البلاء والهم في ميزان الإسلام

ان الحمد لله، نحمده سبحانه، ونستعينه ونستهديه، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا كما نعوذ به من سيئات أعمالنا. من يهده الله فهو المهتد، ومن يضلل فلن تجد له ولياً مرشدا.

Praise is due to Allah, Praise is due to Allah who guided us to the righteous path, and indeed we wouldn’t have attained this state of guidance without Him Allah, Praise is due to Allah who forgives all sins and misdeeds except associating others with Him.

The topic of today’s (khotba) is about anxiety in the Muslim’s life. Anxiety is a psychological disorder, which is named (the disease of the era). Anxiety is experienced as a generalized psychological nervousness perhaps of unknown cause. At other times, it is focused on specific objects, places, or events. Anxiety can also take the form of repetitious thoughts or behaviors. It is usually defined as an intense, persistent worry or fear that may seem unfounded.

Anxiety has become a widespread phenomenon in the Islamic world, and before that it was only associated with western societies. The problem is always feeling uncomfortable about what we have, or it’s the old question about “where can I find happiness”. The solution can only come after we define the sources of the problem.

"ومن أعرض عن ذكري فإن له معيشة ضنكاً"

Allah (SW) said what could be translated as:
“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Qur'ân nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship”

So, the punishments of Allah came from seeking happiness away from Allah’s path.

ولقد سئل علي بن أبي طالب وأرضاه: من أشد جند الله؟ قال: (الجبال، الجبال يقطعها الحديد ؛ فالحديد أقوى، والنار تذيب الحديد؛ فالنار أقوى، الماء يطفئ النار؛ فالماء أقوى، السحاب يحمل الماء؛ فالسحاب أقوى، والريح تعبث بالسحاب، فالريح أقوى والإنسان يتكفأ الريح بيده وثوبه؛ فالإنسان أقوى، والنوم يغلب الإنسان؛ فالنوم أقوى، والهم يغلب النوم؛ فأقوى جند الله هو الهم يسلطه الله على من يشاء من عباده).

The main sources of anxiety is the lack of belief (Iman)

إن الإيمان هو قول باللسان، واعتقاد بالجنان، وعمل بالأركان، والإيمان يزيد بالطاعات، وينقص بالعصيان.

The belief is defined by scholars as (a speech that is by the tongue, and a faith in the heart that leads one to complete the pillars of Islam. (Iman) increases by obedience and decreases by disobedience.

The signs of weak Iman are:

a- The fear of the power and the effect of the surrounding society: that is seeking what pleases people fearing that they might say about that person that he/she is conservative or extremist.

أتخشونهم فالله أحق أن تخشونه إن كنتم مؤمنين

“Do you fear them? But Allah is most deserving that you should fear Him, if you are believers.”

b- Having bad thoughts about Allah, including refusing fate and asking for evil thinking that it’s good.

الظانين بالله ظنّ السوء عليهم دائرة السوء وغضب الله عليهم ولعنهم وأعدّ لهم جهنم وساءت مصيرا

“who think evil thoughts about Allâh, for them is a disgraceful torment, and the Anger of Allâh is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them, and worst indeed is that destination.”

Refusing the destiny may lead to (Kofr). When a man looses a very close person, he/she might argue with Allah (SW) asking “Why me?”, and if he/she looses money in a trading might say “I am building, and Allah is disgracing me.

فأما الانسان إذا ما ابتلاه ربه فأكرمه ونعمٌه فيقول ربي أكرمن ، وأما إذا ما اتبلاه فقدر عليه رزقه فيقول ربي أهانن

“And as for man, when his Lord tries him, then treats him with honor and makes him lead an easy life, he says: My Lord honors me. But when He tries him (differently), then straitens to him his means of subsistence, he says: My Lord has disgraced me.”

c- Pessimist and loosing patience.

Some people might loose hope at the sign of any hardship, or continue doing sins hopeless of Allah’s mercy, and that’s a very bad sign, because Allah (SW) is forgiving all the sins except worshipping any God but Him.

