بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ
Today we will
reflect on one important lesson that Allah has preserved in the Holy Qur’an
which demonstrates true reliance and submission to Him.
Pharaoh had
everything you could think about regarding material assets. However none of those things saved him from
the wrath of Allah. On the contrary when
Prophet Abraham (as) left Egypt and he was migrating with Prophet Lot (as); he
gave Lot the option to chose firstly where he’d like to reside. Lot selected the area that was very fertile
and Abraham went on another route and look at the outcome.
The people of
Lot, because of their material blessings and acquisitions became so diverted
and wayward that Allah destroyed most of them, (Sodom and Gomorrah). On the other hand look at what Abraham did;
he planted a small insignificant seed; that being Ishmael and his mother in
Makkah. And they came to rest there with
no wealth, no property and no assets, but look at how Allah took care of them
and caused them to grow.
This is
important for us to keep in mind. Some
people believe that in order for you to be a righteous person you must have
plenty of wealth in order to give charity, etc.
Whilst charity is important and beneficial, it does not only equate to
material wealth. You must have a good
heart, you must be compassionate, and you must not harbour hate and malice and
things of that nature. These are things
that are more valuable. The lesson that we
can take from Prophet Abraham is that of true submission.
Abraham had such
faith in Allah that when he was young and the people decided to throw him into
the fire; while he was being flung into the fire, Angle Jibril flew to him and
asked ‘do you need any help’? Abraham replied,
‘from you? No, HasbiyAllahu wa nimal wakeel’ - Allah is my availed and protector
and the best of aids.
And the fire had
the opposite effect. All those who
gathered to look at Abraham’s fate were burnt to death because of the extreme
heat from the fire, and inside the fire Abraham was so comfortable that he
actually slept. This is a real eye
opener for the people at that time and even for us. It demonstrates the work of Allah on one hand
and the faith and trust in Him on the other.
Prophet Lot
selected the area he wanted to go to and Abraham gave no objections. And look at who prospered and whose legacy
lives on.
Understand one
thing; if you put your faith and trust firmly in your Lord, He will take care
of you. A lot of people can’t understand
this. They say you must have faith in
Allah but you have to act. This is true
to an extent. Allah says ‘and when the prayer is finished, then may
ye disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah: and celebrate the
praises of Allah often (and without stint): that ye may prosper’.(62:10). But we must understand that everything is
dependent on Allah, even our ability to act.
Keep one thing
in mind at all times; your Lord will never let you down if you have your faith
and trust in Him. Yes He will try you;
Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said ‘Verily if Allah loves a people He tries them (with trials”). He will try us but we must beg Him to make
the trials easy for us.
Abraham went
through so many trials but he knew one thing that is Allah will never let Him
down. And he knew that creatures could
not have helped him.
We say this ever
so often to remind ourselves that we must have true unwavering faith and trust
in Allah.
Look back at
some of the trying issues you would have been faced with and look at how Allah
resolved it; sometimes in manners that we may not have seen coming. We don’t know; only Allah is All
Knowing.
Our spiritual
exercises that we engage in every week will help us to strengthen our faith and
reliance on our Lord. Always remember
whatever Allah has decreed for you will come to pass But as Prophet Muhammad
(pboh) is reported to have said “Dua
adverts decree”. For example if a
difficulty was decreed to you and you sincerely made dua Allah to alleviate and
lessen the burden of trials the decree will comes to pass but in another
dimension. It can come to pass as a bad
dream etc.
Dear friends,
always remember that we have no say in our lives; it is only Allah that can
help. We can do such things that will
help us as we go along, for example sending darood will bring barakat for you;
if you give charity it can help you.Keep this in mind and remember if you live
like this, with real faith in your Lord, He says
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Day (behold), ye prefer the life of this world; but the Hereafter is
better and more enduring. (87:16-17)
Some people
interpret it to mean only the hereafter but here it means in this verse later
in your life as well. If you are trying
to get close to your Lord; He will take care and never let you down.
Getting close to
Him also means getting peace of mind. To
understand that even though you are faced with tests and trials, Allah will
open a way out of them for you and He knows what is best for us.
Abraham’s lesson
is a lesson of faith, reliance and submission in Allah; no matter what the
condition; and we sincerely beg Allah to grant us reliance and trust in Him
just like His Khalilullah, insha Allah.
May Allah enable
us to develop and culture true faith, trust and submission in Him, especially
when we are faced with trying times and difficulties? May Allah bless us all, guide us and always
take care of our affairs, insha Allah.
Transcript of discourse delivered by
Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed
