happiness

CONCLUSION

2012-02-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

Whether they are young or old, what most people expect of the world is not just a successful, secure, comfortable and luxurious life, although everybody would enjoy a life of this kind. Above all, people want their lives to have a meaning and a purpose. On this important point, believers and disbelievers part company. Because they know this life is their only chance of earning the good will of Allah, believers make winning His approval their aim right up to the end of their lives.

Disbelievers, on the other hand, pursue various purposes in order to take maximum advantage of this valueless world and live as long as they can driven by the desire to possess the world. Because of this there are major differences between the true happiness of believers and the false happiness of the community of the ignorant. Believers are aware of the true nature of this world and the reason for its creation. They know that Allah is testing them and that it is their duty to serve Him. For this reason, they hope throughout their lives for Paradise which is their real home and try to gain Paradise by working to become more deserving of Allah's generosity and reward.

Happiness is a great blessing both in this world and the next which Allah grants His pious followers for their sincere belief and devotion. The only source of the happiness and tranquility of believers is their faith. Allah makes sincere believers feel happiness and tranquility as a blessing in their hearts. What believers experience is not a happiness dependent on circumstances but the spiritual happiness which their faith brings them. As for disbelievers, so long as they do not believe they will be unhappy. Allah tells us that in return for their disbelief He makes their hearts unhappy and troubled:

When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no faith. (Surat al-An'am: 125)

As long as they do not abandon their passion for the things of this world, disbelievers can never know or experience the peace and happiness which faith brings. Allah expresses the regret they will feel on the Day of Judgment with the words, "They will say, 'If only we had really listened and used our intellect, we would not have been Companions of the Blaze.'" (Surat al-Mulk: 10) Allah also tells us that unhappiness is their lot in the life of this world by reason of their disbelief:

"Were My Signs not recited to you and did you not deny them?" They will say, "Our Lord, our miserable destiny overpowered us. We were misguided people." (Surat al-Muminun: 106)

Because they live in accordance with Allah's guidance, on the Day of Judgment, Allah will send believers to a Paradise filled with blessings where they will remain for all eternity and they will be received by its guardians as follows:

And those who have fear of their Lord will be driven to the Garden in companies and when they arrive there, finding its gates open, its custodians will say to them, Peace be upon you! You have done well so enter it timelessly, for ever." (Surat az-Zumar: 73)

With their entry into Paradise, the believers, whose happiness will already have begun in the life of this world, will find the greatest joy and salvation. In the Garden Allah has prepared for them, they will experience eternally the boundless blessings of Paradise; the joy and happiness which earning the approval, love and mercy of our Lord has brought them...

Sorry for MIA...

2011-12-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

To those wondering, I've been taking a (long) break from my blog (obviously). But, I have been working on a new blog which I'm liking. It's mostly videos with some writing here and there. The videos are ones that I really like and recommend to others for various reasons. Some are short (but sweet) and come in different forms ie. poetry, others longer for more deeper subjects. So without further ado, here is the link to this new blog I've been working on for the past few months http://satisfiedwithislam.blogspot.com/ For more videos on random topics that I also enjoyed check out http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=FLg77JbPg1uczp7zm-Lqecjg

InshAllah I will get back to this blog asap. I have a couple of more topics I want to post about. Soon this blog will come to an end, but with every end comes a new beginning!

Plans for 2012

2011-12-26T22:14:00.000-08:00

I received a message in the Shout Box. It said, "Assalamu'alaikum Dr Ridhwan. I love the idea of being a happy Muslim by understanding the basic belief in Islam, al Qadr. I think, the assignment that you gave us on understanding al-Qadr was somehow changes the perception of many of us in the class." In many ways, this short message highlights my plans for 2012.

In 2010, my focus was on understanding the concept of happiness. That is where my reading in the area of positive psychology was a great help. In 2011, my focus was on using the internet to develop positive emotions. By and large, learning more about Islam helped students resolve their doubts and deal with the difficulties of their everyday life in a better way. Parallel to this, I asked my students to research al qadar in some detail. My focus for 2012 will be, God willing, to understand how a practical understanding of al qadar helps people become happier. I also hope to use psychological tests to measure the psychological state of my students at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the semester. That will hopefully help us to better understand the underlying processes that enable people to be happy.

Conference paper available for free

2011-11-16T16:46:00.000-08:00

Happiness in Islam

Alhamdulillah, I am due to present my overall findings for the "Happiness in Islam" project at a conference organised by the International Association of Muslim Psychologists (IAMP) at IIUM that will be held, insha Allah, from 5th Dec 2011 to 7th Dec 2011.

My wife keeps telling me that it is difficult for somebody reading this blog to understand exactly what is the data that I have collected and what are my conclusions on the project so far. I think that it is a fair comment. At the same time, I don't want to re-arrange my blog because it is helpful for me to look back and observe how my ideas / knowledge has changed over time. Therefore, if anybody is interest in getting the 'overall picture', they are welcome to email me at fontaine008@gmail.com. I will email back a copy of the conference paper.

By the way, the fact that I don't make regular postings does not mean that nothing is happening. I have about 160 students continuing this project. One group of 30 students will finish early December and one group of 130 students will finish in January 2012. I am also discussing with a PhD students on the possibility of testing my students in respect of their emotional intelligence and their spiritual intelligence at the beginning of the assignment and at the end of the assignment to see whether there is any significant differences.

Relying on Allah

2011-10-11T23:55:00.000-07:00

Tawakkal (Relying on Allah)

Tawakkul (relying on Allah) is an important concept in Islam but what does it really mean? What are the implications for Muslim organisations?

My interest in tawakkal started when one of my ex-students started playing for a futsall team. This is a semi-professional team so they have a coach, they train three times a week and if you don't perform, you are off the team. At first, he played well. Then, some of the wors players on the team were dropped and they were replaced by some of the best futsall players in Selangor. All of a sudden, he could not play well anymore. He was afraid of being dropped from the team and that fear stopped him from playing well. That was the first time I thought abotu tawakkal in the context of a management situation.

If your employees are in fear, they can't perform. Theoretically, if they have tawakkal, they will not be in fear because they know that Allah is helping them

I spoke to various high-performing atheletes about this issue. In particular, I interviewed a 2nd dan Aikido master. His take was not that tawakkal was necessary for high performance but that it is necessary for people to continue improving themselves. A big problem in martial arts is those people who train, obtain a black belt and then stop. According to him, tawakkal would be very important so that people continue to strive and continue to push themselves to the limit. Ultimately, they can do so because they are not afraid because they trust in Allah.

So how do you develop tawakkal? Well, sufing the internet and listening to one good Islamic talk every week seems like a good place to start.

Eid Mubarak!

2011-08-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

Eid, Muslim Days of Celebration by Sabrina F.

2011-08-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here is an article I wrote for my high school newspaper my senior year (2010-2011) about Ramadan, Eid, and Islam.

Have you heard any of your classmates say they were fasting? Most likely they are Muslim, a follower of the religion Islam. Did you have any questions in mind, like what is the importance of fasting in a Muslim’s life, who is required to fast, or what is Eid?

For starters, Ramadan is the 9th month of the lunar calendar, beginning with the sighting of the new moon. During this month, Muslims all over the world, no matter what nationality they are, where they live, their gender, etc. stay away from food, drink, and for married couples, any sexual relations, from sunrise to sunset for about 29-30 days, depending on the sighting of the next moon. (Before sunrise and after sunset each day, Muslims can go back to these). After the declaration of faith (Shahadah) and performing the five daily prayers on time (Salaat), fasting is the third of five pillars of Islam. The last two pillars are paying Zakat and going for Hajj. These five specific rites are the foundations of a Muslim’s life.

For obligatory fasts, a person must be a Muslim who has reached puberty, is of sane body and mind, and is not traveling. On the other hand, there are exceptions to people who do not have to fast in Ramadan, but have to makeup for missed fasts before the next Ramadan. Reasons where fasting is optional includes; if a person is traveling (who doesn’t have the intention to not fast), is sick (if harmful to their health), or women who are pregnant or nursing (if they or their child will be in danger).

Lessons to be learnt in Ramadan are numerous. One lesson is to become God (Allah) conscious, or being mindful that God is always aware of what we do. As Allah says in the holy book of Islam (Quran), "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed upon those before you in order that you may attain God consciousness (taqwa)." (Quran, 2:183).

Another important lesson is learning self control and discipline. This is obvious if one is abstaining from a natural human desire like eating. Ramadan is also a good time to give up bad habits and replace them with good ones and implement good manners. An authentic narration of Prophet Muhammad's (hadith) says, “Whoever does not give up telling lies (false statements) and acting on those lies, and any evil actions, Allah is not in need of him leaving his food and drink” (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting) (Sahih Bukhari).

Learning to become patient and charitable should also be goals to achieve in Ramadan and continue throughout the rest of the year. As humans, we should know to not take things for granted and be thankful to God for everything we have. Recognizing God’s blessings is something a Muslim realizes after a day of fasting! Getting the feeling of what the less fortunate have to go through without daily necessities such as food and drink is something we should all show appreciation for towards God, and what better way to show gratitude then obeying God in what he told us to do (such as fasting) and abstaining from what he has forbidden (such as associating partners with him).

The sighting of the new moon ends Ramadan. The next day known as Eid-ul-Fitr, or the festival of breaking fast, is a day when Muslims in the community come together at the masjid (Muslim house of worship) for prayers. Muslims wear new clothes, give each other gifts, and share meals with family, friends, and the needy. A compulsory charity (Zakat) from personal possessions such a gold or silver, money, livestock, agricultural produce, or business commodities must be given by Muslims prior to the end of Ramadan for the benefit of the less fortunate so they can also join in the Eid celebration.

When asked what she looks forward to on Eid, senior J.C. replied, "the cultural food". Some other responses to what they look forward to included; dressing up, getting presents, family coming together, and going out with friends.

The second Muslim celebration, called Eid-ul-Adha (festival of sacrifice), ends the pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia (Hajj) that Muslims must make at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able. During the trip, Muslims travel to many locations and perform certain rites, such as going around the Kabah and between two mountains as Hajar (Ibrahim’s wife) did during her search for water for her son Isma'il, among many other rites. The pilgrimage ends with Eid ul-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers, the sacrifice of an animal, and the exchange of greetings and gifts in Muslim communities everywhere.

New Jersey is home to about a half million Muslims, and 100 masjids, according to the Council on American Islamic Relations. Thus, New Jersey districts should accommodate for Muslim students having a day off for both Eids, just as Paterson, Atlantic City, Trenton, Piscataway, Prospect Park, and others have done.

Check out http://www.fastramadan.com/index.php, http://www.2eids.com/, and http://www.performhajj.com/ for information on Ramadan, Eid, and Hajj, and also my blog at http://learnislam2day.blogspot.com/ for information about Islam and Muslims.

Dua on Laylat-ul-Qadr

2011-08-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Night of Power

2011-08-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

With the last ten days of Ramadan upon us, it is important for us as smart, practicing Muslimahs to take advantage of the blessings that Allah has bestowed on the night of Laylatul-Qadr.

The night is so important that an entire surah was dedicated to it in the Quran.

In the name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful.

1 Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Power.

2 And what can make you know what the Night of Power is?

3 The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

4 The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.

5 Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

(Surah 97: Ayah 1-5)

Sheikh Muhammad Alshareef gave 4 easy steps to utilize the reward that can be gained from this night:

Step 1: Go somewhere really beautiful, where no one can disturb you.

Step 2: Imagine Allah says to you, “Ask whatever you wish and I shall grant it to you.” Think of everything good you would ask for from this life and the next.

Step 3: After thinking of everything you can, sit down and write it out.

Step 4: Pick 5 things, your favorites, and consistently ask Allah for these 5 things every night in the last ten days. Your dua will be guaranteed to have landed on Laylatul-Qadr! How cool is that?

Along with making dua, I encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Islam to do the following as well:

1. Wake up for tahajjud. Set your alarm to a little earlier than suhoor and pray as if you are standing in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Concentrate on the meaning of what you recite. Pray as if you are praying your last prayer.

2. Read a little more Quran than you normally would. Remember: the Quran will be your witness on the Day of Judgment as to how much you read it. Would you want it to witness for you or against you?

3. This is a perfect time to ask for forgiveness and forgive others who have wronged you. Did you know forgiving others erases your sins? Did you know holding grudges is against Islam? Cleanse your heart and begin the year with a fresh start.

May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala allow us to reap the rewards of the Night of Power, and may He grant us success in both this life and the next. Ameen!

Source: http://www.igotitcovered.org/2009/09/12/the-night-of-power/

Night of Power by Abu Eesa Niamatullah

2011-08-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Eating and Drinking Forgetfully

2011-08-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

7 Productive Tips for Iftar by Nasmeera Firdous

2011-08-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

Breaking the fast with the right type of foods is crucial to keeping your body strong and healthy. While some people resort to junk foods (due to their convenience), others try to fill their stomach with countless varieties of dishes in order to make up for not eating the whole day. While the former is detrimental to the body and does more harm than good, the latter option of feasting also becomes detrimental to your mind and soul.

It is important to feed our bodies with the right type of foods, ensuring that we do not overdo it by binging during iftar.

So, here are 7 tips to consider for iftar:

1. Break your fast with dates and a glass of water

Dates are great for iftar because they provide a concentrated source of sugar and nutrients. Most importantly, it was the practice of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) to break the fast with dates.

Sulaiman ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If one of you is fasting, he should break his fast with dates. If dates are not available, then with water, for water is purifying.” (Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi)

2. Consume carbohydrate-dense foods

Whole grains and cereals, and foods like these, provide the necessary calories and sugars that the body has been deprived of for the entire day. Use brown bread for preparing sandwiches. You can also consume pastas given their easy method of preparation. They provide wholesome nutrients, numerous vitamins and are good sources of fiber (which helps regulate bowel movements, and prevent constipation).

3. Do not binge during iftar

Your digestive system will take time to accept foods after being deprived of calories for an entire day, so remember to take it easy. Overeating could lead to gastrointestinal problems; a sudden intake of foods will force your stomach to produce numerous enzymes all at once, causing discomfort. Therefore, remember to eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. Moreover, it is not Islamically healthy to overeat.

4. Incorporate liquids and consume more fluids

Drink sufficient quantities of water to prevent dehydration. Water will help flush out toxins and aid digestion. In addition, fresh fruit juices are excellent sources of sugars, vitamins and minerals. You can also consume chicken soups or stews; these are rich in protein, which helps in building tissue or muscle mass and prevents the body from getting exhausted easily. Soups are also a good source of nutrients and electrolytes which help prevent exhaustion and dehydration.

5. Avoid oily/fried foods

These take a longer time for digestion and make you feel full, but do not necessarily nourish you or provide nutrients. They are not an ideal option to consider for iftar (or in general). However, if you must, consume small portions at dinner time.

6. Hasten to break your fast

This isn’t so much a tip about what to break your fast with, but when to break your fast. Breaking the fast on time is an important aspect of Ramadan as delaying it unnecessarily is not recommended.

Sahl ibn Sa`d (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The people will not cease to be upon good as long as they hasten in breaking the fast.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

7. Share the iftar meal

You can increase your blessings by providing iftar meals to your neighbors, relatives, the needy – any Muslim who is fasting!

Our Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “He who gives food for a fasting person to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, except that nothing will be reduced from the fasting person’s reward.” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, at-Tirmithi, Ibn Hibban, Sahih)

Fasting during the month of Ramadan gives us numerous opportunities to control our nafs, discipline our hearts and souls, helping us become more obedient towards Allah, the Exalted. It is also a time to look after and discipline our bodies. The take-home message is avoid binging during iftar but at the same time, make sure that your body is getting the right type of nutrients in the right amounts to prevent dehydration, exhaustion, fatigue or discomfort.

May the fasting break their fasts in your homes, and may your meals and homes be blessed. Ameen.

So which foods do you incorporate into your Ramadan diet to help maintain your productivity?

About the Author

Nasmeera Firdous is enthusiastic about eating healthy for a happy living and likes to write articles that would help people understand how they can lead a productive life by eating the right type of foods. She has undertaken postgraduate studies in Nutrition and Health.

Source: http://www.productiveramadan.com/7-productive-tips-for-iftar/

The 10 Step Suhoor Routine by Nasmeera Firdous

2011-08-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ramadan is one of the countless blessings bestowed by Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) on this Ummah. An entire month to ask for forgiveness, learn about self control and become a better human being spiritually, physically and emotionally, Ramadan is a truly unique month.

The well known verse about Ramadan states: “O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious).” (2:183)

Whilst Ramadan is about spiritual re-connection, there is a huge need to link it to our physical routine. Consuming the right types of food in the right amounts is important. Few think that fasting would exhaust them completely and hinder their work output although others look at Ramadan as an excellent opportunity to lose some quick pounds and get their desired weight and figure! Surprisingly, both notions are incorrect.

The pre-dawn meal (suhoor) is not obligatory, but it is a blessed part of fasting we shouldn’t abandon. Amr ibn al–Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The difference between our fasting and that of the people of the Book is eating shortly before dawn.”(Saheeh Muslim)

Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Take suhoor as there is a blessing in it.” (Saheeh Bukhari and Muslim)

Aboo Saeed al–Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Taking the pre-dawn meal in Ramadan is a blessing, so do not leave it, even by drinking a mouthful of water. For Allah the Noble and the Mighty, and His angels send blessings over those who have taken the pre-dawn meal.” (Ahmad)

Skipping suhoor has become a norm amongst some these days. Some complain about lack of time, others are negligent and simply chose to ignore this huge blessing. However, here are some useful tips to plan a nutritious suhoor meal well in advance.

1. Begin with Remembrance of Allah

It is a beautiful iman boost, and what better way to start off your day; you’re starting off your day on the right foot, marked by spirituality and productivity. Shun lethargy and sleep with wudhu. It is one of the most effective ways to wash away your sins, and your sleep as well! Begin with the precious tahajjud prayer. This is one of the easiest ways to start your day “early”, giving you enough time to wake and up and remain alert.

2. Start with Dates

Start your meal with dates. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “How excellent are dates as the believer’s suhoor”. [Abu Dawood, Ibn Hibban and al-Baihaqee; Sahih]

3. Include Whole-Wheat in Your Meal

Oats is one of the easiest foods to cook. It has numerous health benefits. It is filled with complex carbohydrates. These take time to break up inside your body. This is amazingly useful in releasing the right amount of calories at a slow rate, giving you energy throughout the day. This will prevent a quick burn up of calories, preventing you from feeling lethargic and tired during the day. Refined products on the other hand release calories at an extremely faster rate, making you feel hungry quickly, in turn making you tired and worn out.

4. AVOID Fried Foods!

This is the toughest step as many cultural dishes tend to go for the fried option – however create havoc for the digestive system! These foods will force the stomach to release numerous enzymes and will take a longer time for digestion. Heartburn and diarrhea are common symptoms associated with fried foods. They fill your stomach quickly, preventing you from eating further and so better to avoid it as best you can.

5. Mix of Fruits & Vegetables

You can cut different types of fruits (preferably with skin) and mix them up in a bowl to make a nice salad. Add a handful of different nuts like almonds, walnuts and cashew nuts. You can also drizzle some honey on top. You can also boil vegetables or consume them raw depending on your preferences. Fruits and vegetables are extremely rich in nutrients like vitamins and minerals. They are also very rich in antioxidants.

The latter prevents accumulation of free radicals (responsible for causing cancer and other detrimental changes in the body), and are extremely useful in protecting the body from numerous diseases and illnesses. Fruits and vegetables are natural sources of fiber, which is crucial in preventing constipation, a problem experienced by many during fasting. Fiber builds up roughage, helps in cleaning the bowel, and provides satiety and fullness while eating, making you feel satisfied and full.

6. A Glass of Milk & Honey

Milk is the drink of the Ummah, and the benefits of honey are numerous and have been noted in the Quran for medical benefits. We should appreciate the great blessing of honey.

7. NO Salty Foods in Your Diet

Salt removes excess water from the cells, making the cells dehydrated. This in turn makes your body dehydrated, making you feel thirsty very quickly. Salty foods or a high intake of salt is therefore not advisable while fasting so for those who like to sprinkle salt on everything – now’s the time to stop! Soups on the other hand fill your stomach but do not provide enough calories.

8. Water, Water, Water!

Avoid tea or coffee. These beverages are not preferred whilst fasting. They dehydrate the body and release toxins which in turn need to be flushed with water, and are therefore not advisable while fasting so drink water/juices instead.

9. Eggs in a Cup

Eggs are good to include in your diet, for those on a weight loss program, avoid egg yolk but include egg white in your meal. Consume them in boiled form or poached form. Do not fry them. Fish and chicken can also be consumed liberally; yogurt too is another good source of protein.

10. Use Cooking Olive Oil

It has many health benefits, and is tasty but use in moderation!

Always remember to plan your meal in advance. This way, you will be prepared and know what exactly you have to cook early in the morning. Eat right, and maintain a positive attitude to feel cheerful and energetic.

Enjoy the benefits of a blessed Ramadan and get your productivity soaring inshaAllah!

About the Author

Nasmeera Firdous is enthusiastic about eating healthy for a happy living and likes to write articles that would help people understand how they can lead a productive life by eating the right type of foods. She has undertaken postgraduate studies in Nutrition and Health.

Source: http://www.productiveramadan.com/the-10-step-suhoor-routine/

5 Steps to Control Your Anger

2011-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

No matter how hard we try, each Ramadan we can easily ruin our good deeds and succumb to trivial arguments. In the article below you’ll learn how you can restrain yourself from getting into an argument this Ramadan, whether the man on the subway pushes past you or your family just drive you crazy during the day!

Fasting is your combat tool and the ultimate productivity technique to enhance our character, strengthen our sense of patience and generate a new found spiritual high. Allah (SWT) does not need you to leave your food and drink if you do not strive to leave harmful character traits.

Outlined below are 5 steps you can take to cool down before shaitan tries to trick you and make you miss out on multiple rewards.

1. Be calm and collected

Remember the hadith in Sahih Bukhari of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in which he said: “Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.” Training your soul is the key focus of the blessed month of Ramadan. Being patient in times of conflict will show greater perseverance and bring rewards so long as you remain calm and collected. [On this note, check out recent ProductiveRamadan Animation]

2. Seek refuge in Allah

Second step to control your temper, is to recite ‘audhoobillah’. Seek refuge in Allah (Subahanahu Wa Ta’ala) from shaitaan by reciting “Audhoobillahi min al-shaytaani al-rajeem” many times – it has a calming effect as you reflect on the situation. Many people have also found that the recital of Ayatul Kursi can beat shaitan’s attempts to put your guard down. You might say “I thought Shaytaan is locked up during Ramadan”, that’s true but that does not mean you are free from the evil influences of the jinn (see source below). They are weaker in Ramadan than in any other time of year so make it your utmost goal to be able to defeat the whispers of shaytan.

Allah (Subahanahu Wa Ta’la) says: “And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.” (Qur’an, 41:36)

3. Be ready to overlook faults

When our temper reaches a limit, we feel anger in our hearts and this strains relationships. Be ready to forgive the person who has wronged you as it is one of the noblest deeds we can do in Islam. Remember we all make mistakes, and the sooner you accept that, you will forgive in your momentary lapse.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best of the two persons is the one who begins with salaam.” (Related by Nawawi in his book Al-Adkar)

4. Be on guard at all times

Step 4 is key to a successful Ramadan and is indeed to emulate the advice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) by using fasting as our shield. Always be conscious that Allah is All-Aware of our actions. Just as a soldier is on guard from the enemy you must also fight the battle with your mind, your body, and your tongue. Say twice: ‘I am fasting’ to yourself and to the one who provokes you.

5. Get up and leave

The last step might be more forceful if the man on the subway just doesn’t want to get out of your way! (It happens all too often in London :) If you still feel ready to explode into an argument, then get up and leave your surroundings or the person provoking you. We can become angry and hot-tempered, saying things we often look back and regret. Take that moment to leave the room immediately. You’ll return with a new outlook inshaAllah and refreshed approach which will make you less prone to arguing.

If you are standing up then be advised to sit down. Or if you’re sitting down – and still fuming then lie down. Research shows that our blood pressure reduces significantly when we sit or lie down. A teacher once also advised me that a cool glass of water can extinguish that hot-temper, but maybe after iftaar…

I hope these steps will help you next time you feel angry. Slot it into your Habitator if you’re feeling that tad bit impatient often. Nothing is easy unless Allah makes it easy for us, but strive hard for Allah (Subahanahu Wa Ta’la) will not change our condition until we change what is in ourselves.

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/12653

Source: http://www.productiveramadan.com/5-steps-to-control-your-temper/

Muslim Quality Control: Develop Your Character this Ramadan by Anum Ali

2011-08-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Globally acclaimed companies like Unilever, Procter and Gamble, Coca-Cola Company, and others all have a secret formula for corporate success: “Quality Control.” The quality of what they deliver is what wins them awards for their performance. Similarly, a Muslim must function like the global best, and aim to be their best. Ramadan is a month of quality control for a Muslim which allows us to polish our character, realize and refine our virtues, and introduce and instill good manners. Ramadan is the Muslim’s quality control, contributing to success in the Hereafter, inshaAllah.

The Screening Process: Self-Awareness

If you don’t want to acknowledge your shortcomings or are too proud to fix them, you will not be able to correct and improve yourself. On a visit to a beverage factory, I observed how the bottled drinks are screened in high-power screening lights to check for solid impurities. You should screen yourself similarly before the onset of Ramadan so you know what you have to scoop out of your personality, character, habits, and heart.

Think of it like this:

• Your solid impurities are what you can observe visibly: your dressing, appearance, gestures, and living environment.

• Your chemical impurities are the way your manners and behavior are when interacting with people: family, friends, Muslims, non-Muslims.

• Finally, your microscopic impurities are the ones that infect your heart, mind, and soul like: backbiting, slander, lies, lust, greed, envy, excessiveness, wasting time, cheating, impatience, ungratefulness, so on and so forth.

So before Ramadan begins, make a ‘Screening Checklist’ ready with a list of:

(1) Personal impurities

(2) Social impurities

(3) Impurities of the heart

Personal Grooming

A strong filter and cleanser is needed to get rid of the solid, apparent impurities. Personal grooming, modesty, health and hygiene are a strongly emphasized Sunnah and yet we find several brothers and sisters either ignoring it or not understanding it. Each one of us is a representative of Islam, especially if the sisters are wearing hijab/jilbab and the brothers observe beards. Therefore we should abide by the prescriptions of grooming and cleanliness that Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) gifted to us.

The state of fasting is a state of spiritual purity and it should reflect in our physical appearance as well. It’s time to get our act together and research the habits of cleanliness a Muslim should have (for example Miswak, ghusl on Fridays, cleaning with water after using the bathroom). You should work towards perfecting your Wudu (ablution), your clothing, and your appearance. Also keeping a clean room, house, or kitchen provides more tranquility for the mind and family.

Consider a Muslim as a book and if this book is to be judged by its cover, the cover should be modest, devoted to Allah the Exalted, following the Prophet (peace be upon him) as much as we can, and gleaming with cleanliness and iman.

Beautifying Social Mannerisms

We have countless social flaws – some of which are major sins – ranging from our communication to our interactions. It is the duty of every Muslim to be a brother or sister of another Muslim, and to beautifully invite others to Islam. Take the time to make improvements to how you interact with others.

If you feel you’ve been antisocial or absent, reconnect with family and righteous friends to revive the bonds of love and friendship. Ramadan provides the most beautiful of opportunities. You can arrange to meet at mosques and community centers for prayers or arrange for a communal iftar. Ramadan is a time to repent and resolve not to go back to ill social actions.

Polish the Virtues

An untamed self is like a raging bull that Shaytan loves to ride. This means that if you do not control it, it would be easier to misguide you. Your biggest challenge is to identify areas of weakness because most of the time we’re in a state of denial about them. Once you acknowledge what they are, then you can start working to reduce and eliminate them. Brainstorm what you can, consult authentic websites or books, and perhaps consult family and friends to create your checklist. The primary step is to block the sources that lead to the development of these ill personality traits. If you are a habitual liar, begin training yourself to take a moment to think before you respond to somebody, and take that moment to decide not to lie.

Self-Evaluation

At the end of it, constructively evaluate yourself. Offer thanks to Allah for the ones that you overcame with His help and highlight the ones you have yet to overcome, improving our character is a constant journey. It could also be beneficial for you to connect with a Muslim mentor, peer, or life coach. If you happen to find a sincere or a learned friend for direct communication, it’s the best guidance you can get. If you cannot access them personally, then there are always the beneficial resources available online.

This Ramadan make the intention to improve your character so you emerge as a spiritually beautiful Muslim this year, inshaAllah.

For more information, visit your local Islamic book shop or online to purchase books on Muslim character, manners, and diseases of the heart.

About the Author

Anum Ali has a BA Business Administration. Sr. Anum is also a Writer and Media Director for Habibi Halaqas.

Source: http://www.productiveramadan.com/muslim-quality-control-develop-your-character-this-ramadan/

Is it obligatory to wake up for Suhoor? by Assim al Hakeem

2011-08-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

Suhur is a Blessing

2011-08-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

Why can't we concentrate in prayers even in Ramadan? by Assim al Hakeem

2011-08-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Is taraweeh 20 rakahs or 8 rakahs? by Assim al Hakeem

2011-08-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

Islamic Ruling (Fatwa) No.127170: Reciting a special du'a after every 4 rak'ahs of taraaweeh

2011-08-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Fatwa Date: Ramadhaan 25, 1430/15-9-2009

Question

I would like to know is there any special dua to be recited after every 4 rak’has of taraweeh. The people usually follow it where I live. I tried to find the reference or hadiths quoting this special dua but did not find one. Can you please help me? The dua people read starts like this: 'Subhana zil mulki wal malakoot, subhana zil izzti wal azmati, wal haibati, wal qudrati, wal kibri yaa-i wal jabroot. Subhanal malakil hai yil lazee, la yanamu wa-la yamoot, sub-boo-hun, qud-du-sun, rabbana, wa rabbul ma laai katu wa rooh." Is it correct to read this dua?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

As far as we know, there is no particular mention of Allah or supplication that is said during the rak’ahs of taraaweeh, so it is not permissible to say this supplication because in principle the matters of worship are restricted to what has religious evidence and it is not permissible to innovate any of it without religious evidence.

Aa’ishah narrated that the Prophet said: "Whoever introduces into this matter of ours [Islam] that which is not a part of it, it will be rejected." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

However, if one says this supplication sometimes during taraweeh or after it without repeating this regularly, then this is permissible because its meaning is correct.

Allah knows best.

Source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=127170

Islamic Ruling (Fatwa) No. 49698: Fasting is not accepted if one doesn’t pray

2011-08-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Question

Is it permissible to fast without praying?

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

No good deeds will be accepted from one who does not pray – no zakaah, no fasting, no Hajj or anything else.

Al-Bukhaari (520) narrated that Buraydah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not pray ‘Asr, his good deeds will be annulled.”

What is meant by “his good deeds will be annulled” is that they will be rendered invalid and will be of no benefit to him. This hadeeth indicates that Allah will not accept any good deed from one who does not pray, so the one who does not pray will not benefit at all from his good deeds and no good deed of his will be taken up to Allah.

It seems from the hadeeth that there are two types of those who do not pray: those who do not pray at all, which annuls all their good deeds, and those who do not offer a particular prayer on a particular day, which annuls the good deeds of that day. So annulment of all good deeds happens to those who forsake all the prayers, and annulment of the good deeds of a particular day happens to the one who omits a particular prayer.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked in Fataawa al-Siyaam (p. 87) about the ruling on the fasting of one who does not pray.

He replied: The fast of one who does not pray is not valid and is not accepted, because the one who does not pray is a kaafir and an apostate, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “But if they repent [by rejecting shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic monotheism], perform as-salaah (iqaamat-as-salaah) and give zakaah, then they are your brethren in religion.” [al-Tawbah 9:11]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Between a man and shirk and kufr stands his giving up prayer.” (Narrated by Muslim, 82) And he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The covenant that separates us from them is prayer; whoever gives up prayer is a kaafir.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2621; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)

This is also the view of most of the Sahaabah, if not their consensus. ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Shaqeeq (may Allah have mercy on him), who was one of the well-known Taabi’een, said: “The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not think that omitting any action made a person a kaafir, except for prayer. Based on this, if a person fasts but he does not pray, then his fast is rejected and not accepted, and it will not avail him anything before Allah on the Day of Resurrection. We say to him: Pray then fast, because if you fast but do not pray, then your fast will be rejected, because acts of worship are not accepted from a kaafir.

The Standing Committee (10/140) was asked: if a person is keen to fast in Ramadan and to pray in Ramadan only, but he stops praying as soon as Ramadan is over, does his fasting count?

They replied: Prayer is one of the pillars of Islam, and it is the most important pillar after the Shahaadatayn. It is an individual obligation (fard ‘ayn), and whoever does not do it because he denies that it is obligatory, or he does not do it because he is careless and lazy, is a kaafir. With regard to those who fast Ramadan and pray in Ramadan only, this is trying to cheat Allah, and unfortunate indeed are those who only acknowledge Allah in Ramadan. Their fasting is not valid if they do not pray at times other than Ramadan, rather this makes them kaafirs in the sense of major kufr (kufr akbar), even if they do not deny that prayer is obligatory, according to the more sound of the two scholarly opinions.

Islam Q&A

Source: http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/49698

Virtues of Ramadan by Yasir Qadhi lecture notes by Arif Kabir

2011-08-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Ramadan Special: Virtues of Ramadan

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam), during the time of Ramadan, stood up on a minbar, called the Companions, gave them a khutbah, and said, “Oh people, know that a month is upon you. Know that you are witnessing a month that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has made sacred, that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala made obligatory to fast during its days and He has requested that you stand during its nights (it’s not obligatory, but it is rather good to do so).

Locked Up

This month, as said by the Prophet, is one that all of the doors of Hell are shut and chained, and all of the gates of Ramadan are opened, meaning that every opportunity to do good is opened up, you are safe from the fire of Hell, and go to Jannah. This is a month that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) has said that all of the evil Shayaateen are locked up, and they are not allowed to go around, whispering evil thoughts and this is a month that every single night, Allah suhanahu wa ta’ala saves people who were destined to go to Hell, and this month has a day that is better than a thousands months. This month is Ramadan.

The Preferred Month

Allah has preferred certain months over others, and Ramadan is the most preferred month in the sight of Allah. Realize that this month has been made very easy as the Shayaateen and gates of Hell are locked, and also realize that 100 percent of the evil deeds that you do in this month is solely from your soul. Therefore, Ramadan is a reflection of your soul.

The Three Ameens

One day, when the Prophet was giving the Friday khutbah, he was climbing up the pulpit, which had three steps. When he climbed the first step, he said Ameen. Then he climbed up the second and said Ameen. Then he climbed up the third and said Ameen. So the companions were confused and said, “Oh Messenger of Allah, we have never heard you say Ameen every time you climb a step. What is the reason for this?” The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When I was climbing the pulpit, Jibreel came to me and told me, ‘Oh Muhammad, anyone in your nation who manages to be alive when Ramadan comes and does not manage to get his sins forgiven, let him perish in the HellFire – Say Ameen!’ So Muhammad said Ameen. Then when he climbed the second step, Jibreel said, ‘Anyone who manages to catch Laylatul Qadr and does not manage to get his sins forgiven, may he perish in the Hellfire – Say Ameen!’ So the Prophet said Ameen and when the Prophet climbed the third step, Jibreel said to him, ‘Oh Muhammad, anyone of your Ummah who manages to catch their parents, whether one of them or both, when they are elderly and they need his help and is not able to service them properly and get his sins forgiven, may he perish – say Ameen! So the Prophet said Ameen. So three duas are made – three golden opportunities that even the worst of men can get all of their sins erased by turning to Allah. Two of those opportunities are related to Ramadan – the entire month and Laylatul Qadr. Therefore, if you cannot be righteous in this month, then there is no hope for you because there are no excuses.

Three ways to forgive all bad deeds:

So what do you have to do? The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned three things and anyone of them will unconditionally forgive all of one’s bad deeds:

1. Whoever fasts the entire month of Ramadan, believing in Allah and hoping for Allah’s reward

2. Standing up at night in Ramadan (ex. Taraweeh)

3. The night of Laylatul Qadr

Ar-Rayyan

One more blessing of Ramadan is that it is the month when you perfect your fasting in it, and you can enter through a special door set aside for those who fast. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “In Jannah, there is a special door called Ar-Rayyan” and Ar-Rayyan means that which will give you a lot of water, because the way to get to that is to deprive yourself of water (by fasting).

Ramadan has been put for you to achieve righteousness and piety – this is the ultimate goal; Allah does not benefit when you tire yourself out. Rather, you are the one that benefit. May Allah make us among those whose sins are forgiven in this month, whose fasting is accepted, whose reading of the Qur’an is accepted, and whose Qiyyam is accepted, and may He make us among those who enter Jannah through the gate of Rayyan.

Source: http://ilmnotes.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/virtues-of-ramadan/

Virtues of Ramadan by Yasir Qadhi

2011-08-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Fasting is for Allah

2011-08-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

No Breaks from Ramadan

2011-08-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

With Ramadan fast approaching, it is best to be prepared for this blessed month. Many people focus on taking advantage of Ramadan by fasting, performing Salah, going to the Masjid for Taraweeh and Tahujjud and reciting from the Holy Qur’an.

However, as women, we know there is a certain time period when we cannot fast and pray. Because of this, we tend to feel disconnected from Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and our iman tends to decrease.

Instead of focusing on the acts of worship we cannot perform, we have to find other ways to keep our iman high and gain reward from our Lord.

Be content with Allah’s decree

The most important thing to do is to be content with what Allah ta’ala has decreed for us, as women. That means don’t hate your period and don’t hate not fasting. Also, complaining about your situation suggests that you are not satisfied with what Allah ta’ala has ordained. It also proposes the idea that you think your Lord is somehow being unfair to you and not giving you as much reward as you deserve or want to earn, which is absurd. Our Lord is not trying to make us “lose points” and He is never unfair.

Remember Allah is Merciful

Anytime you feel down about “missing out” during Ramadan, remember: Abdullah Bin ‘Amr reported that the Prophet said: “No (believing) person gets sick, but (his deeds) will be recorded for him in accordance with what he used to do when he was well.” [Bukhari]

I am not suggesting that this is what happens when we are menstruating, because I do not know if that is the case. However, I do believe that our Rabb, who has placed such a merciful method of recording our deeds, has one just as merciful for women.

Sickness is a blessing

Surely, we have all heard that when someone is ill, his or her sins are being washed away. So while we are not praying, it is possible that enduring a few painful cramps with patience may raise our ranks in front of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala more than praying a few Rak’ahs and may wash away many of our sins.

Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn but Allah will expiate his sins on account of his patience.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

A break from fasting is not a break from Ramadan

Remember, just because you are unable to fast and pray does not mean you should give up all the good you have been doing. Continue to make the efforts of being a better Muslimah by abstaining from watching TV or listening to music. If you have been trying to gossip less, keep up the effort. Refrain from the negative actions that you were refraining from while fasting.

Replace certain good deeds with other ones

•Instead of going to the Masjid to pray Taraweeh, you can go to the Masjid and listen to the recitation.
•Baby-sit for a sister who has children so that she can go to the Masjid instead.
•Offer to baby-sit in the children’s area in the Masjid.
•Make a du’a list so that you do not end up repeating the same few du’as over and over again.
•Help around the house as much as you can by offering to cook, clean, or simply take care of things when others may be too tired from fasting, so that you can get reward.
•Serve food and water while people are eating.
•Listen to the Qur’an on your iPod or laptop while you are doing daily chores.
•Feed those who are fasting, which will give you the same amount of reward.

Don’t forget to eat

We tend not to eat all day even though we are not fasting. There is reward in eating, since Allah has ordained us not to fast during this time. However, if Allah has given us ease, we should accept it and be thankful to Him. When we are fasting, we complain of hunger, yet when we are not fasting, we do not eat. SubhanAllah! But remember; try not to eat in front of those who are fasting out of good etiquette.

Stay in the habit of Salah times

To stay in the habit of making Salah, when you hear the adhan, go make wudu. While others are praying, take the time to make dhikr, istighfaar or du’a. This way, you stay in the habit of prayer times and you will not struggle once you pray again.

Just remember that there is a lot that can be done when you cannot pray and fast. All you have to do is make an effort to stay connected with Allah ta’ala and insha’Allah, He will help you. You just need to make the intention.

Source: http://www.igotitcovered.org/2011/07/06/no-breaks-from-ramadan/

Integrating my various research projects

2011-08-06T03:27:00.000-07:00

Problems and Solutions

A few days ago, I realised that all my research projects are linked.

My longest on-going research is in the area of fire fighting. Fire fighting is a situation where problems in organisations repeat themselves. Individuals in organisations try to find 'quick solutions' but their efforts tend to fail, as the complexity of the situation overwhelm the people who try to solve them. My research shows that most managers in Malaysia - whether Malay, Indian, Chinese, working in large companies, medium size companies or small companies - experience severe fire fighting.

The danger of fire fighting is that it naturally leads individuals in a state that psychologists call "learned helplessness". People simply give up. The problems they face at work are so complex, so multi-faceted, that people don't even know where to start. People go through the motions but deep down they don't really believe that the situation will ever get better. One way to solve this problem is by using a technique called Positive Deviance Inquiry (PDI). In a paper that I hope will be published in 2012, I explain that PDI is a very practical tool for Muslim leaders.

In any case, this fire fighting situation creates a feedback loop. Fire fighting causes individuals to become helpless. But helpless individuals are more likely to treat 'solvable' problems as unsolvable problems.

So how do we break this vicious circle? Well, my experiments with getting my students to listen to Islamic talks for 12 to 14 weeks have shown me something. First, the intervention has an impact. About 80% of students (many of which are part-time Masters students who are working full-time) report feeling better about things. The process of listening to Islamic talks gives them hope, optimism and makes them more resilient. In other words, this process can probably turn helpless individuals into individuals that are psychologically stronger. That might not make fire fighting disappear but at least it will theoretically reduce the negative impact of fire fighting on an organisation. The best part of this intervention is that it is virtually free and its impact is presumably long-term as the process involves Muslims understanding their religion better.

So what has this got to do with happiness? Well, as this blog has progressed, it seems clear that I started with a very vague project and that it has become more and more specific as I have progressed. I think that 'happiness' is still relevant (although the technical term in the literature is "subjective well being"). The work that I have read indicates that happiness is not a state where people are 'relaxing'. Too much relaxation simply leads to boredom. Happiness requires individuals to work hard to achieve their goals. They will experience many disappointments but they are psychologically strong enough to persevere until they reach their goals. In short, this intervention leads directly to psychological strength and indirectly to a more happy person. And Allah knows best.

A Women’s Guide to Spirituality in Ramadan during Menstruation and Postnatal Bleeding by Kanika Aggarwal

2011-08-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

Some information has been adapted from the following sources: Closed Doors and Opened Eyes: Spirituality for the Non-Fasting by Shazia Ahmad & A Muslim Day in Ramadan – Morning till Evening by Sh. Riad Quarzazi. Previously published in Sisters magazine August 2011 Issue

While others will be busy in acts of worship such as fasting, praying, reading Qur’an, etc., most women will spend a portion of Ramadan in the state of menstruation (or postnatal bleeding), leaving them unable to participate in the aforementioned activities.

It is not easy to stay positive at times like these, especially when we see those around us rushing to masaajid for taraweeh prayers, spending time in ‘itikaaf and reciting the Qur’an. This can lead us to feeling deprived of the reward of this blessed month, and often this feeling ends up decreasing our spirituality rather than increasing it.

Our menstrual cycles (or postnatal bleeding) are a part of Allah subhaana wa ta’alaa‘s creation and something that is ordained by Him. Allah subhaana wa ta’alaa tells us in the Qur’an that “He has created us in the best of molds” [At-Teen:4]. We are also told that Allah has “appointed a due proportion” [At-Talaq:2-3] for everything and that “for every matter there is an appointed time given” [Ar-Rad:38]. [1] Thus, to complain about it would be to question the Wisdom of Allah subhaana wa ta’alaa. This is not anything to feel sad or inconvenienced about, but rather it should be accepted as part of the Divine Wisdom.

This same message was conveyed to us by Ayesha radi Allahu ‘anha via the hadith of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

Ayesha narrates that, “We set out with the sole intention of performing Hajj and when we reached Sarif, my menses began. The Messenger of Allah sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam came to me while I was crying and asked, ‘What is the matter with you? Has your menses started?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is something which Allah has destined for the daughter of Adam.’” (Al-Hakim)

Islam is the straight path that leads to the pleasure of Allah subhanaa wa ta’ala and ultimate success in the aakhirah. However, praise be to Allah, the path of Islam is broad, i.e. there is a huge variety of good deeds one can do to come closer to Allah subhaana wa ta’aala. Likewise, there are many other ways of achieving spirituality while we are on our menses (or going through postnatal bleeding) besides salaah, siyaam and ‘itikaaf. This was exemplified for us through the practice of the wife of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

Narrated Maimuna, the wife of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, “During my menses, I never prayed, but used to sit on the mat beside the mosque of Allah’s Apostle…” (Bukhari)

Here are a few practical suggestions of good deeds that a Muslimah can do while she is menstruating or has postnatal bleeding.

At the time of the adhaan:
• Repeat after the adhaan
• Make du’a for the intercession of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam after the adhaan
• Allaahumma Rabba haathihid-da ‘watit-taammati wassalaatil-qaa’imati, ‘aati Muhammadanil-waseelata walfadheelata, wab ‘ath-hu maqaamam-mahmoodanil-lathee wa’adtahu, ['innaka laa tukhliful-mee'aad] (O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and established prayer. Grant Muhammad the intercession and favor, and raise him to the honored station You have promised him, [verily You do not neglect promises]). [Reference: Bukhari & Bayhaqi]
• Make du’a between the adhaan and iqaama. Invocation during this time is not rejected.

When you wake up:
• “Alhamdu lillaahil-lathee ‘ahyaanaa ba’da maa ‘amaatanaa wa’ilayhin-nushoor.” (Praise is to Allah Who gives us life after He has caused us to die and to Him is the return.) [Reference: Bukhari]
• “Laa ‘illaha ‘illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa ‘alaa kulli shay’in Qadeer Subhaanallahi, walhamdu lillaahi, wa laa ‘ilaha ‘illallahu, wallaahu ‘akbar, wa laa hawla wa laa Quwwata ‘illaa billaahil-’Aliyyil-’Adheem, Rabbighfir lee.” (There is none worth of worship but Allah alone, Who has no partner, His is the dominion and to Him belongs all praise, and He is able to do all things. Glory is to Allah. Praise is to Allah. There is none worth of worship but Allah. Allah is the Most Great. There is no might and no power except by Allah’s leave, the Exalted, the Mighty. My Lord, forgive me.) [Reference: Bukhari]

In the morning (after fajr) / evening (before maghrib):
• “A ‘oothu billaahi minash-Shaytaanir-rajeem. Allaahu laa ‘ilaaha ‘illaa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyoom, laa ta’khuthuhu sinatun wa laa nawm, lahu maa fis-samaawaati wa maa fil-’ardh, man thai-lathee yashfa’u ‘indahu ‘illaa bi’ithnih, ya’lamu maa bayna ‘aydeehim wa maa khalfahum, wa laa yuheetoona bishay’im-min ‘ilmihi ‘illaa bimaa shaa’a, wasi’a kursiyyuhus samaawaati wal’ardh, wa laa ya’ooduhu hifdhuhumaa, wa Huwal- ‘Aliyyul- ‘Adheem.” (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the outcast. – Allah! There is none worthy of worship but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.) [Reference: Al Hakim]
• Recite Surat’l-Ikhlaas, Surat’l-Falaq, Surat’l-Nas – 3 times each in morning and evening [Reference: Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi]
• More morning and evening adhkaar can be found here: http://www.islamawareness.net/Dua/Fortress/027.html
• Suggested Task: Read an English translation of half a juz of the Qur’an after fajr and before maghrib to complete 1 juz a day insha’Allah

During afternoon time:
• Listen to an Islamic lecture or read an Islamic book

At maghrib time:
• Help people break their fast by offering them dates and water
• Host an iftaar for family and guests

At isha time:
• Have family circle time at home and have a member of the house recite the Qur’an to the rest of the family followed by tafseer of those ayaat

Before sleeping:
• Cup your palms together, blow gently into them and recite Surat’l-Ikhlaas, Surat’l-Falaq, and Surat’l-Nas. Then pass your hands over as much of your body as you can reach, beginning with the head and then face, then the entire front of your body. Do this three times. [Reference: Bukhari]
• Recite Ayat’l-Kursi. [Reference: Bukhari]
• Recite last 2 verses of Surat’l-Baqarah. [Reference: Bukhari]
• Recite Surah Mulk. [Reference: An Nasai]
• More on “what to say before sleeping” can be found here: http://www.islamawareness.net/Dua/Fortress/028.html

Other acts that you can do

At the masjid:
• Shake hands with sisters and spread salaam at the masjid, especially engaging with newcomers.
• Sponsor iftaars at various masaajid if possible
• Volunteer for masjid clean up afterwards [1]
• Babysit during taraweeh so that the mothers (and everyone else!) can pray with khushu’ and concentration [1]
• Make a CD of beautiful Qur’an recitation and du’as and distribute it at the masjid [1]

At home:
• Have a qiyaam program for other sisters at your house – prepare iftaar and suhoor for them
• Look for new converts, those who are newly practicing or people who have lost touch with the community and invite them over for iftaar and ‘Eid [1]
• Think of Eid party ideas/gifts for family, spouse, children, neighbors and begin your preparations.

In your own time:
• Memorize ayaat of the Qur’an.
• Donate – clothes, food, toys, money etc.
• Make tawbah (repentance) and shukr (gratitude)
• Memorize Allah’s names and their meanings [1]. Use them in making personal du’a.
• Visit the sick in your area or at the hospital [1].
• Always keep your tongue moist with the dhikr of Allah subhaana wa ta’aala. Say SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaaha illallah, Allahu Akbar and send salaams and salawaat on the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam while cooking, cleaning, driving, etc.

I sincerely pray that this Ramadan all of us witness an increase in our spirituality and a betterment in the relationship we have with Allah subhaana wa ta’aala. May Allah allow us to witness the blessed month of Ramadan and give us the opportunity to perform acts of ibaadah that weigh heavy on the scales on the Day of Judgment, ameen.

[1] These ideas were co-opted from Sr Shazia Ahmed’s article which can be found on SuhaibWebb.com.

Source: http://muslimmatters.org/2011/08/03/a-womens-guide-to-spirituality-in-ramadan-during-menstruation-and-postnatal-bleeding/

Ramadan Mindset by Gyasi Mckenzie

2011-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Fasting out of Sincere Belief

2011-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Reminder

2011-08-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

Please check out the last 2 years worth of Ramadan related posts. Remember, they are in reverse order.

New articles on happiness

2011-07-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

I have been reading the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ). The AMJ is considered to be the no 1 journal in management worldwide. Anyway, there are a couple of articles that relate to happiness. In particular, Judge & Kammeyer-Mueller (2011) point out that happiness is an important issue in management (although we use terms like 'job satisfaction' because it sounds better) and with many practical implications at work. In particular, they note that most interventions are 'ephemeral' (i.e. short-term effect and then decays). My focus is now on intervention and measuring the long-term effect of the assignment 1 & 2. My observation to date is that many Muslim students have specific misunderstandings about Islam. These misunderstandings a) prevent them from fully appreciating Islam and b) creates cognitive dissonance. In many cases, students report that assignment 1 allows them to remove some misunderstandings about Islam and that makes them happy. Presumably, that kind of intervention is NOT ephemeral. I am toying with the idea of a Theory of Specific Religious Misunderstanding (TSRM). TSRM would assume that all Muslims have some specific misunderstanding about their religion. Until that misunderstanding is cleared up, they cannot progress. I will give an example. One student that I observed knew that if you don't pray, you go to Hell. However, he believed that Muslims who pray also go to Hell. So of course, he did not see the point in praying. Having clarified that misunderstanding, he is now praying much more regularly than before. He also reports being more at peace than before. Anyway, I need to collect more data before I go developing a new theory ;)

Overall result up to July 2011

2011-07-12T03:39:00.000-07:00

So far, I have a total of 206 people who completed the assignment
- 153 report being more happy (74%)
- 11 report being more calm (5%)
- 16 report no difference (8%)
- 13 are not sure (6%)
- 1 person report being more sad
- 6 did not answer
- 6 copied the assignments

In terms of the literature review, I am now digesting the Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (2nd edition) edited by Shane Lopez and CR Snyder. This handbook contains 65 papers that summarizes the "state of the art" in positive psychology. Directly or indirectly, they relate to happiness and character building. I have still a lot of reading to do .....

Result from MGT6610 (May - July 2011

2011-07-12T03:35:00.000-07:00

For MGT6610 (Masters of Management - Org. Behaviour and Theory), I had 28 people submitting assignments.
- 21 reported being happier (75%)
- 2 did not specifically say they were happier but reported feeling more calm (7%)
- 1 reported no difference
- 1 was not sure
- 3 did not specifically answer the question (although they wrote a lot)

This is the 4th cohort to do this assignment. On average, 80% report being happier. 20% of either not sure or did not report any difference.

Psychological Capital

2011-06-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

Based on the work in the field of positive Organizational Behaviour (POB), Psychological Capital (PsyCap) are all the positive factors that influences people's perception of happiness. Again, PsyCap is composed of four inter-related constructs. This has been supported by research over the last 20 years or so. These are:

Hope: Not simply the hope for a better future but hope creates a very strong will (willpower) and there is a clear idea of how to achieve that goal (way-power).

Optimism: Based on the work of Seligman, we know that optimism is how we deal with negative events. Specifically, we see such events as temporary and specific.

Resilience: This is the ability to bounce back.

Self-efficacy: This is the belief that we can do specific things (like drive a car or manage people). Self-efficacy often occurs because in the past, we have done something before or we have watched other people do something before.

From an Islamic perspective, my understanding is that a correct understanding of Islam precedes PsyCap. The Islamic belief system and the correct knowledge of Islam allows Muslims to be hopeful, optimistic, resilient and able to get things done. Specific skills (like goals setting, time management, ABCD,....) can help but the core has to be Islamic. That would mean that

Correct Islamic core (belief and knowledge) leads to PsyCap which leads to happiness.

Defining happiness

2011-06-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

Defining Happiness

When I started this project, I had an intuitive understanding of happiness. However, I have recently read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's "Flow". This researcher has been investigating happiness scientifically by interviewing thousands of people.

Here is a synopsis of his book:
a) We cannot control our external environment. We can only control our inner experiences.
b) Happiness is not about relaxing. It is about setting ambitious but realistic goals and trying our level best to achieve them. If the goals are too easy, we come bored. If they are too difficult, we become anxious.
C) By controlling the content of our consciousness, we can focus on achieving our personal goals. The only danger to our happiness is that outside events (other people's perceptions and behaviour) distracts us from our goals.

Probably one of the most subjective discussion is the distinction between social goals (i.e. goals imposed by the society, employers or the family) and personal goals. Csikszentmihaly argues that we must take into account some of these social goals but we still need to blend our own personal goals.

Lastly, Csikszentmihaly concludes that people can only be happy if they can turn life into something meaningful and this is only possible if people "dedicate themselves to a course greater than themselves."

From an Islamic perspective, this is my understanding. You will never be a happy Muslim by doing the rituals of Islam due to social pressure and / or family pressure. At the end of the day, you need to practice Islam because you make it your PERSONAL goal. You commit yourself to improving your knowledge of Islam because you are motivated by something greater than yourself - namely the worship of Allah SWT alone, without associating any partners with Him. More importantly, your understanding of Islam does not depend on the society's understanding or your family's understanding. Your understanding of Islam is based on the explanations given by the Prophet (SAW) as explained by the scholars. When there is a clash between Islam practiced in the society and Islam taught by the Prophet (SAW), the only logical thing is to follow the clear teachings of the Prophet (SAW). Do not be surprised if people around you get upset with you. Throughout history, the majority of people have always followed their nafs but following the Prophet (SAW) requires controlling our nafs.....

There is a side-point that I believe is important. We tend to think of "remembering Allah" as a passive activity to do when we are in the Masjid or at home. However, Csikszentmihaly makes it clear that happiness is about being fully engaged in doing something difficult. It is about being active. It is about being involved in the society, actively making it a better place......

Re testing MGT2010 (sem 2 2010 2011)

2011-06-05T23:27:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this exercise was to find out whether - after finishing their assignments - students continue to access Islamic talks on the internet. Out of the 190 students who did this assignment is sem 2 (2010 2011), I sampled 50 students in the MGT2010 group. This was almost 6 weeks after the assignment was over. To avoid social pressure, the survey was done by a student rather than myself.

1. 50% of students said that they had listened to at least 1 talk on the internet in the last month
2. 34% of students said that they wanted to continue listening to talks but they faced technical difficulties (one student explained that she used headphones that belonged to her sister and that her sister reclaimed the headphones....so she could not listen to the talks in the labs anymore).
3. 16% said that they had not listened to any talks and that they were not interested in listening to talks in the future

Overall result for Sem 2 (2010-2011)

2011-05-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

In total, 169 students submitted a complete report

- 135 (80%) said that listening to religious talks made them happier
- 8 (5%) said that they were not sure
- 14 (8%) did not directly answer the question
- 12 (7%) said there was no effect

That is the "hard data". But what does it mean?

Generally, there is no doubt that listening to Islamic talks on a weekly basis helps Muslims shape their attitude. Most people talked about 'broadening their knowledge', 'changing their negative behaviour', "re-connecting with Allah" and so on. Words that appeared often in the report were "happier", "calmer", "more content", "more peaceful", "more patient" and "less angry".

What is clear to me is that it is impossible to be content - as a Muslim - without knowing Allah and worshiping Allah. Furthermore, the concept of 'happiness' is not really an Islamic concept [I am starting to regret that I used that as the name for this blog]. Related concepts are contentment, peace of mind, gratefulness and thankfulness. I currently have another batch of Masters of Management students who are doing the same assignment. I also plan to offer the same assignment in Semester 1 (2011-2012). It will be interesting to see whether their experience is the same.

Results for MGT2010 (sem 2, 2010,2011)

2011-05-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

The results for Principles and Practices of Management (sem 2, 2010-2011) is:

- 108 assignments were completed and analyzed
- 86 students said listening to religious talks made them happier (80%)
- 6 were not sure (6%)
- 12 did not answer the question directly (10%)
- 4 said that they did not feel any difference (4%)

Refining the concept of "happiness"

2011-04-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

Apart from collecting and analyzing the data from my students, I am doing a lot of reading to better understand the concept of happiness. In truth, there are a number of inter-linked concepts:
a) Hope
b) Optimism
c) Resilience

At the moment, my focus is on better understanding Martin Seligman's work on optimism. He argues that many people are pessimistic because of the way think. Typically, they think that problems will last for a long time and that one problem will destroy their whole life ("I have always been a loser and now my whole life is finished"). However, when people become aware of how they think, they can be trained to see their problems in a more optimistic way. Typically, a problem is temporary and the impact is limited ("I didn't do well just now but it's no big deal. I still have a wonderful job and a great future). The next step is to try developing these skills in the classroom.

Busy with other things

2011-04-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have not yet posted the results for MGT2010, sem 2, 2010/2011. The reason is that I am busy marking exam papers. After that, I will key in some of the data in an excel spreadsheet before analysing it. Generally though, the results seem similar than MGT4110....Those students who want to better understand the benefits of assignment 1 & 2, please come to my office. I think I can explain it better than at the beginning of the semester

Results for MGT4110 (sem 2, 2010, 2011)

2011-03-28T00:36:00.000-07:00

There are 41 people who did the assignment.

- 33 said that they felt happier [this ranged from 'very happier' to 'a little bit happier'], which is about 80%

- 2 students did not really answer the question [5 %]

- 6 students said that they liked the assignment but did not feel any different, which is about 15%

Reflections on happiness

2011-03-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Reflections on Happiness

I am going over the assignments at the moment for MGT4110. There is a pattern that is obvious, which I would like to share. First, many students describe a process where they become more sad / frustrated as they experience cognitive dissonance (i.e. their behaviour is out of line with their belief). I call this stage the "Leaving your comfort zone stage". Second, many students report that the extra knowledge lead to reducing their doubts and confusions about Islam, which leads them to greater happiness. I call this stage the "Learning stage". Third, that extra knowledge makes it easier to behave in a more Islamic way, which reduces their cognitive dissonance and makes them feel happier. I call this the "Empowerment stage".

A lot of this is confirmed by the theory of happiness and unhappiness that you can find in psychology textbooks. In short,

a) Many people are unhappy because society sets very high expectations that they can never reach (e.g. being the perfect Muslim)

b) They deal with that by setting personal goals that satisfies their desires but contradicts their religious beliefs

c) Coming out of the comfort zone is painful at first because you need to learn how to behave differently and challenge your past

d) Learning involves three aspects
- Learning new things about Islam
- Learning how to learn independently from other people's expectations
- Learning that meeting other people's expectations in regards of religion is
a waste of time. The only thing you can do is improve yourself, one step at a
time, without worrying about expectations from others. You are not learning new things to impress others, you are learning new things because you want to become a better person

e) Once you have learned how to learn, you become empowered - you can achieve both your personal goals and achieve your religious goals

The big difference between the Islamic perspective on happiness and the secular perspective is the role of Islamic knowledge. Only with sufficient Islamic knowledge can people figure out how to balance their lives, live in harmony with God, other people, other animals and respect this planet. What I mean by "Islamic knowledge" is not textbook knowledge but Islamic knowledge that allows to deal with real problems - such as relationships, crises, expectations, .....- in everyday life.

Result from the 1st group

2011-02-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

The first group of Masters of Management (MOM) students finished this project. They were asked to listen to religious talks once a week for 10 weeks. The 21 students submitted their report last week. The data was transcribed into Excel.

77% said that they were happier (the comments ranged from "the process of learning was fun" to "this assignment was inspirational"

9% said that they did not feel happier but their responses were quite positive ("I feel calmer than before")

9% said they did not change

5% (i.e. one person) said that she felt sadder because she realised how far away she felt from Islam

These results gave me some relief. I knew that theoretically the results would be positive but it's always a relief when the data confirms the theory. I would add that I have accumulated a lot of qualitative data and it will take some time before I really understand it. I have, by the way, invited another professor from UIAM to help me analyse the data so that we may develop an objective view of the data. One of the tasks is to represent the data in a format that SPSS can accept. This would allow some non-parametric tests to be done.

The importance of self-reflection

2011-01-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

The importance of self-reflection

A few days ago, I reviewed the 1st draft of my students' assignments. One thing that became clear is that the capacity for self-reflection is a pre-requisite for self-efficacy and self-efficacy is a pre-requiste to be happy.

Self-reflection means that you can "personalize" what is happening around you. For example, I asked my students to investigate the proper Islamic understanding of al qadar. Most of the assignments ended up being very academic. I then said, "Do it this way. What does qadar mean to you." So one Bosnian student started exlaining qadar in the context of the war in Bosnia. Another student started talking about qadar in the context of the civil war in his country in Africa. If you can't relate Islamic knolwedge to your everyday life, that knowledge is always "depersonnalized." It ends up being how the ulama talk about qadar.

Another example would be understanding the meaning of surah al fatihah. If you are not careful, you end up with Ibn Khathir's understanding of surah al fatihah. But that is depersonalized knowledge. What matters is what surah al fatihah means to YOU as an individual. Unfrotunately, our Muslim brothers and sisetrs have never been encouraged to personalize their knowledge. So their knowledge of Islam remains abstract and goes not influence their lives much.

Ultimately, the worst form of depersonalized knowledge is people's abstract belief in Allah. People end up believing in Allah in the same way that they believe that there is a town called Toronto or that the galaxy is very big. Personalized knowledge is when you are absolutely, totally, 100% clear about the fact that Allah has created YOU, because He loves YOU and He wants YOU to go to Paradise on condition that YOU obey the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the best of your ability. In the process , He will guide YOU, He will help YOU, He will protect YOU. Your prayers became a sincere form of appreciation, a way of saying "Thank You for loving Me, helping Me and guiding Me". It's personal, it's sincere.

In summary, I think that people's ability to be happy depends a lot on their ability of self-reflection.

Background to this project

2010-11-27T04:53:00.000-08:00

I am starting this project with about 180 UIAM undergraduate students that will take my courses. About 130 undergraduate students will take introduction to management (MGT2010) and 50 undergraduate students will take Organizational Behaviour (MGT4110). I will probably have another 30 or 40 postgraduate students who will take Organizational Behaviour (MGT6610). We will start, God willing, on the 15th December 2010. I will ask my students to listen to at least 1 religious talk every week. At the end of each session, I will ask them to assess whether they feel happier or less happy than before.

Before they start listening to these talks, they will receive a detailed (6 pages) hand out which includes the why of the project, the how of the project and a (short) literature review on the notion of happiness in the OB literature. My basic premises are:

a) People are happy because they are satisfied with what they have. They do not want more than what they have.
b) The more people know about Islam, the more they will appreciate what God has given them.

In terms of my lit review, I would like to say thank you to Fred Luthans, whose 2011 textbook on OB includes a chapter on "positive psychology". Reading that chapter was one of the catalysts for this project. Anyway, for me, the interesting 'twist' in this project is that I am using Albert Bandura as my theoretical framework. Apart from points a) and b), I am assuming that self-efficacy (i.e. the belief that Islam is an easy religion) and outcome expectancy (i.e. by being a good Muslim, I will be happy) are very important in determining whether somebody tries to improve himself or herself as a Muslim and - ultimately - becomes happy or not.

Readers may wonder. What will be the outcome of this project? Frankly, I am not quite sure. I suspect that one semester is too short to make a significant difference to their long-term level of happiness. However, I have learned one thing about doing research over the years. Often, the best thing to do is simply try it out. After the first batch of students have handed their report, I can get a better feel on the whole matter and how to progress.

The purpose of this blog

2010-11-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

This blog is meant mainly for Dr Ridhwan Fontaine's students. We will be doing a series of psychological exercises that revolved around discovering and clarifying the concept of happiness in Islam.

About Me and Contact

2010-11-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

This blog documents the perception of Dr Fontaine's students related to developing happiness in Islam. Students need to complete two assignments in which they improve their knowledge of Islam. This increased knowledge seems to lead to greater happiness.

Any comments can be sent to me at: fontaine008@gmail.com

Hayy bin Yaqzan

2009-05-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

This philosophical treatise had enlightened Western scholars since the renaissance era. It influenced the philosophies of empiricism, rationalism, tabula rasa of Bacon, Hobbes, Locke, Descartes, Newton. Also Hume, Kant, Berkeley from the enlightenment era. It also triggered Deniel Defoe to write his Robinson Crosoe, the first english novel.
In this treatise, Ibn Tufayl stresses that reason and revelation can agree when man realizes his limitations. Although it is philosophical treatise its spirit remained in the believe of God and his absolute knowledge (the Qur'an dan Shari'ah).

Hayy the Son of Yaqzan

(Summary of the Tale)

( ... ) After [t]his introduction, Ibn Tufayl proceeds to narrate the experiences of Hayy the son of Yaqzan. Starting with his birth, he offers the reader a choice between two alternative accounts. According to the first, Hayy would have been born on a desert island south of the equator, not from a father and a mother, but from clay in fermentation. The author expounds the importance of the island's perfect geographic position and temperature climate in order to indicate the possibility of spontaneous human generation without the need for mother and father. According to the second story, Hayy would be the illegitimate son of a princess and daughter of the tyrant of a large inhabited island next to the desert island. In order to save him from certain death if she were discovered, she puts him in a box and entrusts him to the waves. Overnight the tides toss it on the desert island. The author then gives a detailed description of the successive phases in the spontaneous generation of the human embryo, following the account of those who hold the first version. First the clay ferments, then sticky and aerated bubbles appear, a heart is formed from the bubbles, and finally a soul descends from heaven and enters the heart. There follows a comparison between the soul and the continually emanating light of the sun. The soul sheds its light on the human body, whereas the sun sheds its light on the different classes of substance that constitute this world. The two stories coincide from here on.

Then the author begins his description of Hayy's self‑education. A gazelle who had lost her doe hastens to the sound of a crying baby. She adopts, feeds, and raises him until he is over seven years old. As a boy, endowed with keen intelligence, grows up, he begins to observe nature and the animal world around him. To provide for his needs, he learns how to dress himself, how to shelter himself, and also how to domesticate animals. One day, however, the gazelle dies. Frightened, but wanting to save her, he reasons that the gazelle's inertness must be due to an invisible impediment. He decides to open her up and look for the seat of the impediment. He finds it in the left ventricle of the heart. He discovers that the obstacle is nothing but the permanent departure of a vital principle located in the ventricle. And that leads him to think of the body as a mere instrument of a life‑sustaining principle, without which the body is nothing. After burying his "mother", he wonders what that principle is, what unites it to the body, and where it goes. For a time he roams around the island until one day he sees a fire break out in a bush. Taking a firebrand to the cave in which he now lives, he keeps it alive night and day. He studies the properties of the flame and observes that it tends to go upward and to radiate warmth. This convinces him that it belongs by nature to the celestial bodies and that it may somehow be related to the life‑sustaining principle. In order to find out whether that principle possesses things like fire, light, and heat, he opens the heart of a living animal. In the left ventricle, which he had found empty in the heart of the gazelle, he senses with his finger a whitish vapor of such warmth that his finger is almost burned. The immediate death of the animal convinces him that the hot vapor is the principle of motion in all living beings, and that its absence spells death. Devoured with curiosity, he now wants to know how this vapor holds together and how it imparts life to all the bodily organs. Hayy dissects live and dead animals until his scientific knowledge equals that of the greatest naturalists. He recognizes that what gives unity to the body, in spite of the multiplicity of its parts and the variety of its sensations and movements, is the animal spirit radiating from a central abode and using the bodily organs as instruments to perform specific functions.

When Hayy reaches his twenty‑first birthday, he has already learned how to stew meat, dress, use a knife made from the spines of fish, build himself a refuge, and domesticate animals. But then his mind begins to move from the consideration of the physical order of things to the metaphysical. He starts with the world of generation and corruption. After examining all kinds of objects such as animals, plants, and minerals, he notices that they possess a great variety of attributes and perform a number of varied functions; moreover, their movements are either concordant or discordant. Looking at them carefully he notices that they coincide in certain attributes but differ in others. They form a unity if one looks at them from the angle of their congruencies, and form a multiplicity of its parts. Also, all classes of animals coincide in sensation, in the need for food, and in voluntary motion, all of which are functions of the animal spirit. This must be, he thinks, one in essence in spite of the small differences that exist between the species. He then mentally reduces the animal and vegetable kingdoms to their smallest units; and in the inanimate kingdom he observes a tighter unity in all corporeal bodies. From the attributes common to corporeal bodies, he infers the general notion of a body as a three‑dimensional extension. He begins then to look for that quality which makes a body, that is, the essence of a body. He had observed that bodies are either light or heavy. Nonetheless, these two attributes, lightness and heaviness, do not belong to the body as body, they are added to corporeality, which is common to all bodies. This is how Hayy arrives at the notion of form and thus comes nearer to the spiritual world. He comes to realize that a body, aside from being an extension, is also a form, and that a substance is made up of matter, extension, and form. He discovers along with this duality in substance the notion of a first matter that is apt to receive all forms through change. Now, if bodies change, that is, if the same matter receives different forms, this implies a giver of forms. He looks for a giver of forms among the bodies that surround him, but he realizes that they are all produced, which implies the existence of a producer.

When Hayy reaches his twenty‑eighth year, he looks into the sky and among the stars, but comes to the conclusion that the sky and what is in it are all corporeal since they all have length, width, and depth. He proves to himself that an infinite body is impossible. He later demonstrates to himself that the celestial body is finite, and tries to find out what form the sky could have. He arrives at the conclusion that it is spherical in shape, but composed of a series of concentric spheres, the outermost of which causes the movement of the rest. He also infers that the world is a huge animal. Asking himself whether the world is eternal or produced in time, he finds that there are two plausible answers to this question, which he leaves unanswered. But in each case he is led to the conclusion that there exists a necessary being who is the creator of all other being and who is exempt from all corporeal qualities and inaccessible to the senses or the imagination. He maintains the world and is superior to it in the order of His being as well as by His eternity. Hayy then determines the degree of His power on all created things, also His eternity and omnipotency. He finds Him, furthermore, endowed with complete perfection and exempt from all imperfection.

When Hayy reaches his thirty‑fifth year, he is completely absorbed in thinking about this producer. Sure of the existence of a Perfect Being, Hayy wants to find out how he came to know Him. He realizes that he could not have known Him through the senses. These, being divisible, are not capable of knowing what is indivisible, spiritual, and not subject to corruption. He must have come to know Him through something to which corporeality cannot be attributed, and that must be the very essence of his own being, that is, his soul. This, consequently, is indivisible, spiritual, and not subject to corruption. After he reaches the knowledge that his soul is not subject to corruption, he wants to know what happens to it after it departs from the body. Examining all the faculties of perception, he finds out that they perceive sometimes in actuality and at other times in potentiality. Whenever the perception is in a state of potentiality, it desires to pass into actuality, this being a state more perfect than potentiality. In fact, the more perfect a being is, the greater is the craving for actuality and the sadness at being deprived of it. He thus comes to know that the Necessary Being is perfect and exempt from all privation, and that He is known by something whose nature is unlike the corporeal bodies. This leads him to see that the perfection of the soul consists in the constant use of reason in this life. If, on the other hand, one does not use reason, his soul becomes a nothingness after death. Also, if he has known the Necessary Being, but turned away from Him in order to follow his passions, he will be deprived of the intuitive vision and will suffer infinitely, whereas if one turns wholly toward God and dies while enjoying the intuitive vision, he will enjoy eternal bliss. These considerations lead Hayy to seek divine ecstasy by concentrating his thoughts on the Necessary Being. However, the senses, sensible images, plus the physical needs of the body, would obstruct him. He is afraid death would overtake him while he is still being distracted from the Necessary Being. Hoping to find a remedy for his plight, he examines the actions and goals of all animals to find out whether they seek after God so that he could learn from them how to save himself. To his dismay, he discovers that they do not seek after God. He next examines the celestial bodies and finds out that they possess an intelligent substance, like his, and that they eternally behold the Necessary Being. Among all the animals, he thinks of himself as the only one who could know the Necessary Being. The reason lies in his possession of a perfectly balanced substance that abides in the heart and presents unmistakable similarities to the celestial bodies. Moreover, he realizes that he resembles, on the one hand, the Necessary Being through that noble part of himself– the immaterial intelligent substance, his soul– and, on the other, the animals through that vile part of himself that is his body. From this he concludes that his action should be carried out on three levels: (1) the actions emulating those of the animals, (2) those emulating the celestial bodies, and (3) those emulating the Necessary Being.>

(Hayy's Three Emulations)

He was obliged to undertake the first emulation by virtue of having a murky body with separable members, different faculties, and a variety of passions. He was obliged to undertake the second emulation by virtue of his animal spirit, which has its seat in the heart and which is a principle for the whole body and the faculties existing in it. He was obliged to undertake the third emulation by virtue of his being what he is, that is, by virtue of being the essence through which he came to know the Necessary Being. He had come to know before that his happiness and his triumph over misery consisted in a continuous intuitive vision of this Necessary Being and not parting from it for so much as the twinkling of an eye. Then he considered the means by which this continuity might be secured, and his considerations led him to conclude the necessary of continuous practice in the three levels of emulation. The first emulation, he realized, could not contribute to his acquiring any portion of this vision, but on the contrary it was a deterrent and a hindrance to it because it concerned sensible things, and all sensible things are curtains that interfere with that vision. The reason for practicing such an emulation, therefore, was to preserve the animal spirit that makes possible the second emulation, namely, emulating the celestial bodies. Sheer necessity demands that one take this road, although it is not exempt from the harm indicated. Through the second emulation, he realized, he might obtain a great portion of this continuous vision. However, it is an adulterated vision since whosoever beholds after this manner of vision, remains, while experiencing the vision, conscious of his own essence and turns toward it, as will be shown afterwards. Finally, through the third emulation one might obtain pure vision and absolute absorption, without being diverted from it in any direction except in the direction of the Necessary Being. The very essence of the one who experiences this vision disappears from his consciousness, it melts and fades away, and so do all the other essences, irrespective of their number, except the essence of the One, the True, the Necessary Being (may His name be exalted).

Now it became clear to him that his ultimate end consists in the third emulation, that this is not obtained without long exercise and practice in the second, and that the continuation of the second depends on his first emulation. And he also realized that the first emulation, although necessary, is as such a hindrance and a help only accidentally. Consequently, he forced himself to reduce the first emulation to bare necessity, that is, the strictly required amount below which the animal spirit would not subsist. He found two things necessary for the subsistence of the animal spirit. One, what maintains it internally by restoring what is wasted of it, namely food. The other, what preserves it externally and guards it against all kinds of possible damage coming from cold, heat, rain, sunburn, harmful animals, and the like. And he perceived that if he were to take his necessities from these elements haphazardly, he would fall into excess and take more than the strictly required amount. He might thus injure himself unawares. Whereupon he thought it prudent to set for himself certain limits that he would not pass and measures that he would not exceed; and it became clear to him that this prescription should apply to the kind, content, and quantity of his nourishment as well as its frequency.

Examining first the types of his food, he discovered that they are three in number: (1) Either plants that have not yet finished, or reached the limit of, their growth– that is, the different kinds of green vegetables proper for nourishment. (2) Fruit of the plants that have reached their full growth and developed seeds for the reproduction of the same species– that is, the different kinds of fruit, fresh or dry. (3) Or some kind of edible animal, either terrestrial or marine. Hayy had ascertained that all these types of food are made by the Necessary Being; and it had become evident to him that his happiness consists in the nearness to, and the desire to imitate Him. Doubtless, he thought, to eat these different foods must prevent them from reaching their perfection and obstruct the realization of the end for which they are destined. This would be like an objection against the work of the Maker, an objection that is contrary to what he was seeking– the nearness to, and emulation of, Him. He perceived that the correct thing for him to do, if possible, would be to abstain from eating altogether. But this was impossible. He found that by completely abstaining from eating, his body tended to dissolve, a thing that constituted a much greater objection against his Maker than the former; since he is nobler (by nature) than the other things whose very destruction is the cause of his preservation. He chose the lesser of the two evils and indulged in the milder of the two objections. Now, it seemed proper to him that, whenever some of these classes of food are not available, he should partake of whatever can be obtained, and in quantities that he will decide about later. But if all the classes of food are available, then he should make sure to choose those foods whose consumption will not constitute a major objection against the work of the Maker, such as the flesh of fully ripe fruit whose seeds have so matured as to produce others of the same class. But always with the condition that he preserve the seeds by not eating them or spoiling them or throwing them in places not fit for plants to grow in, such as rocks, briny soil, and the like. And whenever such fruit with nourishing flesh– such as apples, plums, and the like– are not accessible, he should then eat of those fruits that had nothing edible in them but their seeds– such as walnuts and chestnuts or the vegetables that had not yet reached the limit of their perfect growth– but on condition in both cases that he should prefer the vegetables that are more abundant and endowed with greater force of reproduction. He was never to extract any of their roots or destroy their seeds. And if none of these (edible plants) was to be had, then he could take some animals or their eggs, on condition– inasmuch as the animals were concerned– that he take the more numerous and not exterminate any one species. This was what he considered prudent in regard to the kind of his nourishment. Regarding the quantity, he perceived that it should be in accordance with what satisfies a man's hunger and no more. As to the lapse of time between meals be ruled that once he had satisfied his needs, he was to remain content with that and not touch anything until he suffered a weakness that would hinder him from the performance of some of the actions to which he was committed in the second emulation and that will be mentioned afterwards. Regarding the necessities required for the subsistence of the animal spirit, protecting it from external harm, he had very little to worry about, for he clothed himself with skins and he had a dwelling that protected him against external harm. This satisfied him, and hence he did not see any further need to worry about it. And as far as his diet was concerned, he observed the rules he had set for himself, which we have already explained.

Then he applied himself to the second exercise– that is, to emulate the celestial bodies, imitate them, acquire their attributes, and look for their qualities, which he found to be of three kinds. First, the qualities the celestial bodies possess by virtue of the relations they maintain with what is below them in the world of generation and corruption: imparting heat, by essence, and cold, by accident, illumination, rarefaction, condensation, and the other actions by means of which they dispose the things of this world to receive the overflow of the spiritual forms from the Agent, the Necessary Being. The second kind of qualities are qualities that belong to their very essence– such as that they are translucent, luminous, pure, free from turbidness and any kind of vileness, and that they move circularly, some of them moving around their own center and some around the center of another. The third kind of qualities are the ones they possess by virtue of their relation to the Necessary Being, such as that they possess continuous vision of Him without any deviation, and that they yearn for Him and act according to His command, constrain themselves in order to do His will, and do not move save in accordance with His wish and within His control. So he proceeded to emulate them (the celestial bodies) in every one of these three kinds of qualities to the utmost of his power.

In the first case, his emulation of the celestial bodies consisted in obliging himself, whenever he could, to remove (the cause of the plight) of every animal or plant he sees to be in need, diseased, injured, or facing an impediment. Thus whenever he saw a plant that was deprived of sunlight by the interference of another object, or that was entwined with another harmful plant, or that was suffering from extreme dryness, he would remove the object if it was something that could be removed, and he would separate the harmful plant from the other without injuring the harmful one, and he would take care to water it whenever that was possible. Whenever he happened to see any animal endangered by a wild beast, or trapped in a snare, or picked with thorns, or that had something harmful fallen into its eyes or ears, or was hungry or thirsty, he would take infinite care to relieve it and give it food and drink. Or whenever he happened to see any water course, flowing to irrigate a plant or to quench the thirst of an animal, stopped by a stone that has fallen in it or by a fallen cliff, he took care to remove all that. He persisted in this kind of emulation until he attained its highest end.

In the second case, his emulation consisted in obliging himself to remain pure, to remove all dirt and filth from his body, washing himself often and keeping his nails, teeth, and the hidden parts of his body clean, and perfuming himself with every kind of fragrant herb and all sorts of aromatic pomades that he could find. He took care to maintain his clothes clean and fragrant until he was resplendent with beauty, cleanliness, and fragrance. In addition, he took upon himself to perform all sorts of circular movements. One time he would walk around the island compassing its shores and journeying to its remotest areas. Sometimes he would walk or run around his house or a rock for a number of times. At other times he would spin himself until he lost consciousness.

In the third case, his emulation of the celestial bodies consisted in concentrating his thoughts on the Necessary Being and suppressing all connection with the sensible world. He would close his eyes, stop his ears, and restrain himself from following his imagination. He would wish, to the utmost of his power, to think of nothing else but Him, and to associate nobody with Him. To accomplish this, he would have recourse to spinning himself more rapidly. As his spinning increased, sensible objects would vanish out of his sight, his imagination would grow weaker and so would all the faculties that make use of bodily organs. Meanwhile, the work of his essence, which is independent of the body, grew stronger; so that at times his thoughts freed themselves from all confusion, and he beheld the Necessary Being. But the corporeal faculties would return upon him and spoil this state for him, bringing him back to the lowest of levels; thus he would go back to his former condition. Whenever he felt any weakness that interrupted him from pursuing his purpose, he partook of some food, but always according to the established conditions. Henceforth he moved to the performance of his emulation of the celestial bodies in the three mentioned respects. He applied himself assiduously to this for some time, struggling against his corporeal faculties– just as they were resisting him. Whenever he got the better of them and his thoughts were free from confusion, he briefly experienced something of the state of those who have attained the third emulation.

Then he started to seek after the third emulation and tried hard to attain it by pondering over the attributes of the Necessary Being. He had come to know, during the period of his scientific speculation on the subject before he had entered upon any action that these attributes were of two kinds: positive, such as knowledge, power, and wisdom; and negative, such as His complete freedom from corporeality and from the bodily attributes, and from whatever adheres to these attributes or is related to them even remotely. The negative attributes are a condition that renders the positive attributes absolutely exempt from the attributes of the bodies, one of which is multiplicity, so that His essence would not be multiplied by these positive attributes, and so that all of them would be reduced to a single notion which is that of His real essence. He started thereupon to seek a way by which to emulate Him in both kinds (of attributes). As for the positive attributes, when he came to know that they are all to be reduced to His real essence and that they are free from multiplicity in every respect– since multiplicity is one of the attributes of bodies– and that His knowledge of His essence is not a notion superimposed on His essence, but that His essence is His knowledge of His essence and His knowledge of His essence is His essence, it became evident to him that if he could know his own essence, the knowledge with which he would come to know it could not be something superimposed on his essence, but identical with it. Therefore he perceived that to emulate Him in His positive attributes would be to know Him alone without association with any of the corporeal attributes. He took it upon himself to do exactly that. As for the negative attributes, they are all reduced to exemption from the corporeal.

He began therefore to strip himself of all corporeal attributes. He had cast off a great deal of them during his former exercises in which he sought to emulate the celestial bodies. However, a great many relics had been left, such as spinning around– and movement is one of the most characteristic attributes of bodies– and his care for animals and plants, the feeling of pity toward them, and the preoccupation he had to remove whatever inconvenienced them. The latter, too, are corporeal attributes. For, to begin with, they can be seen only with the help of a corporeal faculty. Furthermore, the hard labor they require is performed with a corporeal faculty too. Therefore he began to rid himself of all this, for it is in no way befitting the state to which he now aspired. Henceforth he confined his activities to repose in the bottom of his cave with his head tilted down, his eyes closed, disregarding all sensible things and all corporeal faculties, concentrating all his effort and thoughts on the Necessary Being alone, without associating Him with anything whatsoever. Whenever a thought that was not of God crossed his imagination, he tried to drive it away and put it off with his force. He exercised himself in this, persisting for a long time, so much so that several days would pass without his having anything to eat and without ever stirring. At those moments when he would reach a high pitch in his exercise, all things might vanish from his memory and thought except his own essence, which would continue to be present when he was deeply immersed in the vision of the True Being, the Necessary Being.

This used to cause him great concern, for he knew that it was a mixture perturbing the sure vision and an intrusion in the observation (of Him). Nevertheless, he kept seeking the dis‑appearance of his soul and the utmost sincerity in his vision of the Truth, until finally he achieved what he was after. Thereupon, the sky, the earth, and everything that is between (xv, 85; lxxviii, 37), vanished from his memory and thought. And so did all the spiritual forms and corporeal faculties and all the powers separate from the elements, namely the essences that know the True Being. Also, his own essence disappeared like the other essences. The universe vanished and dwindled away, a scattered dust (lvan 6). There remained only the One, the True Being, the Permanent Being, and he recited His speech (which is not a notion superimposed on His essence): "Whose is the Kingdom today?" "God's the One, the Omnipotent" (x1, 16). He understood His words and heard His call, and not even his ignorance of words and his inability to speak could hinder the understanding of Him. He immersed himself in this state, and beheld "that which no eye has ever seen nor ear ever listened to, neither has it ever presented itself to the heart of a man."

Do not let your heart be chained to the description of something that has never presented itself to the heart of a man. Many are the things that present themselves to the heart of a man but are hard to describe. How much harder, therefore, would be the description of something that has no chance of ever presenting itself to the heart, and that is not of the same world nor of the same category. And I do not mean by "heart" the body out of which the heart is constituted or the spirit contained in its ventricle, but rather the form of the spirit whose powers extend throughout the body. Now, each one of these three things might be called "heart", but it is impossible for this thing (ecstasy) to occur to any of these three. And yet there is no way of expressing anything beyond what occurs to these three. Therefore, he who seeks to express this state is seeking the impossible. He is like someone who wants to taste the dyed colors inasmuch as they are colors, and at the same time requests that black should taste, for example, sweet or sour. However, in spite of all this, we will not let you go without some allusions by which we shall hint at the wonderful things Hayy saw when he was in that station. We will do this in the form of an allegory without knocking upon the door of the truth; for there is no other way to ascertain what is in that station without actually reaching it. So listen now with the ear of your heart to what I shall indicate to you and gaze at it with your mind's eye; perhaps you will find in it some form of guidance that may bring you to the highway. I demand that you not ask me at present for any oral explanation in addition to what I have entrusted to these pages. For my hands are tied, and it is dangerous to express arbitrarily something that cannot be expressed.

(Summary of the Tale Continued)

(Conclusion)

This is as much as I could indicate to you now concerning what Hayy the son of Yaqzan intuitively beheld in that noble station. Do not expect any more than this through mere words. For this is almost impossible. As for the rest of his story, that I will tell you.

After he had come back to the sensible world from the excursions he had undertaken, he became weary of the concerns of this life and he strongly yearned for the ultimate life. He sought to return to that station through the same means by which he had sought it at first, till he was able to attain it with less effort than before and also to stay there longer than he had stayed before. Then he returned to the sensible world, and attempted later to attain his station once more and attained it with less effort than in both the first and the second preceding attempts, and his stay there was longer too. And so it grew easier and easier for him to attain that noble station and to continue in it longer and longer until he could attain it whenever he pleased and stay in it for as long as he pleased. He used to keep himself in that station and not turn away from it except when the necessities of his body, which he had cut down to the bare minimum, demanded it. In all this, he used to wish that it would please God, the Mighty and Majestic, to deliver him altogether from his body, which caused his separation from that station, so as to give himself up perpetually to his (supreme) pleasure and so as to be relieved from the pain he suffered every time he had to retire from his station to attend to the necessities of the body. He continued in this state of affairs until he was past the seventh septenary of his birth, that is, he was fifty years old. Then he happened to come together with Asal; the story of what took place between them will be narrated– God willing– in what follows.

It is told that on an island close to the one on which Hayy the son of Yaqzan was born– according to one of the two different accounts of the circumstances of his birth– there arrived one of the true religions received from one of the old prophets– upon whom be the blessings of God. It was a religion that imitated all the true beings through parables that present images of those things and establish their descriptions in the souls, as is customary in addressing the multitude. This religion continued to spread on the island and kept growing and gaining in power until the king adopted it himself and made the people embrace it.

Now there had grown in that island two young men of virtue and good will, called respectively Asal and Salaman, who embraced that religion and accepted it eagerly. They took it upon themselves to observe all its Laws and to follow regularly its practices; this formed the basis of their friendship. Sometimes they used to study the wording of that religious Law concerning the attributes of God, the Mighty and Majestic, and His angels, and also the character of resurrection, rewards, and punishments. Of the two, Asal delved deeper into the esoteric meaning; he was more apt to find spiritual notions, and was a more ambitious interpreter. As for Salaman, he was more apt to keep to the apparent meaning, to avoid interpretation, and to abstain from examination and reflection. However, both assiduously performed the external practices (of the religious Law), disciplined themselves, and controlled their passions.

Now there were in this religious Law certain arguments that favored seclusion and solitude, indicating that these led to salvation and (ultimate) success; and there were other arguments that favored sociability and adherence to the whole body of the community (Jama'ah). Asal devoted himself to the search for seclusion and favored the argument for it, because he was naturally inclined to continued meditation, to heeding the warnings (of the religious Law), and to penetrating deeply into the meanings (of the things mentioned in it); and it was through solitude that he most frequently accomplished these objectives. Salaman, on the other hand, devoted himself to adhering to the whole body of the community and favored the argument for this position, because he was naturally timid as regards thought and examination. Following the majority, he thought, would lead to the suppression of evil thoughts and the removal of the promptings of the devil. Their differences on this issue caused them to separate.

Asal had heard about the island on which it was said that Hayy the son of Yaqzan was formed. He knew also of its fertility, conveniences, and temperate climate, and that the one who seeks solitude can achieve it there. Resolved to move there and to retire from the company of men for the rest of his life, he gathered together what money he possessed; with a part of it he hired a ship to carry him to that island, and the rest he distributed among the poor. He bade farewell to his friend (Salaman) and went aboard. The mariners transported him to the island, set him ashore, and withdrew. Asal remained there worshipping God, the Mighty and Majestic, magnifying Him, sanctifying Him, and meditating upon His most beautiful names and exalted attributes without any interruption in the presence of his mind or disturbance in his thoughts. Whenever he felt the need for food, he took from the fruits or game of the island enough to satisfy his hunger. He remained in this state a while, enjoying the most complete felicity and the greatest delight through an intimate intercourse with his Lord, experiencing every day His kindness, the excellence of His gifts, and the ease with which He enabled him to satisfy his necessary needs and nourishment– all of which confirmed his belief in Him and consoled Asal's heart.

In the meantime, Hayy the son of Yaqzan was wholly immersed in his sublime stations. He never left his cave but once a week to take whatever nourishment was at hand. This is the reason why Asal did not discover his presence at first; he used to walk around the island and go over all its parts without seeing a human being or observing the traces of any footsteps. This swelled his joy and gladdened his heart as he was firmly resolved to lead the most retired and solitary life that was possible, until Hayy the son of Yaqzan happened to go out one day to seek his provisions at a place where Asal happened to be. They both spied one another. Asal did not entertain any doubt but that Hayy was a retired worshiper who must have come to that island in search of solitude as he himself had done, and feared that should he come up and make his acquaintance, this might disturb Hayy's state and disrupt the pursuit he was engaged in. Hayy the son of Yaqzan, on the other hand, did not know what Asal was; for of all the animals he had seen, he had never seen anything with such a form. Now Asal had on a black coat made out of hair and wool, which Hayy the son of Yaqzan thought was a natural part of him and at which he stood wondering for quite a while. Asal turned and fled from fear that he might distract Hayy. But Hayy the son of Yaqzan ran after him out of his natural curiosity to look for the truth of things. When he saw that Asal began to run faster, he slowed down and hid himself from him, so that Asal thought he had left him and gone off far from the place where he was. Asal then proceeded with his prayer, recitation, invocation, supplication, and lamentation, until this made him forget everything else. Then Hayy the son of Yaqzan started to draw closer and closer, with Asal unaware of his presence, until he came so close as to hear his recitation and praise (of God), observing in him a sense of humility and that he was weeping. Hayy heard a pleasant voice and harmonious sounds such as he had never heard before in any kind of animal. Then he considered Asal's shape and lineaments and saw that he was of the same form as himself. He also found that the coat he had on was not a natural skin but an artificial attire like his own. Upon watching the sincere humility of Asal, his supplication and weeping, he did not doubt but that he was one of those essences who know the True One. He felt himself seized by an affection toward him and a desire to know what was the matter with him, and what caused his weeping. He drew closer to him till Asal felt his presence and took to flight. Hayy the son of Yaqzan chased him energetically until he caught up with him– as the result of the vigor and the capacity, intellectual as well as physical, that God had bestowed upon him– seized him, held him fast, and would not let go of him. When Asal looked at him and saw that he was clothed with animal furs, his hair grown so long as to cover a great part of his body, and perceived his alertness and great strength, he trembled from fear and began to implore and entreat him with words that Hayy the son of Yaqzan could not understand and did not know what they were meant to convey. He could, however, see the signs of alarm on Asal's face; whereupon he endeavored to allay his fear with such voices as he had learned from some of his animals. He stroked his head and both sides of his neck, and caressed him, showing him a great joy and gladness, until Asal's agitation calmed and he understood that he meant him no harm.

Asal had formerly studied most languages as a result of his love for the science of interpretation and had become an expert in them. So he began to speak to Hayy the son of Yaqzan in every language he knew, asking him about himself and trying to make himself understood, but without success. Hayy the son of Yaqzan wondered all the while at what he heard, not knowing what it was. Nevertheless, he showed gladness and good disposition; and they mutually wondered at each other. Asal had conserved some of the provisions he had brought along from the inhabited island. He offered it to Hayy the son of Yaqzan, who, having never seen such food before, did not know what it was. Asal ate a little of it and signaled Hayy to eat too. Hayy the son of Yaqzan remembered the dietary obligation he had resolved to abide by. Not knowing the constitution of the food he had been offered, nor whether or not he should permit himself to partake of it, he declined to eat. Asal, nonetheless, kept asking him and urging him beseechingly. As Hayy the son of Yaqzan had become fond of Asal and was afraid lest he might be vexed if he should continue to refuse, he went ahead and ate some of the food. As soon as he had tasted it and liked it, Hayy realized that he had done wrong by violating the covenant he made with himself as regards diet. He repented what he did and wanted to separate from Asal and go back to his former condition, seeking to return to his sublime station. But he could not attain the vision quickly. Thereupon he decided to stay with Asal in the sensible world until he discovered what he really was and until he felt no more desire to be with him, after which he might apply himself to his station without any interruption. Thus he remained in the company of Asal. Now as Asal perceived Hayy's inability to speak, he felt secure since no harm could threaten his faith from his company. He hoped to instruct him in speaking, in science, and in the faith, so that he (Asal) might obtain a great reward and be favored by God. Asal began to teach him how to speak, first, by pointing at particular beings and pronouncing their names, repeating them several times, and then making Hayy pronounce them. Hayy pronounced them at the same time as he in turn pointed to each being, until Asal taught him all the names. He helped him to improve gradually, until, in a very short time, Hayy could speak.

Then Asal began to ask him about his condition, and whence he came to that island. Hayy the son of Yaqzan told him he knew nothing of his origin, nor of a father or a mother beyond the gazelle that reared him. Then Hayy described his experiences from beginning to end, and how he ascended in knowledge until he attained a degree of union (with God). Asal heard him describe those truths and the essences separate from the sensible world, which know the essence of the Truth, the Mighty and Majestic. Then Hayy described the essence of the Truth, the Exalted and Majestic, with His beautiful qualities. And finally Hayy described, as far as he could, what he beheld when he attained union (with God), the joys of those who unite (with God), and the pains of those who are veiled from Him. After hearing all this, Asal had no doubt that all the things given in his own religious Law concerning God, the Mighty and Majestic, His angels, His books, His messengers, the last day, and His paradise and hell, are the similitudes of these things that Hayy the son of Yaqzan had beheld. The eye of his heart was thereby opened, the fire of his mind kindled. He found that reason and tradition agree, and he found a better access to the ways of interpretation. There remained not one difficulty in the religious Law that he did not now see clearly, nor anything locked up that was not opened, nor anything obscure that did not become plain. Thereupon he passed into the ranks of the men of understanding (xii, .111). From that moment, Asal looked upon Hayy the son of Yaqzan with veneration and respect, and he was convinced that Hayy was one of the saints of God who need have no fear; neither shall they suffer (ii, 38, 262, 274). He took it upon himself to wait upon him, to follow in his steps, and to accept his directions in regard to the fulfilment of the religious‑legal practices that his religion had taught him, but had seemed to be contradictory.

Hayy the son of Yaqzan, in his turn, began to inquire from him about himself and his present condition. Whereupon Asal proceeded to describe the island from which he came, the people who inhabit it, and their way of life before and after religion reached them. He described to him all the content of the religious Law concerning the divine world, paradise, hell, the quickening of the dead, the resurrection, the assembly for a final judgment, the balance, and the bridge. Hayy the son of Yaqzan understood all this, not finding in it anything that disagreed with what he had intuitively seen in his sublime station. He recognized that the one who described these things and brought them forth was truthful in his description, veridical in his words, and a messenger from his Lord. He believed in him, accepted his truthfulness, and bore witness to his mission.

Then he began to find out from Asal what were the acts of worship that he (the messenger) ordained as duties. Asal described prayer, almsgiving, fasting, pilgrimage, and similar external practices. Hayy accepted them, and he took it upon himself to carry them out in compliance with the command of whose author's veracity he had become convinced. There only remained two points that kept him wondering and whose wisdom he could not understand. One point was why this messenger, in the greater part of his description of the divine world, used parables? Why he avoided the clear disclosure (of the truth) and thus led men to fall into the great error of attributing corporeality to Him and believe certain things about the essence of the Truth from which He is completely exempt? And why he did the same concerning rewards and punishments? The other point was why he confined himself to those duties and acts of worship and permitted acquisition of wealth and excessive consumption of food so that people gave themselves up to vain occupations and turned away from the Truth. Hayy's own opinion was that nobody ought to eat anything more than necessary to keep body and soul together. As for riches, they meant nothing to him. He saw no point to the rules of the religious Law in regard to wealth, such as alms‑giving in its various forms, trading, and usury, and in regard to penalties and punishments. All this he found strange and considered it superfluous. He said that if people understood the truth of the matter they would avoid these vanities, turn toward the Truth, and dispense with all this. Nobody will then own private property for which alms would have to be paid, hands cut off for stealing it, or people die for robbing it. What misled Hayy was his belief that all men were endowed with excellent natures, clear‑sighted sagacity, and resolute souls. He was not aware how stupid, deficient, ill‑opinioned, and weak in resolution they were, as the cattle, nay, they are further astray from the way (xxv, 44).

As his pity toward men increased and he entertained the ambition of becoming the instrument of their salvation, he made up his mind to reach them, and to lay bare the truth before them and make it clear for them. He discussed his intention with Asal and asked him if a way could possibly be contrived to reach them. Asal informed him of their deficient nature and how they turn from God. But Hayy could not comprehend that and still hoped to be able to pursue his intention. Asal, too, entertained the ambition that God might, through Hayy, lead into the right path some of his acquaintances, who were initiates and closer to salvation than the others: so he helped him to carry out his design. They resolved to keep close to the seashore without leaving it night or day, till God should please to offer them the opportunity to cross the sea. So they stayed by the shore supplicating and praying to God, the Mighty and Majestic, that He may guide them to the right path in their design (cf. xviii, 10).

It happened, by God's command, that a ship that had lost its course was driven by the winds and the tumultuous waves upon the shore of that island. As the ship drew closer to the land, the people on board saw the two men on shore and made toward them. Asal spoke to them and asked that the two of them be taken along. The (mariners) responded favorably and took them abroad. God sent a fair wind, which in a short time brought the ship to the island they were seeking. There they landed and went into the city. Asal's friends met with him, and he told them the story of Hayy the son of Yaqzan. They flocked around Hayy, showed him great admiration, met with him, and esteemed and venerated him. Asal let Hayy know that this group was superior to all other men in understanding and sagacity; should he prove unable to instruct them, his chances of instructing the multitude were slim. Now the ruler and chief of that island was Salaman, Asal's friend who believed in adhering to the whole body of the community and argued for prohibiting seclusion. Hayy the son of Yaqzan began to teach and to disclose the secrets of wisdom. But no sooner had he gone a little beyond the apparent, and started to describe what they had previously learned to be otherwise, than they began to feel ill at ease in his presence, to feel in their souls an abhorrence for what he told them; and they resented it in their hearts, although in his face they showed that they were pleased, out of respect for his being a stranger as well as for the sake of their friend Asal. Hayy the son of Yaqzan kept entreating them night and day, and kept explaining to them the truth both in private and in public. But this did not produce any effect except to increase their disdain and aversion, despite their love of goodness and their desire for the truth. Nonetheless, because of their deficient natures, they did not pursue the truth in the proper way, nor did they receive it in the proper manner nor call for it at its own doors. On the contrary, they wanted to learn the truth on the authority of other men. So Hayy despaired of reforming them and lost hope in their ability to receive the truth.

Examining afterwards the different categories of men, he found that each party was rejoicing in what it had (xxiii, 53; xxx, 32), taking their caprice to be their god (cf. xxv, 43) and worshipping their desires. They were fighting desperately to collect the crumbs of this world, and they were absorbed in amassing (wealth) until the day they reached their graves (cf. cii, 1‑2). All good advice is lost upon them, and kind words have no effect. Discussion only makes them more obstinate; and as for wisdom, there is no way they could acquire it, neither have they any portion of it. They were submerged in ignorance, and what they were earning has rusted upon their hearts (1xxxiii, 14). God has set a seal on their hearts and their hearing and on their eyes is a covering, and there awaits them a mighty chastisement (ii, 7). When he saw the pavilion of punishment surrounding them and the darkness of the veils covering them– all of them, except a few, do not take seriously anything but the worldly aspects of their religion; they disregard the observance of its practices regardless of their easiness, and they sold it for a small price (cf. iii, 187); commerce did divert them from the remembrance of God, the Exalted, and they had no fear of a day when hearts and eyes shall be turned about (cf. x, 37)– it became clear to him, indeed he was absolutely sure, that it was impossible to address them by way of unveiling (the pure truth), and that to enjoin upon them any works beyond the measure (laid down by their messenger) was not expedient; and further, that the greatest benefit the multiple could get from the religious Law concerned their mundane life alone, so that they might live forthrightly and no man trespass the private property of the others. Only the exceptional and the rare among them would attain the happiness of the hereafter, namely the one who desires the tillage of the hereafter, and strives after it as he should– being a believer (cf. xvii, 197). As for him who is impious, and prefers the life of this world, then surely hell is his abode (Ixxix, 37‑39). What weariness can be greater, or what misery more overwhelming than that of the one who, if you examined his activities from the moment he wakes up till the time he goes to sleep, you would find does nothing but seek after one or another of the vile sensible things: riches to collect, pleasures to partake of, lusts to satisfy, a rage for which he seeks relief, glory to obtain, or practice commended by the religious Law with which to make a vain‑glorious show or defend his own neck. All these things are darkness upon darkness in a deep sea (cf. xxiv, 40), and, there is not one of you, but he shall go down to it, that for thy Lord is a thing decreed, determined (xix, 71).

Upon comprehending that this is the condition of men and that the majority are like irrational animals, he knew that all wisdom, guidance to the right path, and good fortune reside in the utterances of the apostles of God and what is set forth by religious Law: nothing else is possible and nothing more could be added to it. Certain kinds of men are fit for certain kinds of work and each man is more fit to do that for which he is made. Such has been God's way with the ones who had passed away, and you shall find no change in God's way (cf. xlviii, 23). Hence Hayy went back to Salaman and his friends, apologized for what he had said to them, and asked that he be forgiven for it, He informed them that he now shared their opinion and has been guided to the right path that they were following. He also exhorted them to keep firm in their observance of the prescriptions of the religious Law and the performance of the external (religious) practices and not to delve into what does not concern them. They should believe, furthermore, in the ambiguous (statements of the Law) and assent readily to them. They should avoid innovations and private opinions and follow in the footsteps of their pious ancestors, forsaking all unprecedented novelties. He commanded them to avoid the indifference of the vulgar toward the religious Law, and their love of this world, and cautioned them with insistence against it. He and his friend Asal knew now that this is the only way in which this group, which has the desire but not the capacity for salvation, can achieve it. Should one try to raise them to the height of personal vision, this would upset their present order without enabling them to attain the grade of the happy ones. They will waver and suffer a relapse, ending in evil. On the other hand, if this same group should continue in this same condition till death overtook them, they would gain security and belong to the Companions of the Right (1vi, 90,91). As for the Outstrippers, they are the ones brought nigh [(to God's Throne) 1vi, 10‑11].

Asal and Hayy took their leave and separated from the group. They sought an opportunity to go back to their island, till it pleased God, the Mighty and Majestic, to help them and facilitate their passage back. Hayy sought his previous sublime station the same way he had sought it before, till he recovered it. Asal followed in Hayy's footsteps till he came close to him or almost did so. They both worshipped God in that island until death overtook them (cf. xv, 99).

This– may God assist you through his inspiration (cf. lviii, 22) is the story of what happened to Hayy the son of Yaqzan, Asal, and Salaman. It contains certain statements that are not to be found in any book, nor heard in a common discourse. It is a part of that well‑protected science which only those who know God accept and only those deluded concerning God ignore (cf. xxiii, 33; Ivii, 14; lxxxii, 6). We have taken a road contrary to that of the pious ancestors who grudged its dissemination and parsimoniously guarded it. The reason that the disclosure of this secret and the tearing of its veil were made easy for us was the appearance, in our present time, of corrupt opinions aired and broached by some contemporaneous pretenders to philosophy, till they spread all over the countries, and the mischief caused by it has now become common. Fearing lest the weak ones who have rejected the authority of the prophets and who would want to imitate the fools, should think that these opinions are the secrets guarded against the ones unworthy of them, and so increase their inclination to, and love of, them, we decided to give them a glimpse of the secret of secrets in order to attract them to the side of selffulfillment and avert them from this road. Nevertheless, we have not left whatever secrets we confided to these pages without a thin veil and a delicate curtain, which is easy to break by those worthy of doing so, but which turns thick for the ones unworthy of going beyond it so that they would be unable to go any further.

I ask my brothers who read this book to accept my apologies for my indulgence in explaining what I explained and for my liberality in writing it down. I did so only because I climbed heights that the eyes fail to see, and wished to simplify my discourse about them in order to attract others and make them desire to take to the way. I ask for God's indulgence and forgiveness, and that He may lead us unto the pure knowledge of Him. He is gracious and generous. Peace be with you, my brother whom it is my duty to help, and the mercy and blessing of God.

Eternal Success

2008-09-04T00:57:00.000-07:00

Question: How to obtain success and prosperity in this world and hereafter? What kind of success or prosperity that Islam wants the Ummah Islam gain in this world?

Answer:
Praise be to Allah.

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. Allah 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)” (Quran, 16:97)
Allah 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 Allah – 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 Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allah's Cause), or Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all the good and righteous deeds which Allah has ordained), or conciliation between mankind; and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great reward” (Quran, 4:114)
Part of that great reward is relief from worry, distress, troubles, etc.
3 – 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 Allah knows best.
4 – 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 Allah be upon him) sought refuge with Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah be upon him) said:
“Strive for that which will benefit you and seek the help of Allah, 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 Allah wa ma sha’a fa’ala (Allah 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 Allah be upon him) connected the matter of striving to achieve good things with the matter of seeking the help of Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah.
2 – Matters where such is not possible, so he must have peace of mind, accept them and submit to Allah's will.
Undoubtedly paying attention to this principle will bring happiness and relieve worry and distress.
5 – One of the greatest means of feeling content and relaxed and of acquiring peace of mind is to remember Allah a great deal (dhikr). That has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, and relieving worry and distress. Allah says:
“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest” (Quran, 13:28)
Remembering Allah (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 – 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 Allah 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 Allah, 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 Allah, 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, Allah 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 Allah. 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 Allah and puts his trust in Him, and does not give in to his imagination or let bad thoughts overwhelm him, and he relies on Allah 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 Allah and helped by Him to strive to achieve that which will benefit and strengthen the heart and ward off anxiety. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him” (Quran, 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 Allah 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 Allah has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allah 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 Allah to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allah 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 Allah may dispel worries and regret. These are as follows:
1- Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (belief in the Oneness of Divine Lordship)
2- Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (belief in the Oneness of the Divine nature)
3- Tawheed of knowledge and belief (i.e., Tawheed al-Asma’ wa’l_Sifaat, belief in the Oneness of the Divine names and attributes)
4- Thinking of Allah 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.
5- The person’s acknowledging that he is the one who has done wrong.
6- Beseeching Allah 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).
7- Seeking the help of Allah Alone.
8- Affirming one's hope in Him.
9- 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.
10- 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.
11- Seeking forgiveness.
12- Repentance.
13- Jihad.
14- Salah (prayer).
15- Declaring that he has no power and no strength, and leaving matters to the One in Whose hand they are.
We ask Allah 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 Allah knows best. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Keys To Happiness

2008-07-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

Happiness is the only goal on earth that all people without exception are seeking to attain. Believers and unbelievers alike seek to be happy, but each party is using different methods.
However, only believers can achieve genuine happiness. All forms of happiness attained without a firm belief in Allah the Almighty are mere illusions.
The following are tips for the attainment of happiness:
1. Know that if you do not live within the scope of today, your thoughts will be scattered, your affairs will become confused, and your anxiety will increase. These realities are explained in the following hadith:
"When you are in the evening, do not expect to see themorning, and when you are in the morning, do not expectto see the evening." (Al-Bukhari)
2. Forget the past and all that it contained. Being absorbed in thingsthat are past and gone is sheer lunacy.
3. Do not be preoccupied with the future because the future is in the world of the unseen; do not let it bother you until it comes.
4. Do not be shaken by criticism; instead, be firm. Be sure that in proportion to your worth, the level of people's criticism rises. Also, make good use of criticism in discovering your shortcomings and faults, and let it drive you toward self-improvement.
5. Have certain faith in Allah the Almighty and perform good deeds; these are the ingredients that makeup a good and happy life.
6. If you desire peace, tranquility, and comfort, you can find it all in the remembrance of Allah the Almighty.
7. You should know with certainty that everything that happens, occurs in accordance with the divine decree.
8. Do not expect gratitude from anyone.
9. Train yourself to be prepared for the worst eventuality.
10. Perhaps what has happened is in your best interest, even though you may not comprehend how that can be so.
11. Everything that is decreed for the believer is the best for him.
12. Enumerate the blessings of Allah the Almighty and be thankful for them.
13. Remember that you are better off than many others.
14. Relief comes from one hour to the next. Indeed,with each difficulty there is relief.
15. In both times of hardship and ease, one should turn to supplication and prayer, either patiently contented or thankful.
16. Calamities should strengthen your heart and reshape your outlook in a positive way.
17. Do not let trivialities be the cause of your destruction.
18. Always remember that your Lord is Oft-Forgiving.
19. Assume an easy-going attitude and avoid anger.
20. Life is bread, water, and shade; so do not be perturbed by a lack of any other material thing.
{And in the heaven is your providence and that which you are promised.} (Adh-Dhariyat 51: 22)
21. Most evil that is supposed to happen never occurs.
22. Look at those who have more afflictions and be grateful that you have less.
23. Bear in mind the fact that Allah the Almighty loves those who endure trials with steadfastness, so seek to be one of them.
24. Constantly repeat those supplications that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to say during times of hardship.
25. Work hard at something that is productive, and cast off idleness.
26. Do not spread rumors and do not listen to them. If you hear a rumorinadvertently, do not believe it.
27. Know that your malice and your striving to seek revenge are much moreharmful to your health than they are to your antagonist.
28. The hardships that befall you atone for your sins, if you endure with patience.

This article has been taken with some modifications from a book Do Not Be Sad by A'id al-Qarni.

Religion and Happiness

2007-11-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Religion and Happiness

By Khalif Muammar

Happiness is often defined as pleasure and material satisfaction. It is characterized by good fortune and intense joy. Happiness becomes a loose concept and means different thing to different people. Aristotle, who paved the way for secularism and immanentism, maintains that happiness consists of good birth, good health, good look, good luck, good reputation, good friends, good money and goodness. Between a rich person and a scholar he chose a rich person as the happier one. Contrary to his pupil, Plato is doubtful about happiness: once you have happiness you will see misery. You seek happiness and yet you never feel you have it. Therefore in Germany they say: “glück und glas, wie bald bricht das” (Happiness and glass, how they are easily broken).

Since the definitions of happiness given in Western literature lack spiritual and religious dimensions, people tend to believe that they will experience happiness only in this world. Consequently, they believe that paradise must be built in this world. They consciously or unconsciously attempted to create heaven for themselves in this worldly life assuming that paradise in hereafter is merely a myth designed for the weak. Even Seligman’s theory of pleasant life, good life and meaningful life is devoid of religious guidance and values. This indicates that he believes religion has no significant role in determining the happiness of human being.

In my view, philosophers and social scientists who discussed happiness without reference to religious guidance are offering bewilderment and confusion to other people. You can tell people that they are happy and happy, in a narrow conception, but you cannot tell them that your road to happiness is certain. Without religion and spirituality there is no objective happiness. People cannot attain true happiness without religious guidance. What they may attain is only a subjective and temporal happiness. Many theories emerge today deal with happiness in a mechanistic way and lack of meaning. A company called Friendsfirst in Ireland invented ‘The Happiness Index’ by which the happiness of a person is measured in a daily basis. Later on they admitted that it is implausible. There are studies conducted which suggest that happiness can be measured effectively. As if happiness equals to wealth. We know a person is unhappy by looking at the symptoms. Like we know a person is sick when we see the symptoms. However, unlike a healthy person a happy person is not measurable. This is because happiness is not only a psychological condition but also a spiritual condition.

Western conception of happiness depends so much upon material condition of a person. Aristotle followed by most contemporary social scientists and philosophers agree that happiness is psychological condition which depends on sensual satisfaction. According to this view, without material contentment no person can be happy. It is easy to talk about happiness when you are fortunate. This implies that unfortunate persons never experience happiness. And yet we know that they are sometimes happier than many normal persons. You are truly a happy person if you are still happy when something bad (calamity, being poor) happened to you. At time of disaster, your convictions and your happiness will be tested. At this time in particular human being, more than ever, needs God. His faith and trust of God will save him from depression and suicide attempts. Therefore, my point is that happiness can be achieved not only by fortunate persons but also by unfortunate persons i.e., the poor, the disable and even the imprisoned.

Religion plays an important role in defining human life. Religion, not any religion but a true religion of God, can guide us in attaining happiness in this world and hereafter. Without Divine guidance human being will be lost in confusion and gone astray. Divine guidance is needed owing to the fact that human knowledge is limited and very few compared to Divine wisdom. The fact is that what we think is good might later turn to be bad. We tend to belittle something which then turns to be of up most importance. Moreover, a way of life based purely on human reason, such as materialism and secular humanism is proven to be destructive. This is evident in the current crisis of humanity wherein warfare, crimes and social ills escalate; the crisis of nature wherein climate change and global warming agonize the global community. Need not to mention our continuous dependence of God’s blessings and protection. God, in Islam, does not only create this world but also maintain it and manage its operation. In Islam, human being is the servant of Allah. This is the truth about human nature. He is not independent from God or a master of the universe as portrayed by secular humanism and existentialists. This true nature of human being is indispensable, confusion in this salient fact will result in crisis of humanity itself as we witnessed today.

Religion tells us that wealth and worldly satisfaction should not be our goal in life but the pleasure (ridha) of God. That appearance should not be a parameter but one’s heart. Don’t be deceived by material and physical condition of a person but look at his heart and his deeds (morality). This worldly life, the Qur’an tells us, is an adornment (zinah), which may distract us from achieving our real goal. Thus, we must have persistence and perseverance so that our whims and the Satan cannot mislead us from undergoing a life pleased by God. The Prophet tells us that a truly wealthy person is the one with contentedness (qana’ah) or ghina al-nafs. God tells us that this worldly life is not the end it is only like a bridge to get into the eternal life (hereafter), wherein we are accountable and be punished or rewarded for our deed. With this in mind a person will not be desperate to build his paradise in this world because if he is good he is certain to get into the real paradise in hereafter. And if he chose to be a bad person he has opportunity to repent and ask God’s forgiveness. Religion emphasizes that human being must choose to be a good person otherwise his life, both in this world and in hereafter, will be miserable.

True happiness must be permanent, it should not depend and measured based on material condition and physical appearance. It is, more than psychological condition, a spiritual condition. As a spiritual condition it is permanent and immanent. It is not affected by outward condition. A truly happy person should be happy even in a worse condition. Therefore, happiness is not only about feelings and emotion. It is about choosing the right way of life through moral conduct and religious guidance.

Happiness in this worldly life can be achieved only through Divine guidance. It is through Divine guidance human being will know his true nature, the true nature of God and existence. Morality does not make sense if it divorced from religion. Moral theories will remain theoretical and vague unless it is accompanied by the concept of the judgment day, justice and Divine wisdom. A person will abstain from consuming alcohol, even though it is alluring to him, because God forbids it. This Divine instruction is more effective than one's rational thinking. His rationality cannot force him to avoid harmful actions. Only those who submit to God's decision will experience true happiness. Because he will realize there is wisdom in every Divine injunction.

The happiness of human being cannot be attained by pursuing satisfaction of the self, because it will never be satisfied. Human being will be happy only through submission to God (Islam), because that is the real nature of human being. Being submissive to God entails accepting oneself as a servant of God which always depend on His blessings and love; obeying His instructions because they are good; abstaining from the unlawful because they are deleterious.

'Unhappy People'

2007-11-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

Perhaps we should know who are unhappy among us. This is important not to judge anyone but to ensure that we are not one of them.
1. Childrens ignored by their parents. Many childrens constitute among the most unhappy people because they depend so much on others to be happy. If parents are unable to allocate their quality time to be with their children, no enough attention and care given to them, they will grow with anger and hatred. They will become individuals without affection and love towards others. Every child needs attention, love and education from their parents. They initially look at their parents as role models. If parents cannot educate their childrens and inculcate noble values, they will find friends, TV as their educators. This will necessarily result in confusion, immorality and miserable life.
2. Parents ignored by their childrens. As we know, we will reap the fruit of the plant we seed. If parents ignored their children the children will in turn ignore their parents. Many parents think that by providing wealth their children will be happy. Materialistic parents would rather spent most of their life working and accumulate more wealth assuming that the more money they acquire the happier they will be. Of course, temporarily, they will enjoy with fancy cars and warm vacations but then without inner satisfaction from every single member of the family the wealth does not mean anything. Later, with regret, the parents will realize that they have brought up ungrateful, mean and immoral persons.
3. Criminals. This includes thiefs, murderer, liar and all kinds of crimes. They chose to be criminals because they think they can have what others have in an easy way. The think that they have failed to reach their goal and become ordinary persons. Since they still have the desire to be rich, have pleasure and alike, they decided to take the risks and become criminals. It is evident that it is materialism in its ugliest form that causes this social ill.
4. Some distinguished people. Those entrusted as rulers, community leaders and high ranking officials who abuse their power and committed injustice will end up in misery. These corrupt leaders will bear the result of their wrongdoings in this world and hereafter. History proves that many of these corrupt leaders, such as Marcos, Fujimori, Suharto, Estrada face their punishment at the end of their life.
5.Those who live for lower cause. The bulk majority of people today live their life for the sake wealth and pleasure. Human beings actually have higher cause. It has something to do with God and His purpose of creation. This spiritual cause is necessary if a man really seek perfection. Man is not in any way an animal. Reason and soul are the distinctive nature of human being. Once we dedicated our life for the cause of fulfilling our whims we actually chose to live like animals. Animals don't care about values, about knowledge, about peace and tranquility. These are the functions of the soul. Our happiness depend so much on attaining good values, deep knowledge and inner tranquility. Those who chose the materialistic way of life are not happy, although sometimes they seems happy. Even if they have all that they want, but deep inside they feel something is missing. They need to keep themselves entertained through music, disco, bars otherwise they will feel bored. If they really happy they don't need them.

Is Happiness Possible?

2007-11-01T03:42:00.000-07:00

To live a happy life is not impossible. We can achieve happiness in this world if we know how and have an access to the road provided for us by our Creator. God did not leave us unguided and undirected. Actually, He gave us the freedom to choose a happy life or a miserable one. If we chose the right one we will certainly be happy and if we chose the wrong one we will be unhappy. Since God is Merciful and Compassionate, He provides us with His Guidance. Therefore, we don't have to struggle to find the direction. We only have to follow the direction provided by God in order to be happy. The thing is do we see the guidance as a guidance or we think we need not His guidance?

Many people chose the wrong way of life, follow only his whims, in the end of the day they will find themselves in emptiness. Some people find nothing meaningful in their lives. What happiness actually means to us? is it pleasure and material satisfaction? Is it something relative and temporal, which entails no one can really attain happiness? If happiness is confined to material and outward satisfaction, our happiness will be temporary and surely this is not happiness. It is mere satisfaction. Something to do with human emotion. Happiness is not an emotion, though a happy person will necessarily looked happy. Happiness should be permanent and immanent. It should not depend on situation and condition but on faith and noble values which rooted firmly in human natural condition.

THE PLACE OF ENDLESS HAPPINESS(PARADISE)

2007-02-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Allah brings those who follow His guidance the good news of a Paradise filled with blessings where they will live eternally and warns them not to be deceived by the life of this world and place it above Paradise: "The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the Hereafter-that is truly Life if they only knew." (Surat al-'Ankabut: 64) and "... the best homecoming is in the presence of Allah." (Surah Al 'Imran: 14) Allah tells us that the Hereafter is more precious than the life of this world and superior to it and that people's real life is there. In that case, what kind of surroundings and existence await people in the Hereafter?

Our concern here is with Paradise and the happiness which will be experienced there, rather than Hell which is the place of torment which Allah has prepared for disbelievers.

In His verses, Allah tells us that the life of the Hereafter is the real life of the human being. In Paradise, the defects and shortcomings of the life of this world will no longer exist. There will be everything the human heart desires. Allah has informed us of the perfection of the Garden and the details of the life believers will live there in the Qur'an. He mentions the surroundings in which believers will live, what they will eat, the natural beauties of Paradise and the spouses the believers will have there. A great deal of information concerning the Garden is contained in the Qur'an for us to reflect upon. In order to understand better life in Paradise and the limitless happiness which is promised there, let us briefly examine its wonders in the light of the verses of the Qur'an.

If we consider first the natural beauties of the Garden, we can say that Allah describes it as "neither burning sun nor bitter cold" (Surat al-Insan: 13), telling us that it has a climate so beautiful as to cause no discomfort at all to anybody. The heat which makes people sweat and stupefies them, and the freezing cold in this world do not exist there. This points to the perfection of the climate in Paradise. Amongst other natural beauties referred to in the Qur'an by Allah in connection with Paradise are "outpouring water." (Surat al- Waqi'a: 31) Water which flows unceasingly gives people great pleasure and is at the same time soothing and restful. The pools and fountains which in the life of this world people build in the gardens of their houses and villas provide both an aesthetic view and a cooling environment. Allah tells us about this characteristic of Paradise in another verse: "In them are two gushing springs." (Surat ar-Rahman: 66)

In addition, Allah informs us that believers will live in soothing, pleasant places: "Those who guard against evil will be amid Gardens and Springs." (Surat al-Hijr: 45) and "The heedful will be amid shade and fountains." (Surat al-Mursalat: 41) Amongst other things of great beauty which Allah mentions in the Qur'an are the flowers and plants of every type which are brought together in perfect harmony and from which people will take indescribable pleasure. As well as these, fruit trees described as "thornless lote-trees" (Surat al-Waqi'a: 28) and "fruit-laden acacias," (Surat al-Waqi'a: 29) are another blessing. Allah adds to this that Paradise has an appearance which is "of deep viridian green." (Surat ar-Rahman: 64)

Bringing all these together sets before people a vision of enchanting beauty. Neither is there any question of this vision fading or being lost with the passage of time. It will remain eternally untouched and unblemished. The beauties and blessings which await believers in Paradise are not limited to these. In addition to these natural wonders, Allah tells us in the Qur'an of the beauty of the places where believers will live:

But those who have fear of their Lord will have high-ceilinged Halls, and more such Halls built one above the other, and rivers flowing under them. That is Allah's promise. Allah does not break His promise. (Surat az-Zumar: 20)

As Allah informs us in this verse, believers will live in pavilions constructed on the heights of Paradise and looking out on inspiring views. As well as this Allah has created handsome servants for believers. He tells us that they will provide believers with continual and uninterrupted service in this verse:

Circulating among them there will be youths like hidden pearls. (Surat at-Tur: 24)

Furthermore, Allah tells us that the clothing of believers in Paradise will be beautiful: "[Believers will be] wearing fine silk and rich brocade, face to face with one another." (Surat ad-Dukhan: 53), and "... they will be adorned with gold bracelets and pearls..." (Surat al-Hajj: 23) As we know, silk and satin, gold and pearls are very valuable in this world. At the same time, this wealth and abundance are an expression of the high station of the believers. In the Garden, they will wear clothes made from silk and satin and jewelry of gold and pearls and their appearance will be aesthetically magnificent. Allah also brings us the good news in the Qur'an that in Paradise He will give believers spouses of unblemished and flawless beauty for themselves alone:

In [the Gardens] are maidens with eyes for them alone, untouched before them by either man or jinn. (Surat ar-Rahman: 56)

With expressions such as "just like closely guarded pearls" (Surat as-Saffat: 49) and "dark-eyed maidens like hidden pearls" (Surat al-Waqi'a: 23), Allah describes the faultless beauty of these spouses created solely for believers. They are without any worldly defect and will never lose any of their beauty. All these are blessings which Allah will grant only to believers. Believers will be pleased with all these blessings and grateful to their Lord. Allah tells us that the eternal happiness believers will feel and their joy is reflected in the illumination of their faces in the verse, "You will recognize in their faces the radiance of delight." (Surat al-Mutaffifin: 24)

Another cause of happiness for believers is the perfection of Allah's creation of everything in Paradise. In the Garden there will be none of the faults and flaws which annoy people in the life of this world and which make them uncomfortable, troubled and unhappy. Allah tells us in the Qur'an that in Paradise there will be no worldly discomforts such as tiredness, death, illness, pain, ageing, dirtiness, thirst, hunger and so forth:

You will not go hungry in it or suffer from nakedness. [We said to Adam,] "You will not go thirsty in it [the Garden] or burn in the sun." (Surah Ta Ha: 118-119)

Without doubt, a place where a person is cleansed of all the factors which trouble and discomfort him and make him unhappy, is also the source of the greatest comfort and luxury he can possibly experience.

In addition, in Paradise, there will be no such concept as "need" for believers. There they will do nothing out of necessity. Everything will be at their service and everything their hearts desire will be theirs. Allah has created all these blessings so that believers can take pleasure from them and be happy. He has turned everything they do into a pleasure and an entertainment. They will never feel any annoyance or boredom with these things.

Another great blessing for believers which brings peace and happiness is that they will live together with other sincere believers. Without doubt, in Paradise believers will be cleansed of all moral characteristics which annoy, anger and discomfort people in the life of this world. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah tells us that in Paradise there will be no anger or hatred in the hearts of believers:

We will strip away any rancor in their hearts. Rivers will flow under them and they will say, "Praise be to Allah Who has guided us to this! We would not have been guided, had Allah not guided us. The Messengers of our Lord came with the Truth." It will be proclaimed to them: "This is your Garden which you have inherited for what you did." (Surat al-A'raf: 43)

Of course, living in Paradise with perfectly pure people who have been purged of every low attribute and negative characteristic will be a great blessing for the true believers and a source of peace and happiness. Allah tells us that in Paradise believers will express their happiness as follows:

"Praise be to Allah Who has removed all sadness from us. Truly our Lord is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful. He Who has lodged us, out of His favor, in the Abode of Permanence where no weariness or fatigue affects us."(Surah Fatir: 34-35)

As we can see from these verses, in Paradise Allah will give people the greatest pleasure and happiness. The joy and happiness they feel because they have earned the approval and love of Allah will be the source of the highest form of contentment. All the blessings of the Garden are the gift of Allah to His sincere followers. The greatest incentive for believers is the hope that Allah will have mercy on them and admit them to Paradise because of their striving to be pleasing to Him.

Paradise is the gift of Allah, our Lord, and is beyond comparison for that reason. Paradise will unite those people who sincerely believe in Him and who are worthy of the eternal gift of joy and happiness. Thus, the greatest happiness and salvation for a person is earning the approval of Allah and being united with His mercy in Paradise.

THE WAY TO HAPPINESS

2007-02-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

SATAN, THE VOICE OF MISERY

How Satan Causes People Misgivings

From the day man was created to the present, Satan has been the most implacable and dangerous enemy of mankind. He deceives and corrupts people by distancing them from the love and will of Allah and from the Qur'an, and by provoking them and setting them against one another, in short by making them as much like himself as possible. Allah warns people that Satan is a clear and present enemy in the verse, "Did I not make a contract with you, tribe of Adam, not to worship Satan, who truly is an outright enemy to you?" (Surah Ya Sin: 60)

Despite being faced with such a dangerous and at the same time cunning enemy, some people live in complete heedlessness of this reality because they are unaware of Satan's existence and of just how cunning he really is. Some people regard Satan as a kind of symbol with no real existence. These incorrect ideas about Satan cause their failure to notice what serious trouble and strife he is capable of making people suffer and leave them defenseless against him. This gives him a simple opportunity of turning people who are heedless of him against Allah and His religion. There are millions of people who do not recognize Satan even when they are face to face with him. This in turn shows what serious danger these people are in.

What makes Satan dangerous is his determination to divert people from the path of Allah, this is his goal. He has sworn an oath to this effect. For this purpose he will make whatever effort he can and try every possible method. Allah tells us about Satan's determination in this matter in the Qur'an:

He [Satan] said, "By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in ambush for them on your straight path. Then I will come at them, from in front of them and behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful." (Surat al-A'raf: 16-17)

Another dangerous aspect of Satan is that he acts with guile while doing all this. He approaches people differently using a variety of methods according to their weaknesses and defects. He has a different method, different tactics for each individual person. He carries out all his activities with provocations cunningly whispered in people's ears. He plunges them into doubt, drives them into empty fancies and makes them waste time by engaging in worthless pursuits. Allah warns us in the Qur'an that Satan will try to divert and deceive people:

[Satan said,] "I will lead them astray and fill them with false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cattle's ears. I will command them and they will change Allah's creation." Anyone who takes Satan as his protector in place of Allah has clearly lost everything. He makes promises to them and fills them with false hopes. But what Satan promises them is nothing but delusion. (Surat an-Nisa': 119-120)

Satan always tries to bring people harm and loss. The source of people's never ending woes and troubles and the physical damage they suffer from these are the misgivings and empty fantasies which Satan provokes in them because he wants them to be unhappy. In the Qur'an, Allah warns that people who follow Satan are disappearing into an eternal dark cul-de-sac:

Allah is the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light. But those who disbelieve have false gods [Satans] as protectors. They take them from the light into the darkness. Those are the Companions of the Fire remaining in it timelessly, for ever. (Surat al-Baqara: 257)

However, there is another important matter on which we need to spend some time. A lot of people adopt this psychology within themselves and accept it as a part of life. They believe their lives will be colorful and enjoyable if they live in this way. They go on living without considering the trouble and harm continually being in such a spiritual state will cause them. This is nothing but Satan's deception. By indicating that the situation into which he pushes people is pleasant and attractive, Satan prevents them from using their intelligence and seeing the truth. Allah tells us of this state into which people can fall in the Qur'an:

… Satan made their actions seem good to them and so debarred them from the Way, even though they were intelligent people. (Surat al-'Ankabut: 38)

As we can see, Satan assumes a major role in human unhappiness and in people's living troubled lives. The misgivings produced by Satan deceive people and get them in trouble. With the misery he brings, he distances people who follow him from Allah and His scriptures and makes them rebellious against religion.

Satan Inspires Hopelessness and Helplessness

As we pointed out in the previous section, Satan tries to use every opportunity as best he can to divert people from the way of Allah, to distance them from religion, to have them engage in worthless pursuits and prevent them from thinking about Allah and the Hereafter. One of the situations in which Satan finds an opportunity is the moment when a person sinks into hopelessness or pessimism.

During his life a person is faced with a large number of events, some which seem positive, some negative, and he does not know where, when or under what conditions he will be faced with these events. At any time he may contract a fatal disease, lose all his property due to a natural disaster, be thrown out of work, be forced to live on a restricted income for a long period or encounter other such major or minor events which are regarded as negative. People who do not consider that the world has been created as a test and do not believe that Allah has created everything on the basis of His wisdom become depressed when faced with such occurrences and lose hope. This arises from their lack of trust in Allah.

In fact nothing a person encounters in life is accidental, empty or meaningless. As Allah tells us in the verse, "... And no fruit emerges from its husk, nor does any female get pregnant or give birth, without His knowledge..." (Surah Fussilat: 47) Everything that happens takes place with His knowledge, at His wish and under His control. Nothing, therefore, is accidental or meaningless. On the contrary, everything contains meaning and divine wisdom. If, instead of seeing this truth, a person evaluates events through such superstitious concepts as "blind chance" or "coincidence," this will create in him discontent, worry and hopelessness. Of course, this is a situation which makes Satan's task easier because through the misgivings he causes people who live their lives unaware of this secret, he lures them from Allah and religion and even makes them Their enemy. And, of course, the person's descent into pessimism and hopelessness at such a moment and the harm he does himself as a result shows at the same time that Satan has achieved another of his aims. Allah explains in the Qur'an the reason for the troubles and difficulties people face and describes their erroneous reaction to these:

We sent Messengers to nations before you, and afflicted those nations with hardship and distress so that hopefully they would humble themselves. If only they had humbled themselves when Our violent force came upon them! However, their hearts were hard and Satan made what they were doing seem attractive to them. (Surat al-An'am: 42-43)

Allah gives people trouble and difficulties so that they may realize that there is no power other than His in which to take refuge and so that they may find the true path. However, Satan prevents people from seeing this divine wisdom and damages them by leaving their hearts bereft of sensitivity. In fact, the troubles people face are blessings of Allah. In such circumstances, a person should act in a way which Allah will approve, remember Him right away, ask for His help and remain patient in the face of the trouble. Allah has told us that He will come to the aid of those who take refuge in Him.

When the Prophet Muhammad (saws) and his companions hid in a cave to conceal themselves from disbelievers who were pursuing them, our Prophet's (saws) behavior provided an outstanding example for everybody in this regard. In the Qur'an Allah describes the behavior of the Prophet (saws) as follows:

If you do not help him, Allah did help him when those who disbelieved drove him out and there were two of them in the Cave. He said to his companion, "Do not be despondent, Allah is with us." Then Allah sent down His serenity upon him and reinforced him with troops you could not see. He made the word of those who disbelieved undermost. It is the word of Allah which is uppermost. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 40)

The Prophet Muhammad (saws) understood that what had happened to him was one of Allah's tests and showed his submission and devotion to Allah in the best possible way. Even at the most dangerous moment he never lost hope of rescue but instead reminded his companions of Allah's mercy and His aid. In return for this superior behavior, Allah put peace and security in the heart of our Prophet (saws) and saved him.

On this subject, another striking example is the submissive behavior of the Prophet Musa (as) when he was pursued by Pharaoh's army:

And when the two hosts came into sight of one another Musa's companions said, "We will surely be overtaken!" He [Musa] said, "Never! My Lord is with me and He will guide me." So We revealed to Musa, "Strike the sea with your staff." And it split in two, each part like a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued Musa and all those who were with him. Then We drowned the rest. There is certainly a Sign in that yet most of them are not believers. (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 61-67)

As we can see from these verses, some of the people at the Prophet Musa's (as) side gave up hope right away in this situation and said, "We're trapped." However, Prophet Musa (as) demonstrated exemplary devotion and loyalty to Allah and told those around him that Allah would definitely help them. Immediately after this display of submission and sincerity, Allah sent a great miracle which rescued them from Pharaoh.

People who do not have faith in Allah from the heart are in the habit of giving way to despair. Because they do not live according to the guidance of the Qur'an, they also display a forgetful and ungrateful character. Allah points to the ingratitude of such people in the verse, "If We let man taste mercy from Us, and then take it away from him, he is despairing, ungrateful." (Surah Hud: 9)

Allah declares, "... Do not despair of solace from Allah. No one despairs of solace from Allah except for people who are disbelievers." (Surah Yusuf: 87) With this verse Allah warns people that they should definitely not lose their hopes of Him. Allah created everything in the world for people and offered them everything as a blessing. Humanity is indebted to Allah for everything. He tells us that He is the One Who gives and withholds sustenance in the verse, "Do they not see that Allah expands provision for whoever He wills and also restricts it? There are certainly Signs in that for people who believe." (Surat ar-Rum: 37)

What people are required to do is to trust Allah under any circumstances whatsoever and pray sincerely to Him in awareness of the verse, "He Who responds to the oppressed when they call on Him and removes their distress…" (Surat an-Naml: 62) Allah has promised that He will rescue believers who show this attitude when confronted with troubles. Allah also advises people not to lose hope of His mercy in this verse, "... but you hope for something from Allah which they cannot hope for." (Surat an-Nisa': 104)

The constancy of hopefulness depends on its source. Ignorant people lack a sound foundation which can constantly give them hope. They may fall into despair at any moment because of this. The believers, however, nourish a powerful hope in their hearts even at the most difficult moments because of their trust in our Lord. A person who can always remain hopeful is also protected from the stress and troubles caused by hopelessness and pessimism and the health problems and physical damage which these can bring. Such people manage to avoid a weary and defeated state of mind and have a fresh and lively appearance. This fresh and lively spiritual state also reflects itself in their actions and gains them a cheerful, easy, normal and balanced personality.

A person whose source of hope is the Almighty Allah never, by Allah's will, loses hope or the peace and good cheer he feels because of it.

Satan Inspires Emotionalism

Another influence which makes people unhappy comes from a source from which nobody expects it, the person's own emotions. How can these feelings which are regarded as harmless become harmful instead?

In communities which are far from religion, it is very difficult for people to know what is true and what is false because all concepts are in conflict with one another. A person does whatever he regards as logical and correct and in this behaves with great will and determination. A large number of wrong ideas receive approval and are admired while in contrast correct ones are regarded as wrong, criticized and violently opposed.

Emotionalism is at the head of the list of these confused concepts. Emotionalism may be defined generally as the evaluation of everything on the basis of one's emotions and the shaping of one's life accordingly. Someone who lives like this needs always to be directed by his emotions towards virtue and the truth in order to lead an intelligent, comfortable and tranquil life. However, this is nearly impossible because an emotional person usually has difficulty in evaluating events correctly. This is because he acts on the basis of his emotions rather than intelligence and logic. Because he acts with his emotions when making decisions he has difficulty in seeing the true face of events and people. Or, completely to the contrary, in a situation where it is necessary to avoid anger he may be unable to control himself and may easily harm both himself and others. Just as he can suddenly change a minor difference of opinion into a major row, a song he is listening to can make him burst into tears while he appears to be cheerfully and happily enjoying himself with friends. In some people emotionalism also manifests itself in such different forms as introversion and irritability.

Obviously far more examples like this can be given. But if you notice, they all have one point in common-loss of a person's ability to use his intelligence and the suppression of that intelligence. This is just what Satan, who is determined to pervert people, wants and is waiting for. By using this secret weapon well, Satan prevents people from using their intelligence and from seeing the truth without their realizing it. He drives people away from Allah's scriptures and their superior morality. It is as though he draws a veil across a person's intelligence.

To protect himself from such a situation a person needs to know Satan well. To be able to make a judgment on any subject from a correct point of view, he needs to possess correct and sound information. Only in this way can he know what is right and what is wrong, what is beneficial and what is harmful. A person can find the type of information and intelligence that he will need throughout his life in the Qur'an, which is sent down by Allah to guide people and thereby can acquire real intelligence. The clear intelligence which Allah describes in the Qur'an as a characteristic of believers is a powerful weapon which protects them against Satan's guile. By contrast, if a person acts according to his desires and emotions, he will be unhappy.

In the verse, "... Say: 'I do not follow your whims and desires. If I did I would go astray and not be among the guided.'" (Surat al-An'am: 56) Allah tells us that living according to the emotions of the lower self diverts people from His path. The inescapable result of this is that people suffer disappointment, long term depression, trouble and stress. In this world, this brings nothing but misery.

Satan's Deception Is Weak

In previous sections we examined the effects of Satan on people who are distanced from religion and consequently distanced throughout their lives from the knowledge brought by faith in Allah and how people are driven to sorrow by this means. However, in the face of these deceptions, traps and provocations of Satan, there is an important point which people should not forget. This is the degree to which Satan can have a formative effect on people. In the first place, Satan is not a power independent of Allah. Satan is also created by Allah and he is the enemy of humanity only because Allah wills it so. He can have no independent power over people unless Allah wills it. Allah created Satan as a test for people. Those who follow him will stray from the true path while those who listen to their consciences and act according to Allah's wishes will achieve salvation.

In addition to this, the effect of Satan on people is closely connected with their closeness to Allah and their devotion to Him, in short, with the sincerity of their faith. Satan can have no effect on Allah's sincere servants. His effect is only on people who resist Allah and ascribe partners to Him. In order to understand this better, we need to know why Allah created Satan. As we are told in the verse, "... to enable Us to know those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it..." (Surah Saba: 21) Allah created Satan to separate the believers from the unbelievers. On this point, it emerges clearly which people Satan will have a more powerful influence on and which he will be able to divert from the path of Allah.

Allah tells us that Satan is the open enemy of humanity and that people should make Satan their enemy in the verse, "Satan is your enemy so treat him as an enemy. He summons his party so they will be among the people of the Searing Blaze." (Surah Fatir: 6) A person's ability to succeed against an enemy and defeat him is connected to his knowledge of the enemy and of the methods and tactics he employs. In short, a person should know his enemy very well. Because of the Qur'an which Allah Himself sent down, believers know Satan very well and they know very well how to fight him. This is an indication of how weak and ineffective Satan's influence on believers is. Satan will try to corrupt sincere believers as he tries to corrupt all of humanity, but he will never be successful. Because believers base their lives on the facts communicated by Allah in the Qur'an which He sent down, they can see the traps of Satan and the best ways to avoid them. Allah describes this committed and sincere behavior of believers in the Qur'an:

If an evil impulse from Satan provokes you, seek refuge in Allah. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. As for those who guard against evil, when they are bothered by visitors from Satan, they remember and immediately see clearly. (Surat al-'Araf: 200-201)

As Allah points out in the verse, "... Satan's scheming is always feeble" (Surat an-Nisa': 76), the scheming of Satan over believers is very weak, but the same is not true of those who set their faces against the Qur'an and live in heedlessness of Allah. Allah tells us in Surat ash-Shu'ara': 233 that, "They give them [Satans] a hearing." Because they do not listen to the voice of their consciences, they do exactly what Satan tells them. These people have forgotten the power of Allah and fallen completely under the control of Satan. To put it another way, they have made Satan a deity. For this reason it is very easy for Satan to draw these people to his path and make them live completely disconnected from Allah and the Qur'an. Allah tells us that Satan perversely influences people who adopt him as their friend and guardian but that he has no compulsive power over the faithful:

He [Satan] has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. He only has authority over those who take him as a friend and associate others with Allah. (Surat an-Nahl: 99-100)

THE HAPPINESS AND BLESSINGS BROUGHT BY FAITH

2007-02-12T19:36:00.000-08:00

Cheerfulness
Because they believe in Allah and accept His decree, the cheerfulness and joy of the faithful are perpetual. This also manifests itself in their daily lives and is the basic source of believers' character. By contrast, in return for their living in ignorance of Allah and His scriptures, disbelievers are always unhappy.
The love and devotion believers feel towards Allah and their submission to Him remove all cause for material and spiritual discomfort because for believers there is nothing in their lives which can be classified as "bad." Through the guidance of the Qur'an they are aware that things regarded as "bad" will be turned to their advantage and benefit by Allah. This ensures that believers always have a cheerfulness and joy which springs from their faith. In surroundings where everybody is unhappy and pessimistic, they never lose any of their cheerfulness because there is nothing which can make them unhappy.
People in the community of the ignorant can do whatever they like but because they do not have the joy of faith they will never know true contentment. Even though they want to do so very much they can never act with sincere and heartfelt cheerfulness. They cannot be relaxed and at peace in the true sense because they have excluded themselves from the tranquility which faith would bring them. They also make those around them uncomfortable.
The reactions of believers are always heartfelt and sincere because they have the joy of faith. Their actions and behavior bring great calm and cheer to those around them because they always act on the basis of their devotion to Allah. For this reason everybody takes great pleasure from discussion and friendship with a believer because only believers possess sincerity, honesty and happiness in the true sense. Because of this incomparable blessing which Allah has given them, believers are the only people who take pleasure from life and enjoy themselves and celebrate in the full meaning of the word because they know that everything is by the decree of Allah. Allah explains this in the following verse of the Qur'an:
Say: "Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust." (Surat at-Tawba: 51)
People who suffer difficulty and anxiety because of the ignorance and immorality which govern their way of life, do not experience the pleasure of enjoying themselves in the real sense because of the deep spiritual unease which disturbs their inner beings. Even if a person seems to be laughing and enjoying himself, he only thinks he is doing so. He paints a false picture of fun and happiness because he cannot forget the troubles and problems he meets in daily life. Wherever he goes and whatever he does, he is unable to enjoy himself wholeheartedly because he is constantly plagued by worry and anxiety.
The unhappiness of such people is so deep that when they meet someone who is able to smile sincerely it causes them great discomfort because they cannot be like that themselves. The cheerfulness and ease of others turns into a torture for them and increases their unhappiness still further. Because of this they do not hesitate to engage in all kinds of odd and contrary behavior in order to pass on their own unhappiness to those around them. They want everyone else to be just like them. This unbalanced behavior on the part of disbelievers makes it impossible for them to experience the blessings of happiness. No matter what they do or where they go, so long as they do not have sincere faith they will be deprived of the cheerfulness which faith brings and will spend their lives in spiritual torment.
The hearts of such people can be compared to a dark house whose interior is filled with smoke. Because they do not have faith in Allah this house has no doors or windows. Because they do not have faith in our Lord, the filthy and smoky air inside their houses never goes out and the clean air outside never gets in.
The believers have the capacity to experience the greatest degree of high spirits. They can truly have fun and enjoy themselves because Allah has rewarded them in this way for their sincere faith in Him. Our Lord gives us this good news in the Qur'an:
… Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is the Great Victory. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 119)
In another verse, Allah tells us that the hearts of believers are content with His remembrance and that the real source of the tranquility and happiness they experience is their faith in Him:
Those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 28)
Strength
To be strong and thus to be able to control people is regarded as very important in the community of the ignorant. People believe they can hold a powerful position by becoming rich or achieving a status in which those around them will look up to them.
For example, a person who believes in the power of money to achieve anything he wants, does everything he can to acquire it. However, he continually ignores something very important; spiritual strength. Spiritual strength depends on the closeness of a person to Allah. People who live in the community of the ignorant can sink into a hopeless and pessimistic spiritual state at times of the slightest difficulty no matter how strong they are in material terms and because of this they lose whatever joie de vivre they possess.
As a result of losing their zest for life and the will to succeed, nothing remains of their strength and resistance when they face difficult situations. Naturally, this spiritual loss of strength is reflected in a negative way in their lives, their actions and their behavior. As they cannot find within themselves the strength and willpower to go anywhere or do anything, they develop a lazy and impotent nature. They avoid making any effort and always set their faces against any activity which could benefit them. In fact, they feel no desire to do anything very much even if it might be to their advantage because of this oppressive weariness and lethargy.
We can compare the state of these people to that of somebody very old. Even if they appear young, because of this lack of strength their low spirits cause them to behave like elderly people. They have aged not physically, but spiritually. For an elderly person, loss of strength, tiredness and the need to rest regularly are perfectly normal. Sometimes, though, we even see elderly people who are dynamic and active just like youngsters. This is because even though their bodies have aged, their spirits remain active and dynamic. The people we are talking about are the exact opposite. Although they may be young, they have fallen into the state described above and are spiritually no different from the senile.
As we can see, these people live without the spiritual strength which Allah would give them because they have no faith in Him. In return for the immorality which such people display Allah removes the strength from their hearts. As a result, their spiritual state reduces them to a kind of living death. This unpleasant state of theirs is easily discernible in all of their behavior.
In contrast to disbelievers, the powerful faith of believers increases their happiness and spiritual strength. Those who always take Allah as their guardian and friend and accept His decree are always cheerful and strong because of the spiritual strength which Allah gives them in return. They never sink into a lazy or lethargic state, because they know it will bring them harm and loss. The spiritual strength they feel inspires them to strive even harder for Allah's approval, making ever more strenuous efforts.
In difficult situations they encounter on the path of Allah, this spiritual strength is also the source of their patience. Therefore, there is no challenge or circumstance which could ever cause them to behave in a way which Allah would not approve. They always opt to be vigorous and active in order to be always at the forefront, setting the best example. Their efforts ensure that they come a little closer to the prospect of the Garden each day. The strength brought by their hope of Allah's approval grows all the time so that they achieve the superior mode of conduct which Allah describes in the Qur'an.
The satisfaction they derive from doing good deeds creates in them a desire to look for further good actions to do. No matter how much effort they expend on this, it never tires them. Effort sincerely made to earn Allah's pleasure only increases their faith and adds to their strength. Allah tells the faithful in the Qur'an to continue their efforts unceasingly:
So when you have finished, work on. And make your Lord your goal! (Surat al-Inshirah: 7-8)
Believers who obey this command of Allah's and spend all their lives constantly striving to earn Allah's approval, live happy lives both in this world and the next. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that He gives the blessing of happiness to believers in this world and the Hereafter:
Those who are steadfast in seeking the face of their Lord, and perform prayer and give from the provision We have given them, secretly and openly, and stave off evil with good, it is they who will have the Ultimate Abode. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 22)
Zeal
Zeal is the intense desire to accomplish a task or reach a goal. The zeal people feel towards any task is in proportion to their sincerity in performing it. As for disbelievers, it is almost impossible for them to act with eagerness in any task they perform so long as there is no benefit in it for them. They only feel eagerness to satisfy their own selfish desires, this is their only motivation. For them, the only important thing in what they do is personal gain. Otherwise, in tasks where they cannot gain any benefit for themselves, they are extremely unwilling and lacking in enthusiasm.
This attitude badly affects the results of their undertakings. Because they do not take the care which eagerness and desire bring, what they do is unproductive. Most of the time they abandon a task without completing it or do not even start it. For this reason, finishing what they start is a great success for them and even something praiseworthy. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that the jobs such people do without eagerness are all so much wasted effort and that as a result they will suffer disappointment:
Say: "Shall I inform you of the greatest losers in their actions? People whose efforts in the life of this world are misguided while they suppose that they are doing good." (Surat al-Kahf: 103-104)
Because of the happiness which their faith brings them, believers have boundless energy, eagerness and willingness. In order to earn more and more of Allah's approval with every passing day they want to be involved in more good deeds. When they finish a job, they are not satisfied. On the contrary, this just makes them all the more eager and causes them to become involved in still more good works. They pray to Allah to be able to perform the tasks required of them in the best possible way and the way which is most useful to other people. They consider carefully what they are doing and make a sincere effort to achieve the best outcomes. The result of all this is that the outcome is the best they can achieve. This is an important secret of the success which Allah gives believers.
Since they know that the reward they receive in the Hereafter will be proportionate to the number of good deeds they engage in to earn the approval of Allah in this short worldly life, they are never satisfied with less and are always looking for more. They pray to Allah as in the verse, "keep me acting rightly, pleasing You..." (Surat al-Ahqaf: 15) By way of reward for this sincere behavior on the part of believers, Allah sends their hearts security and peace and strengthens their faith still further with every day that passes. Allah describes this mercy towards believers in the Qur'an:
It is He Who sent down serenity into the hearts of the believers thereby increasing their faith with more faith-the legions of the Heavens and the earth belong to Allah… (Surat al-Fath: 4)
Physical Beauty and Health
There are great differences in every area between believers and disbelievers. Generally speaking, there is a very close connection between people's spiritual state and their outward appearance. In most cases it is very easy to understand what spiritual state they are in from their actions and behavior. People who have removed themselves from the guidance of the Qur'an reflect the resignation they feel towards their troubles with a weary and hopeless expression on their faces. Even at times when there is nothing to sadden or trouble their hearts, this troubled expression remains fixed. They complain about everything that happens to them and can never be easily satisfied with anything. They usually exhibit irritable and contrary behavior. Needless to say, it is out of the question for a person in such a spiritual state to smile, behave cheerfully or wear a clear and open facial expression. Because of this they live with darkened faces deprived of the light which cheerfulness and happiness provide. Allah describes the situation of disbelievers in a verse of the Qur'an:
"But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one and on the Day of Rising We will gather him blind." (Surah Ta Ha: 124)
Because they have no faith, neither do they have the ability to separate right from wrong and good from evil. It follows in turn that they are incapable of seeing how much harm the state they are in does them. Although they should feel dissatisfied about this situation, and hence, make an effort to rescue themselves from it, they insist on the correctness of the life they lead and clearly show that they prefer that instead.
When told that the situation they are in is harmful and are given advice on how to correct it, they set their faces against this advice, as Allah tells us in the verses, "He who has fear will be reminded. But the most miserable will shun it [the reminder]." (Surat al-A'la: 10-11) Even though they are aware of their unhappiness, they refuse to admit this and put forward various reasons for their situation. While trying to present their situation as reasonable, they deceive themselves because everything which contributes to their lifelong misery, everything which makes them unhappy, is a part of the test set for them by Allah.
Since they are not aware that all these things have been sent them by Allah in accordance with His own divine purpose, their inevitable reaction is to become sorrowful and unhappy. Their unhappiness increases still further so long as they remain ignorant of this truth.
Allah tells us that those who do not have faith in Him and therefore cannot comprehend Him are exposed to corruption:
No self can believe except with Allah's permission. He places a blight on those who do not use their intellect. (Surah Yunus: 100)
As the state of corruption arising from their incomprehension makes them physically ugly, it also has an adverse effect on their mental and physical health. They cannot achieve a balanced mental state. The stress and anxiety they experience become an inseparable part of the psychology of such people. It is impossible to be sure of their moods; when they will get angry, when they will smile or how they will react to anything. This dark mental state makes itself apparent at every opportunity. Comfort and peace tend to make these people uneasy, which then causes them to seek alternatives which invariably bring further discomfort and unhappiness.
To overcome a problem they face, instead of being patient and praying to Allah for His help they try to solve it by means of their own intelligence. However, when they fail to find a solution their unhappiness increases along with the trouble and stress that go with it. In order to find a little relief they end up resorting to methods which do them even more harm. The most widespread of these are alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. Their psychological state is so seriously disturbed and deep-rooted that they do not hesitate to use substances which harm their bodies and damage their internal organs. As a result of the endless unhappiness of their existence, they bury their heads in the sand and abandon the natural intelligence which they would normally regard as their main asset. Hence, they fail to acknowledge that all these things will only worsen the situation they are in.
It is impossible for a person who lives continually in such a psychological state to be robust and healthy. His body will age faster than normal and will signal this in various ways. Ailments starting with continual headaches, early hair loss and lack of appetite are the forerunners of more painful and serious illnesses which will emerge later. Their health, which is amongst the most important gifts we have as far as happiness is concerned, is dangerously undermined by the constant stress which pervades their lives. They are not even aware that their misguided efforts to ease their troubles a little are only opening the way to even greater danger, together with all of its consequences.
Believers are able to enjoy the peace of sincere reliance on Allah and taking only Him as their friend and guardian. They never behave in any way which will endanger their health which they regard as a blessing given them by Allah. As a result, they look after themselves to the best of their ability and so remain robust and healthy. They know what an important and wonderful thing health is and they are always grateful to Allah for it. They do not ignore every problem they encounter like the disbelievers but concern themselves with it right away and take precautions against complications which may arise later.
In return for this steadfastness on the part of the believers and their heartfelt devotion to Him, Allah rewards them with a beautiful life in this world. Of course, "beautiful life" refers to both the material and the spiritual. The spiritual happiness they feel is the greatest reason for their looking healthy and attractive. The beauty possessed by believers is the light which Allah gives them. Because of this light, the faces of believers are always open and clear. With the light which Allah gives believers He makes them different from and superior to disbelievers and provides them with a spiritual beauty and a striking air of faith. Allah describes the expression of faith on the faces of the believers and the impact it will have on those around them, "… Their mark is on their faces, the traces of prostration…" (Surat al-Fath: 29)
Just as it exists in the life of this world, so this difference between deniers of the faith and the believers will also emerge on the Day of Judgment. Allah informs us of this in the following verses:
Faces that Day will be radiant, gazing at their Lord. And faces that Day will be glowering, realizing that a back-breaking blow has fallen. (Surat al-Qiyama: 22-25)
That Day some faces will be radiant, laughing, rejoicing. That Day some faces will be dust-covered, overcast with gloom. Those are the dissolute disbelievers. (Surah Abasa: 38-42)
Insight and Wisdom
In order to know Allah Who created all living creatures and the universe and to comprehend His power, a person should consider everything our Lord has created and try to appreciate the manifestations of His boundless knowledge and will. Only in this way can he understand that everything he sees was created and must definitely be the product of a power and an intelligence. By acknowledging the intelligence and creative power of Allah in this way he will come closer to Allah and realize that he needs to have faith in Him.
However, for a person to be able to see and understand all these things, he requires an insight which sees with wisdom. Seeing everything around him with wisdom is the best means of referring to Allah and remembering Him at every moment, as Allah tells us in the verse, "an instruction and a reminder for every penitent human being." (Surah Qaf: 8) A person can look at the proofs of the creation on the face of the earth as much as he wants to, he can investigate these for days, weeks or years and by doing so he can discover that they have astonishing characteristics but so long as he does not evaluate them with the eye of faith, he will be unable to understand their true meaning or what it is they are trying to tell him.
One reason for people's inability to see this meaning is that they cannot properly evaluate all these things with the eye of the heart, if they do not possess mental and spiritual ease. For a person to be able to be cautious, notice every detail and evaluate these things correctly, peace of mind is necessary. For reasons referred to above, the minds of people living in the community of the ignorant are perpetually filled with worldly concerns. They are worried about solving the problems they encounter. They believe the way to solve an uncomfortable situation and become happy is to think continually about their own daily affairs, calculate what profits they can obtain and snatch the maximum benefits from the life of this world. As a result, they direct all their attention to these things and are unable to see the proofs of the creation around them. Even if they see them they react to them as something ordinary because of their superficial viewpoint. Even if the miraculous detail of creation is pointed out to them, the explanation will be meaningless to them because what really interests them is the profits they can obtain. In short, because they do not want to see, these people are blinder than the blind and because they do not want to hear they are deafer than the deaf. Allah describes such people in the following Qur'anic verse:
... They have hearts they do not understand with. They have eyes they do not see with. They have ears they do not hear with. Such people are like cattle. No, they are even further astray! They are the unaware. (Surat al-A'raf: 179)
They are incapable of seeing the divine wisdom in the signs of Allah's creation because as well as the imbalance in their mental state they are not at ease and tranquil in spiritual terms. In the following verse of the Qur'an, Allah describes the inability of disbelievers to see the proofs of the creation which are evident even in a small insect:
Allah is not ashamed to make an example of a gnat or of an even smaller thing. As for those who believe, they know it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What does Allah mean by this example?" He misguides many by it and guides many by it. But He only misguides the deviators. (Surat al-Baqara: 26)
Deniers of the faith do not consider the truths of the faith which are before their eyes every day because their intellects are obscured by depression, anxiety and stress. Since what is important for them is gaining the greatest advantage they can in the life of this world, they set little store by anything else. They cannot understand the need for and the importance of faith in Allah because they cannot, in the true sense, see His supremacy over all the living creatures which He has created. Even if they seem to understand just a little, this understanding quickly loses its effect because they are not strong enough to put their consciences to work.
Allah tells us in the following verse of the Qur'an that even though He confronts them with proofs which point to Him, these have no effect on them:
How many Signs there are in the Heavens and earth! Yet they pass them by, turning away from them. (Surah Yusuf: 105)
They are not comfortable or tranquil in spiritual terms because of their unhappiness. This prevents them from looking at everything around them with insight and holds them back from faith in Allah. They lose the happiness sincere belief in Allah would bring them and lead miserable lives because of their own lack of intelligence.
Believers always feel happiness because they believe in Him, think about Him and try to earn His approval. In order to approach Allah more closely they think deeply about and investigate everything He has created. For example, for a believer, looking at the boundless Heavens is a way of appreciating the power and artistry of Allah. Or when he sees a beautiful view, he considers that this beauty has been shown him by Allah and is grateful to Him for it. For the faithful, regarding everything around them as an opportunity to praise Allah ensures that they gain His approval and experience happiness more fully.

THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE: THE PROPHETS

2007-02-12T19:33:00.000-08:00

The prophets were blessed people sent by Allah to transmit the good news of His religion and invite others to follow His true path. Allah sent the prophets to tell people about the faith, set them the finest example of good character and warn them by pointing out to them the existence of the Hereafter. For a human being, representing Allah on earth is a great and important responsibility. That the prophets were entrusted by Allah with special duties differentiates them from other people.
The prophets were people who lived out the faith they carried in their hearts in a very intense manner. This can be clearly seen from the fact that for the cause of Allah they demonstrated superior and exemplary behavior. The prophets were sent to a number of peoples and rulers whose backwardness, immorality and social degeneration knew no bounds. While explaining Allah's religion they warned the peoples they lived amongst to abandon their ugly behavior and immorality and invited them to have faith in Allah. In order to perform this duty, they remained patient and were not defeated by any force directed at them or by any difficulty, trouble, threats or slanders. In this way the behavior, moral standards and reasoning they exhibited provided the finest possible example to believers who believed and supported them. In the Qur'an, Allah says that there are fine examples for believers in the lives of the prophets:
You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much. (Surat al-Ahzab: 21)
The prophets were exemplary people for all humanity. Allah tells us that the sending of our Prophet (saws) was a great mercy and favor to believers:
Allah showed great kindness to the believers when He sent a Messenger to them from among themselves to recite His Signs to them and purify them and teach them the Book and Wisdom, even though before that they were clearly misguided. (Surah Al 'Imran: 164)
Throughout their lives, pious believers take the prophets, as described by Allah in these verses of the Qur'an, as examples and in this way try to achieve excellence of character.
Although, throughout their own lives, the prophets were struggling against disbelievers, they were very contented and calm. Because they were leaders guiding people to the path of Islam, they were the people who experienced faith in its most intense and profound form. The happiness, tranquility and security which Allah made them feel in their hearts were as strong as their faith.
In the following paragraphs we will refer to some of the prophets mentioned by Allah in the Qur'an and to their steadfastness.
The Prophet Ibrahim (as)
In a number of verses of the Qur'an, Allah gives examples from the life of the Prophet Ibrahim (as) and the events which happened to him and speaks of him with praise.
Through his behavior, Prophet Ibrahim (as) showed in the clearest way that a believer needs to be intelligent and cautious, to act continually according to his conscience and to be very courageous in following the path of Allah. Prophet Ibrahim (as) was a wise example to believers with his devotion, submission and closeness to Allah. In Surat an-Nisa': 125, Allah tells believers what a valuable and superior position the Prophet Ibrahim (as) holds in His sight by announcing that he has been adopted as an "intimate friend."
Without doubt the adoption by Allah of one of His servants as an intimate friend is amongst the highest distinctions a person can achieve. Of course, for a believer, knowing that Allah is so close to him as a friend and hence, that Allah's assistance, mercy and protection are with him at all times and in all places brings contentment, tranquility and security.
In Surah Maryam, Allah gives us the Prophet Ibrahim's (as) warning to his idolater father to believe in Him. Allah tells us of the conversation between the prophet and his father:
Remember when he said to his father, "Father, why do you worship what can neither hear nor see and is not of any use to you at all? Father, knowledge which never reached you has come to me, so follow me and I will guide you to the right path. Father, do not worship Satan. Satan was disobedient to the All-Merciful. Father, I am afraid that a punishment from the All-Merciful will afflict you, and turn you into a comrade of Satan." He said, "Do you forsake my gods, Ibrahim? If you do not stop, I will stone you. Keep away from me for a good long time." (Surah Maryam: 42-46)
While the Prophet Ibrahim (as) was advising his father to abandon those things he had made into false gods, he employed a very calm and respectful manner of speaking. However, the discomfort felt by his father in the face of his son's fine upstanding behavior was so great that he became unwilling to see him any more and capable even of killing him. His father's heedlessness prevented him from seeing the truth and closed off his mind and conscience. The aggressive, unpleasant behavior he displayed arose from his lack of faith in Allah and his failure to live according to His guidance.
Despite his father's unpleasant behavior, Prophet Ibrahim (as) left him in a friendly way, saying this:
"I will separate myself from you and all you call upon besides Allah and I will call upon my Lord. It may well be that, in calling on my Lord, I will not be disappointed." (Surah Maryam: 48)
Of course leaving those one loves, especially one's mother and father, or damaging relations with them is not very pleasant for us. Leaving one's family, the people who are closest to us, is extremely difficult and upsetting. For this reason nobody wants to go against his mother or father or a close relative. However, if that person is somebody who does not recognize Allah or is a disbeliever and an enemy of Allah, then feeding one's love of him and accepting him as a friend and ally is completely contrary to the way of Allah.
Thus, in the face of the aggressive behavior of his father, Prophet Ibrahim (as) realized that he could not be his friend and followed his father's wish for him to leave. Since what was most important for the Prophet Ibrahim (as) in this incident was behaving in accordance with Allah's guidance, he left his father without hesitation. After acting in this way he knew that, "in calling on His Lord, he had never been disappointed." Naturally, this is the tranquility and happiness brought about by action intended to gain Allah's approval.
Allah bestowed on Prophet Ibrahim (as) the Prophets Ishaq (as) and Ya'qub (as) and rewarded him out of His mercy:
When he had separated himself from them, and what they worshipped besides Allah, We gave him Ishaq and Ya'qub, making each of them a Prophet. We endowed them with Our mercy and made them highly honored. (Surah Maryam: 49-50)
As Allah points out in this story, if a person behaves in accordance with His instructions, Allah will shelter him from all troubles no matter what the circumstances and will always fill his heart with contentment and peace.
The Prophet Zakariyya (as)
Zakariyya (as) is amongst the prophets referred to in various chapters of the Qur'an. Like all the other prophets, during his life he never deviated in any way from trying to please Allah and striving to maintain the good conduct required for this. He was steadfast in his worship of Allah and always maintained his devotion and submission to Him. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that when Prophet Zakariyya (as) became old, he wanted Allah to give him a pious child and prayed for this:
And [Zakariyya] said, "My Lord, my bones have lost their strength and my head is crowned with white, but in calling on You, My Lord, I have never been disappointed. I fear my relatives when I am gone and my wife is barren, so give me an heir from You to be my inheritor and the inheritor of the family of Ya'qub, and make him, my Lord, pleasing to You." (Surah Maryam: 4-6)
Allah answered the prayer of Prophet Zakariyya (as) and rewarded him with a son named Yahya. Allah made a woman who was unable to give birth fertile and relieved Prophet Zakariyya (as) of the concern he was feeling in this miraculous way. Through this example Allah shows us that He will rescue His true servants from any hardship no matter how difficult or even impossible their circumstances may seem and will always bring them contentment.
The Prophet Yusuf (as) and His Father the Prophet Ya'qub (as)
In Surah Yusuf, Allah tells us about the life of Prophet Yusuf (as). Through all the difficulties he faced, the slanders which were directed at him and the traps set for him, Prophet Yusuf (as) always battled on by praying sincerely to Allah and sacrificed nothing of his faith in our Lord.
He resigned himself to being imprisoned in order to gain Allah's approval and avoid committing wrong actions. With his truthfulness, sincerity and honorable behavior he inspired affection and respect for himself in those around him. With the advice he gave those people, he summoned them to the true path. In Surah Yusuf, there is another person who is referred to and praised for his faith in Allah and his submission to Him at least as much as the Prophet Yusuf (as); this was Prophet Ya'qub (as), who was Prophet Yusuf's (as) father.
Prophet Ya'qub (as) knew from a dream that his son, Prophet Yusuf (as), would become an important person in the future and he tried to protect him and support him to the best of his ability. However, Prophet Yusuf's (as) brothers were jealous of their father's love for him and the interest he took in him and they prepared a trap for him. They decided to rid themselves of Yusuf (as) by casting him into a well. After throwing him into the well, they claimed that a wolf had eaten him and as evidence produced his shirt, covered in fake blood. Faced with this distressing situation, Prophet Ya'qub (as) demonstrated superior conduct. He conformed to the guidance of Allah and was able to give his sons the best advice while being patient in the knowledge that through perseverance and the help of Allah he would be rescued. In the Qur'an, Allah describes Prophet Ya'qub's (as) behavior as follows:
They then produced his shirt with false blood on it. He said, "It is merely that your lower selves have suggested something to you which you did; but beauty lies in showing steadfastness. It is Allah alone Who is my Help in face of the event that you describe." (Surah Yusuf: 18)
The trap set for Prophet Yusuf (as) by his brothers was, for the Prophet Ya'qub (as), a test sent by Allah. Prophet Ya'qub (as) remained loyal to Allah in the hope that if he demonstrated the best conduct, Allah would turn his sorrow into joy and happiness.
Prophet Yusuf (as) was rescued from the well into which he had been thrown by a caravan of travelers and sold to an Egyptian governor. In this way Allah placed Prophet Yusuf (as) in Egypt and He gave him power, wisdom and taught him the interpretation of dreams.
As a result of a slander against him by the governor's wife, Prophet Yusuf (as) was later imprisoned in a dungeon and after remaining there for years he explained a dream of the ruler's which nobody else could understand through the knowledge which had been given him and thus attracted the ruler's attention. Allah supported him with His mercy and assistance, rescued him from the dungeon and set him at the head of the nation's treasury.
Then the Prophet Yusuf's (as) brothers, without knowing who he was, came to him several times to buy food from him. Prophet Yusuf (as) prepared a plan to rescue his younger brother from the evil intentions of his other brothers and succeeded in taking him from them. Allah describes in the Qur'an the submissive behavior of Prophet Ya'qub (as) when Prophet Yusuf's (as) brothers told him about this:
He said, "It's merely that your lower selves suggested something to you which you did. But beauty lies in having steadfastness. Perhaps Allah will bring them all together. He is indeed All-Knowing and All-Wise." (Surah Yusuf: 83)
Believing that he had lost his other son increased Prophet Ya'qub's (as) sorrow still further but he again acted in accordance with Allah's guidance. He did not deviate from his steadfast conduct and waited patiently in the hope of a reunion. In return for his high standard of behavior and submission, Allah rewarded Prophet Ya'qub (as) by reuniting him with both his sons. In return for his sincere faith and refusal to deviate from His teaching, Allah transformed the sorrow of the Prophet Ya'qub (as) into joy and happiness.
As in the example of Prophet Ya'qub (as), everybody who avoids deviating under any circumstances from his submission to Allah and the desire to earn His approval will definitely find contentment. This is our Lord's promise to us.

PERPETUAL HAPPINESS BELONGS TO BELIEVERS

2007-02-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

They are Given the Good News Here on Earth
People in the community of the ignorant carry within them an indescribable discomfort no matter how happy and cheerful they may appear to those around them and always give a false impression of happiness. No matter what they do, they cannot be rescued from their unhappiness. Their ingratitude for the blessings Allah has given, their rejection of the word of Allah and their living a life far removed from the guidance of the Qur'an drive them into unhappiness which begins in the life of this world and will be greatly intensified on the Day of Judgment.
Whatever the circumstances in which they find themselves, because they are people who trust in Allah, who always turn to Him, who think continually about what is pleasing to Him and never deviate from the guidance of the Qur'an, the boundless mercy, generosity and love of Allah are always with believers. Allah has promised that He will never leave them alone and without aid. For these devoted servants who make a sincere effort for His cause without giving way to doubt, and who joyfully devote their lives and their goods to gaining His good pleasure, Allah brings the good news that as the reward for what they have done they will live for ever in a Paradise filled with blessings:
There is good news for them in the life of this world and in the Hereafter. There is no changing the words of Allah. That is the great victory! (Surah Yunus: 64)
Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and good pleasure and Gardens where they will enjoy everlasting delight. (Surat at-Tawba: 21)
As we can see from these verses, Allah has brought believers the good news of Paradise, describing the joy that will soon be theirs. Awareness that the boundless mercy and love of Allah are always with them and the hope that Allah will reward them with the Gardens of Paradise bring a great comfort and peace to the hearts of believers. In the Qur'an, Allah also informs believers that they will be brought good news by angels:
The angels descend on those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and then go straight: "Do not fear and do not grieve but rejoice in the Garden you have been promised." (Surah Fussilat: 30)
This indescribable happiness of believers is not limited to being given the good news of the Garden. In addition to this, Allah blesses His true servants with the news of a beautiful worldly life in the verse, "... There is good in this world for those who do good, and the abode of the Hereafter is even better..." (Surat an-Nahl: 30)
Allah also promises believers that they will live an excellent life in this verse:
Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)
We can see in the Qur'an that this good news brought to believers by Allah is manifested in the lives of many of the prophets. For instance, the prayer of the Prophet Sulayman (as): "He [Sulayman] said, 'My Lord, forgive me and give me a kingdom the like of which will never be granted to anyone after me. Truly You are the Ever-Giving.'" (Surah Sad: 35) This prayer was answered and he was given great worldly wealth. In the verse, "Did He not find you impoverished and enrich you?" (Surat ad-Duha: 8), Allah tells us that the Prophet Muhammad (saws) was also given wealth. In addition, in various verses the Qur'an tells us that the Prophets Dawud (as), Ibrahim (as) and Dhu'l-Qarnayn (as) were given great resources and openings.
As well as the endless wonders and rewards He has reserved for the believers in Paradise, Allah grants them blessings in this world and this increases their devotion to Him and their desire and eagerness to be united in the Garden.
In the Qur'an Allah promises that believers will always be happy and secure in this world and that by the guiding light of the Qur'an He will give them strength and power:
Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. "They worship Me, not associating anything with Me." Any who disbelieve after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur: 55)
This is a pledge of Allah's to believers. What believers must do is show their gratitude to Allah and praise His name in exchange for this favor.
They are Pleased with Allah's Mercy and His Bounty
As has been emphasized in previous sections, the happiness of people in the community of the ignorant is dependent on worldly life and the extent to which they can take advantage of it. All their affection and respect for one another as well as their relations with each other are based on materialistic criteria. They have convinced themselves that in this way they will lead a happy and tranquil life. However, there is one thing which they forget or ignore every time. Human happiness depends not on comfort in material terms but on spiritual comfort and tranquility. Whether a person is rich or poor, he cannot be happy unless he feels spiritual calm and comfort. In the community of the ignorant, this materialistic drive pushes people in the direction of a bottomless pit, for it is a source of trouble. Allah describes this situation in the Qur'an:
Do not let their wealth and children impress you. Allah merely wants to punish them by them during their life in this world and for them to expire while they are disbelievers. (Surat at-Tawba: 55)
As Allah tells us in the Qur'an, no matter how much property they acquire and accumulate and no matter how far they improve their status, unbelievers will gain nothing but torment and misery. Because they do not understand the beauty and the comfort which the guidance of the Qur'an can bring them, they try to fill their spiritual vacuum with fleeting worldly gains. Believers naturally experience spiritual contentment because they have faith in Allah and worship only Him. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah defines believers as those who "humble themselves before their Lord" because this satisfies their hearts. He also brings them the good news of Paradise:
As for those who believe and do right actions and humble themselves before their Lord, they are the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever. (Surah Hud: 23)
In another verse of the Qur'an, Allah tells us that the hearts of believers are contented only through His remembrance and that it is only through His remembrance that any heart can find contentment:
Those who have faith and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 28)
What makes believers happy and brings them peace and comfort is the deep devotion they feel towards Allah and being with Allah in their hearts at all times. This favor is a blessing and a mercy granted by Allah to His sincere believers in return for their sincere faith. They experience the happiness of knowing that when they pray Allah will answer their prayers, that when they make a mistake Allah will always forgive and help them if they confess it sincerely, that He will definitely show them a way out, that they will receive a full or even excessive reward for what they do and that they will attain Allah's boundless mercy. Thus the source of the joy and happiness of believers is the unlimited mercy and benevolence Allah shows them. Allah describes this joy of the believers in the Qur'an as follows:
Say: "It is the favor of Allah and His mercy that should be the cause of their rejoicing. That is better than anything they accumulate." (Surah Yunus: 58)
Allah's mercy and great benevolence manifest themselves unceasingly until the end of their lives. The Garden filled with blessings which Allah has prepared for the faithful will also be theirs eternally by Allah's permission.
The Strength of Their Devotion to Allah
Throughout their lives believers have faith together with the certain knowledge that everything takes place with Allah's knowledge and under His control. Every moment of a person's life, every word he says, his every thought, everything that happens to him and where and when he will die are determined before he even comes into the world. He lives out what Allah wants for him. It is this which gives believers great peace and comfort. They know that everything which happens to them has been planned by Allah and is definitely to their advantage. Because of this, in every circumstance believers take refuge in Allah. They are guided by Him and they ask for His help. Allah refers to this powerful devotion of the believers as follows:
Say: "Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust." (Surat at-Tawba: 51)
Believers put their trust in Allah in all matters and because they accept everything He creates for them they never give way to fear or concern under any circumstances. Their submission to Allah keeps them from worldly fears and concerns of any kind. People who live in the community of the ignorant have a great many fears and concerns because they do not trust in Allah. The most important of these are fear for the future, fear of poverty and fear of death. They worry about these all the time and, taking the whole burden on themselves, try to find solutions. It is impossible for a person to find a way out without Allah's help and mercy. Believers who sincerely believe in Allah and submit to Him from the heart stay away from these troubles caused by worldly stresses and fears and are always carefree, cheerful and optimistic.
Another important factor in making believers happy and tranquil is their knowledge that any event which happens to them that seems negative is in fact to their advantage. Faced with the problems they encounter, ignorant people feel great anxiety and discomfort and are crushed by them. When something occurs which seems disadvantageous, they cannot see the good and the benefit in it which Allah wants for them. For this reason, they always fall prey to a pessimistic and hopeless outlook. This in turn distances them further and further from Allah. This state into which such people sink increases their pain and dismay even more. Allah tells us that the hardships disbelievers suffer will continually increase:
But as for those who deny Our Signs, We will lead them, step by step, into destruction from where they do not know. (Surat al-A'raf: 182)
With the expression "from where they do not know" in the verse, Allah is informing us that the deniers of the truth will experience anxiety and unhappiness in the life of this world in a way they do not expect at all. They are not aware of what really makes them unhappy and troubled. So long as they are not devoted to Allah and His Book they will be unable to identify the source of their unhappiness and will continue to be troubled.
Believers, on the other hand, see good in everything and whatever the circumstances in which they find themselves, they never forget that what happens is what Allah wants for their own benefit. So there is nothing to sadden believers or trouble them. Even if they are in a very difficult and disadvantageous position, they turn to Allah and remain patient while asking for His help. This is a blessing for believers. By the same token in times of ease and plenty they turn to Allah nonetheless and show their gratitude to Him and try to draw closer still to Him. This, too, is a blessing for believers.
Thus the submission of believers to Allah's decree and their attachment to Him make them happy and at peace under all circumstances and earn them His approval. Our Prophet Muhammad (saws) described this attitude of the believers as "strange" and praised it as follows:
"Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight he thanks [Allah], thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it." (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 20)
As our Prophet (saws) said, for believers everything is a source of benefit. This privilege is exclusive to believers and is a manifestation of Allah's mercy towards them. Allah gives the good news of His mercy towards believers in the Qur'an:
As for those who believed and did right actions, their Lord will admit them into His mercy. That is the Clear Victory. (Surat al-Jathiyya: 30)
The powerful devotion of believers to Allah brings them closer to Him under all circumstances and causes them to be continually contented and at peace.

THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS: ALLAH'S GOOD PLEASURE

2007-02-12T19:10:00.000-08:00

Some people do not hesitate to look at the society in which they live from the viewpoint of their own advantage, including the people with whom they have relationships, even those closest to them, those they say they love very much, their friends, brothers and relatives. When there is a conflict of interest, no matter how great or small, they forget the relationship between them and the value they placed on it and suddenly drop these people. The ability of such people to be happy and to live comfortably and at ease depends on the advantages and benefits they can obtain. They expect a return on the smallest good deed they do. They regard doing anything without the expectation of a return as a waste of time and they slander and mock at well-intentioned people who do so at every opportunity, presenting themselves as superior and more intelligent.
When their own advantage is not at stake, they do not consider behaving generously and they never deviate from the principle of their own gain. Their only aim is to grab as much as they can from life and to live in happiness and peace as a result. At all times, in all places and under all circumstances they think only of themselves and try to protect their own privileges. There is a point here which must not be misunderstood. Of course, everybody wants to lead a comfortable and happy life - what is wrong is the methods used by these people to achieve this desire.
The reason these people are so devoted to their own gain is that they do not adhere to the standards of the Qur'an which Allah sent down as a guidance and warning for people and they ignore the responsibilities the Qur'an places on them. They live their entire lives in ignorance of the Hereafter, as Allah tells us in the verse, "They know an outward aspect of the life of this world but are heedless of the Hereafter." (Surat ar-Rum: 7) Death, what they will encounter after death, the accounting they will give to Allah for what they have done during their lives and whether they will wind up in Heaven or Hell are subjects which do not cross their minds or which they do not want to have cross their minds.
The most important factor which pushes these people into behaving in this heedless and unintelligent way is that they regard themselves as a long way from the Hereafter. They think they have plenty of life still ahead of them and they do not want to sacrifice their whole lives, their profits and the plans they have made, for something they never think about or whose likelihood they do not regard as very great even if they do think about it. They regard such thinking as a great loss. They regard the life of this world and worldly advantages as a lot closer and a lot easier than what they will gain in the Hereafter. They try to cram all their enjoyment into the life of this world. They pass their entire lives ignoring Allah and what is pleasing to Him, indifferent as to whether or not their behavior is acceptable to Him, and they spend their time in pursuit of their own worldly passions and ambitions.
As we have explained in previous sections, a passion for the life of this world makes people unhappy. Allah tells us in the Qur'an that people who set themselves against His word at every opportunity will not be happy in the life of this world but will experience continual trouble:
"But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will be a dark and narrow one and on the Day of Rising We will gather him blind." (Surah Ta Ha: 124)
Reminding these people of Allah, reminding them that He will hold them responsible for their adherence to the Qur'an and that He will call for an accounting of what they have done in the life of this world on the Day of Judgment makes them very uncomfortable and even provokes them to anger. Allah points out this characteristic of the disbelievers as follows:
When Allah is mentioned on His own, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink back shuddering, but when others apart from Him are mentioned, they jump for joy. (Surat az-Zumar: 45)
For Allah's true servants, the basic aim of their lives is Allah's good pleasure. Believers are people who know very well that it was Allah Who created them from nothing and Who is the giver of everything and the owner and sole controller of everything, that all events occur through Allah's will and that He is the bringer of both mercy and torment. Because of this the devotion and loyalty of the believers to Allah and their love of Him are very strong.
Throughout their lives believers worship only Allah, ask for help from Him alone (Surat al-Fatiha: 4) and fear none but Him. Due to this powerful love and devotion they feel for Allah they always behave gratefully towards Him and never slacken in serving Him. They show great enthusiasm and determination in their striving to earn His approval. They will give up the goals to which ignorant people devote their lives, all worldly profits and assets, in order to gain Allah's pleasure and admission to Paradise. As Allah informs us in the Qur'an, "There are some who give up everything, desiring the good pleasure of Allah..." (Surat al-Baqara: 207), they feel no trouble or disturbance within themselves and maintain a perfectly correct attitude on the path of Allah, saying, "My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-An'am: 162)
For example, the concept of property has a very important place in the lives of people who are ignorant of Allah's religion. All the efforts of these people are directed towards increasing their property and achieving a status which earns them the respect of others. Allah tells us in the Qur'an that a number of things have become passions with such people:
To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colors: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in the presence of Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran: 14)
Property, which has become an end in itself for the community of the ignorant, is for believers only a means to be used for gaining Allah's good pleasure. For this reason believers do not long for the things listed in the above verse and do not make an aim of pursuing them. Increasing their property, enriching themselves or improving their status are never amongst the goals of believers. They know that everything is a blessing given to them by Allah and that they have to be grateful to Him. They never neglect what is pleasing to Allah for the sake of trivial and temporary worldly gains. If a person uses everything he possesses and all his resources and opportunities to earn Allah's good pleasure, he will receive a fine reward in this world and the next as we are told by Allah in the verse, "Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the best of what they did." (Surat an-Nahl: 97)
The difficult times and the troubles they encounter also make people who are ignorant of Allah's religion unhappy because their happiness is entirely bound up with worldly profits and gains, which in times of difficulty are at risk of being lost. The loss of these things due to events completely beyond their grasp, plunges them into great sorrow because of their attachment to them. In this way they completely lose the happiness and joy which acquisitions can bring them. They inevitably sink into depression and hopelessness.
As for the happiness of believers, it takes on a more lasting form because in times of trouble and difficulty they hold to the wisdom which is described in the Qur'an. Since believers always take into consideration what is pleasing to Allah and apply their intelligence and their consciences exclusively to the task of achieving it, they are never affected negatively by adverse circumstances, as disbelievers are affected. On the contrary, because they hope to gain Allah's good pleasure with sincere and submissive behavior in times of trouble, nothing can lessen their happiness even at such times.
Rather than behaving in a way which will not meet with Allah's approval, believers will not hesitate to expose themselves to hardship if this is necessary in order for them to act according to Allah's will. We can see one of the finest examples of this moral excellence in the behavior of the Prophet Yusuf (as). Prophet Yusuf's (as) brothers set a trap for him and abandoned him in a well. A group of travelers who found him later sold him to an Egyptian governor. Allah placed the Prophet Yusuf (as) in Egypt, taught him how to interpret the dreams of others and granted him mastery and wisdom.
In this way Allah put the Prophet Yusuf (as) through an important test. The wife of the governor with whom the Prophet Yusuf (as) was staying, desired him. Faced with her behavior, Prophet Yusuf (as) took refuge in Allah. In order to escape from the devious machinations which the woman had concocted, and conduct himself in conformity with Allah's guidance, he found it more "pleasant" to be imprisoned in a dark dungeon. Allah tells us how Prophet Yusuf (as) prayed to Him for rescue from the trap which had been set for him:
He [Yusuf] said, "My Lord, the prison is preferable to me than what they call on me to do. Unless You turn their guile away from me, it may well be that I will fall for them and so become a man of ignorance." His Lord replied to him (Yusuf) and turned away from him their female guile and deviousness. He is the One Who Hears, the One Who Knows. Then, after they had seen the Signs, they thought that they should still imprison him for a time. (Surah Yusuf: 33-35)
Prophet Yusuf (as) gave an example of moral excellence and opted for imprisonment in the dungeon rather than succumb to behavior which would have been displeasing to Allah. That Prophet Yusuf (as) found such a place as the dungeon "pleasant" is an expression of the happiness and peace brought him by acting in order to gain Allah's approval. This determination and zeal on the part of the Prophet Yusuf (as) in his striving for the approval of Allah is an important example to all believers. Every sincere believer joyfully opts for trouble and difficulty if this will earn His approval and love. This moral excellence that the disbeliever can never grasp is also the secret of happiness which disbelievers fail to attain throughout their lives.
In the hearts of believers there is a joy and a tranquility which their hope of the approval of Allah and their directing all their efforts to earning it bring them. This cheerfulness and joy which they experience makes them happy and at peace in the life of this world, at the same time constitute an important source of the eagerness which will enable them to earn Allah's approval even more. So long as they have no faith, ignorant people cannot achieve this joy and happiness and cannot imitate it because it has a quality which Allah has made accessible only to the faithful and which comes from the hope He gives of His approval and mercy and of eternal Paradise. Allah announces in the Qur'an the good news that this is a blessing solely for believers:
By it, Allah guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of Peace. He will bring them from the darkness to the light by His permission, and guide them to a straight path. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 16)
Ignorant people are not aware that the approval of Allah is finer and of far greater value than any other reward they may obtain and any worldly profit. For this reason, throughout their lives they are deprived of the lasting happiness and joy which earning the approval of Allah can bring them

THE UNHAPPINESS OF THE SOCIETY OF THE IGNORANT

2007-01-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Life of This World Deceives Them

To provide a basis for their lack of faith, unbelievers use errant logic, saying, "Only this world exists—there is no Hereafter." In the light of this idea of theirs, they think they can do as they like in this world. However, Allah has told us that He will subject everybody to an inquiry into what they have done during their lives in this world on the Day of Judgment:

They say, "There is nothing but this life and we will not be raised again." If only you could see when they are standing before their Lord. He will say, "Is this not the Truth?" They will say, "Yes indeed, by our Lord!" He will say, "Then taste the punishment for your disbelief." (Surat al-An‘am: 29-30)

But as Allah has pointed out, disbelievers ignore this truth and base their lives solely on what they can obtain for themselves in this world. Since they believe that in this world the advantage is always with the strong, they also think that for a happy and peaceful life they must definitely be strong in material terms. They believe this material strength can bring them everything they want. In fact, Allah created the life of this world as a testing ground for people. So in the life of this world everything may not come about as people wish, as Allah has pointed out in the verse, "Shall man then have whatever he covets?" (Surat an-Najm: 24) People may at times fail to achieve something they want very much or something may happen suddenly which costs them everything they have gained.
Now consider a society in which all the people think in this way. In such an atmosphere, people can give one another nothing but unhappiness and trouble. Since everybody is just pursuing his own advantage, they cannot display moral excellence to one another or live together in harmony. They continually struggle against one another because they work for their own advantage at every opportunity. Allah says in the Qur'an:

… You consider them united but their hearts are scattered wide. That is because they are people who do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Hashr: 14)

Allah makes us aware that there can be no friendship amongst these people and, "their hearts are scattered wide" due to their clashes over individual advantage. As Allah tells us in the verse, the reason for this is that such people do not use their intellect. What is it then that these people fail to apply their intellect to? Allah answers that question in this verse:

The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The Hereafter is better for those who guard against evil. So will you not use your intellect? (Surat al-An‘am: 32)

Allah has told us that the life of this world is a diversion and that true life will be lived in the next world. This is what unbelievers do not exercise their intellect about. These people do not even come close to accepting that their true abode is in the Hereafter. As a consequence, they enter into a struggle for gain in the life of this world, which they believe to be the true life, and because of this rivalry they constantly harm one another and make one another unhappy.
Allah has told us that the life of this world is "a game and a diversion." The fact that the unbelievers pursue every undertaking according to the dictates of their personal priorities instead of striving to earn the approval of Allah, makes all their efforts meaningless and valueless, just like a game. What they do and what they earn are very important for such people, but in reality what they do has no meaning whatsoever in the real sense because they do not do it with Allah's approval in mind. As a result, all of the energy they expend amounts to no more than a useless waste of time. In Allah's sight, however, only actions carried out with the sincere desire to gain His approval have value.
What makes something valuable is not the effort made to obtain it or the power or money used in doing so, it is only the consideration throughout of Allah's approval. For example, if a businessman has achieved great successes during his career, has made important investments and has even made himself world famous, there can be no question of what he has done having any value in the real sense if he did not do it to earn Allah's approval. The value of anything is bound up with whether or not it is pleasing to Allah and whether or not it is used in order to gain His approval. In other words, what a person does is not important. What is important is his motive for doing it. How much he spends is not important. What is important is his motive for spending it. Allah informs us that the important thing in worship is the intention of the worshipper:

… Their [the sacrificial animals'] flesh and blood does not reach Allah but your heedfulness does reach Him… (Surat al-Hajj: 37)

Only the task which is performed for His approval has validity and value in Allah's sight. No matter how important the tasks in question, because ignorant people do not take Allah's pleasure as their main aim, all the effort they make is to no avail. Allah describes this situation in a verse of the Qur'an:

People whose efforts in the life of this world are misguided while they suppose that they are doing good. (Surat al-Kahf: 104)

They waste the opportunities given to them by Allah on empty and harmful things, since they are not motivated by the desire to earn Allah's good pleasure. People who are bound to their worldly goods live in constant fear of losing what they possess. Knowing that at any moment a completely unexpected occurrence may make them suffer loss and deprive them of what they possess makes them extremely uncomfortable. Consequently, no matter what good things they do or what benefits they gain for themselves, the fear of loss within them makes them continually unhappy and troubled.
Unbelievers are not aware of the real value of what they own or of the purpose for which it has been given to them. So, instead of using their opportunities for good works which will earn Allah's approval, they simply waste themselves thoughtlessly by taking the life of this world as their yardstick. For instance, by gambling they may in a single instant lose all their property, even their honor. Or, they may try to enrich themselves further by immoral means. However, they should not forget that the result of every mistaken or immoral act will ultimately be disappointment. By such means as these Allah shows people that those who do not meet with His approval will suffer harm and that for them everything in the life of this world may be a source of trouble and sorrow. The reason people who do not believe in the Hereafter experience such trouble and stress is that they set their faces against the religion of Allah and attach themselves passionately to the life of this world.

Everything They Do Is the Result of a Passion
for "Diversion"
As is explained in the previous section, anybody who lives without taking Allah's approval as his aim makes life nothing but a deception. Thus, instead of making the eternal Hereafter their basic target and working towards it, such people stick to the short term passions and pleasures of the world.
In the life of this world, people who are heedless of reality involve themselves in various things which prevent them from earning Allah's approval and make them forgetful of Allah. In fact, all these things are blessings sent by Allah for the purpose of testing people, but these people turn them into pursuits in which to waste their time and to which they are passionately attached. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us which of His blessings have become a passion for people:

To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colors: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in the presence of Allah. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 14)

Since some people have adopted as their main aim not the approval of Allah but various worldly objectives, they become passionately attached to their earthly privileges. With every passing day, these drive them further from Allah and bind them even more tightly to the life of this world. They waste their time on vain things without considering the short span of life Allah has granted them on earth, for they are not engaged in striving for Allah's approval and do not imagine that they will have to give an accounting in the Hereafter.
For example, a person with nothing to do looks out of his window all day and watches people passing by, thumbs through magazines he has already read over and over again, gossips about the neighbors, watches trivial television programs or wastes his time with internet or computer games, or occupies his mind with his own insignificant issues or those of other people. Instead of using his precious time to gain the approval of Allah, he wastes it on meaningless things which are of no use to himself or those around him. When asked, he may say that he has nothing to do and that he does these things to pass the time or that he enjoys them but at bottom he knows that his life has already become nothing more than an endless diversion.
What should not be forgotten is that all the pastimes of worldly life are tests created for people by Allah. The situation of people who cannot see things from this point of view is, however, quite different. For such a person, the blessings of the world become preoccupations which prevent him from the pursuit of Allah's pleasure, increase his devotion to seeking earthly satisfactions, resulting in a waste of time which jeopardizes his chances of success in the eternal Hereafter. For this reason people should behave very carefully and moderately with regard to these matters. We are told in the verses of the Qur'an about the blessings which Allah created as tests for people in the life of this world and that we should be wary of them:

Wealth and sons are the embellishment of the life of this world. But, in your Lord's sight, right actions which are lasting bring a better reward and are a better basis for hope. (Surat al-Kahf: 46)

The metaphor of the life of this world is that of water which We send down from the sky, and which then mingles with the plants of the earth to provide food for both people and animals. Then, when the earth is at its loveliest and takes on its fairest guise and its people think they have it under their control, Our command comes upon it by night or day and We reduce it to dried-out stubble, as though it had not been flourishing just the day before! In this way We make Our Signs clear for people who reflect. (Surah Yunus: 24)

Every self will taste death. You will be paid your wages in full on the Day of Rising. Anyone who is distanced from the Fire and admitted to the Garden has triumphed. The life of this world is just the enjoyment of delusion. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 185)

As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their actions appear good to them and they wander about blindly. Such people will receive an evil punishment and will be the greatest losers in the Hereafter. (Surat an-Naml: 4-5)

The ability of people to be happy and at peace depends upon their being able to make correct decisions during their experiences throughout their lives. For this a clear mind and the power of intelligence are necessary. The intelligence which can direct people to what is "correct" can be acquired only through faith in Allah and living according to the guidance of the Qur'an. In contrast, the actions described above, which become for people a matter of passion and addiction, prevent them from perceiving the truth for what it is. As a result, people such as these who throughout their lives do not submit to the guidance of the Qur'an are incapable of making correct and logical decisions on anything which happens to them. This causes them continually to make mistakes and to live in unhappiness and trouble.
The truth is that the life people live in this world is the only chance they have of earning the approval of Allah. This opportunity they have been given may at any unexpected moment be taken from them. There is no making up for the life we live, no further chance of gaining the approval of Allah after we die. People who ignore these truths will be plunged into great sorrow on the Day of Judgment and will want to be sent back to the world again to act rightly for the purpose of winning Allah's approval. That on the Day of Judgment people want this opportunity over again is a very clear indication of the insignificance of everything in the life of this world. However, their wish will not be granted. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us of the regret and sorrow which those who see this truth only on the Day of Judgment will experience:

If only you could see the evildoers hanging their heads in shame before their Lord: "Our Lord, we have seen and we have heard, so send us back again and we will act rightly. Truly we now have certainty."(Surat as-Sajda: 12)

In these terms, life is a very valuable asset which Allah has granted to people. Such heedless people waste this valuable time on empty and meaningless occupations which will bring them no benefit on the Day of Judgment because they are passionately attached to the worldly advantages which have been given to them as a test. Without even noticing, they waste this life which will never be given back to them. Since their efforts, their desires and their deeds are not directed towards Allah's approval and the Hereafter, they simply waste their time on earth with useless distractions. Allah describes their situation in a verse of the Qur'an:

Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves. Let false hope divert them. They will soon know. (Surat al-Hijr: 3)

What will save people in the afterlife are good deeds done to earn Allah's approval. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah warns us that these are the only actions which will be rewarded:

But as for those who believe and do right actions, We will not let the wage of good-doers go to waste. (Surat al-Kahf: 30)

Allah will make everything people do come to nothing, if they do not act with the intention of gaining His approval; in other words, these people will toil away but their efforts will be of no avail. (Surat al-Ghashiyya: 3) Those who throughout their lives aim to gain Allah's approval and do not deviate from the guidance of the Qur'an will be happy. Allah makes this promise in the Qur'an as follows:

Those who believe and do right actions, happiness will be theirs and a wonderful Homecoming. (Surat ar-Ra‘d: 29)

Everything on the Face of the Earth is "Adornment"
Before explaining that everything on the face of the earth is an adornment, let us make a comparison in order for the matter to be more easily understood.
Imagine two houses. In one there is no furniture at all, doors and windows have not been fitted, the walls have not been painted and no necessary repair or maintenance whatsoever has been carried out. In the other house there are fine armchairs and carpets and other furnishings. The walls have been painted in the most beautiful colors, repair and maintenance have been carried out fully, there is a wonderful view from the balcony and the house has every kind of comfort and luxury.
People who do not have more detailed information about the two houses may find the second more attractive at first sight. The decorations inside may momentarily fool people but if they are aware that the decorations have been specially placed in this house to test people and that in reality they will harm them, they will make a more intelligent decision and will not exercise their preference in favor of this more attractive looking house. In the same way, if they know that with a little effort on their part the other house can be made more attractive to them and in time will take on a more permanent beauty, they will choose the first house.
Just as in the example of the houses, Allah has created this world with decorations which will be pleasing to people. But the truth is, this is one of Allah's tests. These decorations should not deceive people; they are all temporary and illusory. Allah explains one of His Divine purposes in the Qur'an as to why He has created this world in such a way as to be attractive to people:

We made everything on the Earth adornment for it so that We could test them to see whose actions are the best. (Surat al-Kahf: 7)

Everything existing in this world is created to test people and everything is a blessing which provides an opportunity for earning Allah's pleasure. Nobody should forget that the reason for setting before him all the things he sees and what he possesses is only one of Allah's tests. With everything he owns or will own in the future he should engage in good deeds so as to gain Allah's approval. A person's true life is in the next world and what are truly permanent are the blessings which Allah will give His sincere servants there. In another verse, Allah advises us that everything pertaining to the world is finery and that people should use their intellect to understand the truth:

Anything you have been given is only the enjoyment of the life of this world and its finery. What is with Allah is better and longer lasting. So will you not use your intellect? (Surat al-Qasas: 60)

People who do not have the intellect to enable them to see the truth, because they do not use their consciences, are wrapped up in the material goods they see in the world and in their beauty. Their material goods and their children are at the head of the list of things whose attractiveness deceive such people. They think that when they achieve the wealth they desire or have healthy and beautiful children they will attain great peace and joy. However, when they achieve these aims what they experience is still unhappiness and trouble. Their lives become monotonous because they are performing the same tasks every day. The vicious circle they have fallen into makes them tired of life. They believe at the outset that everything will happen in a nice and enjoyable way but after a short time they begin to notice how much the things they wanted are tiring them out and taking up all their time.
The weariness, trouble and sorrow they feel manifest themselves in all their speech and behavior. Their unhappiness can be seen in every aspect of their beings. Neither does acquiring wealth make any difference. A person uses the money and goods he owns in ways he believes will bring him pleasure and enjoyment. He unwisely wastes all his money for such purposes. While he expects that all this will also bring him peace, he continually suffers disappointment and his trouble and misery increase all the time. The reason people fall into such a position is that they are attracted by the deceptions of worldly life and because of this strive only to capture these illusions. All these troubles come of their living in ignorance of the truth of which Allah informs us in this verse:

Wealth and sons are the embellishment of the life of this world. But, in your Lord's sight, right actions which are lasting bring a better reward and are a better basis for hope. (Surat al-Kahf: 46)
People like these see only the attractive, that is, the deceptive side of the blessings Allah has granted and so they deceive themselves. As a result they have difficulty in seeing the truth. Because they do not think about the eternal Hereafter they only "desire the life of this world and its finery." (Surat al-Ahzab: 28) They wander about in blindness and confusion because they are ignorant of their true purposes in life. Allah describes this in the Qur'an:

As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their actions appear good to them and they wander about blindly. (Surat an-Naml: 4)

All the things people want during their lives and work for with great effort and determination are really life's ornaments. At first glance everything on earth may seem very beautiful and attractive to people and the truth is that everything is a blessing for them. However, it should not be forgotten that the life of this world is a test for people. The real purpose of life is to be a servant to our Lord Who provided all of these fine things and show gratitude to Him in the most sincere way. If, on the contrary, a person forgets this truth, chases after the world's ornaments and makes them the basic purpose of his life, he will be driven to great disappointment in this world and the next.

Everything They Own Is a Matter for Boasting
Allah has created the life of this world to test people to see whose actions are the best. With His manifold wisdom, Allah grants His mercy to those of His servants He chooses and withdraws it from those He chooses. People should be aware of this truth and know that in either case they should lose none of their attachment and devotion to Allah. For example, Allah tests some people with wealth. When a person who has been poor acquires wealth by some means, this can radically change his psychology and in connection with this his behavior towards others and his ideas about them. The first thing that changes in such people is that they push themselves forward at every opportunity and try to make others around them praise them because they think that due to the wealth they have acquired, they possess a quality which most others do not have. They make the blessings which Allah has given them a matter of superiority and distinction when they compare themselves with other people. Beneath this misguided behavior lies the drive of the self to bring about its own desires.
A person who does not use what he owns to earn the approval of Allah uses it solely to satisfy his own lower self. The lower self wants to be admired and praised all the time. People who do not have the aim of pleasing Allah seek only the approval of others and because of this they boast and take pride in everything they acquire or own. People such as this who do not consider the Hereafter have no other course but to use what they have as best they can in the life of this world.
Boasting does not solely arise from the material wealth people possess. A person may make his appearance, his hair, his physique, his success, in short anything which makes him different to those around him and better off, a matter for boasting. For instance, when her child earns the right to enter a much sought after faculty of a top class university, this becomes a subject for bragging by the mother. She refers to this subject in every conversation and speaks with praise of the difficulties her child suffered and the great support she herself provided. She tries to make use of her child's success and grab a share of it for herself. Of course, she may have supported the child and provided help, but her reason for telling other people about it is usually to earn praise and admiration for herself. She derives great pleasure from this.
In the community of the ignorant, this behavior, which is very widespread, goes by the name of "feeling proud." In this way people try to hide the unpleasantness of what they are doing for the real purpose of attracting praise. They try to present reasonable grounds for their incorrect behavior by sheltering behind phrases such as "I feel proud" or "I'm proud of him." In fact, all this behavior is driven by the motive of putting on a show for others.
Houses are another subject of boasting widespread amongst the community of the ignorant. A person who buys a new house and furnishes it beautifully invites his friends around because he has made his house suitable for display. By showing off the house to others, he creates a situation in which he will receive praise and attract admiration.
All the above are behavioral aberrations which occur because people do not think about how and for what purpose they should use what they own. In the Qur'an, Allah cites a person called Qarun from the tribe of the Prophet Musa (as) as an example of the end which will be met by people who make worldly decorations the subject of boasting about themselves. Allah tells us that he gave Qarun great wealth but that in response, he gloated:

Qarun was one of the people of Musa but he lorded it over them. We gave him treasures, the keys alone to which were a heavy weight for a party of strong men. When his people said to him, "Do not gloat. Allah does not love people who gloat" (Surat al-Qasas: 76)

Qarun ignored the people's warnings and claimed that his wealth had been given him because of "knowledge" he has, (Surat al-Qasas: 78) and made this a subject of boasting about his superiority over his fellow people. The people coveted Qarun's wealth:

He went out among his people in his finery. Those who desired the life of this world said, "Oh! If only we had the same as Qarun has been given! What immense good fortune he possesses."(Surat al-Qasas: 79)

Qarun's end provides a warning which is extremely important with regard to how the boasting of people who think like him or who desire to be like him, who are ungrateful for the blessings which Allah has given them, are treated by Allah. Allah tells us of Qarun's end in this verse:

We caused the earth to swallow up both him and his house. There was no group to come to his aid, besides Allah, and he was not someone who is helped. (Surat al-Qasas: 81)

A group of people who saw what happened to Qarun fully realized that it is Allah Who provides sustenance and takes it away and understood what outcome is caused by behaving ungratefully towards Allah. We are told how these people reacted:

Those who had longed to take his place the day before woke up saying, "Allah expands the provision of any of His servants He wills or restricts it. If Allah had not shown great kindness to us, we would have been swallowed up as well. Ah! Truly the disbelievers are not successful."(Surat al-Qasas: 82)

As we can clearly see from the story of Qarun, if people make the blessings given them by Allah a matter for boasting and an object for the admiration of others, their end will be no different from Qarun's. People who behave ungratefully towards Allah may have His blessings withdrawn from them at any moment. For example, a child a person has boasted about may start getting bad marks at school or he may suddenly lose his beautiful house to an earthquake or have all his valuable property sequestered. However, at such times people evaluate what has happened to them from different points of view. People who do not think correctly put everything that happens to them down to luck. According to the twisted logic they put forward, people suffering disasters have been affected by bad luck and have lost everything because of it. The pain they suffer and the discomfort they feel intensifies this superstitious belief. In fact, the truth is that there is no such thing as bad luck. The loss they have suffered may be Allah's warning to them that what they have done is wrong. In one verse Allah warns as follows:

Do they not see that they are tried once or twice in every year? But still they do not turn back. They do not pay heed. (Surat at-Tawba: 126)

However, because they are not aware of this truth, the troubles which befall them recur again and again. This causes them to live in a world of unhappiness. The fact that they stubbornly continue with the same behavior when they suffer loss reveals the magnitude of the desire to be praised and admired which persists within them. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that the desire to boast about what they own is so powerful as to drive them out of their senses:

Fierce competition for this world distracted you until you went down to the graves. (Surat at-Takathur: 1-2)

This boastful psychology is so strong that in order to obtain admiration and praise people may tell lies about things they claim to have done but have not really done at all. Allah has warned these people by telling them that the return for such behavior is torment:

Those who exult in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done should not suppose that they have escaped the punishment. They will have a painful punishment. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 188)

This misbehavior affects their relationships with others around them as much as it affects themselves. In the main people are uncomfortable around those who continually sing their own praises and assert their own worth. In time this can cause a cooling of relations between a person and those around him or even cause him to become isolated. Because of this everybody should think twice about such behavior and never forget that everything they experience in this world comes from Allah. They should try to see the effects boasting has on them and on those around them and should thank Allah for the blessings He has granted and purify themselves of the kind of behavior which contradicts spirit of the Qur'an.

Everything Is Bound up in a Desire for More
It is possible for ignorant people to live a happy life, profit from their lives to the maximum and gain the greatest possible benefits. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that ignorant people "try to outdo one another in wealth and children." (Surat al-Hadid: 20) This desire for increase springs from people's ambition that their advantages should continually grow both in quantity and in quality. They hope that they will be happy to the extent that they acquire more and more beautiful possessions. For example, a person starts driving a fine car with the greatest of pleasure and satisfaction. However, within a short time his pleasure and happiness give way to concern because he sees a more showy and more luxurious car and because of this ceases to be satisfied with his own. In time his sole aim will be to possess this new car. This pattern is valid not only for cars but for everything which gives people pleasure. In the community of the ignorant, people feel the urge to possess as much as possible of what they like and derive pleasure from. They can never be satisfied with less, believing that owning the most of everything can make them happy.
In fact, as we explained in the previous section, everything in the world is merely an allurement. However, if a person believes these decorations to be real and competes to acquire them, he will depart by a great distance from the main purpose of his creation. At this point his main purpose will be solely to satisfy the desires of his lower self. Everything in the world is limited and defective so it is always possible to find something better, more beautiful or of higher quality. For this reason the desires of the lower self have no end and the person will never be happy with what he owns. Consequently, instead of making such a person happy, acting in this way will drive him into even greater unhappiness.
This unhappiness prevents ignorant people from being grateful to Allah because they behave ungratefully for the blessings given by Allah due to their ambition and passion. To them it is not important who gave them these blessings or for what purpose; they do not even consider this. What is important is to acquire everything they like as quickly as possible and continually to increase the number of their possessions. The situation of these people resembles a bucket with a hole in it which can never be filled. When water is poured in it escapes through the hole in the bottom. So long as the hole is not plugged, it is impossible to fill the bucket. So long as people are not grateful for what they own and do not know how to be satisfied with it, no matter what blessings are given them, there will be no change in their state. Even if they own the best of everything they will not notice the beauty of what they possess and will not appreciate it because they are still greedy for more. Allah points out the state of such people in the Qur'an:

Leave the person I created on his own to Me alone, him to whom I have given great wealth, and sons who stay with him, and whose way I have smoothed. Then he wants Me to add yet more! (Surat al-Muddaththir: 11-15)

As we are told in another verse:

He has given you everything you have asked Him for. If you tried to number Allah's blessings, you could never count them. Man is indeed wrongdoing, ungrateful. (Surah Ibrahim: 34)

Allah has given people everything, but the feeling of ingratitude within people prevents them from thanking Allah as they should. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us that He will only increase the blessings of His grateful followers and will repay the ungrateful with torment:

[Musa said to his people,] "And when your Lord announced: 'If you are grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe.'" (Surah Ibrahim: 7)

The desire of many people to possess the blessings of the world does great harm both to themselves and to the societies in which they live. Since they cannot satisfy their constant desire for newer and better, the trouble and sorrow felt by such people is very deep. Due to their attachment to this world, these people develop, "an insatiable love of wealth." (Surat al-Fajr: 20) When they are asked for material help or asked to share what they possess people like this display very selfish and cruel behavior due to their excessive attachment to their possessions, as Allah points out in this verse: "Truly he is fierce in his love of wealth." (Surat al-Adiyat: 8) Mostly they give something unimportant just for show while clinging on tightly to the rest of what they own. In connection with this, the rich in a community get richer and the poor get poorer. This constitutes a great obstacle to the achievement of peace and justice in society.
This passion inside people for increasing their possessions leads to miserliness, a behavioral aberration whose wrongness is described by Allah in a number of verses of the Qur'an. People such as these resort to miserliness because they have made the accumulation of property their principal aim in life. In spite of this unpleasant and selfish behavior they still regard everything they accumulate as a blessing for them. The truth is that in the life of this world Allah makes some people rich as a test so that by believing that their wealth is a gain, people who do not use it for good fall into a major error because on the Day of Judgment it will return to them as fire. Allah tells us of this truth in the Qur'an:

Those who are tight-fisted with the bounty Allah has given them should not suppose that that is better for them. No indeed, it is worse for them! What they were tight-fisted with will be hung around their necks on the Day of Rising. Allah is the inheritor of the Heavens and the earth and Allah is aware of what you do. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 180)

As we are told by Allah in the verse, "those who are tight-fisted and direct others [to it]…" (Surat an-Nisa': 37), one characteristic of such people is that they encourage others to engage in the same unpleasant behavior. In addition to this, they hide what they own from those around them so that others will want nothing from them. Because their real desire is continually to increase their possessions and accumulate more, they do not want others to make use of them.
Their failure to understand the true nature of worldly life forces them into deviant misbehavior and constant preoccupation with their own advantage. They have convinced themselves that if they act according to this logic they will come out in profit. However, they gain nothing but trouble and anxiety. Despite this, they insist on such behavior with great determination and ambition. Because they are deceived by the life of this world, they expect to be happy and at peace with what they engage in, but what they obtain is just a life of unhappiness and trouble. In order for people to understand the real nature of this life, Allah has compared what people acquire in the life of this world to falling rain and has warned people as follows:

Know that the life of this world is merely a game and a diversion and ostentation and a cause of boasting among yourselves and trying to outdo one another in wealth and children: like the plant-growth after rain which delights the cultivators, but then it withers and you see it turning yellow, and then it becomes broken stubble. In the Hereafter there is terrible punishment but also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is nothing but the enjoyment of delusion. (Surat al-Hadid: 20)

They Have Adopted Gods other than Allah
One of the most significant reasons for people's unhappiness is their ascribing partners to Allah. Some people are not fully aware of the meaning attached to ascribing partners to Allah in the Qur'anic sense. Ascribing partners to Allah means regarding other objects and creatures as having the same godlike qualities as Allah, giving them the respect which should be given to Allah and showing towards them the same behavior which should be shown to Allah. This is great disrespect and ingratitude to Allah, Who is the sole deity. Likewise, it is a big mistake to think that the slandering of Allah and disrespect towards Him will go unanswered. Ascribing partners to Allah is the greatest heedlessness and error a person can commit. In the Qur'an, Allah describes it as "a terrible wrong" which will never be forgiven. For this reason, it is a form of behavior which should be very carefully and strenuously avoided:
Allah does not forgive anything being associated with Him but He forgives whoever He wills for anything other than that. Anyone who associates something with Allah has gone very far astray. (Surat an-Nisa': 116)
One of the returns people who ascribe partners to Allah receive for this behavior in this life is unhappiness. Then, how does ascribing partners to Allah make one unhappy, or what happens if one directs the emotions and thoughts which should be directed towards Allah towards other beings instead?
The answer is clear. In such a situation thousands of false gods intervene in a person's life. For instance, if a person is fearful of another, he has attributed to that other a power and a will independent of Allah. Since under such circumstances he believes that the other person can harm him, he obeys him and in turn tries to gain his approval and goodwill. As can be seen, feeling such emotions towards another individual instead of towards Allah means attributing creative powers to that other individual. This in turn means that the person is making a god equivalent to Allah out of somebody no different from himself. The fact is, however, it is Allah alone Who deserves fear and obedience. In a verse of the Qur'an, our Lord advises us as follows:

Is Allah not enough for His servant? Yet they try to scare you with others apart from Him. If Allah misguides someone, he has no guide. (Surat az-Zumar: 36)

So, a person should conform only to the instructions and prohibitions of our Lord and should try to earn His approval. Otherwise he will experience great discomfort and difficulty. The fear of Allah is a "benevolent" fear which brings a person closer to Allah, brings with it love of Allah and encourages the person to try harder to gain His approval. The fear produced by ascribing partners to Allah is a "malevolent" fear which discomforts a person and can send him to Hell. In the Qur'an, Allah states that He will spread fear in the hearts of these people who without authority from Him have associated others with Him:

We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they have associated others with Allah for which He has not sent down any authority. Their shelter will be the Fire. How evil is the abode of the wrongdoers! (Surah Al ‘Imran: 151)

Another emotion which is wrongly directed in communities of the ignorant is love. Love is a splendid emotion which Allah has placed in people's hearts but if this emotion is not directed correctly it becomes nothing but a source of worry and pain. So much so that, because some people place their ambition for their own benefits above all moral values, they also make love a vehicle for their own advantage. They reach a point where they cannot love if their love is not requited. In such an atmosphere people love one another for the advantages they can obtain but because of this they suffer continual harm. So long as love is shown in an ignorant manner in the wrong places and to the wrong people, those who show it cannot be protected against disappointment.
The One Who deserves love and is to be loved is Allah, Who possesses infinite might. It is Allah Who created people from nothing, Who gives them everything, Who feeds, clothes and protects them and gives them a variety of beautiful things. Real love is that which reflects Allah and His manifestations, the love of those who adhere to the path to which they have been summoned by Him.
However, for a person who ascribes partners to Allah, this is impossible. The unconsciousness in which he remains becomes a source of blind love for beings which do not deserve to be loved. The Qur'an tells us about this aspect of disbelievers as follows:

Some people set up equals to Allah, loving them as they should love Allah. But those who believe have greater love for Allah. If only you could see those who do wrong at the time when they see the punishment, and that truly all strength belongs to Allah, and that Allah is severe in punishment. (Surat al-Baqara: 165)

Another way of ascribing partners to Allah is a person's self love, his belief that he is the strongest, the most intelligent and the most handsome. Such a person claims that his own ideas are right and follows them. In short, he sees himself in a giant mirror. The deity of a person like this is his own self. He adopts himself as his own god. Allah informs us about the condition of such people in the following verse of the Qur'an:

Have you seen him who has taken his whims and desires to be his god? Will you then be his guardian? (Surat al-Furqan: 43)

Because people who ascribe partners to Allah adopt other people and beings as their gods they naturally shape their lives according to the wishes of these others because they believe that in this way they will be happy and at peace. In addition, it is very important for them to gain the admiration, approval and goodwill of these false gods. Since their happiness is bound up with the goodwill of these false gods they set aside a different part of themselves for each of them. They develop a different personality for each of them because they have adopted more than one false god. Just as this causes intolerable difficulties for a person, it also makes him do things he does not want to do. A person who, by contrast, accepts Allah as his only God conforms only to His Word and tries to gain only His approval and love. In the Qur'an, Allah gives a very wise example of the difference between these two types of person:

Allah has made a metaphor for them of a man owned by several partners in dispute with one another and another man wholly owned by a single man. Are they the same? Praise be to Allah! The fact is that most of them do not know. (Surat az-Zumar: 29)

Remember when he [Ibrahim] said to his father, "Father, why do you worship what can neither hear nor see and is not of any use to you at all?" (Surah Maryam: 42)

As Allah tells us in the verse, a person who accepts other gods is compelled to live in psychological turmoil and will be unable to obtain the best result for anything he does or receive the attention and approval he expects. The reason for this is the desire of people to seek their own advantage and put themselves in first place in their relations with one another. People from whom a person expects help, whose every instruction he follows and whose goodwill he tries to obtain do not or cannot give him anything he wants because of their own interests and advantages. They may even change to the extent that when he visits them they become his enemies and want to do him harm. This is another factor which intensifies the trouble and lack of tranquility a person may feel. In order to protect ourselves against setting up false gods we need to think deeply about this behavior and direct ourselves towards Allah's approval in the knowledge that there is no power other than His.
Nothing and nobody a person adopts as a false god has any power, beauty, ability or intelligence; it is Allah alone Who possesses all these qualities. Because of this, when the person is in trouble and when he wants help, Allah is the only One Who can help him. When he says, "I am thinking," Allah is the One Who inspires his thoughts. When he acts in any way, it is Allah Who really makes him perform the action. When he eats a tasty meal, it is Allah Who creates the food and the flavor. Again it is Allah Who ensures that the meal is prepared for him. When he falls sick, it is not really the germ which makes him ill but Allah. It is Allah, not the doctor, Who cures him and makes him well. When he sets fire to a piece of paper with a lighter, it is not the flame of the lighter which burns the paper but Allah. When one wears beautiful clothing, it is Allah Who makes one seem beautiful.
It is possible to multiply these examples a hundredfold. There is a point here which must not be misunderstood. Of course, when a person is ill he goes to the doctor, but he should understand very clearly that it is not the doctor who makes him well. It may be a person's mother who prepares a meal, but it is Allah Who causes the meal to be cooked and prepares the reasons for the person to be fed. There is a cause and effect relationship between events. However, Allah has created one by one the effects and the causes which give rise to the effect. People need to ponder over this fact and grasp it. Nobody has the power, ability or intelligence to do anything independently of Allah. Since Allah is the owner of everything, He is also the only One Who does everything and causes everything to be done. In a large number of verses, Allah warns us that in reality creatures set up as false gods have no power at all:
Do they make things into partner-gods which cannot create anything and are themselves created, which are not capable of helping them and cannot even help themselves? (Surat al-A‘raf: 191-192)

Those you call on besides Allah are servants just like yourselves. Call on them and let them respond to you if you are telling the truth. Do they have legs they can walk with? Do they have hands they can grasp with? Do they have eyes they can see with? Do they have ears they can hear with? Say: "Call on your partner-gods and try all your wiles against me and grant me no reprieve." (Surat al-A‘raf: 194-195)

In another verse, Allah tells us that on the Day of Judgment these people will admit the truth with their own voices:

Then they will be asked, "Where are those besides Allah you associated with Him?" and they will reply, "They have forsaken us. Or rather we were not calling to anything at all before." That is how Allah misguides the disbelievers. (Surah Ghafir: 73-74)

This is the greatest proof of the magnitude of the heedlessness and deception of a person who expects help from beings which have no power at all and gears his whole life to them by making an effort to meet their wishes and gain their approval and who is in reality setting up false gods. In that case, what are these people following and according to what do they behave? Allah gives us the answer to that question in the Qur'an:

Yes, indeed! Everyone in the Heavens and everyone on the earth belongs to Allah. Those who call on something other than Allah are not really following their partner-gods. They are only following conjecture. They are only guessing. (Surah Yunus: 66)

As we can see, such people conform not to reality but to their own guesses and estimations and act according to these. What brings forth all these false gods is their own conjecture and imagination. Not only do these conjectures and estimations produce nothing right, they further increase the losses of those who make them and, as Allah tells us in the verse, "It has been revealed to you and those before you: 'If you associate others with Allah, your actions will come to nothing and you will be among the losers.'"(Surat az-Zumar: 65), everything such people do and every effort they make is wasted. Our Prophet (saws) also informs us that their hopes of getting help from anyone and anything other than Allah will do them no good at all:
"… When you ask for anything ask it from Allah, and if you seek help, seek help in Allah. Know that if the people were to unite to do you some benefit they could benefit you only with what Allah had recorded for you, and that if they were to unite to do you some injury they could injure you only with what Allah had recorded for you..." (Tirmidhi Hadith)
But some people like this do not know what a great danger lies in setting up false gods and what a great deception it is. A person who throughout his life ascribes partners to Allah will realize on the Day of Judgment that the people or objects which he made his deities have abandoned him, and he will understand that they were nothing but a deception, possessing no power at all. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us of the regret and psychological collapse which these people will suffer in the Hereafter:

When those who were followed disown those who followed them, and they see the punishment, and the connection between them is cut, those who followed will say, "If only we could have another chance, we would disown them just as they have disowned us." In that way Allah will show them their actions as a cause of anguish and remorse for them. They will never emerge from the Fire. (Surat al-Baqara: 166-167)

People who ascribe partners to Allah as their guardians have no real hope of happiness throughout their lives. Because they do not make Allah their guardian and friend they cannot experience tranquility and happiness in the real sense during their lifetimes. In return for their ungratefulness, Allah gives them unhappiness. This is an unchanging truth. The reason for a person's falling into such a state is himself alone. A person should seek the reason for his unhappiness in himself and should reflect upon it. Allah points out in a verse of the Qur'an that people are unhappy because of what they have done with their own hands:

Allah does not wrong people in any way; rather it is people who wrong themselves. (Surah Yunus: 44)

In order to be free from ascribing partners to Allah, people should turn towards Allah from the heart, listen to their conscience and praise Allah's power and omnipotence. The Prophet Ibrahim (as) was an example for all of humanity in obeying his conscience, turning towards Allah and understanding the power and omnipotence of Allah. In the Qur'an, Prophet Ibrahim's (as) behavior is described as follows:

Because of that We showed Ibrahim the dominions of the Heavens and the earth so that he might be one of the people of certainty. When night covered him he saw a star and said, "This is my Lord!" Then when it set he said, "I do not love what sets." Then when he saw the moon come up he said, "This is my Lord!" Then when it set he said, "If my Lord does not guide me, I will be one of the misguided people." Then when he saw the sun come up he said, "This is my Lord! This is greater!" Then when it set he said, "My people, I am free of what you associate with Allah!" "I have turned my face to Him Who brought the Heavens and earth into being, a pure natural believer. I am not one of the idolaters." (Surat al-An‘am: 75-79)

If a person works throughout his life to earn Allah's good pleasure, carries out his responsibilities with sincerity, and asks anything from Him, he will see clearly that Allah always helps him and protects him against troubles of every sort. In the Qur'an Allah gives this good news to believers:

Say: "Allah rescues you from it, and from every plight. Then you associate others with Him." (Surat al-An‘am: 64)

... Allah will certainly help those who help Him—Allah is All-Strong, Almighty. (Surat al-Hajj: 40)

If Allah helps you, no one can vanquish you. If He forsakes you, who can help you after that? So the believers should put their trust in Allah. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 160)
They Misunderstand the Concept of Fate
If you ask people nowadays what fate is, you will receive the correct answer from very few of them. This shows that people do not fully know what fate means. The fact that they do not learn the meaning of fate from the Qur'an, which guides to the truth in every matter, causes them to lose out on the comfort and peace which a proper understanding of fate can bring them.
Fate is Allah's knowledge down to the minutest detail and His control of what every living being He has created has done in the past and will do in the future; their every action, thought and word. Everything people see and experience in their lives has been planned by Allah before they are even born. We are told that Allah created everything in accordance with its fate in the verse, "We have created all things according to a fixed decree." (Surat al-Qamar: 49) Because throughout his life a person is confronted with the events which Allah wishes and desires for him, he lives his life entirely as Allah wishes. Allah reminds us of this in the Qur'an:
Everything they did is in the Books. Everything is recorded, big or small. (Surat al-Qamar: 52-53)
As Allah informs us in this verse, all people live their lives under His control and His command. In another verse, Allah uses these words to tell us that all people live according to the fate which He has determined for them:

You did not kill them; it was Allah Who killed them; and you did not throw, when you threw; it was Allah Who threw: so He might test the believers with this excellent trial from Him. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Anfal: 17)

So it is impossible for a person to do what he wants, change or escape from his fate. People's fates, which include everything they encounter and their every reaction to these things, are ordained by Allah. Allah informs us of this fact in the verse, "... Allah's command is a pre-ordained decree." (Surat al-Ahzab: 38) Because of this everybody is inescapably bound to their fate. All living beings, including mankind, live their lives according to the fate predetermined by Allah.
What we have explained plays a very important role in people's ability to be happy and in their achieving a balanced spiritual state in which they can behave comfortably and easily under all circumstances. In order to see more clearly the comfort and ease which submission to fate gives a person, let us compare the reactions to an important event of a person who believes in fate and submits to it and one who does not believe in it. Let us say that the important event is the university entrance examination, considered a turning point in the life of every young person. Let us assume that the two people referred to enter this examination. Because these two people differ greatly in their view of fate their psychological approach to the examination and its effect on them will also be very different.
The person who submits to the fate created for him by Allah will not suffer the stress and tension an examination can cause because he knows that the mistakes he makes during it and their outcome are known in the sight of Allah before he enters the examination and have been created for him by Allah as a blessing because the examination has already taken place and ended within his fate. This person will simply wait to see the outcome of taking that examination. He is aware that there is no power other than Allah which can intervene in the result. The knowledge that his result has been created by Allah for his benefit, whether it is a pass or a failure, prevents him from succumbing to examination worries and stress. Because of his devotion and submission to Allah, he accepts any result, good or bad, because the result is what Allah wishes.
Because such a person does not become nervous or stressed, he avoids the damage and loss which this might cause him. A nervous, stressed person cannot be at ease, cannot collect his wits, cannot use what he knows and can easily make mistakes. It is obvious that being in such a mental state during an important examination will have a negative impact on a person's examination performance. Because of trust in fate, a person escapes from this negative burden which examination psychology imposes and increases his chance of success in the examination.
When we look at the other person, we see something very different. Because this person does not submit to fate and trust in it, he thinks everything he does is under his own control and has developed according to his own plan. The burden imposed by such thinking in an important examination is extremely heavy, and so the person is unable to escape from this pressure and is highly nervous and stressed. According to his belief, whether he passes the examination or not is entirely in his own hands. Since he spent months of his time working to pass the examination, the fear that if he fails all this effort will have been in vain is another source of worry for him.
Having no belief in fate may cause stress and tension to have a negative effect on him. He may not be able to gather his thoughts and therefore fail to answer questions he understands very well or even if he can, he may accidentally select the wrong answer on the answer paper. He may fail an examination which has vital importance to him simply because of stress and tension. So long as a person who falls into this situation does not see events with the eyes of faith it is almost impossible for him not to be depressed and filled with apprehension. Indeed, such a person may even succumb to a serious clinical depression. Because he thinks that the reason everything happens is down to him, his worry and torment increase still further. Because he is not devoted to Allah, he is deprived of the comfort and security which Allah can give his heart. For this reason, as Allah tells us in the following verse, people who do not submit to His decree in the full sense can never experience a balanced and tranquil spiritual state:

That is so that you will not be grieved about the things that pass you by or exult about the things that come to you. Allah does not love any vain or boastful man. (Surat al-Hadid: 23)

Another error which people make is worry about failing to understand what is good and bad for themselves and suffering as a result. Since a person's intelligence and judgment are limited, so long as he does not depend on Allah's guidance he cannot fully understand what is good and what is bad for him. He may make the mistake of regarding an occurrence which appears negative as actually being negative. This is a mistake because Allah tests people with both good and evil. Allah tells believers this secret in the verse, "... We test you with both good and evil as a trial. And you will be returned to Us." (Surat al-Anbiya: 35)
For a person who believes in this truth and acts in accordance with Allah's will, every event he meets with is an opportunity for a happy ending. In another verse, Allah points out to us that He has created every event with a great deal of wisdom whether people can see this or not:

… It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)
As we see in this verse, everything, whether a person likes it or not or enjoys it or not, conceals at bottom a benefit for them because whatever happens to people it has been planned by Allah Who knows everything. Of course, our Lord Who created humanity knows what is good and bad for people. Thinking contrary to this means failure to accept Allah's decree and causes people nothing but loss and unhappiness. Because of this what a person needs to do is direct himself always towards good and submit to the fate Allah has determined for him.
People who are incapable of grasping the fact that everything that happens to them is a test and that Allah has created everything for their benefit will suffer a great loss. Since these people do not evaluate events in accordance with Qur'anic criteria, they approach everything they encounter from a negative point of view and so have a hopeless and pessimistic mindset. The only way to protect oneself from this is to surrender to fate in the full sense and try to find the divine wisdom in every event. This is a way to happiness which ignorant people cannot possibly know.
When people who do not submit to Allah and fate are confronted with undesirable events they take on an irritable state of mind. This increases their distress and discomfort even further. It is troubling to such people to come across events whose source they do not know and whose cause they do not understand. This trouble represents the consequences in this world for those who resist Allah. It is clear therefore, that the torment of those who resist Allah and avoid serving Him has its beginnings here on Earth. Allah points to this reality in the Qur'an:

We will give them a taste of lesser punishment before the greater punishment, so that hopefully they will turn back. (Surat as-Sajda: 21)

The only things people who do not submit to fate as they should will meet in this world are unhappiness and problems. The comfort, tranquility and security a person feels are in direct proportion to the strength of his faith and trust in fate and his submission to Allah. By this means he will both achieve a balanced spiritual state and be able to see more clearly the good and divine purpose in the events he encounters.

They Have Adopted Insincerity as a Principle
To put it briefly, sincerity can be defined as behaving in a determined way according to what a person believes and feels. A person who is sincere in the true sense behaves comfortably and naturally in all surroundings because he feels no need to prove himself to others or make them accept him. For a person who lives like this, sincerity becomes a source of comfort and tranquility.
However, nowadays many people feel a lack of sincerity in their relations with others around them. Many people who live immoral and ignorant lives make a habit of lying, hypocrisy and cheating and base themselves wholly on these "principles." Everybody behaves insincerely towards everybody else because everybody is out for what they can get. No doubt, this is not a one-sided situation, it is mutual. One party uses the other and tries as far as possible to take advantage of them. In such an environment no concept of trust remains because there is no telling what anyone will do, how they will behave or what they are thinking. In fact, this insincerity is the reason for people's unhappiness in their relationships with one another, their depressions and the short duration of their love and devotion towards one another. Allah warns us that people who depart from the ways of belief will be unhappy in the verse, "Let them laugh little and weep much, in repayment for what they have earned." (Surat at-Tawba: 82)
Insincerity causes the development of other unpleasant forms of behavior in these people. One of these is behaving with ingratitude for help given them and kindnesses received. Because they live lives far removed from the guidance of the Qur'an, they invariably develop a character trait whereby they easily forget help and kindnesses but never forget the bad that is done to them. Upon the slightest difference or misunderstanding they immediately go for one another's weak spots and begin criticizing each other as much as possible. They do not see, or do not want to see, one another's good sides. In short, they cannot take as much notice as they should of the kindnesses, the help and the good turns which are done to them.
People who demonstrate such a confrontational attitude also approach Allah and religion insincerely. The faith of these people in Allah is extremely weak and they tend to forget Him at the slightest hint of trouble or difficulty. In the verse of the Qur'an below, Allah warns us that people whose worship is held by the thinnest of strands will suffer great loss in this world and the Hereafter:

Among the people there is one who worships Allah right on the edge. If good befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial befalls him, he reverts to his former ways, losing both this world and the Hereafter. That is indeed sheer loss. (Surat al-Hajj: 11)

Another verse in which Allah draws our attention to these people's insincerity in their faith is as follows:

When harm touches man, he calls on Us, lying on his side or sitting down or standing up. Then when We remove the harm from him he carries on as if he had never called on Us when the harm first touched him. In that way We make what they have done appear good to the profligate. (Surah Yunus: 12)
Another indication of the insincerity of these people is that they put forward a number of reasons and excuses for making their doing just exactly what they want to do seem reasonable. When they are reminded of their responsibility to Allah, they have countless excuses for evading this responsibility and wasting their lives according to their own greedy desires. In every situation they invent false reasons for their failure to worship and their failure to adhere to Allah's instructions. These excuses differ according to people's desires and their plans for the future. Some say they have work which needs doing, some that they have no time and some that they will catch up with their worship when they get older.
Someone who knows that Allah surrounds everything, including himself, that He sees and hears everything and witnesses what is going through his mind when he makes an excuse never indulges in such behavior. He is aware of what torment awaits him if he acts in this way and that deception will bring him no advantage in this world or the next.
It is Allah's promise that people who are sincere towards Him and comply with His instructions and prohibitions to the letter will be brought together as his faithful servants and will live together in the finest possible way in the comfort, beauty and tranquility which their sincerity merits. This as a reward and a very special blessing for Allah's sincere followers in this world and the next. What a person needs to do is to show gratitude to Allah for the beautiful surroundings in which he finds himself.

Going to bed at night

2007-01-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

For all thinking people, there are many matters to reflect on in the creation of the night. Our Lord announced this to human beings in the following verse of the Qur'an: "A Sign for them is the night: We peel the day away from it and there they are in darkness." (Surah Ya Sin: 37) One of these matters is hidden in the gradual disappearance of the light and the darkening of the sky. Because of this slow transition, living things easily become accustomed to the differences in light and temperature between day and night and suffer no harm because of them. Allah, with His supreme knowledge and power, has mercy on His slaves and all living things, and He gives this blessing to all people but most do not think of it even once in their lives.
When a person who lives by the values of the Qur'an considers these things, he sees another proof of what Allah revealed in verse 92 of Surah Yusuf: "… He is the Most Merciful of the merciful."
There is no doubt that the alternation of day and night is one of the countless blessings created by Allah for humanity. In order to understand this better, our Lord draws our attention to these things in the Qur'an:
Say: "What do you think? If Allah made it permanent night for you till the Day of Rising, what god is there other than Allah to bring you light? Do you not then hear?"
Say: "What do you think? If Allah made it permanent day for you till the Day of Rising, what god is there other than Allah to bring you night to rest in? Do you not then see?'"(Surat al-Qasas: 71-72)

Allah created the conditions, balances and systems necessary for day and night, in the absence of one of which, only Allah could help. If Allah wanted, He could create continual day or continual night, but living things could not survive under such conditions. If such conditions ever came about, life on earth would come to an end. There is no doubt that Allah creates day and night in perfect order providing an environment in which living things can survive. This is a sign of His endless compassion and mercy. In the verse following the previous one, our Lord says the following:

But part of His mercy is that He has made both night and day for you so that you can have your rest and seek His bounty, and so that hopefully you will be thankful. (Surat al-Qasas: 73)

It is only those who use their minds to consider the creation and who come to fear Allah, that is, who live according to the Qur'an, who reflect on the reasons for the orderly alteration of day and night. Allah reveals this in a few verses:

In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are Signs for people with intelligence. (Surah Al 'Imran: 190)

In the alternation of night and day and what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth there are Signs for people who have taqwa. (Surah Yunus: 6)

In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and earth, there are Signs for people who use their intellect. (Surat al-Baqara: 164)

Allah has created human metabolism such that it needs to rest in the night and He reveals this in the following verses:

It is He Who appointed the night for you, so that you could rest in it, and the day for seeing. There are certainly Signs in that for people who listen. (Surah Yunus: 67)

Allah is He Who appointed the night for you so that you might rest in it, and the day for seeing. Allah pours out His favour on mankind but most people do not show thanks. (Surah Ghafir: 61)
Besides being a time for rest, the night has another very special quality. One of the reasons for the creation of night is that these hours of general peace and quiet around the world are productive for some acts of worship. Compared to the active daytime, night-time is more conducive to thinking, reading and praying. Allah reveals this in the Qur'an:

Certainly rising at night has a stronger effect and is more conducive to concentration. In the daytime much of your time is taken up by business matters. Remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him completely. (Surat al-Muzzammil: 6-8)

It is easier to concentrate in the night in order to ponder the wonders of Allah's creation, read the Qur'an and pray. A believer who is aware of this will not spend the whole night asleep or resting. He will quietly by himself turn to Allah for his needs, and for forgiveness of his errors and shortcomings. He will evaluate the day that has passed, review the mistakes he made in it; repent of his shortcomings and ask for forgiveness. He will pass his time in a way that pleases Allah, remember Him and try to draw close to Him. He will think about many things such as Allah's existence and majesty, the Qur'an, the extraordinary design of the universe, living things on the earth with their flawless systems, the blessings that Allah continually creates, the Garden, the Fire and eternity. The behaviour of a believer who devote a part of the night to worship is praised by Allah in some verses of the Qur'an:

(The slaves of the All-Merciful are) … those who pass the night prostrating and standing before their Lord. (Surat al-Furqan: 64)

Their sides eschew their beds as they call on their Lord in fear and ardent hope… (Surat as-Sajda: 16)

What of him who spends the night hours in prayer, prostrating and standing up, mindful of the Hereafter, hoping for the mercy of his Lord? Say: "Are they the same—those who know and those who do not know?" It is only people of intelligence who pay heed. (Surat az-Zumar: 9)

In this way, believers will have put into practice the Sunnah of our Prophet (saas) who spent a part of each night in prayer, contemplation and in worship. This is mentioned in one verse:

Your Lord knows that you stay up nearly two-thirds of the night or half of it, or a third of it and a group of those with you… (Surat al-Muzzammil: 20)

The tradition has been passed down to us that our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed that Allah would give him good character and conduct; it is said that he prayed in these words:
"O Allah, make my constitution and conduct good. O Allah, save me from bad character and conduct." (Imam Ghazali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din)
It must not be forgotten that, as we stated earlier, sleep is like death and, if Allah willed, a person would not wake up again. For this reason, the last minutes before falling asleep may be the last occasion a person has to ask for forgiveness. Allah reveals this in the Qur'an:

Allah takes back people's selves when their death arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep. He keeps hold of those whose death has been decreed and sends the others back for a specified term. There are certainly Signs in that for people who reflect. (Surat az-Zumar: 42)

A believer who lives according to the teachings of the Qur'an knows the value of this opportunity granted to him—perhaps his last—before falling asleep. He keeps this in mind and sincerely draws near to Allah; he asks forgiveness for his wrong actions, asks Allah's help in all things and prays to Him alone in the stillness of the night.

Saying prayers

2007-01-15T07:17:00.000-08:00

Verse 56 of Surat adh-Dhariyat which reads "I only created jinn and man to worship Me" declares that Allah has created human beings to serve Him. In other words, the purpose of human creation is, as Allah says in the Qur'an, to serve our Lord Who has created all things. So, those who accept the Qur'an as their guide put worshipping Allah above all other things, and they spend their short lives—seventy-odd years if they are granted that much—with a view to the afterlife and to winning Allah's favour. This shows itself in every moment of their earthly lives.
A believer is aware that the teachings of the Qur'an apply not only to a part of his life in this world, or to moments or stages in it, but to the whole life. He obeys Allah's commands to the fullest of his abilities and does as many good works as he can. He spends his time in the acts of worship that Allah has revealed in the Qur'an, and when he finishes one work, he goes on to another. Because Allah says in verse 162 of Surat al-An'am, "Say: 'My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds'", he pursues what is good and beneficial and there is no break, stop or limit in his efforts. For a believer, beginning a new job after the previous one has been completed is necessary because he knows that he must spend every second given to him in this earthly life working to win Allah's favour, and that he will give account in the afterlife of every moment he has spent in this world. For this reason, he spends every minute hoping only to win Allah's approval, and doing those things that he hopes Allah will most approve of. In the Qur'an, Allah tells believers to exert their efforts in this direction:

So when you have finished, work on. (Surat al-Inshirah: 7)
The believer's actions to win Allah's favour are uninterrupted from one day to another. This is indicated in verse 76 of Surah Maryam: "In your Lord's sight, right actions which are lasting are better both in reward and end result."
And in another verse, our Lord reveals that He wants people to persevere in their worship:

He is Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between them, so worship Him and persevere in His worship. Do you know of any other with His Name? (Surah Maryam: 65)

The perverse logic of some ignorant people in this regard leads them to doubt the existence of the afterlife and to just perform some acts of worship from time to time.
Some people make the great mistake of trying to get the blessings of this world, which they have set as a goal; they do anything to become rich, gain status and get other things they want. Within a very short time they become engaged in a huge contest for the sake of a "paltry price" (Surat at-Tawba: 9) that they will soon lose. But a believer who pursues Allah's favour and the way to the Garden strives only for Allah. The Qur'an describes this quality of a believer:

But as for anyone who desires the Hereafter, and strives for it with the striving it deserves, being a believer, the striving of such people will be gratefully acknowledged. (Surat al-Isra': 19)

A believer who spends his whole day seeking Allah's favour is resolved and eager in the performance of his prayer. He remembers Allah all day long in his heart and in his activities and ponders deeply His power, intelligence, knowledge, artistry and other attributes. This attitude is the application in daily life of the commands in the following verses:

… Remember your Lord much and glorify Him in the evening and after dawn. (Surah Al 'Imran: 41)

Remember your Lord in yourself humbly and fearfully, without loudness of voice, morning and evening… (Surat al-A'raf: 205)

In verse 28 of Surat ar-Ra'd, our Lord says that hearts will find peace only in remembering Him:

…Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. (Surat ar-Ra'd: 28)

A person who takes the Qur'an for his guide will be meticulous in performing acts of worship such as praying five times a day, fasting and performing wudu, as Allah has commanded. For example, saying prayers on time is an important matter. He does not let worldly concerns stand in the way of his prayer. Every time he says his prayers, he does it with humility, joy and enthusiasm, hoping that it brings him closer to Allah.
However, those who do not approach Allah with real enthusiasm but for show or out of fear of what other people may think cannot experience joy in worshipping Allah. When they perform the prayer, they have no idea that it could bring them closer to Allah. Their minds are too involved in their daily affairs to remember Allah and praise Him. In the Qur'an, Allah gives a warning to those who are neglectful of their prayers:

So woe to those who do the prayer, and are forgetful of their prayer, those who show off… (Surat al-Ma'un: 4-6)

This means that they delay the prayer outside of its due time or even don't do it at all. However, although the Surah doesn't refer to it, intelligent people take warning of being distracted in the prayer.
Distracted people make the mistake of thinking that they are doing something for Allah without fearing Him, thinking about Him and without sensing His presence or nearness. The behaviour that will bring a person nearer to Allah consists of sincerity in performing prayers, fear of Allah and obedience and humility before Him.
Some people have a very limited concept of prayer thinking that it is sufficient to obey a few of Allah's commands in the course of the day. But according to the Qur'an, worship is not limited only to religious duties like prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and giving sadaqah.
Worship means service. That is, it consists of a person's attitude and state of mind and everything that he does and says as a slave of Allah. No matter how important an obligatory prayer is as an act of worship for an individual, in the same way, overcoming anger, using courteous language, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, trusting other Muslims and not being argumentative are also included in worship. (For a detailed discussion see Harun Yahya's Commonly Disregarded Rulings of the Qur'an). For this reason, good behaviour is among those matters which must be applied and practised just as meticulously and determinedly as acts of worship. Indeed, alongside that, Muslims ought to know the kinds of ordinary transaction in the world, such as buying, selling, renting, marriage and divorce which are acceptable and the correct ways to do these transactions. In short, believers show great care every moment of their lives for all of the commands of Allah in the Qur'an and for the commands, prohibitions and counsels of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
One of the most important acts of worship a believer can perform in the course of his day is communication of the message, that is, to invite people to follow the right path, commend goodness to them and warn them against evil, and to invite them to increase in knowledge of Islam, Iman and Ihsan and to read the Qur'an. This worship is a necessary part of a believer's daily life. A believer is responsible at every moment to be a representative of Allah among His creation and to proclaim Allah's deen by his words, behaviour and by the kind of person he is. And this responsibility is not limited strictly to acts of worship; a believer will try to be an example to those around him by behaving in the best possible way. Our Lord speaks about this in the Qur'an:

The men and women of the believers are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and establish prayer and pay zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 71)

A believer is eager to do all he can to call other people to Allah and to His Way. He will tell them about Allah, His Unity and attributes, the purpose of their creation, right behaviour and conduct and the kind of life that pleases Allah, and about good, evil, right and wrong in the Qur'an, the day of judgment, the Fire and the Garden, and other such topics. He will tell them about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in such a way as to draw them to him, to following and emulating him.
The conversation that believers have among themselves is truly mutual reminder. They call one another to obey the commands of Allah and to live by the Sunnah of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and to live in conformity with Islamic values. In short, the usual way of a believer is remembrance and reminder.
Believers use both oral and written methods of reminder, and they may make use of today's highly developed means of mass communication. In calling people to the teachings of the Qur'an, they can take advantage of television, radio, books, magazines, newspapers, Internet and other media.
As important as the daily invitation of Islam of believers living according to the teachings of the Qur'an, there is the time they take to prepare the invitation. In the Qur'an, Allah indicates that those who wish to undertake the struggle of ideas on His way must first make preparation for it. For this reason, it is extremely important that a person prepares himself in every way for this work. Allah says:

If they had really desired to go out, they would have made proper preparations for it… (Surat at-Tawba: 46)

To communicate Allah's message, one of the things that the believer who is qualified to do so has to do is develop himself and to gain every kind of useful knowledge in order to communicate Allah's deen. That is, he must educate himself both spiritually and intellectually. He must make every effort to speak and write concisely, to the point and on topic, to be persuasive, effective and to satisfy his listeners with the wisdom learnt from Allah's deen. The main requirement is that a believer learn the deen of Islam, the meanings of the verses of the Qur'an and grasp the conduct and the sayings of our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. So, all these preparations and efforts have a special place in the daily life of that believer who is qualified and authorised to call others to Allah and His Messenger.

Exercise and physical training

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Every person of faith knows that his body has been entrusted to his use for a short time in this earthly life; he is responsible for caring for it as best he can, so he is careful about his health. For this reason, he devotes some serious time in his daily activities for exercise or physical training. Exercise and physical training help to strengthen the body, give it endurance and enable it to function in an orderly and healthy way and will make it possible for the believer to work even better to please Allah and do right action.
A human being's metabolism is not in accord with inactivity, it is created to support movement. Today it is recognised that exercise has many benefits: it strengthens the body's immune, circulatory, respiratory and nervous systems; it makes the body more resistant to germs and disease; it ensures the orderly functioning of the hormonal system, the heart and the arteries; it strengthens the muscles, joints and tendons; in improves conditioning and robustness; it helps maintain balance in the blood sugar, reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol and increase the level of "good" cholesterol.
Another reason why people of faith make efforts in this regard is that physical health is a quality that Allah draws attention to in the Qur'an. For example, it can be seen in verse 144 of Surat al-A'raf, in which Allah speaks to Musa (as) and chooses him to lead the Children of Isra'il, that accounts about him tell of his physical strength. Another verse tells of the physical strength of Talut (as) who was sent to rule over his people:

Their Prophet said to them, "Allah has appointed Talut to be your king." They said, "How can he have kingship over us when we have much more right to kingship than he does? He has not even got much wealth!" He said, "Allah has chosen him over you and favoured him greatly in knowledge and physical strength. Allah gives kingship to anyone He wills. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (Surat al-Baqara: 247)

There is another reason why believers should be careful to take exercise: if a person who is communicating the teachings of the Qur'an looks physically strong and attractive he will have influence over others; that person's noble and attractive outward appearance will make a positive impression on those with whom he is communicating.
For this reason, believers should always make the effort to maintain a strong and healthy body. They cannot be lazy, lax or careless in this matter.

Shopping

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Today shopping is an important activity for many people. For example, many people spend hours, even days, visiting stores to find clothes to show off to their friends. They spend a lot of money on clothes that they will wear only a few times in their lives, and despite the fact that their closet is full, they may buy new clothes with undiminished passion. For these people, shopping has gone beyond being a means to meet their needs and become an important part of their lives. It is characteristic of some that they actually lose themselves in shopping and very often buy things that later on they will regret having bought.
Surely, shopping is necessary for everyone and can even be a pleasant chore. But the error in it is that it may instil worldly desires in people and make them completely oblivious of the afterlife. They devote their whole lives, thoughts and plans to this activity, and instead of seeking ways to please Allah Who created them, they try to find satisfaction in minor occupations such as shopping.
As in every area of life, a person who lives according to the teachings of the Qur'an will also try to see in the activity of shopping the good that Allah has created and the meaning behind things that happen. For him, shopping is not aimless wandering but the opportunity to supply him and his family with what he needs. Shopping will certainly not take him away from performing the service he owes to Allah. Allah commands believers in the Qur'an:

Restrain yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, desiring His face. Do not turn your eyes from them, desiring the attractions of this world. And do not obey someone whose heart We have made neglectful of Our remembrance and who follows his own whims and desires and whose life has transgressed all bounds. (Surat al-Kahf: 28)

A believer who goes shopping will keep the following in mind: Allah has created various foods, clothing and many other blessings for believers. But in many countries, because of unemployment, poverty or conflict, people cannot find anything to eat. Although living in countries with lots of resources, there are people who are too poor to buy what they need. These things are all under Allah's control and there is a reason for the amount of provision that Allah chooses to give people. Allah draws our attention to this in the Qur'an:

Do they not know that Allah expands the provision of anyone He wills and restricts it? There are certainly Signs in that for people who believe. (Surat az-Zumar: 52)

Allah has created various circumstances to test human beings. And a believer will not cease giving thanks for what he has been given, no matter in what state he is. He is aware that the test and his situation are transitory. For this reason, he desires to act at every moment in a way that will be pleasing to Allah. He expresses his thanks to Allah for His blessings in his heart, in what he says and what he does. He spends what he has been given on doing good works, and if Allah restricts his provision, he will be patient and continue to give sincere thanks to Him. He knows he is tested with poverty and prays for Allah to give him patience. In every circumstance, a believer is content with Allah and hopes that Allah will be content with him.
But those who adopt the traditions, customs and values of a society that does not live by the teachings of the Qur'an, immediately lose their sense of gratitude when confronted by the least annoyance. Allah condemns them in the Qur'an, as mut for failing to see that their prosperity and wealth are a trial equal to their experience of poverty and need:

As for man, when his Lord tests him by honouring him and favouring him, he says, "My Lord has honoured me!" But then when He tests him by restricting his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me!" (Surat al-Fajr: 15-16)

Allah has created the countless blessings on this earth, but people who do not realise this forget that it is according to Allah's will and by His permission that they can buy their food and clothing. They do not thank Allah but act constantly under the control of selfish desires. All they think about while shopping is what clothing will most impress their friends. What occupies their minds constantly is where they can buy the latest and most attractive fashions in the colours and qualities they want. They are always concerned about what other people have and are jealous of them. They cannot endure being without possession and material things. They feel a great desire to own property and possessions. They compare what has been given to them with what has been given to others, and become impatient, thinking they have been treated unjustly and do not give thanks. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals the ungratefulness of those who are not content with what they have and always want more:

Allah shows favour to mankind but most of them are not thankful. (Surat an-Naml: 73)

A believer who lives according to the teaching of the Qur'an knows that the blessings around him are a gift from Allah and is careful not to spend money rashly. While shopping, he makes great effort to avoid wasting money and time. He acts as Allah says in the Qur'an: "…eat and drink but do not be profligate. He does not love the profligate." (Surat al-A'raf: 31) He never forgets that Allah calls people who squander their money extravagantly "brothers of Shaytan" (Surat al-Isra': 27)
Just as we are required by the Qur'an not to waste money in shopping or buying other things, so generosity is also required. Allah reveals this in Surat al-Furqan: "Those who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor mean, but take a stance mid way between the two." (Surat al-Furqan: 67) This verse sums up the wisdom a believer shows in the way he does his shopping.

At work

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Most adults devote a large part of their day to work. But those who act according to the teachings of the Qur'an are significantly different from their colleagues, who share a common morality. For a believer, no matter how urgent his business may be during the day, to perform his service to and worship of Allah is more important than anything else. Allah reveals this in the Qur'an:

…Say: "What is with Allah is better than trade or entertainment. Allah is the Best of Providers." (Surat al-Jumu'a: 11)

A believer is aware of this, and no work will prevent him from remembering Allah's name or performing his worship; he will not neglect or postpone any religious obligation for the sake of material gain. Our Lord draws our attention to this in a verse of the Qur'an:
In houses which Allah has permitted to be built and in which His name is remembered, there are men who proclaim His glory morning and evening, not distracted by trade or commerce from the remembrance of Allah and the establishment of prayer and the payment of zakat; fearing a day when all hearts and eyes will be in turmoil. (Surat an-Nur: 36-37)

The reason for drawing attention to commerce in this verse is because the desire for material profit is one of the biggest weaknesses among human beings. Some people are prepared to neglect the precepts of the deen for the sake of earning more money, obtaining more property or gaining more power. For example, they don't say their prayers or fulfil any other obligations, and they don't display fine qualities of character even though they are able to do so.
There are a number of things that these people expect in return for their labours. They want a good life in this world, to be prosperous, to gain position and respect and be honoured in society, to have a good marriage and praiseworthy children… These are a few of the things that people divorced from the values of the Qur'an even go so far as to choose instead of the afterlife. Indeed, all these things are legitimate blessings to which everyone who aims to win Allah's pleasure and attain the afterlife may also aspire. Believers also want to have the same blessings: useful employment, to earn money and own property. But they have some qualities that separate them from other people: they do all their work to please Allah, spend their money in ways that Allah has advised, and in their business, as in everything else, they meticulously obey Allah's commands.
In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah draws our attention to the dangers of regarding commerce as preferable to the deen:

Say: "If your fathers or your sons or your brothers or your wives or your tribe, or any wealth you have acquired, or any business you fear may slump, or any house which pleases you, are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and doing jihad in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His command. Allah does not guide people who are deviators." (Surat at-Tawba: 24)

A believer with profound faith will make every effort to avoid being caught up in this kind of passion. There is a noble character that Allah expects of believers, and which they will display, no matter in what work they are engaged. In doing business they are honest, sincere, self-sacrificing, hardworking, fair and modest. All their attention is directed to winning Allah's pleasure and to maintaining the boundary He has set between what is lawful and unlawful. Allah has commanded believers that in doing business they should not abuse anyone's rights, they should give full measure and full weight with justice, and not diminish the value of people's goods. (Surah Hud: 85)
In a few verses Allah has revealed the importance of being honest in business, treating people justly and, in so doing, displaying fine qualities and winning His approval:

Give full measure when you measure and weigh with a level balance. That is better and gives the best result. (Surat al-Isra': 35)

Give just weight—do not skimp in the balance. (Surat ar-Rahman: 9)
In the Qur'an, Allah explains how people should engage in trade and commerce. First of all, Allah has clearly forbidden usury: "But Allah has permitted trade and He has forbidden usury." (Surat al-Baqara: 275) Another thing that Allah has revealed is how to manage trade and debts. Allah commands that, in doing business, when a person takes on a debt to be repaid after a specified period, he should write it down. If the person incurring the debt is incompetent or weak or unable to dictate, then his guardian should dictate for him justly. And two men among them should act as witnesses. (Surat al-Baqara: 282)
Another thing that believers should be careful about in their work is to consult the views of other people when making decisions, starting a new business, and improving their operations. Allah says in the Qur'an that this is a quality of a believer.
As in every sphere, so in trade and commerce, the Qur'an brings what is finest, easiest and most true into human life. In this way, it helps people away from stress and depression and makes it possible for them to work in a healthy and peaceful environment where they can submit themselves to Allah, take right action, and consult with others in making decisions.
Besides this, a believer is very open-minded in his work-life making both short and long term plans and mapping out the various stages. And after he has begun the work, he will definitely calculate the further stages, what measures will ensure him success in the long run and possible alternatives. And he will take every precaution that Allah has offered in the Qur'an to ensure that a measure he thinks beneficial to put into effect will not prove disadvantageous at a later stage. While engaged in his work, he will pray constantly to Allah from his heart, ask our Lord to make it easy and he will consider that no enterprise will be successful, unless Allah wills it. He hopes that the work he does will be a way to win Allah's pleasure.
In the age in which we live, new discoveries and scientific developments have occurred that people in the past could not even have imagined. The teachings of the Qur'an require us to give thanks for these incomparable opportunities. For example, science, technology, modern transportation and communications have reached a high level of advancement today. Thanks to computers and Internet technology, people from all over the world can communicate with one another within seconds, share information and establish contacts. Certainly, these are blessings that need to be pondered very deeply. The prophets Allah has given as examples in the Qur'an always approached Allah sincerely, and always thought about Allah and thanked Him when engaged in their work. In Surah Saba', Allah says:

They made for him anything he wished: high arches and statues, huge dishes like cisterns, great built-in cooking vats. "Work, family of Dawud, in thankfulness!" But very few of My slaves are thankful. (Surah Saba': 13)