قل يا عبادي الذين أسرفوا على أنفسهم لا تقنطوا من رحمة الله إن الله يغفر الذنوب جميعاً إنه هو الغفور الرحيم

“Say: O my slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allâh, verily Allâh forgives all sins. Truly, He is the Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

d- Bad manners: Iman and good manners are attached to each other. The believer is known by his/her good morals, good deeds, balanced words, and moderate perspective.

e- Anger: Anger is the enemy of rational thinking. Anger causes the mind to be blind. It’s narrated by (Abo Al-Dardaa) that he asked Rasoul Allah (SAAWS); “Oh, messenger of Allah, tell me about a good deed gets me into paradise”, and Rasoul Allah replied, “Don’t get angry”, and He said that twice.

f- Heedlessness: Heedlessness is the source of all the sins. Some of the companions said “Don’t look at your sins, and think they are trivial, but look at the magnificent and glory of whom you are disobeying”. Some of the useful ways to strengthen our (Iman) is to commit to (lawful) deeds, and try to increase our gain of what is beyond obligatory. Making our hearts attached to the Masjeds is another way to strengthen our iman.

1- The second cause of (anxiety) is committing sins. A sin increases the darkness of a heart, and after a time, the heart can become black.

عن أبي عبد الرحمن عبد الله بن مسعود قال: حدّثنا رسول الله وهو الصادق المصدوق: "إن أحدكم يجمع خلقه في بطن أمه أربعين يوماً نطفةً ثم يكون علقةً مثل ذلك ثم يكون مضغةً مثل ذلك، ثم يرسل إليه الملك فينفخ فيه الروح ويؤمر بأربع كلمات: بكَتْب رزقه وأجله وعمله وشقي أو سعيد، فوالله الذي لا إله غيره إن أحد كم ليعمل بعمل أهل الجنة حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها إلا ذراع، فيسبق عليه الكتاب فيعمل بعمل أهل النار فيدخلها، وإن أحدكم ليعمل بعمل أهل النار حتى ما يكون بينه وبينها إلا ذراع فيسبق عليه الكتاب فيعمل بعمل أهل الجنة فيدخلها". (رواه البخاري ومسلم)

In This Hadith, Allah (SW) already wrote down man’s livelihood, his life span, his actions, and whether happy or unhappy. Since life, sustenance, ability and existence is in the Hands of Allah and taken care of by Him, one who knows this will not become deceitful or desparate about these things, but worship Allah constantly and patiently.

How come a good believer has a fear of death? When Belal was dieing, his daughter was crying by his side, and saying “Oh, what a hard time I am having”, he told here “Don’t say that, you should be saying: I am happy for you. Very soon, I will be meeting my beloved ones, Muhammad (SAAWS), and his companions”.

How come a good believer has a fear about livelihood?

“is there any creator besides Allah who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth? There is no god but He; whence are you then turned away?”

How come a believer has worries about life? And he knows that life is only a passage to the hereafter.

" من كانت الآخرة همه جعل الله غناه في قلبه ، وجمع له شمله ، وأتته الدنيا وهي راغمة . ومن كانت الدنيا همه جعل الله فقره بين عينيه ، وفرق عليه شمله ، ولم يأته من الدنيا إلا ما قدر له ".رواه الترمذي

Rasoul Allah (SAAWS) said: “Whoever is worrying about the hereafter, Allah will put prosperity and satisfaction into his heart, and pull himself together, and the worldly things will come easily to him.
And whoever is worrying about this (donia), Allah will make his poverty in front of his eyes, tear him apart, and he will not get anything more than what was destined for him.

3- The third reason for anxiety is leisure time, The leisure time is a blessing if it has been used right, but if not, it will only increase worries and thoughts to propagate.

4- Crises, crises are meant to test a believer to see if he is grateful to Allah whatever he gets in life. Also any hardship is actually good in the eyes of a believer, because if he submitted to Allah, and said “we belong to Allah, and till Him we will return”, it’s guaranteed by Allah that He replaces what he lost by something even better.

5- Planning for the future, and forget about Allah’s will.

It’s very useful for man to plan for his life, but not forgetting completely that there is the power of Allah controlling the universe.

اللهم اشغلنا بما خلقتنا لأجله، ولا تشغلنا بما خلقته لنا،

Rasoul Allah (SAAWS) was saying in his supplications: “Oh, Allah, make us occupied with what You created us for, and make us not occupied with what You created for us”

أقول قولى هذا، وأستغفر الله لى ولكم

Khotba #2

الحمد لله الذى بنعمته تتم الصالحات

We have been discussing reasons leading to anxiety. Next, we will talk about the ways to have a calm soul.

