By: Sabr Muz Leemah

Someone said: "When we are born, the Adhan is recited but no prayer is performed. When we die, no Adhan is recited but prayer is performed. This is because the Adhan of your birth belongs to the prayer of your death. That’s how short life is." But is everything so easy? Is living this short life so easy? What about our dreamishires - I mean our dreams, wishes and desires? Here by dream I do not mean the ones we see while sleeping. Rather, they are the imagination and thoughts about anything that we would like to happen in real. All these words: dream, desire, wish reflect an image of an almost same meaning - "to want something".

Most of our heartaches, heartbreaks, sorrows and pains result from the breaking of our dreamishires. When we strongly desire, dream or wish something we feel some amazingly amazing beats inside us just by thinking about it. Yes, just by thinking about it. We constantly long for it to come true. In some cases we hide our dreams inside our hopeless heart. We fear waking them up, and in some cases we are ready to strive till the last moment and sometimes ready to die to make our dreamishires come true, because we think they will bring peace to our nights and lives- they are always perfect for us. The people who support us- become our strength and if nobody is there then we know how to walk alone. This is the confidence our dreamshires bring inside us. When we step forward to make them come true we see sometimes the roads are twisted and sometimes the people. Sometimes we change our plans and sometimes we go weak at some points but are still ready to do any hardwork to reach the peak. When we see a blink of our dreamishires coming true we forget all tiredness and painful thorns. We become more confident that sooner or later our dreams will definitely come true. And once we get there, we forget all our pains and tears. We just pull out all those sorrows from our hearts and throw them away. But is this a happy ending? Will this dream, after coming true, guarantee you or me forever peace and a forever winner?

No.

Life can never be so beautifully flawless or else why would Allah create a Flawless Heaven? Did Allah mention anywhere in His precious Book that He won't test the people who made their dreamishires come true? Do you know the mystery behind the human nature? What we think today as correct and perfect would be incorrect and A mistake to us after sometime. This is because when we strongly want something which is only related to worldly life - we easily become the slaves of our own dreams, desires and wishes and we forget the real Master in real. We forget the reason behind our existence So when our dreams break into pieces, right at that moment we also get shattered into pieces. We feel like we can't get out of this shock. We can't smile again. We can't dare to dream again. We start killing ourselves. We forget how to care- how to care for family, how to care for those who care, how to care for Hereafter and in one sentence how to care for the Master. The outcome of all these can be anything - it can make you a heartless human or it might make you mentally sick or it might make you realize the purpose of life or it might take you closer to Allah. Anything can happen! But at the end of the day it is Allah who makes everything happen.So the question is are you blaming Allah or praising Him for the heart ache? Praising always means you are the slave no matter what happens and blaming the Master means you called your dreams, your desires, your wishes- the master!

Dreaming Big might lead you to become the biggest failure. Dreaming small can also make you the biggest failure. The number that you see as "6" might look as the number "9" to the person sitting opposite to you. You won't be wrong if you say you are seeing it as 6 and the other person as 9. Both are correct in their own way. But sometimes what is really correct for you is actually a disaster for you. Believe in your Parents and elders no matter how much you dislike them for worldly matters. Believe the Qur'an. Believe in Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Believe in them more than you believe in yourself. They won't betray you. There are many hidden blessings behind your broken dreams which you don't know but your master knows. And this Master is NOT selfish and He Himself said that "It is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing, which is bad for you. But Allah knows, while you know not." [Qur'an 2:216]

The wind suddenly rose. Glancing back at my own wasteful life that I left behind running after dreamishires, I realized a very special thing about life - not all those who told me "dream big" were the righteous ones, not all those who said "never give up" were the real well wishers, not all those who said "enjoy the short life" were the real truthful ones. In fact they were those who stood beside me when the rest of the people discouraged me because of jealousy or enmity. And I took them as real close people for they worked like a real boost for me in my bad times. But after a long time I realized even they were not the true ones for me. They can never be. They encouraged me in making a worldly dream come true. They never warned me that duniya is made to test us in the form of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits in both right and wrong paths. It was not made to make dreams come true and it is impossible to get the real beautiful taste of dreams, desires and wishes in this duniya. After all this duniya can never satisfy me and give me a happy end no matter how much I get my "one-after- one dreamishires". Because striving to make a dream come true will bring another new desire or a new need or a new loss inside me. It is the Jannah where we will be satisfied in every matter and the amazingly amazing part is that there won't be a happy ending after satisfying us in one matter; rather, our every new desire would be satisfied in every "moment-of-forever".

In this world there is a limit to your dreams. If you dream to fly then the limit of your dream to come true is to ride in an air plane or a parachute, but in Paradise? You will be amazed to know that It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I saw Ja’far flying in Paradise with the angels.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3763; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3465.]

Isn't that amazingly exciting? There are many verses and ahaadeeth which say that people in Paradise will have whatever their hearts desire and more as It was narrated by Sulaymaan ibn Buraydah from his father that a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),

“O Messenger of Allaah, are there horses in Paradise?”

He said, “If Allaah admits you to Paradise, any time you wish to be carried on a horse of red rubies that will fly with you wherever you want in Paradise, you will do that.”

Another man asked him, “O Messenger of Allaah, will there be camels in Paradise?” and he did not say to him something like he said to his companion. He said, “If Allaah admits you to Paradise, you will have there whatever your heart desires.”

[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2543; this hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 3/522.]

So maybe you want something which is not specifically mentioned anywhere thus becoming a matter of knowledge of the unseen but still have trust on the words of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “If Allaah admits you to Paradise you will have therein whatever your heart desires and whatever will delight you.” The word Desire is beautiful in this duniya only when you desire the land where all desires, dreams and wishes come true. For example Allaah says in His Book (interpretation of the meaning):

“Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein disgraced and rejected ( far away from Allaah’s Mercy). And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah’s obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism) — then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah)” [al-Isra’ 17:18-19]

The red light in the far immense sky started to gradually diminish amazingly telling me that I am one more step nearer to that Day. The burning radiant sun is going down to lighten up someone else's night by his warm bright light. My wet eyes were happily accepting this inevitable goodbye pushing me into a state of inner - twilight too. Few stars started to twinkle in this warm twilight just like my dreamishires - which remind me every now and then that they are still alive behind my sacrifice and twinkling like those twinkle stars in my twilight heart. And one day- very soon in sha' Allah- this sacrifice will show its real beauty- I believe. But sometimes all my strong desires, dreams and wishes try to hug me tight coming out from my secret prison. But I reject hugging them back as this temporary world is not the right place to release them. The Temporary world will give me temporary joy ending me in regret and heartaches. . . . .

. . .Something started to trickle down my cheeks. The feelings inside me are strange, mysterious and not a part of this world. A faint secret. I need to strive till the end to enter that eternal land- Jannah - where dreams do come true without any loss. Always remember, striving to reach the peak of imaginary worldly desires will only roll you down into depths of destruction, failure, betrayal and insanity in this world and blazing pains in Hereafter! Your pure desires will turn into sins even before you realize! When you'll realize- you have to pay a HEAVY price ! You won't cry but stay sure the tears won't dry! In this Unreal journey and deceiving world let us dream, desire and wish to overcome all sufferings and remain true to Allah, Ourselves and to everybody and go back safely to home, sweet home - JANNAH FOREVER!

Ya Allah! Do not change me to somebody who will only upset you. Make me among those whom you will call as the righteous after Prophets! Ameen.

Sabr- striving to make mankind fall in love with Islam through the pen.

It was related by Abū Hurayrah (radiallaahu `anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallaam) said,

“Indeed the worst of the people are the two-faced, those who go to one group of people with one face and a different group with another.”¹

In his explanation of this narration, al-Hāfiz Ibn Ḥajr says, “al-Qurtubī stated,

‘Indeed the one who is two-faced is the worst of the people because he is similar to the hypocrite,² using cajolery and lying to create fasād (corruption) between the people.’

Al-Nawawī said, ‘He is the one who goes to each group of people with that which will please them, so he gives them the impression that he is with them and against the other group, and his action is that of hypocrisy, lying, deceit and using trickery to uncover the secrets of each group; and it is from the prohibited sycophancy.’”³

Also, in his book al-Zawājir, Al-Haythamī considers the two-faced person from the people of major sin. He states, “The Two-hundred and Fifty-third Major Sin: the speech of the fork-tongued, i.e. the two-faced, who has no regard with Allāh.”⁴

In another wording of the narration, ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir related that the Messenger of Allāh (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallaam) said, “Whoever had two-faces in the worldly life will have two tongues of fire on the Day of Resurrection.”⁵

Aẓīm Ābadī says: “Al-‘Alqamī stated: ‘This means that since he came to each group with different faces to cause corruption, he will be given two tongues of fire like the two tongues he had with each group in the worldly life.’”⁶

Therefore, it is incumbent upon the believers to be wary of those who carry other people’s speech to them, “So and so said such and such about you,” only to turn around and take the second party’s speech back to the first. For how many close companions have been turned into enemies and much rancor has replaced love among us as a result of such machinations? And if these provocateurs truly understood what awaited them from punishment and humiliation, perhaps it would cause them to turn to Allāh in penitence and repair the bonds their whispers have destroyed. We ask Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, to give us protection from the two-faced and to unite our hearts upon Islām and Sunnah.

~

[By Abū al-Ḥasan Mālik Ādam al-Akhḍar | al-Raḥmāniyyah Publishing]

Footnotes

1 Collected by al-Bukhārī in his al-Ṣaḥiḥ(no. 3232, 5719 and 6765) and Muslim in his al-Ṣaḥiḥ (no. 4566, 4693 and 4694)
2 Just as the hypocrite gives the outward appearance of Islām while harboring disblief and hatred in his heart, the
two-faced person gives the outward appearance of love, fealty and reporation while harboring the desire to cause
hatred and division in his heart.
3Fatḥ al-Bārī (10/475)
4 al-Zawājir (2/574-576)
5 Collected by Abū Dāwud in his Sunan (no. 4212). It has been authenticated by al-Albānī in al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥiḥah (no. 992)
6‘Awn al-Ma’būd Sharḥ Sunan Abū Dāwud(13/150)

Q. Does the shaytaan know what crosses our minds of ideas which no one knows except Allah and thus whisper to us what is in accordance with our thoughts, or what?.

A. Praise be to Allaah.

The sound evidence indicates that the shaytaan is close to man, and indeed he flows through him like blood, so he whispers to him at moments of heedlessness and withdraws from him when he remembers Allah.

Through this constant closeness he knows what whims and desires occur to man, so he makes them appear attractive to him and he whispers to him regarding them.Al-Bukhaari (3281) and Muslim (2175) narrated from Safiyyah bint Huyayy (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ’The shaytaan flows through man like blood.“

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

They smell a good smell or a bad smell [meaning the angels, who smell a good smell when a person is thinking of a good deed, as was narrated from Sufyaan ibn …Uyaynah]. But the devils do not need that [smell] in order to know; rather they even know what is in the heart of the son of Adam, and they see and hear what he says to himself. Moreover,the devil has full control over man‘s heart, then when man remembers Allah he withdraws, and when he neglects to remember Him, he whispers to him. He knows whether he is remembering Allah or is neglecting to remember Him, and he knows the whims and desires of his heart and makes them appear attractive to him.

It is proven in al-Saheeh, in the hadeeth mentioned by Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ’The Shaytaan flows through the sons of Adam like blood.“

The closeness of the angels and the shaytaan to the heart of the son of Adam is something that is confirmed in many reports, whether the person is a believer or a disbeliever.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 5/508

The shaytaan is aware of what a person is thinking to himself, and he knows his inclinations and his whims and desires, both good and bad, so he whispers to him accordingly.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy upon him) was asked -- in a lengthy question --: If I intend in my heart to do something good, does the shaytaan know and try to divert me from it?

He replied:

Every person has a devil and an angel with him, as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
’There is no one who does not have a companion from among the jinn and a companion from among the angels.“ They said: Even you, O Messenger of Allah? He said: ’Even me, but Allaah helped me with him and he became Muslim (or: and I am safe from him), so he only enjoins me to do that which is good.“

And he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told us that the shaytaan dictates evils to man and calls him to evil, and he has some control over his heart. And he can see, by Allah's will, what a person wants and intends to do of both good and bad deeds. The angel also has some control over his heart that makes him inclined towards good and calls him to good. This control is something that Allah has enabled them to have, i.e., He has given some power to the companions from among the jinn and from among the angels; even the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a shaytaan with him who was the companion from among the jinn as mentioned in the hadeeth quoted above.

The point here is that every person has with him a companion from among the angels and a companion from among the devils. The believer suppresses his shaytaan by obeying Allah and adhering to His religion, and he humiliates his shaytaan until he becomes weak and is unable to prevent the believer from doing good or to make him fall into evil except that which Allah wills. But the sinner, through his sins and bad deeds helps his shaytaan until he becomes strong enough to help him to follow falsehood and he encourages him to do so and he becomes strong enough to keep him from doing good.

The believer has to fear Allah and strive to resist his shaytaan by obeying Allah and His Messenger, and seeking refuge with Allah from the Shaytaan. And he should be keen to support his angel to obey Allah and His Messenger and to follow the commands of Allah.

End quote from Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 9/369

And Allah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Peace of mind, contentment, happiness and freedom from worries and anxiety— these are what everyone wants, and these are the ways in which people can have a good life and find complete happiness and joy. There are religious means of achieving that, and natural and practical means, but no one can combine all of them except the believers; although other people may achieve some of them, they will miss out on others.

There follows a summary of the means of achieving this aim for which everyone is striving. In some cases, those who achieve many of them will live a joyful life and a good life; in other cases, those who fail to achieve all of them will live a life of misery and hardship. And there are others which are in between, according to what the means he is able to attain. These means include the following:

1 – Faith and righteous deeds

This is the greatest and most fundamental of means. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

’Whoever works righteousness ” whether male or female ” while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)“ [al-Nahl 16:97]

Allaah tells us and promises us that whoever combines faith with righteous deeds will have a good life and a good reward in this world and in the Hereafter.

The reason for that is clear: those who believe in Allaah – with sincere faith that motivates them to do righteous deeds that change hearts and attitudes and guides them to the straight path in this world and the Hereafter – follow principles and guidelines by means of which they deal with everything that happens to them, be it the causes of happiness and excitement or the causes of anxiety, worry and grief.

They deal with the things that they like by accepting them and giving thanks for them, and using them in good ways. When they deal with them in this manner, that creates in them a sense of excitement and the hope that it will continue and that they will be rewarded for their gratitude, which is more important than the good things that happen to them. And they deal with bad things, worries and distress by resisting those that they can resist, alleviating those that they can alleviate, and bearing with goodly patience those that they cannot avoid.

Thus as a result of the bad things they gain a lot of benefits, experience, strength, patience and hope of reward, which are more important and which diminish the hardships they have undergone and replace them with happiness and hope for the bounty and reward of Allaah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) expressed this in a saheeh hadeeth in which he said: ’How wonderful is the situation of the believer, for all his affairs are good. If something good happens to him, he gives thanks for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him. This does not apply to anyone but the believer.“ (Narrated by Muslim, no. 2999).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the believer is always gaining and the reward for his deeds is always multiplying, no matter what happens to him, good or bad.

2 – Being kind to people in word and deed, and all kinds of doing good.

This is one of the means of removing worry, distress and anxiety. By this means Allaah wards off worries and distress from righteous and immoral like, but the believer has the greater share of that, and is distinguished by the fact that his kindness to others stems from sincerity and the hope of reward, so Allaah makes it easy for him to be kind to others because of the hope that this will bring good things and ward off bad things, by means of his sincerity and hope of reward. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

’There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allaah‘s Cause), or Maroof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allaah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allaah, We shall give him a great reward“ [al-Nisa‘ 4:114]

Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.

3 – To occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge

Another of the means of warding off anxiety that stems from nervous tension and being preoccupied with disturbing thoughts is to occupy oneself with good deeds or seeking beneficial knowledge, for that will distract one from dwelling on the matters that are causing anxiety.

In this way a person may forget about the things that are making him worried and distressed, and he may become happy and more energetic. This is another means that believers and others have in common, but the believer is distinguished by his faith, sincerity and hope of reward when he occupies himself with that knowledge which he is learning or teaching, or with the good deeds that he is doing.

The work with which he occupies himself should be something that he likes and enjoys, for that is more likely to produce the desired results. And Allaah knows best.

4 – Not worrying about the future or grieving about the past

Another thing that may ward off worry and anxiety is focusing all one‘s thoughts of the present day, and not worrying about the future or grieving about the past. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sought refuge with Allaah from worry and regret, from regret for things in the past which one cannot put right or change, and worry which may come because of fear for the future.

So one should focus only on the present day, and focus one's efforts on getting things right today. For if a person is focused on that, this means that he will do things properly and forget about worry and regret. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said a du‘aa‘ or taught a du‘aa‘ to his ummah, as well as urging them to seek the help of Allaah and hope for His bounty, he was also urging them to strive to attain the thing they were praying for through their own efforts and to forget about the thing which they were praying would be warded off from them. Because du‘aa‘ (supplication) must be accompanied by action.

So a person must strive to attain that which will benefit him in worldly and spiritual terms, and ask his Lord to make his efforts successful, and he should seek His help in that, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ’Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allaah, and do not be helpless. If anything (bad) happens to you, do not say, …If only I had done such-and-such, then such-and-such would have happened.‘

Rather you should say, …Qaddara Allaah wa ma sha‘a fa‘ala (Allaah decrees, and what He wills He does),‘ for (the words) …If only‘ open the door to the Shaytaan.“ (Narrated by Muslim).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allaah and not giving in to feelings of helplessness which are a harmful kind of laziness, and with the matter of accepting things in the past which are over and done with, and acknowledging that the will and decree of Allaah will inevitably come to pass.

He described matters as being of two types:

1 – Matters which a person may strive to achieve or to achieve whatever he can of them, or to ward them off or alleviate them. In such cases a person must strive and make the effort, and also seek the help of Allaah.

2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allaah‘s will.

Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.

5 – To remember Allaah much

One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allah much (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress.

Allaah says: ’verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest“ [al-Ra‘d 13:28]

Remembering Allaah (dhikr) has a great effect in achieving this aim because it has a special influence and because of the hope that it brings of reward.

6 – Not to dwell on the past

Another of the means of bringing happiness and relieving worry and distress is striving to eliminate the things that cause worry and to achieve the things that bring happiness. That may be done by forgetting about bad things in the past which cannot be changed, and realizing that dwelling on them is a waste of time.

So a person must strive to stop himself from thinking of that, and also strive to stop himself from feeling anxious about the future and the things that he may imagine of poverty, fear and other bad things that he thinks may happen to him in the future. He should realize that the future is something unknown, he cannot know what good or bad things are going to happen to him.

That is in the hand of the Almighty, the Most Wise, and all that His slaves can do is to strive to attain the good things and to ward off the bad things. A person should realize that if he diverts his thoughts from worrying about his future and puts his trust in his Lord to take care of his situation, and puts his mind at rest concerning that, if he does that, then his heart will be at peace and his situation will improve and he will be relieved of worry and anxiety.

One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du‘aa‘ which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite:

’Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa …ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma‘aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma‘aadi, waj‘al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa‘l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).“ (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).

And he said, ’Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata …aynin wa aslih li sha‘ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You).“ (Narrated by Abu Dawood with a saheeh isnaad, no. 5090; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib, p. 49).

If a person utters these du‘aa‘s, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allaah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.

7 – If a person experiences anxiety and distress because of a disaster

Then one of the most effective means of relieving himself of that is to think of the worst scenario to which that may lead, and try to accept that. When he has done that, then he should try to alleviate it as much as possible.

By means of this acceptance and these efforts, he will relieve himself of his worries and distress, and instead of worrying he will strive to bring about good things and to deal with whatever he can of the bad things. If he is faced with things that cause fear or the possibility of sickness or poverty, then he should deal with that by striving to make himself accept that, or something even worse, with contentment, because by making himself accept the worst-case scenario, he lessens the impact of the thing and makes it seem less terrible, especially if he occupies himself with efforts to ward it off as much as he can.

Thus as well as striving to achieve something good which will distract him from his worries about calamity, he will also renew his strength to resist bad things, and put his trust and reliance in Allaah. Undoubtedly these matters are of great benefit in attaining happiness and peace of mind, as well as bringing the hope of reward in this world and in the Hereafter. This is something which is well known from the experience of many who have tried it.

8 – Steadfastness of heart and not being disturbed about the imaginary things that bad thoughts may bring to mind.

For when a person gives in to his imagination and lets his mind be disturbed by these thoughts, such as fear of disease and the like, or anger and confusion stirred up by some grievous matter, or the expectation of bad things and the loss of good things, that will fill him with worries, distress, mental and physical illness and nervous breakdowns, which will have a bad effect on him and which causes a great deal of harm, as many people have seen.

But when a person depends on Allaah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allaah and has hope of His bounty, that wards off his worries and distress, and relieves him of a great deal of mental and physical sickness.

It gives indescribable strength, comfort and happiness to the heart. How many hospitals are filled with the mentally sick victims of illusions and harmful imagination; how often have these things had an effect upon the hearts of many strong people, let alone the weak ones; how often have they led to foolishness and insanity.

It should be noted that your life will follow your train of thought. If your thoughts are of things that will bring you benefit in your spiritual or worldly affairs, then your life will be good and happy. Otherwise it will be the opposite.

The person who is safe from all of that is the one who is protected by Allaah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety.

Allah says, ’And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him“ [al-Talaaq 65:3]

i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allaah will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis.

He also knows that Allaah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allaah and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace.

We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allaah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.

If bad things happen or there is the fear of such, then you should count the many blessings that you are still enjoying, both spiritual and worldly, and compare them with the bad things that have happened, for when you compare them you will see the many blessings that you are enjoying, and this will make the bad things appear less serious.

See al-Wasaa‘il al-Mufeedah li‘l-Hayaat al-Sa‘eedah by Shatkh …Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa‘di

Ibn al-Qayyim summed fifteen ways through which Allaah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows:

Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)
Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)
Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma‘ wa‘l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)
Thinking of Allaah as being above doing any injustice to His slaves, and above punishing anyone for no cause on the part of the slave that would require such punishment.
The person‘s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.
Beseeching Allaah by means of the things that are most beloved to Him, which are His names and attributes. Two of His names that encompass the meanings of all other names and attributes are al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) and al-Qayyoom (the Eternal).
Seeking the help of Allaah Alone.
Affirming one's hope in Him.
Truly putting one‘s trust in Him and leaving matters to Him, acknowledging that one's forelock is in His hand and that He does as He wills, that His will is forever executed and that He is just in all that He decrees.
Letting one's heart wander in the garden of the Qur‘aan, seeking consolation in it from every calamity, seeking healing in it from all diseases of the heart, so that it will bring comfort to his grief and healing for his worries and distress.
Seeking forgiveness.
Repentance.
Jihad.
Salaah (prayer).
Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are.
We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound from worries and to relieve us of distress and anxiety, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever-Responsive, and He is the Ever-Living, Eternal.

And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

By: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

By Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah

Some people said while explaining its meaning: ‘Envy (hasad) is a grievance that befalls one due to knowledge of the good condition of the wealthy.’ So in accordance with this it is not possible that the person upon whom the blessings have been bestowed be jealous of these blessings and is accustomed to them.

A group of people said: ‘It is a desire to have the blessings removed from the one who is envied even if the one who is jealous does not attain the likes of these blessings.’ This is different from ghubta (also meaning envy) because it refers to a desire to possess the blessings bestowed upon the one who is envied but without the desire to see them removed from him.

Strictly speaking, envy (hasad) is hatred and disliking the good condition of the envied one.

This of two types:

1) Unrestricted dislike of the blessings bestowed upon the envied. This is the type of jealousy which incurs blame, so when one hates something he is then hurt and grieved by the existence of what he hates, and this becomes a sickness in his heart such that he takes pleasure in removal of the blessings from the envied even if this does not result in any benefit to him except for the single benefit of having the pain that was in his soul removed. But this pain is not removed except as a result of his continuously watching the envied so that the jealous person finds relief when the blessing is removed, but then it becomes more severe as is the case of the one who is sick, for it is possible that this blessing, or one similar to it, returns to the envied. This is why this second group said: ‘It is a desire to have the blessings removed,’ for indeed the one who dislikes the blessings bestowed upon other than him desires to see them removed.

2) That he dislikes the superiority of that person over him, and he desires to be like him or better, so this is jealousy and has been called ghubta, and the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) called it hasad in the hadeeth reported by both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from the hadeeth of Ibn Mas‘ood and Ibn ‘Umar, radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa, that he (radiyAllaahu 'anhu) said: “There is no envy (hasad) except in two cases: a person to whom Allaah has granted wisdom, and he rules by this and teaches it to the people, and a person to whom Allaah has granted wealth and property and along with this the power to spend it in the cause of Truth.”[1] This being the wording of Ibn Mas‘ood.  The wording of Ibn ‘Umar (radiyAllaahu 'anhu) is, “A person to whom Allaah has given the Qur’aan and he recites it night and day, and a person to whom Allaah has granted wealth and property from which he gives in charity night and day.”[2]

Al-Bukhaaree also reports this hadeeth from Aboo Hurayrah (radiyAllaahu 'anhu) and its wording is, “There is no desirable form of jealousy except for two types: a person to whom Allaah has given the Qur’aan and he recites it day and night, so when a person hears him he says, ‘If only I were given the likes of what he has been given so that I may act upon it the way this person is.’ And a person to whom Allaah has bestowed wealth and he spends in the cause of Truth, so a person says, ‘If only I were given the likes of what he has been given, so that I may act upon it the way this person is.’”[3]

So the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) forbade hasad, with the exception of two cases which are referred to as al-ghubta, meaning that a person love the condition of someone else and dislike that this person be superior in this way (without his wishing that it be removed from that person).

So if it is asked: ‘Then why is this called envy when he loves only that Allaah bestows these blessings upon him?’

It is said, ‘The starting point of this love is his looking towards the favours Allaah has bestowed upon someone else and his disliking that this person be favoured over him.

So if this other person were not present then he would not have desired these blessings. So because the starting point of this love is this dislike that someone else be made superior to him, then this is called envy due to the love following the dislike. As for desiring that Allaah bestows favours upon him without consideration of people’s material conditions then this is not envy at all.’

This is why the generality of mankind have been tried with this second type of envy that has also been called al-munaafasah (competition) because two people compete in a single desired matter, both of them trying to attain the same good. The reason for their trying to attain it is that one of them dislikes that the other be blessed with this matter over him just as any one of two competitors dislikes that other beat him. Competition is not considered blameworthy in general, rather it is considered to be praiseworthy when competing for righteousness, the Exalted said, Indeed the pious will be in delight. On thrones, looking on. You will recognize in their faces the brightness of delight. They will be given to drink pure sealed wine. The last thereof (that wine) will be the smell of Musk, and for this let those compete who want to compete.[4]

So one is commanded to compete for these delights and not to compete for the delight of this fleeting world. This is in total agreement to the hadeeth of the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), for he forbade envy except of the one who has been granted knowledge and he acts according to it and teaches it, and the one who has been bestowed wealth and spends it (in the way of Allaah).

As for the one who has been granted knowledge but does not act upon this knowledge, or the one who has been bestowed wealth but does not spend this is obedience to Allaah, then such a person is not to be envied and neither is his condition to be hoped for, for he is not in a state of good that is desirable, rather he is being presented with punishment. He also allowed jealousy for the one who has been given a responsibility and he fulfils it with knowledge and justice, and fulfils the trusts of its owners, and judges amongst the people by the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

The station of such a person is lofty but this only comes after a great amount of effort (jihaad) – the same is true of the mujaahid. But the souls do not envy the one who is in severe hardship and this is why the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) did not mention it even though the mujaahid, fighting in the Way of Allaah, is superior to the one who is spending wealth. The opposite is true for the teacher and spender for they have no enemy in the physical world, but in the case that there were an enemy that they would have to perform jihaad against, then their ranking is more superior (than their station without having an enemy to fight).

Similarly the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) did not mention the one who prays, fasts and performs the pilgrimage, because there is no tangible benefit attained from the people for these actions by which the person can be exalted or disgraced, as can be attained in teaching and spending.

Fundamentally, envy occurs when someone else attains power and authority; otherwise the one who is performing actions is not normally envied, even if this person be blessed with far more food, drink and wives than others, as opposed to these two blessings of power and authority, for they cause a great deal of envy. This is why you find envy directed at the People of Knowledge, who have a following amongst the people that you will not find directed to others who do not have such a following.

Similarly for the one who attracts a following due to his spending his wealth, for the people benefit this person by nourishing his heart, and this person brings benefit to them by nourishment of the bodies.

Mankind is in need of that which will correct them in both these matters, this is why Allaah, the one free from imperfection, has propounded two parables, Allaah puts forward the example: a slave under the possession of another, he has no power of any sort, and (the other) a man on whom We have bestowed a good provision from Us, and he spends thereof secretly and openly. Could they be equal? (By no means, not). All the praises and thanks be to Allaah. Nay! (But) most of them know not. And Allaah puts forward another parable of two men, one of them dumb, who has no power over anything, and he is a burden to his master, whichever way he directs him he brings no good. Is such a man equal to one who commands justice, and is himself on the Straight Path?[5]

These two parables were propounded by Allaah for His Own Holy Self and for that which is worshipped besides Him, for indeed the idols are not capable of performing any actions that would be of benefit, and neither of saying anything that would be of benefit. So when a completely powerless slave under the possession of someone is considered, and another to whom Allaah has provided a goodly provision from which he spends in secret and in the open, can this slave, incapable of doing good, and this person capable of doing good for the people in secret and open, ever be equal? And He, free is as He from defect, is able to bestow good upon His servants, and as He is continuously doing so. So how can this incapable slave (i.e. the idol) who cannot do anything, be likened to Allaah to the extent that he is worshipped alongside Him? So this is the parable of one to whom Allaah has bestowed wealth from which he spends day and night.

The second parable: when two people are considered, one of them is dumb, he does not understand nor speak, and is not capable of anything and is in fact a burden upon his master, for whichever way he directs him he brings no good and hence he is of absolutely no use. The other is a just scholar – enjoining justice and acting justly, and is upon the Straight Path. This person is then like the one upon whom Allaah has conferred wisdom and he acts according to it and teaches it. And Allaah has propounded this parable for Himself, for He is All-Knowing, All-Just, All-Powerful, commanding justice, He is maintaining His creation is justice is upon the Straight Way as He, the Exalted said, Allaah bears witness that there is none worthy of worship but He, and the angels, and those having knowledge; (He is always) maintaining His creation in Justice. There is none worthy of worship but He, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.[6]

And He said upon the tongue of Hood, Indeed my Lord is upon the Straight Path.[7]

This is why the people used to exalt the home of al-‘Abbaas ‘Abdullaah used to teach the people and his brother used to feed them, and so they used to exalt them due to this.

Mu‘aawiyah, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, saw the people asking Ibn ‘Umar about the rites of Hajj and Ibn ‘Umar would give them the verdicts, to which Mu‘aawiyah said, ‘By Allaah this is nobility’ or something similar.

The Competition between Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq and ‘Umar

So here is ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, competing with Aboo Bakr, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, with respect to spending in charity as is established in the Saheeh (of al-Bukhaaree) from ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, that he said: “The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) commanded us to give in charity, and this coincided with my possessing some wealth. So I said (to myself): ‘If there is a day that I can better Aboo Bakr than it is this one.’ So I went with half of my wealth and the Messenger of Allaah (saw) asked me, ‘What have you left for your family?’ I replied, ‘The same amount.’ Then Aboo Bakr came with everything that he possessed and the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) asked him, ‘What have you left for your family?’ He replied, ‘I have left Allaah and His Messenger for them.’ So I said, ‘I will never be able to better you in anything!’”

So what ‘Umar did here was competition and the permitted type of jealousy (ghubta), but the state of as-Siddeeq was better than his, and thus he would generally be the victor in such competition due to his indifference to the condition of others.

Likewise is the case with Prophet Moosa as is mentioned in the hadeeth of Mi‘raaj that he competed and felt jealousy towards the Prophet (saw) to the point that he, “Cried due to the extent to which the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) has surpassed him. So it was said to him, ‘Why are you crying?’ He replied, ‘I am crying because there is a servant who shall be sent after me, and more of his nation shall enter Paradise than mine.” [Reported by both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].

This hadeeth is also reported in other than the Saheeh with a different wording, “We passed a person while he was saying in a loud voice, ‘You have blessed him and honoured him (over me).’ So we were raised to him and gave him our salaam, he replied to our salaam and said, ‘Who is this with you O Jibraa’eel?’ He said, ‘This is Ahmad.’ He said, ‘Welcome O Illiterate Prophet who has conveyed the Message of his Lord and sincerely advised his nation.’ Then we moved on and I said, ‘Who was this O Jibraa’eel?’ He replied, ‘That was Moosa bin ‘Imraan.’ I said, ‘And who was he censuring?’ He replied, ‘He was censuring your Lord with regards to you.’ I said, ‘He was raising his voice to His Lord?’ He replied, ‘Indeed Allaah knew his truthfulness.’” So in this ‘Umar resembled Moosa, and the condition of our Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was superior to that of Moosa for he did not possess any of this permissible jealousy.

Similar to this from amongst the Sahaabah were Aboo ‘Ubaydah bin Jarraah and those like him who were free from these types of concerns and due to this they were of a more exalted rank than those who would compete and display jealousy (ghubta) even though it was permitted. This is why Aboo ‘Ubaydah deserved to be called, ‘The trusted one of this Ummah.’[8] For if the one trusted does not have any rivalry and desire in his self for the things that he is entrusted with, then he is the most deserving of having the trust placed in him. The one who is known to possess no rivalry in greater matters in entrusted with the smaller matters, and the one is known to have no reason to steal from the wealth is entrusted with the wealth. As for the one who finds in himself treachery that resembles that of a wolf entrusted with sheep, then he is not able to discharge the trust placed in him due to his having in his heart a desire for what he is entrusted with.

It is reported in the Musnad of Ahmad from Anas, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, that he said, “We were sitting in the presence of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) one day and he said, ‘A person is about to arrive from this mountain path who is from the people of Paradise.’ So a person from the Ansaar arrived, his beard dripping with the water of wudoo and holding his sandals in his left hand, and he gave us the salaam. The next day the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said words of similar import and the same person appeared in the same condition. On the third day the Prophet (saw) again said words of similar import and again this person appeared in the same condition, so when the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) left, ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amr al-Aas followed this person and said, ‘indeed I have abused my father and I swore that I would not go to him for three days so if you would let me stay with you until those three days expire, I would do so.’ He replied, ‘Yes.’” Anas continued saying, “So ‘Abdullaah told us that he spend three nights with this person yet he did not see him stand for the night prayer at all. All he did was when he turned sides on his be he would mention Allaah and make takbeer and would do this until he stood for the Fajr prayer. ‘Abdullaah said, ‘Except that I never heard him speak except good’. So when the three days wee over I was eager to make little of his actions. I said, ‘O servant of Allaah there was no hatred or disassociation between my father and me but I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) saying on three occasions, “A person is about to arrive who is from the people of Paradise,” and you arrived on those three occasions, so I wished to stay with you so that I may look at your actions and emulate them. But I have not seen you perform a great deal of actions, so what is it that has reached you to make the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) say what he said?’ He replied, ‘It is nothing more than what you have seen, except that I do not find in myself any disloyalty of any of the Muslims, and neither do I find any jealousy for the wealth that Allaah has bestowed upon them.’ Abdullaah said, ‘This is that which has reached you and is something that we cannot endure.’”[9] So in the saying of ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amr to him, ‘This is something that has reached you and something that we cannot endure’ lies an indication of his lack of jealousy and his being secure from all types of jealousy. This is why Allaah praised the Ansaar with His saying, And have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (the muhaajiroon), and give them preference over themselves even though they were in need of that.[10]

Meaning that which has been given to their brothers from the Muhaajiroon. The scholars of tafseer have stated: “They do not find in their breasts jealousy and hatred for what has been given to the Muhaajiroon”. Then some of them said, “What has been given to them from the war booty.” And others said: “What has been given to them of precedence and blessings” – so they find no need of that which has been given the Muhaajiroon of wealth and rank even though jealousy arises over these sorts of things. Between the Aws and the Khazraj there existed competition in matters of religion, such that if one tribe were to do something for which they were regarded favourably by Allaah and His Messenger then the other tribe would desire to do the same. So this is competition in that which would bring them closer to Allaah. Allaah says, Then for this let those who compete, compete![11]

As for the jealousy that is totally blameworthy then Allaah has said with regards to the Jews, Many of the People of the Book wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their own selves even after the truth has become clear to them.[12]

‘They wish’ meaning that they hope to make you apostasies from your religion out of jealousy. So jealousy was the deciding factor behind their wish even after the Truth has been made clear to them. This is because when they saw you attain what you attained of blessings – in fact they saw you attain that which they themselves had never attained – they became jealous of you. Similarly this is mentioned in another verse, Or do they envy men for what Allaah has given them of His bounty? Then We have already given the family of Abraham the Book and Wisdom, and conferred upon them a great kingdom. Of them were (some) who believed in him (Muhammad) and of them were some who averted their faces from him, and enough is Hell for burning (them)…[13]

Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Daybreak. From the evil of what He has created. And from the evil of the darkening (night) as it comes with its darkness. And from the evil of the witchcrafts when they blow in the knots. And from the evil of the envier when he envies.[14]

A group of scholars of tafseer mentioned that this soorah was revealed due to the jealousy of the jews harboured towards the Messenger of Allaah (saw) to the extent that they performed magic on him. The magic was done by the Jew, Labeed bin al-A‘sam.[15]

So the one who is jealous, hating the favours bestowed by Allaah upon someone else is an oppressor, going beyond bounds due to this. As for the one who dislikes that someone else be blessed and wishes to be blessed in the same way, then this is forbidden for him except in that which will bring him closer to Allaah. So if he were to wish for something that has been given to someone else which would help bring him closer to Allaah then there is no problem in this. However, his wishing for it in his heart, without looking to the condition of someone else is better and more excellent.

Then if this person were to act, dictated by this jealousy, he would be an oppressor going beyond bounds, deserving of punishment unless he repents. So the one who is affected by the one who is jealous is oppressed and should be enjoined to patience and taqwaa. He should be patient of the harm afflicted upon him by the one who is jealous, and he should forgive and overlook, just as Allaah said, Many of the People of the Book wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their own selves even after the truth has become clear to them. But forgive and overlook until Allaah brings about His Command.[16]

Indeed Yoosuf, ‘alayhis salaam, was tried by the jealousy of his brothers: When they said: Truly, Yoosuf and his brother are loved more by our father than we.[17] So they were envied due to their father favouring them over the rest of the brothers, which why Ya‘qoob said to Yoosuf, O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers, lest they arrange a plot against you. Indeed! Satan is an open enemy to man![18] They went on to oppress him by discussing his murder and throwing him in the well, and his being sold as a slave by the ones who took him to the land of the disbelievers, and his subsequently being owned by these disbelieving people. Then after being oppressed, Yoosuf was tried by the one who invited him to an indecent deed and attempted to seduce him, and she sought aid from anyone who would help her in this but he was preserved from this. Instead he chose to be imprisoned rather than perform this indecent deed, preferring the punishment of this world rather than the Displeasure of Allaah (in the Hereafter).

Hence he was oppressed by the one who desired him due to her base desires and her corrupt objective. So this love with which she desired him arose as a result of her succumbing to the vain desires of her heart, and its happiness or sadness lay in his accepting or rejecting the temptation. He was also oppressed by those who hated him with a hatred that led to his being thrown in the well, then his becoming captive and owned without his choice, therefore these people removed him from the absolute freedom that he enjoyed to becoming forced into slavery to the false worshippers. This forced him to seek refuge in the prison out of his own free will, thereby making his trial greater. His patience on this occasion arose out of his own volition coupled with his fear of Allaah, thus differing from his patience at their oppression, which was having patience at the onset of calamities, and if one were to be patient at the likes of these then he would take to the way of mere animals.

This second type of patience, arising from one’s free will, is the more excellent of the two. This is why Allaah said, Indeed he who fears Allaah, and is patient, then surely Allaah makes not the reward of the doers of good to be lost.[19] Likewise when the believer is harmed due to his faith; and disbelief, transgression and disobedience is sought from him – and if he were not to accept this then he would be harmed and punished – then he should choose this harm and punishment over renegading from his religion – even if it results in imprisonment or banishment from his land – just as was done by the Muhaajiroon in their choosing to leave their settlements rather than leave their religion for which they were harmed and punished.

The Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) was harmed in a number of different ways but he was patient through-out this with a patience that arose out of his own volition, and indeed he was harmed in this way only that he may do what he did out of his own choice. So this patience of his was greater than the patience of Yoosuf, for only an indecent action was sought from Yoosuf, and he was only punished by imprisonment when he did not comply. But disbelief was sought from the Prophet (saw) and his Companions, and when they did not do this – then they were punished by being slaughtered and other such harms – the least of which was imprisonment, for the polytheists imprisoned him and Banee Haashim for a time in a mountain pass. Then when Aboo Taalib died they became more severe against him, and when the Ansaar gave him the pledge of the allegiance and when the polytheists came to know of this they tried to prevent him from leaving (for Madeenah) and tried to detain him and his Companions. Then all of them emigrated secretly except for ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab and those like him.

So what befell the believers came about as a result of their choosing obedience to Allaah and His Messenger and it was not from the afflictions that occur without the servant’s choice of the type that Yoosuf was tried with, and neither of the type of his being separated from his father. So this patience endured by the believers was the nobler of the two types of patience, and its possessors are greater with respect to ranking. Thus, even though the one who is tried without his will shall be rewarded for his patience and his contentment with the decree of Allaah, and his sins will be expiated. As for the person who is tried and harmed for choosing obedience to Allaah, then he will be rewarded for the actual trial and it shall be written as a righteous action for him.

Allaah, the Most High, said, That is because they suffer neither thirst nor fatigue, nor hunger in the Cause of Allaah, nor do they take any step to raise the anger of disbelievers nor inflict any injury upon an enemy but it is written to their credit as a righteous deed. Indeed Allaah wastes not the reward of the doers of good.[20]

Thus contrasting with the case of the one who is tried without his choice, such as being sick, or death, or a thief stealing from him – this person shall be rewarded for his patience only, not for the actual trial itself and what results from it. As for those who are harmed due to their faith in Allaah and obedience to Him and His Messenger, and as a result of this they are in pain, or are sick, or are imprisoned, or are forced to leave their land, or their property and family is taken from them, or are beaten and abused, or their position and wealth is diminished, then in this they are upon the way of the Prophets and those that followed them such as the Muhaajiroon. So these people shall be rewarded for what has harmed them, and a righteous action shall be written for them due to it just as the mujaahid shall be rewarded for the hunger, thirst and fatigue that afflicts him, and for enraging the disbelievers even if these effects are not something he has physically set out to do, but they are resultant from his action (of performing jihaad) that he has chosen to do. The people have differed over this: can it be said that these resultant effects are actions of the actor of the reason for these effects, or are they Actions of Allaah, or is there no actor of the reason and the (Actor of the) totality of the reasons, and this is why a righteous action is written for him.

The purpose behind this discussion is that jealousy is one of the sicknesses of the soul, and it is an illness that afflicts the generality of mankind and only a few are secure from it. This is why it is said: “The body is never free from jealousy, but debasement brings it out, and nobility hides it.” It was said to al-Hasan al-Basree, “Can a believer be envied?” He replied, “What has made you forget Yoosuf and his brothers, have you no father?” But you should keep (this envy should it occur) blinded in your heart, for you cannot be harmed by that which you did not act upon in speech or action.”

So the one who finds that he harbours jealousy in his soul towards someone else, then it is upon him to treat it with patience and taqwaa of Allaah, and dislike it being in his soul. Many religious people do not take a stance against the one who is envied and neither do they help the one who would oppress him, but neither do they establish what is obligatory with respect to his rights. Rather when someone censures the one who is envied they do not agree with or aid him in the censure but neither do they mention his praiseworthy qualities. Likewise if someone were to praise him they remain silent. So these people are responsible for their leaving what is commanded with respect to the rights of the envied, and they have exceeded the proper bounds in this even though they may not have taken a stance against him. The reward of these people is that their rights in turn will be neglected and on some occasions they will not be treated fairly, and neither will they be helped against the one who oppresses them, just as they did not aid the envied who was oppressed. As for the one who actually takes a stance against the envied, either with words or actions then he will be punished for this, and the one who fears Allaah and is patient and does not become one of the oppressors – Allaah will benefit him for his taqwaa.

This is what occurred with Zaynab bint Jahsh, radiyallaahu ‘anha, for she used to be one who would vie with ‘Aa’ishah from the wives of the Prophet (saw). The jealousy displayed by some women to others is great, and is especially true of those who are married to one husband. The woman will go to great extents to get her allotted time from him for sometimes some of her allotted time will be missed due to his sharing with other wives. This jealousy commonly occurs amongst those that share authority or property[21] in the case when some of them take a share from it and others are left with none. It also occurs between those that debate, due to their hatred that their opponent gets the better of them, such as the jealousy of the brothers of Yoosuf, or the jealousy of the two sons of Aadam one to the other for in this case the brother was envied by the other due to Allaah accepting his sacrifice and not the other’s, this leading to his murder. Also, the jealousy displayed towards the Muslims by the Jews. It was said, “The first sins by which Allaah was disobeyed were three: covetousness, arrogance and jealousy. Covetousness was displayed by Adam, arroagance by Iblees, and jealousy from Qaabeel when he killed Haabeel.”[22] In the hadeeth there occurs: “There are three sins from which no one can be saved: jealousy, suspicion and omens. Shall I tell you of what would remove you from this: when you envy then do not hate, when you are suspicious then do not actualize your suspicions, and when you see omens then ignore them.”[23] Reported by Ibn Abee ad-Dunyaa from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah.

In the Sunan from the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), “You have been afflicted with the illness of the nations that came before you – jealousy and hatred. They are the shearers, I do not mean shearers of the hair, rather they are shearers of the religion.”[24] So he called jealousy an illness just as he called miserliness an illness in his saying, “And what illness is worse than miserliness.”[25]

And in another hadeeth, “I seek refuge with You from the evil morals and manners, vain desires and illnesses.” Mentioning illnesses alongside with manners and vain desires. Manners are those things that the soul becomes accustomed to such that they become its nature and disposition. Allaah said in this regard, And indeed you are upon an exalted standard of character.[26]

Ibn ‘Abbaas, Ibn ‘Uyaynah and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, radiyallaahu ‘anhum, said in commentary to this: “Meaning ‘upon a great religion.’” And in a variant wording of Ibn ‘Abbaas: ‘The religion of Islaam’. This was similarly stated by ‘Aa’ishah, radiyallaahu ‘anha, “His manners were the Qur’aan,” and Hasan al-Basree, “The manners of the Qur’aan is ‘the exalted standard of character.’”

As for ‘vain desires’ then they are temporary anomalous conditions, and ‘illness’ is sickness – this is an affliction that harms the heart and corrupts it. In the first hadeeth jealousy was mentioned along with hatred. This is because the envier, first of all dislikes the bounty bestowed by Allaah upon the one who is envied, and then begins hating this person. This is because the hatred of the thing being bestowed leads to hatred of the one upon whom it is bestowed, for when the blessings of Allaah are bestowed upon an individual, he would love that they go away, and they would not go away except by the one who is envied going away, therefore he hates him and loves that he not be there.

Jealousy necessarily leads to desire and hatred just as Allaah informed us those that came before us that they differed, After their came to them knowledge out of mutual hatred and desire.[27] So their differing did not arise due to the lack of knowledge, rather they knew the Truth, but it was due to some of them hating others, just as the envier hates the envied.

In Saheehs of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, Anas bin Maalik, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, reports that the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not envy each other, do not hate each other, do not oppose each other, and do not cut relations, rather be servants of Allaah as brothers. It is not permissible for a Muslim to disassociate from his brother for more than three days such that they meet and one ignores the other, and the best of them is the one who initiates the salaam.”[28]

He (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, in the hadeeth that is agreed to be authentic, reported by Anas also, “By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, none of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”[29] Allaah, the Most High, said, There is certainly among you he who would linger behind (from fighting in the Way of Allaah). If a misfortune befalls you, he says: ‘Indeed Allaah has favoured me in that I was not present among them.’ But if a bounty comes to you from Allaah, he would surely say – as if there had never been any ties of affection between you and him – ‘Oh! I wish I had been with them; then I would have achieved a great success.’[30]

So these people who lingered behind did not love for their brother Muslims what they loved for themselves, rather if the Muslims were afflicted with a calamity, they were overjoyed that it only afflicted them, and if they met with blessings they were not happy for them, rather they wished that they too had a portion of this blessing. So they would not become happy except if they received something of this world or some evil of this world was diverted from them. This was due to them not loving Allaah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, for if this had been the case they would have loved their brothers, and loved what they had received of His blessings and they would have been hurt by the calamity that had afflicted them.

As for the one who is not made happy by what has made the Muslims happy, and is not grieved by what has made the Muslims grieve then he is not of them. In the Saheehs of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from ‘Aamic ash-Sha‘bee who said: “I heard an-Nu‘maan bin Basheer delivering a sermon and saying: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) saying, ‘The similitude of the believers with respect to their mutual love, mutual mercy and mutual kindness in like that of one body. When a part of it suffers, the whole body suffers with fever and sleeplessness.’”[31]

In the Saheehs of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from the hadeeth of Aboo Moosa al-Ash‘aree, radiyallaahu ‘anhu, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘The Muslim to another Muslim is like a building, one part of it strengthens another’ and he interlaced his fingers.”[32]

Greed is a sickness as is miserliness, and jealousy is worse than miserliness as occurs in the hadeeth reported by Aboo Daawood[33] from the Prophet (saw) that he said, “Jealousy eats away at good deeds, just as fire eats away at firewood, and giving charity extinguishes sins just as water extinguishes fire.” This is because the miser only stops himself from having good but the envier dislikes the favours of Allaah bestowed upon His servants. It is possible that a person give to those lesser than him who would help him achieve his objectives and yet display jealousy to those of the same level as him just as it is possible for him to be miserly without displaying envy to others. Greed is the basis for this as Allaah said, And whosoever is saved from his greed, such are they who are successful.[34]

In the Saheehs of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim[35] the Prophet (sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, “Beware of greed for it destroyed those that came before you: it commanded them to be miserly and they were, it commanded them to be oppressive and they were and it commanded them to break the ties of kinship and they did.”[36]

‘Abdur-Rahmaan bin ‘Awf[37] used to frequently say in his supplication while make Tawaaf, “O Allaah! Save my soul from greed.” So a person said to him, “Why is this your most frequent supplication?” He replied, “When I safeguard myself from greed, I safeguard myself from greed, miserliness and from severing the ties of kinship.” And jealousy necessarily leads to oppression.

Extracted with slight modifications from “Diseases of the Hearts & their Cures” compiled by Ibraaheem bin ‘Abdullaah al-Haazimee © 1998 Al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution

Notes:
[1] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 1/62 no. 73], Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 2/389 no. 1779].
[2] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 6/500 no. 543], Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 2/388 no. 1777].
[3] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 6/501 no. 544].
[4] Soorah al-Mutaffifeen (83):22-26.
[5] Soorah an-Nahl (16):75-76.
[6] Soorah Aal ‘Imraan (3):18.
[7] Soorah Hood (11):56
[8] Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim
[9] Its isnaad is saheeh.
[10] Soorah al-Hashr (59):9.
[11] Soorah al-Mutaffifeen (83):26.
[12] Soorah al-Baqarah (2):109.
[13] Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):54-55.
[14] Soorah al-Falaq (113):1-5.
[15] As is reported by al-Bukhaaree, Muslim and Ahmad. Refer to the tafseer of Ibn Katheer (4/584).
[16] Soorah al-Baqarah (2):109
[17] Soorah Yoosuf (12):8.
[18] Soorah Yoosuf (12):5.
[19] Soorah Yoosuf (12):90.
[20] Soorah at-Tawbah (9):120.
[21] Or those that share knowledge, this is why the scholars of hadeeth do not accept the reports of scholars criticizing their contemporaries.
[22] Da‘eef, reported by Abu ash-Shaykh and at-Tabaraanee from Hasan al-Basree as a mursal report.
[23] Reported by Ahmad (1412, 1430) and at-Tirmidhee (2512). Its chain of narration contains unknown narrators, but the hadeeth has witnesses reported by Aboo ad-Dardaa and Aboo Hurayrah that strengthen it. Rather to Mujma az-Zawaa’id (10/8) whose authors also refer this hadeeth to al-Bazzaar. Al-Mundhiree said that is isnaad is good.
[24] Reported by at-Tirmidhee, at-Tabaraanee an al-Haakim who said that it was saheeh and it as he said.
[25] Reported by Ahmad, Haakim and others. It is saheeh. Refer to: Saheeh al-Jaami‘ [no. 7104] and the notes of Shu‘ayb al-Arna‘oot upon Sharh Muskil al-Aathaar of at-Tahaawee [14/151-154]. [Translator’s Note]
[26] Soorah Qalam (68):4.
[27] Soorah Aal ‘Imraan (3):19.
[28] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 8/58 no. 91], Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 4/1360 no. 6205, 6210].
[29] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 1/19 no. 12], Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 1/31 no. 72, 73]. [30] Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):72-73.
[31] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 8/26 no. 40], Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 4/1368 no. 6258].
[32] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 8/34 no. 55], Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 4/1368 no. 6257].
[33] This is an error from Ibn Taymiyyah, for the hadeeth in this complete form with this wording is reported by Ibn Maajah (4210). As for Aboo Daawood then he reports only the first sentence and in the isnaad of this hadeeth there is an unknown narrator.
[34] Soorah al-Hashr (59):9.
[35] This is also an error from Ibn Taymiyyah for this hadeeth has not been reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, rather it has been reported by Aboo Daawood and al-Haakim (1/11) and its isnaad is saheeh.
[36] Sunan Aboo Daawood [Eng. Trans. 2/445 no. 1694].
[37] As far as I know from what is preserved is that it was Sa‘d bin Abee Waqqaas.

Upon the authority of Ataa Ibn Yasaar who narrates from Ibn Abaas – Radhiyallahu ‘anhumaa – that a man approached him and said: “Indeed I proposed to a woman but she refused to marry me, then someone else proposed to her and she desired to marry him, so i became jealous and I killed her. Is there any taubah (repentance) for me?

He (Ibn Abaas) said to him: ”Is your mother alive? the man said ‘No’ so he said “Make taubah to Allah Azza wa Jall and draw near to him as much as you are able (So the narrator said) so i went and asked Ibn ‘Abaas “Why did you ask him if his mother was alive?” so he responded “Because indeed I do not know of an action that draws one closer to Allah than being dutiful to one’s Mother”

[Collected by Imaamul Bukhaari in his ‘Adabul Mufrad’ and is declared saheeh by shaikh Al Albaani in Saheeh Adabil Al Mufrad hadeeth 4 and Silsilah Saheehah (2799)]

Upon the authority of S’ad ibn Abi Waqaas – Radhiyallahu ‘Anhu who said:

“Four verses in the book of Allah were revealed concerning me:

1- My mother had taken an oath that she would not eat or drink until i left Muhammad so Allah revealed: ” And if they strive against you to associate partners with Allah with that which you have no authority then do not obey them, but behave with them with good in the life of this world” (S Luqmaan:Vs 15)

(A longer version of the incident mentions that she said to him”Either you leave this religion of yours or i will not eat or drink a thing until i die! then it will be said ‘Oh you who have killed your mother! and you will be dispraised because of what you did to me! so he responded “do not do this mother, because i will not leave this religion for anything. So she left food and drink for a day and night and she rose in the morning exhausted from not eating. Then she did so for another day and was even worse the following morning. So when i saw this I said: “Oh Mother By Allah! if you had a hundred souls and they left you one by one i would not leave this religion! so eat if you wish or abandon food if you will!” so she ate.)

2- I had taken a sword that i liked (from the spoils of war) and i said “Oh Messenger of Allah, may i have this as a gift? so Allah revealed: “They ask you about the spoils of war say: the spoils of War are for Allah and his Messenger..” (S Anfaal Vs 1)

3- I had become ill and so the messenger came to (visit) me so i said to him “Oh messenger of Allah! i wish to give half of my wealth away (in charity) as a bequest (before death) so he said: “No!” so i said: Then (i wish to give) a third and he remained silent thus a third was deemed permissible

4- ” I drank intoxicants with a people from the Ansaar, then a man from among them pushed my nose into the lips of a Camel, so i went to the messenger of Allah and Allah revealed the prohibition of Intoxicants

(Collected by Imaamul Bukhaari in his ‘Adabul Mufrad’ (hadeeth 24) and declared ‘Saheeh’ By Shaikh Al Albaani in ‘Saheeh Adabil Al Mufrad hadeeth’ 18 and Mishkaat 3072)

Upon the authority of Asmaa bint abi bakr who said: “My mother (who was a non-muslim) came to me seeking (for me to tie the bonds of kinship with her) so I asked the messenger (Sallallahu alaihi wa salam): “Should I tie the bonds of kinship with her? He said: “Yes!” so Allah revealed:

“Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily Allah loves those who deal with equity”  (Suratul Mumtahinah Vs 8)

[Collected by Imaamul Bukhaari in Adabul Mufrad Hadeeth 25) and declared ‘Saheeh’ by Shaikh Al Albaani in ‘Saheeh Adabil Mufrad’ Hadeeth 18]

Bismillahi Wal Hamdullillah Was Salaatu Was Salaamu ‘Alaa Rasoolillah

Indeed the meaningful duas of the Messenger – Sallallahu Alaihi Was Salam are many (and all of his supplications are meaningful) but the following is one many i am sure will find relavant to our trying times Allahul Musta’aan

اللهمَّ إني أعوذ بكَ من جارِ السُّوءِ ، ومن زوج تشيِّبني قبلَ المشيبِ ، ومن ولد يكونُ عليّ رَبّاً، ومن مالٍ يكونُ عَليّ عذاباً ، ومن خليلٍ ماكرٍ عينُه تراني ، وقلبُه يرعاني ؛ إنْ رأى حسنةً دفنَها ، وإذا رأى سيئّئةً أذاعَها

Abu Hurairah – Radhiyallahu anhu said:

From his (The Messenger of Allah – Sallallahu alaihi wa Salam) supplications was:

“Oh Allah! I seek refuge in you from an evil neighbour;

and from a wife that causes me to grow old before old age;

and from a son who will become a master over me;

and from wealth that becomes a punishment for me

and from a cunning friend whose gaze is upon me and whose heart is plotting and planning against me, such that if he sees something good, he buries it, and if he sees something bad he spreads it“ (I)

(The transliteration of which is: “Allahumma innee a’udhu bika min Jaaris Suu, wa min zawjin tushayyibunee qablal masheeb, wa min waladin yakoonu alaiyya rabban, wa min maalin yakoonu alaiyya ‘adhaaban, wa min khaleelin maakirin, ‘ainuhu taraanee, wa qalbuhu yar’aanee, in yaraa hasanatan dafanahaa, wa in yaraa sayyi’a'tan adhaa’ahaa“

(Collected by At Tabaraani in ‘Ad Dua’ (3/1425/1339) and its chain is declared ‘Jayyid’ (Good) by Shaikh Al Albaani in silsilatul Ahaadeethus Saheehah (No#3137)

Note:

[1]  Transl. note: Shaikh al-Manaawi said in Faid al-Qadeer the Explanation of al-Jaami’ as-Sagheer, “‘… a cunning friend …’ i.e., someone who shows love and good will but in reality is deceitful and deceptive; ‘… his gaze is upon me …’ i.e., he looks at me the way a close friend looks at a close friend but out of deceit and with [mere] flattery; ‘… his heart is plotting and planning …’ i.e., is on the look out to harm me, constantly watchful; if he hears of a good deed I have done, ‘… he buries it …’ i.e., hides and covers it just as a dead person is buried, and, ‘… if he sees something bad …’ i.e., he comes to know of a sin I may have fallen into, ‘… he spreads it …’i.e., circulates it and makes it known among the people.”

Bismillahi Wal Hamdullillah Was Salaatu Was Salaamu ‘Alaa Rasoolillahi Ammaa Ba’d:

In the following hadeeth the Messenger informed us of the reality of Mankind and the dunya

Upon the authority of Abu Hurairah – Radhiyallahu ‘Anhu - that the Messenger – Sallallahu Alaihi Was Salam said:

“The example of the Son of Aadam and his wealth, his family and his actions is like a man who has three brothers or three companions. One of them says to him: ‘I am with you throughout your life but when you die, then I am not of you and you are not of me’ The other says to him i will be with you until you reach that tree (i.e. for a particular duration) then I am not of you and you are not of me. Then the last one says to him: ‘I will be with you during your life and after death‘

(Collected by Bazaar as occurs in ‘Kashful Astaar’ (3228) and declared ‘Hasanun Saheeh’ By Shaikh Al Albaani in ‘At Targheeb and At Tarheeb (4889))

Upon the authority of Anas ibn Maalik

“Ibn Aadam has three close companions. One companion says to him’ Whatever you spend is yours, and whatever you withold does not belong to you, this is his wealth. As for the (other) companion then he says ‘I am with you until you reach the king’s door, then i will leave you and return, that is his family and servants, as far as the (last) companion then he says: ‘I am with you wherever you enter or exit (i.e. wherever you go) those are his actions: So he (the son of aadam) responds: “And you were the most trivial of the three to me”

(Collected by Ibn Hibbaan (3098) and declared ‘Hasan Saheeh’ By Shaikh Al Albaani)

In one version of the hadeeth it mentions at the end: “..these is his actions, whether good or bad’ (collected by Imaamut Tabaraani in his ‘Mu’jamul Kabeer and declared ‘Hasan Saheeh’ by Shaikh Naasir in Saheeh At Targheeb (3231))

The intent behind the statement: “.. Whatever you spend is yours, and whatever you withold does not belong to you, this is his wealth” is made clearer in the following Hadeeth of Abdullah ibn Shakheer:

Upon the following Abdullah Ibn Shikheer who said: “When Allah revealed the verse:

“The Mutual rivalry for piling up of the worldly things diverts you“
(Suratut Takaathur:1)

The Messenger of Allah – Sallallahu ‘alaihi was Salam said: “Ibn Aadam says: “My wealth! My wealth! but do you possess from your wealth except that which you have eaten, and now it has been consumed, or what you have worn, now it is worn out or what you have given in charity and thus preserved it (i.e. for the hereafter).”

(Collected by Imaam Muslim in his ‘Saheeh’ (2958) (Fu’aad Abdul Baaqi print))

Since ones worldly possessions are with mankind for a time, ones true possessions are his possessions in the hereafter. Similarly we see in it the reality of most of mankind as it relates to his actions, this occurs in the statement of the son of Aadam at the end of the first Hadeeth, ‘..and you were the most trivial of the three to me’. That is most people’s main concern is with their family and their wealth alone,  often times to the detriment of the thing that will benefit them the most in the hereafter, their actions. Though from the mercy of Allah, is that he has placed many a good deed in our families and our wealth, for those who wish to capitalise.

By: Abu Hakeem SP ~ Knowledge Based Benefits

She was the daughter of Umaimah bint 'Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim, who was the Messenger of Allah's paternal aunt. Her brother was the distinguished general, 'Abdullah bin Jahsh. Another brother was a noted author of religious poetry, Abu Ahmad bin Jahsh. Her sister was another famous women Companion, Hamnah bint Jahsh. Her paternal uncles were the Leader of the Martyrs' Hamzah bin 'Abdul Muttalib, and 'Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib, who was renowned for his works of charity. Her paternal aunt was Safiyyah bint 'Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim.

She was born about thirty years before the Hijrah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), She was influenced by the teachings of her brother, 'Abdullah bin Jahsh, to convert to Islam. Beautiful, intelligent, wise and of noble birth she was the envy of many.

The increasing popularity and influence of Islam roused a towering rage among the Quraysh; the new converts faced indescribable tortures. Some were made to lie on beds of coal, while others some were dragged naked across the burning desert sands. Still others were wrapped up in straw mats and strung over smoke, to suffocate them. Everyday saw new methods of the art of torturing these people who had sworn allegiance to the Allah.

The sole purpose was that they should give up the belief and practices of Islam. Makkah became too small to hold both them and the Quraysh. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) exhorted his followers and friends to be patient and brave, but finally he gave them orders to migrate; first to Abyssinia and then to Al-Madinah. Under the leadership of 'Abdullah bin Jahsh, the Jahsh family set out. The caravan included the blind poet Ahmad bin Jahsh, who was admired for his linguistic mastery. He wrote an epic poem depicting in detail the tortures inflicted by the Quraysh, the reasons for migration and the heroic deeds of the Muslims. This poem is considered to be a masterpiece of Arabic literature.

Time passed peacefully in Al-Madinah, and the ties between the immigrants and the Ansar, the original inhabitants created an atmosphere of brotherly love and affection. It seemed they were members of one united family. The best individual in the society was neither master nor slave, neither man nor woman, neither rich nor poor, but a God-fearing person of good character and morals.

In the context of such an ideal society the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) suggested to his cousin Zaynab that he had decided to get her engaged to Zayd bin Harithah, his adopted son and a freed slave. When Zaynab heard this she was stunned; she told him that she was from a noble family and she was neither keen nor willing to marry a freed slave. She was doubtful if they could get along with each other. He answered that he had chosen Zayd for her and she should accept him. Before Zaynab could answer him, an Ayah was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This was Ayah of Surat At-Ahzab,

"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disbelieves Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plane error." [Noble Quran 33:36]

Thus Zaynab and Zayd were married, but separated as they were from totally different social backgrounds, and their marital life was far from peaceful.

Zaynab was biased and from the very beginning the relations were always strained. Zayd felt that the respect and importance that a husband should get from his wife was never given to him. Disappointed in his marriage, he went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him that he was very upset as he and Zaynab seemed totally incompatible. The advice that he received from his mentor, Allah has incorporated in the Noble Quran,

"Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah." [Noble Quran 33:37]

But in spite of all the best efforts the marriage did not work out, and finally he divorced Zaynab.

Arabs thought it was wrong for a man to marry the widow or divorcee of his adopted son. Allah wanted to abolish this uncivilized custom, so He sent the Angel Jibril to tell the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in secret that Zaynab would one day be his wife. He was very distressed as it was against the accepted norm of behavior. He feared social censure and was very ashamed and embarrassed at the implications. But the decision had been made in the heavens by Allah and soon he received the revelation,

"And (remember) when you said to him (Zayd bin Harithah) on whom Allah has bestowed grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you have done favour (by manumitting him): "Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah." But you hid in yourself that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., their saying that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him. So when Zayd had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them. And Allah's Command must be fulfilled." [Noble Quran 33:37]

When Zaynab completed her period of waiting, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent her a proposal through Zayd bin Harithah. When he went to her, she was kneading dough; keeping his back turned to her, he gave her the Prophet's message, that he wanted her to join the select group of the Mothers of the believers. She said she could not answer immediately, but would have to consult her Maker. She began praying to Allah for guidance. She was still in the middle of her prayer, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received a revelation that the marriage had already been performed in the Heavens by Allah Himself. After this Heavenly order, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) immediately went to Zaynab without observing any of the formalities that were observed with acquaintances and friends. He did not inform her in advance nor did ask for permission. There are some exceptional points to be noted regarding this marriage.

Only the order of the Quran was based as a guardian or a witness.

It abolished a barbaric custom that equated a blood relationship with an adoptive one; in which the father could not marry an adopted son's ex-wife or widow.

Zaynab used to say very proudly to the other Mother of the Believers that her marriage had been performed not by her family but by Allah above the Heavens with His beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

When the hypocrites criticized the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for this marriage, Allah replied,

"There is no blame on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in that which Allah has made legal for him. That has been Allah's way with those who have passed away of (the Prophets of) old. And the Command of Allah is a decree determined. Those who convey the Message of Allah and fear Him, and fear none save Allah. And Sufficient is Allah as a Reckoner." [Noble Quran 33:38-39]

And to clarify the finer points still further he revealed Ayat which again are part of Surat Al-Ahzab,

"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the Prophets. And Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything." [Noble Quran 33:40]

On this occasion Allah revealed the order clarifying the position of adopted sons as,

"Nor has he made your adopted sons your real sons. That is but your saying with your mouths. But Allah says the truth, and He guides to the (Right) Way. Call them (the adopted sons) by (the names of) their fathers, that is more just with Allah." [Noble Quran 33:4-5]

On the occasion of this wedding Allah revealed revelation regarding Hijab and also made it clear that no man could marry any of the Mothers of the Believers after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). These two commands were revealed in Ayat of the same Surat,

"O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet's houses, unless permission is given to you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken your meal, disperse without sitting for a talk. Verily, such (behavior) annoys the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he is shy of (asking) you (to go); but Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth. And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah's Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him (his death). Verily, with Allah that shall be an enormity." [Noble Quran 33:53]

'A'ishah says that in terms of values and position, Zaynab was her equal. She said she had never seen any other person who was so eager to get closer to Allah to gain nearness to Him she was more charitable than most, and her generous behavior with relatives was impeccable. When 'A'ishah was wrongfully accused, the whole of Al-Madinah was polluted with taunts and filthy talk; in fact even the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was disturbed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Zaynab what her opinion was of 'A'ishah. The noble character of this lady is revealed in her answer; she promptly said she did not wish to be involved, and did not want to defile and taint her ears, her eyes and her tongue with such terrible accusations. Swearing by Allah she said, she found 'A'ishah to be a truly God-fearing lady of exemplary character. She found in her the most wonderful traits of integrity, sincerity and honesty. She said she had not seen in her anything but goodness and virtue. 'A'ishah narrated that Zaynab very easily could have taken advantage of the situation and passed derogatory remarks about her, for after all, in a sense they were rivals. 'A'ishah says she never forgot the fact that she stood by her at the worst time in her life when almost the whole world had turned against her.

On one occasion Zaynab called Safiyyah a Jewess and this deeply distressed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In fact he was so upset that he stopped talking to her. Zaynab felt guilty and realized that she committed a grave mistake and offended the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Finally she requested 'A'ishah to advocate her case with him and tell him that she was sincerely repentant; she was the only one who could talk to him in such a direct manner. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited 'A'ishah, she looked for an opportune moment and brought up the subject, pleading the case for Zaynab. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forgave her and family life returned to normal in the household.

When Zaynab passed away 'A'ishah recalled an occasion when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said that among the Mother of the Believers, she would meet him first who had the longest arms. Zaynab was short compared to the others and naturally her arms were also shorter. All the ladies took this statement literally and started measuring their arms. It was only upon the death of Zaynab that they realized what this meant. It really meant that the person with the longest arms was the most generous or liberal person, who only thought of how she could benefit others. There was an implicit prophesy in this statement, which became clear when Zaynab passed away. It meant she would meet him in Paradise before the others. And she passed away before any of the other wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). 'A'ishah says Zaynab worked with her own hands, and what she thus earned she spent on works of charity. She said she was a God-fearing, straight-forward lady who practiced abstinence. All her actions were aimed at pleasing Allah. Sometimes she could lose her temper, but then she was quick to repent and ask for forgiveness. She was very pure at heart and never carried resentments and grudges.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a very organized routine. After the 'Asr prayers he would visit the different apartments to inquire about the well being of the ladies of his household. He was always very just in the attention he paid to them and the amount of time he spent with each one of them. Once Zaynab received some special honey from a relative, and it so happened that this was the Prophet's favourite. Whenever she offered it to him he would spend some time longer in her apartment, as it took time to really flavor and enjoy it. The other wives felt impatient and restless waiting for their turn with him. So 'A'ishah, Sawdah, and Hafsah worked out a plan. Each of them would tell him that there was a peculiar smell in his mouth. And if all of them said the same thing he would certainly believe them and realize that the only thing which could have given him bad breath would have been the honey he just had. Since he was very concerned about personal hygiene, he would definitely stop eating the honey. Of course the three Mothers of the Believers did what they did, not out of spite, but because they loved him and wanted him to come to them sooner. In fact Allah has Himself spoken of them in the highest terms of respect in the Quran.

"O wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) you are not like any other women." [Noble Quran 33:32]

And it happened as they planned; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) developed a distaste for honey and decided he would never eat it again. In the case of an ordinary human being this may not have been a problem. But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was swearing not to have something that actually was not forbidden by Allah ; this could lead to any follower of his also forswearing something not forbidden by Allah. So Allah rebuked him,

"O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allah has allowed to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Noble Quran 66:1]

As a result the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) broke the oath he had taken and performed the penance for this in accordance with the injunctions of Allah.

Zaynab made a little mosque in a corner of her house and used to spend a lot of time there in prayer and meditation. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would also pray there sometimes. She believed strongly in asking Allah for counsel through prayer and supplication, before taking any action. All her life's major decisions were made in this way. In fact even when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) proposed she turned to prayer for guidance.

This righteous lady died during the caliphate of 'Umar Faruq at the age of fifty-three. When she realized she was about to meet her Maker, she told the people around her that she already prepared a shroud for herself. If 'Umar Faruq sent one for her, one should be used and the other given away in charity. She was such a modest lady that a curtain was drawn in front of her dead body, even though it was wrapped in a shroud.

'Umar Faruq led the funeral prayers and all her close relatives - Usamah bin Zayd, Muhammad bin' Abdullah bin Jahsh, 'Abdullah bin Abi Ahmad bin Jahsh and Muhammad bin Talhah bin 'Abdullah got down into the grave to lower her gently into her final resting place in Jannatul Baqi'.

She was so generous and soft-hearted that the poor and distressed of the city broke into tears when they heard they lost their benefactress and patron. On her death she left a house which was bought by Walid bin 'Abdul Malik for fifty thousand Dirhams and included by him in the precincts of the Prophet's Mosque at Al-Madinah.

"O the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back to your Lord - well pleased and well pleasing. Enter you then among My (honored) servants, and enter you My Paradise."[Noble Quran 89:27-30]

Source: "Great Women of Islam" - by Dar-us-Salam Publications

By Aisha Stacy

ISLAM is the religion that is more than a religion; it is the religion that is a complete way of life. Nothing is too small or too big to be covered by the teachings of Islam. Rejoice and be happy, remain positive and be at peace. (Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarni, in his book, ‘Don’t be sad,’) This is what Islam teaches us, through the Qur’an and the authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Every single one of Allaah’s commandments aims to bring happiness to the individual. This applies in all aspects of life, worship, economics, and society.

“Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).” (Quran 16:97)

As most of us have come to realize, happiness is that ethereal quality that encompasses contentment and peacefulness; it is the soft joy that causes our lips, faces and hearts to smile. It is determined by faith in Allaah and obedience to Him. Thus happiness embodies the peace security and submission that is Islam. The injunctions and regulations of Islam reinforce the happiness that comes from knowing Allaah and they help to guarantee humankind’s happiness during life in this world. However, Islam also emphasizes that the life of this world is nothing more than a means of attaining the Hereafter. By following the guidelines of Islam it is possible to be happy while awaiting our eternal happiness.

Sometimes, in order to achieve happiness, people attempt to follow complicated paths; they fail to see the easier path that is Islam. Happiness can be found in the solace that comes from being upon the truth. It can be achieved by sincere worship, hastening to do virtuous, noble and beautiful deeds, and by performing acts of kindness or giving charity. These things all have the potential to make us happy, every day, under any circumstances. Even giving the smallest charity, in order to please Allaah, can bring a smile to your face and a feeling of joy to your heart.

“And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking God’s pleasure while they are sure and certain that God will reward them (for their spending in His Cause), is the likeness of a garden on a height; heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest. And if it does not receive heavy rain, light rain suffices it.” (Qur’an 2:265)

Prophet Muhammad  (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed amazing are the affairs of a believer! They are all for his benefit. If he is granted ease then he is thankful, and this is good for him. And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres, and this is good for him.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The nature of the human condition means that amongst the happiness there may be great sorrow and within the pain and despair there may be great joy. A believer will accept Allaah’s decree for him and lead a happy life free from total despair or unbearable pain.

Islam has the answer to all the problems that afflict humankind, and knowing this leads to happiness, because it allows us to look beyond the need for self-gratification, and the need to acquire possessions. Following the teaching of Islam and striving to please Allaah is a constant reminder that this life is but a transient pause on the way to life everlasting.

“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur’an nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Qur’an 20: 124)

Allaah says in the Qur’an,

“Verily! I am Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.” (20:14).

The key to happiness is knowing and worshipping Allaah. When one worships and remembers the Creator as He should be worshipped and remembered, happiness can be observed all around us, at any given moment and even on the darkest night. It is there in the smile of a child, in the touch of a comforting hand, in the rain on parched earth, or in the smell of spring. These things can make our hearts truly happy because they are manifestations of Allaah’s mercy and love. Happiness can be found in worship.

To find true happiness we must seek to know Allaah, especially through His names and attributes. Seeking beneficial knowledge brings happiness. The angels flutter their wings and keep records of those who seek knowledge; the mere thought of this brings a smile of happiness to the face of a believer. Our righteous predecessors understood the inherent happiness and joy to be found in striving to be close to Allaah.

Outstanding Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyyah once said, “I once became ill and the physician told me that reading and giving talks on knowledge would only exacerbate my condition. I told him that I could not abandon these pursuits. I asked him whether the body becomes stronger and sickness is repelled if the soul feels happy and joyful. He replied in the affirmative, so I said my soul finds joy, comfort and strength in knowledge.”

Perfect happiness will only be available to us if we spend life everlasting in Paradise. It is only there that we will find total peace, tranquility and security. It is only there that we will be free of the fear, anxiety and pain that are part of the human condition. However, the guidelines provided by Islam allow us, imperfect humans, to seek happiness in this world. The key to being happy in this world and the next is seeking the pleasure of Allaah, and worshipping Him, without associating partners with Him.

And of them there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!” (Qur’an, 2:201)

Source: islamicstudies.islammessage