, so far away from HIM, why do we feel so distanced?
That’s because we have ignorantly created this gap between HIM and ourselves that has demolished the path and this gap needs to be mended.
In Shaa’ Allah.
Once we MEND THE G.A.P, the Gap of Grievances and Grief, Alienation and Ambiguity, Pessimism and Problems. It shall BUILD THE P.A.T.H, the Path of Patience and Perseverance, Adoration and Acceptance, Trust and Thankfulness, Hope and Happiness.
We need to reconnect the weakened connection with Our Lord. He has always been there, it is us who have not approached HIM yet. It is us, who rush to HIS CREATION rather than rushing to THE CREATOR HIMSELF.
Now, how do we regain the lost connection? Or how do we strengthen this weakened bond?
Alhamdulillah, it is better late than never!
- Being In Love With Our Lord – ZIKR & SHUKR
From the darkness to the light, from the light to the darkness. We must strive to stay in touch with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى . Engage in His remembrance. Think of Him always. This would result in TRUE peace and tranquility from As-Salaam who is the Source of Peace.
We can be constantly connected with him by engaging in the recitation of the various adhkaar and duas which were taught to us by our Beloved Prophet Mohammed ﷺ.
We get a beautiful gem from the Quran from Surah Baqarah Ch2 Verse 152 which states:
“So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.”
Subhanallah! How honorable is that! No. It’s not the kings of this world remembering us. Rather, it’s the King of the Worlds!! King of the Kings! The Majestic One! Allah, The Almighty remembering us! Allahu Akbar!
Being deeply in Love with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى also includes being thankful to Ash – Shakur always. Alhumdulillah Ala Kulli Haal! We can never thank Him enough for His numerous and abundant bounties and blessings. Let’s take a look at this beautiful and a touching hadith.
Narrated Aisha رضى الله عنها The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to offer prayer at night (for such a long time) that his feet used to crack. I said, “O Allah’s Messenger ﷺ! Why do you do it since Allah has forgiven you your faults of the past and those to follow?” He said, “Shouldn’t I love to be a thankful slave (of Allah)?’ {Sahih Al Bukhari 4837}
Subhaan Allah!! Shukr is shown through deeds and actions done purely out of Love. The Best way is to observe the Nawaafil. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ engaged in these Nawaafil out of his immense adoration, respect, gratitude, and devotion towards his Lord Almighty in spite of knowing that all his past and future sins have been forgiven.
- Repenting Always – ASTAGHFAAR
This is a beautiful way of staying connected with Our Rabb wherein we are mindful of our actions and we are always repentful. Yes, we are all sinners, we sin openly, secretly, knowingly and unknowingly.
Al-Raqeeb, the watchful knows of everything we do and even what is hidden in our hearts. A true believer always repents and is always hopeful, of His forgiveness for He is Al – Ghaffar, The Most Forgiving.
Another Gem from the Noble Quran in Surat Zumar Ch39 Verse 53 states:
“O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
Astaghfaar opens the door to ease and bounties and ultimately it opens the door to Jannah with rivers beneath. Seeking forgiveness removes us from difficulties whether we are stuck in a cave or in the belly of the whale, just like how Yunus Alaihis Salaam was removed from the darkness after he not only acknowledged his mistake but also repented to The Much Forgiving by saying simple beautiful words,
“There is no true deity except You, exalted, are You. Indeed I have been of the wrongdoers.”
-Said by Yunus عليه السلام, the Companion of the Fish
- Relying on Al Wakeel – TAWAKKAL
Bearing in mind that Allah is enough for us. We all know the story of Mother Hajar. Let’s contemplate it for a minute. She was being left in a desert. But, she was relieved and pleased the moment she knew it was ALLAH’s command for Ibrahim عليه السلام to leave them in the middle of nowhere, a desert! Imagine the level of her imaan!! Amazing! What was her strength? Was it a sword? Was it a soldier? Or was it her baby? None. It was solely her Unwavering Tawakkal upon Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى. It was her Unmovable Faith in Her Guardian which resulted in the elevation of her status and a guaranteed place for her in the Jannah.
Another beautiful instance is achieved from the story of KhaleelUllah, about how his reliance upon his Lord cooled down the blazing fire.
“Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of Affairs.”
-Said by Ibraheem عليه السلام, the Friend of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى
Therefore, whenever we face trials, we must remember that our true reliance upon our Lord, can grant us strength in our troubled times and grant us the power to endure and to be patient.
Practicing istikhara, is also a beautiful process of depending upon Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى, proving our love for him and being satisfied with whatever he has destined for us.
An amazing Gem from the Quran from Surah Tawbah Ch 9 Verse 129 states:
“Sufficient for me is Allah; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne.”
- Utilizing The Miracle In Our Palms – DUA
Dua is the most powerful weapon. It can do miraculous miracles. It holds the tremendous power to turn back the decree! The beauty of it is that these miracles only happen depending on the level of faith in Our Rabb during the times of difficulty and ease as well. As humans, we are always in need, we are always poor. Therefore, we always need to beg Him only, beg from Him only, and spread our hands in front of Al-Ghani only, The Most Rich.
“My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.”
-Said by Musa عليه السلام, the one who talked to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى directly
We need to ask Him whether it be for our needs or whether it be during our trials and tribulations, we need to rush to Him, for Our Absolute Eternal Refuge is none other than Allah, As – Samad.
We must never underestimate the power of this weapon we withhold. It doesn’t matter whether we are in the heights of the brightest skies or in the depths of the darkest oceans, As-Samee’, The All-Hearing, hears us. Ask Him, beseech Him by His beautiful names, praise Him for He is the All-Praiseworthy. Do it with complete sincerity, faith, trust for He is the Most Responsive.
Another Priceless Gem from the Quran from Surah Baqarah Ch 2 Verse 186 states:
“And when My servants ask you, concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.”
But Remember! Do not seek to hasten it. Be patient.
Alhumdulillah. Let’s try to increase our communication with our Lord. Besides the obligatory acts, communicate with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى via Zikr, Shukr, Nawaafil, Astaghfaar, Tawakkal, and Dua.
Remember! Allah is always with us.
The Beloved Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah the Most High said, ‘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.’” [Sahih Al-Bukhari 7405}
So, Don’t forget Your Lord. Stay in Touch. Stay Connected.
