Seek Help Through Sabr & Salah

"O you who believe, seek help through patience and prayer. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient."

[Surah Baqarah 2: Verse 153]

Explanation :  This verse identifies the elixir for all the ills which are a necessary part of human existence, whether they be wants and needs, or anxiety and suffering. The Holy Qur'an itself has indicated; in a very subtle and eloquent way, the general efficacy of this remedy by employing a generalizing expression - "seek help" - without specifying the situation in which help is to be sought.

Now, the two ingredients of this remedy are patience and prayers. The Arabic term Sabr (sabr) is much more comprehensive than its usual English equivalent, "patience". Lexically, the word "Sabr" signifies "restraining oneself, or keeping oneself under control." In the terminology of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith, Sabr has three modes:-

1) Restraining oneself from what the Shari'ah has declared to be illegal or impermissible (Haram).

2) Forcing oneself to be regular in the observance of the different forms of worship and to be steadfast in obeying the commandments of Allah and the Holy Prophet Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam: Peace be upon him.

3) To endure all kinds of trouble and pain - in other words, to understand clearly and to believe that it is the will of Allah to make one suffer, and to hope that one shall receive a reward for this suffering. With regard to this point, if one cannot help uttering a word of grief or a sigh of pain, it does not go against Sabr, or nullify it.

People generally identify Sabr with the third mode alone, and ignore the first two which are, indeed, more basic and essential. We cannot insist too much on the fact that all the three are equally obligatory, and that every Muslim is required to practice all the three forms of Sabr. In the terminology of Holy Qur'an and the Hadith, Al-Sabirun is the title of those who are steadfast in observing all the three forms with equal rigour.

 As for the second ingredient of the prescription, it is Salah (Prayer). Although Sabr, as we have just explained it, covers the different forms of worship, including prayers, all of them being its branches. Salah, however, has been mentioned separately, because that is the most perfect model of Sabr. For, in the state of Salah, one binds oneself to obedience and worship, and restrains oneself not only from all that is sinful or reprehensible but even from what is otherwise permissible - e.g., from eating or drinking or talking. Hence, Salah is a visible demonstration of Sabr which signifies keeping oneself under control in shunning everything sinful and in submitting oneself totally to obedience.

The Destructive Power Of Alcohol

Abu Darda(ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Don't drink wine for it is the key to every evil.

[Al-Tirmidhi]

Explanation: Alcohol has been the scourge of human society since time immemorial. It continues to cost countless human lives, and inflicts terrible misery to millions throughout the world. Alcohol is the root cause of several problems facing society. The statistics of soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses & millions of broken homes throughout the world bear mute testimony to the destructive power of alcohol.

The 'good' in wine is popularly known as a certain taste & a feeling of well-being, professed increase of temporary energy, and a given glow on the face. Being transient, these benefits hardly stand against the array of evils that drinking breeds.

Let's take the human body first. Drinking causes mal-function of the stomach, reduces desire to eat, affects facial contours, inflates the waistline, hurts the livers and the kidneys and becomes a contributor to all sorts of diseases. Reason does not work under the influence of hard drinks and one cannot manage things until one becomes sober after sometime. The hangover turns out to be as bad. The morning after a party is hard for a drinker who gets a splitting headache & is disoriented after his late-night bout of drinking.

Wine, a tempting stimulant and a much romanticized poison works slowly, inspite of the spirited defense put up by its users. The fact is that drinking not only harms the elders but also effects their born or yet to come children as well. So. the habit of drinking is not only evil in itself but a mother of other evils too making men ready to commit the worst possible crimes against their fellow beings.

Adopt the Sunnah

Hazrat Anas (ra) reports that Rasoolullah (saws) advised "Whoever cherishes my Sunnah, indeed he cherishes me and whoever loves me will be with me in Jannah."

[Tirmidhi]

Explanation: As Muslims, it's our belief that every Sunnah of our beloved Nabi (saws) is filled with blessings of Allah Ta'ala. It was for this reason that Allah (Swt) granted the Shaabah (rd) and Muhadditheen capabilities required to preserve the Sunnah. Alhamdulillah a large amount of authentic literature is available in which the blessed Sunnah of Rasoolullah (saws) is preserved to this day for the follower to adopt and implement in his life.

In another hadith, Rasoolullah (saws) said, "He who holds firm to my Sunnah when corruption is rampant in my Ummah will attain the reward of a hundred martyrs." [Al-Bayhaqi]

The Sunnah of Rasoolullah (saws) is not restricted to acts or places of worship only. Instead, it is comprehensive and covers all aspects and situations of life such as one's social and moral conduct, business dealings, his dressing etc. It also applies to all places whether the Masjid, business place, the home or even while one is on a journey to any far off land. In every situation, one must draw guidance from the lifestyle of Rasoolullah (saws) thereby turning everyday habits into acts of worship.