Thank Allah For Divine Mercies

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said , "He who thanks Allah after eating earns the same reward as one who fasts and desists from eating".

 [Bukhari and Tirmidhi]

Explanation : Thankfulness to Allah is a supreme act of worship which requires only a few moments . One must thank Allah for all his boons and mercies, whether big or small. One should thank Allah when on returning home, he finds his family safe and well, when he eats food when his hot brow is fanned by cool breeze, when he sees his child happily at play; in other words everything which pleases and comforts should be acknowledged with thanks to the One Allah who is the Real and the Ultimate Source and intone his thanks, he should do it in his heart.

Our learned elders have instructed that upon going to bed and before falling asleep, one should think of Allah's gifts and boons and thank Him for everyone of them. For instance, one should think of the good health of his family and himself; of the house which he lives in, of the comfortable bed lie sleeps in, of his own safety and that of his family and thank Allah for these Divine mercies before closing his eyes in sleep.

Real and true thankfulness to Allah implies changing ones ways to into those that please the Almighty, but if one merely expresses his thankfulness in his heart or by mouth, it too is an act of great worship. This can lead to a change for the better in other deeds.

Shaikh Sa'di has said that if one ignores other boons and mercies, life itself is a boon of highest order, in so fir as the act of breathing itself has two boons of inhalation and exhalation; if breath, goes in and does not came out it is death and if breath goes out and does not cone in it is again death. Hence every breath has two boons for which Allah must be thanked. However even if one thanks Allah once with every breath, it is still insufficient; so how can one adequately thank Allah for other boons and mercies? 

Though it is impossible to thank Allah adequately. but thanking Him to the best of ones ability is a pleasing to Allah and earns countless merits, and also leads to the grant of further boons and mercies, one also get closer to Allah.

Two Great Rewards to Those Who Follow Divine Guidance

Allah states in the Holy Qur'an :

فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنْ تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

"Those who follow My guidance shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve."

[Surah Baqarah 2: 38]

Explanation : Verse 38 promises two great rewards to those who follow divine guidance - they will have no fear, and they will not grieve. Fear is the anxiety one feels in apprehending some trouble or pain in the future. Grief is the sorrow arising from the loss of something valuable or from one's failure in attaining a desired object.

One can see that these two rewards comprehend all the possible forms of comfort and peace. Then, the text of the Holy Qur'an makes a subtle distinction between the two. In saying that those who follow divine guidance will have no fear, it speaks in general terms and uses a noun - the Arabic phras "La khawfun alayhim" is to be translated literally as 'no fear upon them'.

But in the next phrase "Wala hum Yahzanoon", the Holy Qur'an employs a verb, placing before it a pronoun as the subject. The literal translation of the phrase is: 'they shall not grieve'. The implication here is that being totally free from all sense of loss is possible only to Men of Allah or the saints (the friends of Allah) who follow divine guidance in all its details; as for the others, no man whether an emperor or a billionaire, can help being grieved at the loss of a valued object or the frustration of a desire, all of which is but a necessary part of the scheme of things.

The 'friends of Allah' do not have to grieve, because they annihilated their own desires and their very will in submitting themselves totally to the will of Allah.

The Holy Qur'an also tells us that those who go to Paradise will thank Allah for having removed from them all regret and sorrow: "All praise belongs to Allah who has put away all sorrow from us." (35:34)

Be Considerate of Your Host's Circumstances

The Messenger of Allah (saws) has said that it is not proper for the guest to stay too long, as it may cause hardship to the host.

[Mishkat]

Explanation : If you visit a relative or friend, you should be considerate of yourhost’s circumstances and work commitments. Shorten, as much as possible, the duration of your stay by him, since every person has various duties, obligations and responsibilities, some of which may not be known to you. Be considerate of your hosts and help them with their duties, house chores and obligations. While at your host’s house, do not inspect and examine every corner, especially when you are invited beyond the guest room, lest you see something that you are not supposed to see. In addition, do not bother your guest by asking too many questions.

On the other hand, if you are having a guest overnight, be hospitable and generous. This does not mean you should exaggerate when providing food and drink to your guest. Moderation without excess is the sunnah. You should try your best to make your guests’ stay pleasant and comfortable during their state of being awake or asleep. Inform your guests of the direction of qiblah and show them the way to the bathroom and place for wudhu etc.

When you offer your guest a towel after a shower, wudhu or washing hands after meals, make sure that the towel is clean. Do not offer towels, you or your family members have used. It is also a good idea to offer guests some perfume and a mirror. Make sure the toiletries and bathroom accessories they will be using are clean and sanitized. Before leading your guest to the bathroom, inspect it and remove anything you dont want your guest to see.

Your guest may need some rest and a quiet sleep. Spare them the noise of the children and the noise of the house as much as possible. Remove female clothing and belongings from their view. This is a desirable practice that will leave you both feeling comfortable. When meeting your guests, serve them with tact and respect.

Unfailing Recipe of Happiness and Good Social Relations

It is related by Sayyidah Ayesha (rd) that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Exchange presents with one another. Presents remove ill-will from the hearts."

[Tirmidhi]

Explanation: Gift is a form of transaction in a civilized society. The holy Prophet (saws) has laid a great stress on it in his Traditions and indicated that it is helpful in the promotion of mutual love and affection and conducive to the growth of friendly relations which, doubtlessly, are a great blessing.

A gift is an offering made as a token of goodwill, and with the object of making the other person happy and winning the good graces of the Lord. If the present is made to anyone younger in age, it is a gesture of affection; if to a friend, it is a means of strengthening the bond of love; if to a needy person, it is a source of solace and comfort; and if to a superior, it is a mark of regard and respect.

In case something is given to anyone for the sake of God and with the intention of earning the reward of the Hereafter, considering him to be poor and indigent, it will be charity (Sadqa), not a gift (Hadiya). It is only when an offering is meant to be an expression of love and fellow feeling, and, through it, the good pleasure of the Lord is to be sought, that it becomes a girt.

If, however, a gift is made with sincerity, the reward, on it, is no less than on charity, and, sometimes, even greater. It was owing to this difference between Hadiya and Sadqa that the holy Prophet accepted a Hadiya (gift) with prayer and thankfulness and made use of it, while in case of a Sadqa (charity), his practice was that though he accepted it, too, with gratitude and blessed the giver, he did not use it himself, but gave to others.

Unfortunately, the habit of giving presents to one another, with an earnest heart, is fast disappearing among the Muslims, as a whole, and though it is still done, to some extent, it is seldom that one offers a gift to a friend, relative or neighbour despite the fact that it is an unfailing recipe handed down to us by the Messenger of Allah (saws)of happiness and good social relations and a sure means to earning the countenance of the Lord.

Abu Hurairah (ra) relates, saying that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Give presents to one another. Presents remove malice from the hearts, and a female neighbour should not regard the gift of a part of the feet of a goat to another female neighbour as of no value." [Tirmidhi]

Divine Forgiveness For The Forgiver

Abu Darda' relates that our exalted and blessed Prophet (saws) has said that "If a person is given physical pain and he forgives it, Allah the Highest elevates his rank and pardons his sins"

[Tirmidhi]

Explanation :Although an aggrieved person has every right to avenge himself within the bounds of shari'ah but forgiveness is an act of supreme merit.

There is none in this world who is entirely innocent and has never done wrong or committed a mistake, and everyone craves Allah's pardon. Therefore, when someone makes a mistake the aggrieved person should think of himself as a seeker of Divine pardon and forgive the wrong doer.

The point to ponder is that if the aggrieved person does not forgive and gets his due revenge, what shall this revenge achieve:' If the injury inflicted is such that it cannot be avenged then not forgiving it would cause the one who inflicted the injury to suffer in the Hereafter. Here one should stop and think how another one's suffering in the Hereafter would benefit the one aggrieved or in injured in this world. Forgiveness here, on the contrary, brings abeut Divine forgiveness for the forgiver, and escape from hell, and Allah the Highest shall pardon his sins. Reason, therefore, tells us to exercise forgiveness.

Forgiveness, it should be borne in mind, means here that no revenge is to be sought in this world or in the Hereafter. Such a forgiveness earns much merit.

However it is not necessary that the act of forgiving is followed by rapprochement. The latter is involuntary not forced and depends largely upon the future behaviors of the other person. Thus if one forgives anti yet has mental reserves towards the aggressor or transgressor and is unable to maintain cordial rcaltions with him save in the matter of rights(salaam etc.) he loo shall earn merit for his forgiveness.

Forgiveness also does not imply letting down one's guard against any future aggression. If such an aggression is feared then any step that is taken to safeguard oneself against it is not contrary to forgiveness. In such a case if the previous wrong is pardoned and help, even official help is sought against futue wrong doing. This too would not detract from the merit earned for earlier forgiveness.

Praying In Times of Pleasure

A hadith of Messenger of Allah (saws) tells us that one who desires his prayers in the times of sorrow and distress to be answered, should pray in times of happiness and plenty.

[Tirmidhi]

Explanation: Praying is not only a means of realizing one's purposes but is, in itself, an act or worship. In other words, praying even for one's personal ends and worldly needs is counted among acts of worship and earns merit. The more one prays the closer one gets to Allah. It is not necessary to pray only in times of need or of distress; rather, praying in times of pleasure and plenty is also necessary.

Allah likes his bondsmen to pray to Him. If a man, however beneficent he may be, is again and again asked for anything, he sooner or later loses his patience and becomes angry. But Allah, on the contrary, is, pleased the more his bondsmen ask him.

A hadith tells as that Allah is displeased with one who does not ask him for anything in prayer.

Although the correct method of praying is to face the Qiblah and raise one’s hands and pray with tongue, prefacing the prayer with praise of Allah and darud, but one can also pray without these preliminaries too. Thus Allah has made the act of praying so easy that one can also, pray almost anywhere and at any time; one can pray while engaged in any activity and if one cannot intone the prayer as e.g. in lavatory, one can think his prayer.

Also it is not necessary to pray for big or important things; one should pray to Allah asking him to fulfill all one’s wants, big or small; hadith tells us to pray even when one breaks his bootless (Tirmidhi).

Consequently one should develop the habit of asking Allah to fulfill even the smallest need, to seek Divine amelioration of the most ordinary trouble. Just as a child calls his mother for everything big or small, one should call and go on calling Allah. No matter what work one may be engaged in, one should always ask Allah for something or the other. Cultivate this habit and see how quickly you rise.

Wishing Well For Others

A hadith of the Messenger of Allah (saws) says that "When a Muslim prays for anyone of his brothers in faith in the latter’s absence , angels pray for the same for him.'"

(Sahih Muslim)

Explanation: One prays for one’s own needs and desires, but one should also pray for one’s relatives, friends and Muslims in general as it is an act of great merit as it is stated in the abovementioned hadith.

Hence if one comes to know that any Muslim is in trouble or need, he/she must pray for him. Infact one should pray for the unbelievers too so that they may be Divinely guided on to the path of Islam. Thus one gets merit for praying as well as for wishing well for others.

Although one should pray to Allah at all times for all one’s needs, our eternally blessed Prophet has taught us some specific prayers for special occasions at different times of night and day, e.g. upon waking up, when going to the toilet and coming out of it, when performing ablution, upon entering and coming out of the mosque, upon entering the house, before meals and after meals hearing the adhan, when dressing, when looking in mirror, before falling asleep in bed.

These prayers are all-embracing and extremely useful for all our worldly and other-worldly needs. We, by ourselves, can never think of such prayers which the eternally blessed Prophet has taught us. These prayers are not time consuming nor ablution is their precondition nor is one to raise his hands. If one commits them to memory, one reaps a very rich harvest both here and in the Hereafter.

Hence every Muslim must commit these prayers to memory. There are many authentic Du'a books available. One should commit them to memory and make one's children memorize them too.

Kindness and Compassion Rank Supreme

Hazrat Aisha (rd) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said "God is Kind and likes kindness in all things."

[Bukhari & Muslim]

Explanation : Kindness is the sweetest and ineffaceable dimension of a believer's personality and should dominate a Muslim's way of life. Among all those aspects of human personality that can really make a society loving, harmonious, and strong, kindness and compassion rank supreme.

If one truly believes in Islam as a whole, one must believe that the needs of the Ummah supersede his or her own needs. Our enormous energies and talents deserve not to be wasted away in corporate offices, but rather in the service of the greater good of humanity.

Becoming doctors, engineers, or accountants is certainly not inherently wrong- but we must realize that building the character of a nation, that curing them of spiritual diseases, is much harder and requires ten times more resources than building the infrastructure of a nation. Obviously, as long as the bulk of all individual energies are being used to secure personal careers, Muslims on a whole will never tap into their potential to bring reform and prosperity.

If one believes the state of affairs of the Ummah to be pathetic today, we must believe ourselves individually to be pathetic as well. Islam, though, is not meant to be taken up as a hobby, but as a life calling – and until we forgo our individualistic dreams and build grander dreams for the Ummah, one cannot have high expectations for the future. This is the fundamental mistake made by Muslims today, and in reality, it is this mistake which threatens ruin and destruction on the Muslim community.

In every walk of our lives, in everything we do, at every level of our social interaction, whether with Muslims, non-Muslims, male, female, young or old, our manners are our best asset. It is no wonder that the Prophet (s) said: "I was sent to to consummate Akhlaq." [Muatta of Imam Malik]

The Islamic Concept Of Inter-Human Relation

"And mankind is naught but a single nation."

[The Glorious Qur'an 2:213]

Explanation: We are all the children of Adam, and Adam was made of dust. Here dawned the idea for the first time in human history that all men have a common origin and that, because of their common origin, because we belong to Allah, the whole of humanity is but one family, one nation and should, ideally, form one fraternity, the universal brotherhood of man.

The differences of color and languages, of build and of features are not regarded as differences of quality, or as marks or degrees of excellence, but as an expression of the diversity in nature: Says the Holy Quran:

“Among His Signs is this, that He created you from dust: and then, behold, ye are men scattered (far and wide)”

“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours; verily in that are Signs for those who know.”

(Holy Qur’an 30: 20 -22)

The Islamic concept of inter-human relation, its high ideal of human brotherhood and the actualisation of this ideal in history, in contrast to the antagonism between the different races of man as preached and practiced by racism.

There is no question now of race or nation, of a chosen people , or of Hindu or Jew or Gentile, Arab or ‘Ajam, Turk or Tajik, European or Asiatic, White or Coloured; Aryan, Semitic, Mongolian, or African; or American, Australian or Polynesian. Prophet Muhammad (saws) was sent to them all - and that distinguishes him from all other prophets, and that also distinguishes Islam from all other religions.

The message that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (saws) was a message addressed to all nations on earth, and the principles set forth in that message applied universally to the whole of mankind. He was the last of the prophets, and Islam, based on the revelation which the Holy Prophet received is the final and perfect expression of the Divine Will.

Says the Holy Qur’an:

“This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”

(Holy Qur’an 5:4)