Rasoul Allah (SAAWS) taught us to supplicate to Allah in times of anxiety, and confusion

1- عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقول عن الكرب: "لا إله إلا الله العظيم الحليم، لا إله إلا الله رب العرش العظيم، لا إله إلا الله رب السموات ورب الأرض ورب العرش الكريم ". .

2- قال صلى الله عليه وسلم : " ما أصاب عبداً هم ولا حزن فقال: اللهم إني عبدك ، وابن عبدك، وابن أمتك، ناصيتي بيدك، ماض في حكمك، عدل في قضاؤك، أسألك بكل أسم هو لك، سميت به نفسك، أو أنزلته في كتبك، أو علمته أحداً من خلقك، أو استأثرت به في علم الغيب عندك، أن تجعل القرآن ربيع قلبي ونور صدري، وجلاء حزني، وذهاب همي، إلا أذهب الله همه وحزنه، وأبدله مكانه فرجاً". .

3- "اللهم إني أعوذ بك من الهم والحزن والعجز والكسل والبخل والجبن وضلع الدين وغلبة الرجال" .
4- "اللهم رحمتك أرجو فلا تكلني إلى نفسي طرفة عين وأصلح لي شأني كله لا إله إلا أنت" .
5- "لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين" .

قال جعفر بن محمد- رضى الله عنه- عجبتُ لمن بُلى بأربع كيف يغفل عن أربع ؟ !
عجبت لمن ابتلى بالضر كيف يذهب عنه ان يقول: "رب إني مسني الضر وأنت أرحم الراحمين" والله يقول: "فاستجبنا له فكشفنا ما به من ضر"
عجبت لمن ابتلى بالغم, كيف لا يقول" لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إنى كنت من الظالمين " (سورة الأنبياء 87) والله يقول: " فاستجبنا له ونجيناه من الغم وكذلك ننجى المؤمنين " (سورة الأنبياء88)
وعجبت لمن ابتلى بالخوف كيف لا يقول: " حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل" (سورة آل عمران 173) والله تعالى يقول: " فانقلبوا بنعمة من الله وفضل لم يمسسهم سوء " (سورة آل عمران 174)
وعجبت لمن مُكِر به, كيف لا يقول " وأفوض أمرى إلى الله " (سورة غافر44) والله عز وجل يقول: " فوقاه الله سيئات ما مكروا " (سورة غافر45).
وعجبت لمن رغب فى شىء, كيف لا يقول " ما شاء الله لا قوة إلا بالله " والله عز وجل يقول: " ولولا إذ دخلت جنتك قلت ما شاء الله لا قوة إلا بالله " (سورة الكهف39)

It’s narrated that (Gafar ibn Muhamad), may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I wonder how those who were tested by four things, gave up in their despair thinking about four things:

1- For those who were tested by something bad like a disease or so, did not say “
“Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.”
Because after that comes Allah’s saying:
“So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him”

2- And for those who were tested by distress, why they did not say “
“none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allâh)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers."
Be cause after that comes Allah’s saying :
“So We answered his call, and delivered him from the distress. And thus We do deliver the believers.”
3- And for those who were tested by fear, why they don’t say:
“Allâh (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)."
Because after that comes Allah’s saying :
“So they returned with Grace and Bounty from Allâh. No harm touched them; and they followed the good Pleasure of Allâh. And Allâh is the Owner of Great Bounty.”
4- And for those who were tested by people plotting against them, how come they don’t say:
“and my affair I leave it to Allâh. Verily, Allâh is the All-Seer of (His) slaves.”
Because after that comes Allah’s saying :
“So Allâh saved him from the evils that they plotted (against him), while an evil torment encompassed Fir'aun's (Pharaoh) people.”
And for those who are afraid to lose any of Allah blessings, how come they don’t say:
“That which Allâh wills (will come to pass)! There is no power but with Allâh.”
Last, there’s a point that needs to be clarified. There’s an old saying “We should not worry about things that we can’t change, but for those things we can change, we should try”. The people in this country have a saying “Oh God, grant me the patience to endure what I can not change, and the strength to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Asking you not to worry means that I am not asking you to try hard to change the situation that you don’t like, and for that conception, (Al-Tawakol) we will have another (khotba) ISA.

وفقنا الله سبحانه وتعالى إلى ما فيه الخير، وإلى ما يحب ويرضى: