Solace in Allah
In the Name of Allah
The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
All praise be to Allah
Lord of the Worlds
And Peace and blessings be upon His messenger Muhammed (ﷺ)
Our Main Purpose
We as humans are constantly seeking to fill our lives with things to do. We may not realise it but we are always seeking to have a purpose and goals to fulfil. We want to get the best job, the best income, the best spouse, the best home and so on. Even when people retire from their jobs, they often like to take up new hobbies such as gardening and renovating the home because it gives them something to work towards.
Allah created us all with a kernel purpose in life and that purpose is to worship Him (alone). There are many avenues of worship such as performing the 5 daily prayers, making supplication, giving to charity and performing the Hajj pilgrimage. Some of us may not know that worshipping Allah is the sole purpose of our creation and whilst there are others who are aware of it, they are often distracted by seeking other goals in life. We are constantly running after the next best thing and no matter how much of the Dunya we may possess, many of us still feel an emptiness inside. This emptiness can be filled with the remembrance of Allah coupled with full attachment to Him, The Almighty. When you sincerely revolve each and every day around the worship of your creator, you will not be able to find any grander purpose in life and the attachment to the Dunya will begin to diminish. Worshipping Allah is an ongoing purpose, one that pleases Him, earns you rewards, gives you peace of mind and In Sha Allah a place in Jannah. What better purpose to have than to worship Allah?
‘And I did not create jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).’
(Quran 51:56)
‘Surely, my prayers, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’
(Quran 6:162)
Gaining Allah’s Love and Closeness
We also live in a world where we are always competing for other people’s love, admiration and acceptance – whether it be through the things we do, the things we say and the things we own. It’s a wonderful feeling to be loved and to be accepted by people but imagine that you are one of Allah’s most beloved creations because of the qualities you possess that please Him. Can you honestly compare Allah’s love to human love? People will hurt you and sometimes they may not mean to but it’s inevitable that they will. We are not perfect but Allah is. He is All Loving and All Merciful to the ultimate degree.
When we are constantly trying to please others, we often find that people are never fully satisfied, they do not always give you the level of appreciation you think you deserve or they may forget the good that you do. In addition, it is pretty much impossible to please everyone no matter how hard we try. Take this burden off your shoulders! Focus on how Allah wants you to be and not how society wants you to be. Allah is Just and He is Generous. He will never forget the good that you do. He will reward you immensely for even the smallest good deed whereas a fellow human being in turn would not give much or any regard to. Even when you commit a sin and ask for forgiveness, Allah will wipe out your sin and replace it with ten good deeds. Can a fellow human being do that for you? It is Allah who deserves our utmost love and veneration and we should primarily be competing for His love and not the love of the people.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said ''I will declare war against the one who shows hostility towards a pious slave of mine. And the most beloved things that a slave does to come near me are the obligatory acts; and my slave continues to come closer to me through the extra acts until I love him, then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, his sense of sight with which he sees, his hands that he grips with and his legs that he walks with; and if he asks of Me, I will give to him, and if he asks for my protection then I will protect him.''
(Sahih Bukhari)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said ''Whomsoever seeks the pleasure of Allah though it will be displeasing to the people then Allah will be pleased with him and He will in turn make the people pleased with him, and whoever seeks the pleasure of the people through displeasing Allah then Allah will become displeased with him and will in turn make the people displeased with him.''
(At Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said "There are three things that whoever attains will find therein the sweetness of faith: When Allah and His Messenger (saw) are dearer to him than all else, when he loves for the sake of Allah and hates for the sake of Allah, and when a huge fire be lit and he fall into it, than associate anything with Allah.''
(An Nasai)
Why do 'bad' things happen?
Sometimes we need to go through difficult periods in our lives in order for us to truly appreciate the good by way of comparison to the bad. However, it is also important for a believer to understand that evil is not an attribute of Allah but rather it stems from ourselves and our wrong doings. We are sinful creatures and Allah commands us to stay away from certain prohibitions for our own good. Remember, Allah does not need anything but rather it is us who are in desperate need of His provision in its entirety. We only harm ourselves when we fall into sin. Even when we do sin, Allah is so merciful that He may punish us in this life with a lesser punishment so that we do not have to face full punishment in the hereafter. He punishes us so that we may turn back in forgiveness and change our ways for the better.
When you do feel down and things aren’t going your way, remind yourself that Allah regulates all affairs and that nothing happens but by His permission. Remind yourself that all the affairs of the believers are good for them. Remind yourself of your purpose in life – To worship Allah (alone) and keep striving in that.
How amazing is the affair of the believer, for all his affairs are good! If something good happens to him, then he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he is patient with it and that too is good for him.''
(Muslim)
''And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your own hands have earned. And He pardons much.''
(Quran 42:30)
''Allah does not burden a person with more than that he can bare.''
(Quran 2:286)
Good thoughts
A person must strive to always think positively about Allah, especially during tough times. Think about the fact that you are still here and that you have made it through many difficult times in your life. Allah has never given you and will never give you a burden that you cannot bear and we know that His words are true. He has made you resilient. And even during the hardships, He will grant us ease. He is Most Kind, Most Merciful. Remember that Allah loves most those whom he tests. If you are going through a test, remind yourself that the goal of the test is to strengthen you. I myself became a practicing Muslimah because of the tests I went through - one test after another, varying and ongoing. Each and every time I went through a difficult trial, I came out of it a better person, increased more in Islamic knowledge and subsequently gained more internal peace. At the time I believed that the tests I was going through were unbearable but now I honestly think to myself how they were the best things to happen to me. If it were not for those tests, I would not have known about Islam in it’s truth, I would not have understood the importance of the Sunnah, I would have not improved in character, I would not have worn the modest Islamic attire, I would not have even written this book!
''So verily, with every difficulty, there is ease.''
(Quran 94:5)
''Whomsoever Allah wants good for, he tests. He places them through difficulties. Like coal or a metal that requires pressure or to be burnt in order to remove the bad and be purified into diamond or pure gold.''
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Having Tawakul in Allah
Having Tawakul (trust and reliance) in Allah is a form of worship and one that is obligatory upon us. Think about all the times that Allah has taken you out of bad situations and granted you ease and something better than that which had passed you by. Allah knows best and wants goodness for his slaves so we need to learn to trust in His plan for us and have Sabr whilst his plan continues to unfold.
How can one learn to trust Allah without truly knowing Him? Let's look at some of the names of Allah that can help build our Tawakul in Allah.
Al Hakeem – All wise. Allah is the All Wise. He knows everything and that includes what is good for us and what is bad for us. Whatever situation you may face, think of this name and believe with all your heart and soul that Allah has a purpose and reason for what you are going through.
Al Wadud – Allah is All Loving. He doesn't need anything from us, yet he gives so abundantly to us. He wants good from us and wants us to enter Jannah.
Al Wali – Allah is the Protecting friend. He knows the harms of certain actions and that is why he commands us not to commit sins. Nothing we do can ever harm Allah but it can harm us and others around us. The boundaries are there to protect us so trust Allah when he commands us to not commit sins.
''And upon Allah rely, if you should be believers.''
(Quran 5:23)
''...and rely upon Allah. And sufficient is Allah as disposer of affairs.''
(Quran 4:81)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said ''If you trust Allah with true tawakul then He will provide for you sustenance just as He provides for the birds - they leave in the morning with empty stomachs and come back in the evening with full stomachs.'' (Tirmidhi)
Being Grateful to Allah
Think of your age right now. Think of how many years He has been watching over you, protecting you, nurturing and providing for you. Nothing happens but by His permission and the fact that you are still alive and breathing is by His will. Every second in those years that you have already lived, He has been there for you. Yet many of us do not acknowledge this and are ungrateful.
We need to learn more about Allah to become more grateful to Him and in that way we can begin to think more positively about Him and find peace in ourselves.
''And if you would count the favours of Allah, never could you be able to count them. Truly Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.''
(Quran 16:18)
''And whatever blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah.''
(Quran 16:53)
''...If you give thanks, I will give you more. But if you are thankless, verily, My punishment is indeed severe.''
(Quran 14:7)
Love, Hope and Fear
I have mentioned love several times already but it is important to remember than Islam is a religion of balance. We as believers must have a good balance in love, hope and fear of Allah. We should love and appreciate Allah for all that he has done for us but we ought to also fear His punishment and the possibility of the torment of the grave and the entrance into the hellfire. It is vital for us to have a balance in these three components as an imbalance can be detrimental to us. Being too hopeful in Allah's mercy can lead us to take sins lightly and on the other side of the coin, lacking in the hope that Allah will forgive may push us away from the religion. Allah is the most loving and merciful but He is also the most severe in punishment. Live your life in obedience to Him but understand that we will inevitably fall into sins and thus it is important for us to always be seeking and hoping for His forgiveness.
''The heart on its journey to Allah is like a bird. Love is its head and the two wings are fear and hope.''
(Ibn Al Qayyim)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said ''Every son of Adam commits sins and the best of those who commit sins are those who repent.''
(Tirmidhi)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said ''By Allah, I ask Allah for forgiveness more than seventy times everyday.''
(Bukhari)
In the End
As morbid as it may sound, we are all dying. Each and everyday that passes, we get a little closer to death. It is the end that we will all inevitably face. It is the destroyer of all pleasures. You may be thinking that I have taken a negative turn after everything I've written so far but it's all about perspective. To remind myself of death is not something I personally see as negative but rather I see it as a motivating force. Reminding myself of death motivates me to try and spend my life in obedience to Allah and to perform more good deeds. We don't know when and how we will die and because of this, we should not seek so much pleasure in this life and we should refrain from getting too attached to the things in this world. If you have this mindset then it is more likely to protect you from falling into extreme emotional turmoil when you face a calamity such as losing a loved one or being told that you are terminally ill. You remind yourself that this life is short and fleeting and that it's what comes after death that matters the most.
''And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of deception.''
(Quran 3:185)
''Every soul will taste death. Then unto Us you shall be returned.''
(Quran 29:57)
''In the end, to your Lord is your return and He will inform you of what you used to do.''
(Quran 39:7)
Make Jannah your final abode
Life in this dunya will always have its ups and downs. We will always alternate in our emotions. Jannah, however, is a place where there is constant happiness and peace. There is no pain or sadness in Jannah - things only get better and better in Jannah! Jannah is of different levels and the best level is Jannat ul Firdaus and of course we would want the best of the best so diligently strive towards it and sincerely make dua to Allah to grant you Jannat ul Fidaus.
“Allah will say, "This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness." For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment.”
(Quran 5:111)
“We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request”
(Quran 41:31)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, "I have prepared for My righteous slaves (such excellent things) as no eye has ever seen, nor an ear has ever heard nor a human heart can ever think of.' "
(Bukhari)
Gaining Knowledge
It is incumbent upon us as Muslims to seek knowledge and it is those who have knowledge who truly fear Allah. One of the greatest ways in which you can become closer to Allah and find internal peace is by way of seeking knowledge. Many of us have spent or currently spend a great amount of time learning content and revising for our academic exams. I remember the days where I would study so much that my ears would turn red from repeating my notes over and over again! I gave all my efforts and dedication to my academic studies and now I think to myself, am I doing the same for the test of this life? Am I really giving 100% to worshipping Allah and gaining the highest rank in Jannah?
I absolutely love learning more and more about Islam. The more I learn, the happier and content I feel. Personally, when I read Hadiths about the messenger (saw) and his companions, I feel like I have escaped into a world full of purity, kindness, loyalty, strength and even more. To learn about how noble and virtuous the prophet and his companions were brings me happiness and joy. We live in such corrupt times where people do not seem to value good morals and their hearts are governed by their desires for fame, money and power. So when I turn to a collection of Hadith and learn about the excellence in character of the messenger and how focussed he was on pleasing Allah it is truly refreshing and heart warming. It has a great influence on me to become a better Muslim by trying to emulate the best example to us all.
Where do I start? Learn about the oneness of Allah, about His beautiful names, the characteristics of His messenger Muhammad (saw), the Halaal and the Haraam and most importantly implement what you learn into your daily lives. Immerse yourself in seeking knowledge and purify your heart with the truth and see how beautiful your life becomes, In Sha Allah.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said "Ask Allah for beneficial knowledge and seek refuge with Allah from knowledge that is of no benefit."
(Ibn Majah)
''It is only those who have knowledge amongst his slaves that fear Allah.''
(Quran 35:28)
''Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge.''
(Quran 58:11)
“When Allah wants good for a person, He makes him understand the religion.”
(Bukhari)
“Whoever treads on a path of Islamic knowledge, Allah will ease the path to Paradise for him. The angels will lower their wings in humility, pleased with this seeker of knowledge, and all in the heavens and on earth will ask forgiveness for the knowledgeable person, even the fish in the deepest of waters will ask for his forgiveness.”
(Abu Dawud and At Tirmidhi)
Reminding yourself
Remind yourself of Allah throughout the day so that you may revolve your day around worshipping Him. We stare at our phones constantly throughout the day and one of the best ways I found to help increase my imaan was to have a verse of the Quran or a simple powerful word set as the wallpaper on my phone. My current wallpaper is the word Ihsaan. This personally works for me because it reminds me to worship Allah as though I can see Him. When I look at my phone the word is staring at me and almost automatically it makes me think of Allah and how I ought to aim to worship Him as though I can see Him. It instills fear and an urgency to try harder in my worship. Similarly, I have made it almost routine to think of the word Ihsaan before beginning my salah. I have a small canvas with the word Ihsaan directly in front of me when I pray and this helps me to pray my salah as though Allah is right in front of me.
Setting alarms and reminders on your phone for not just salah but also dhikr, nafl prayers and giving dawah. For example, you could set a daily reminder on your phone to share a verse of the Quran to a group of friends or on social media. I don't always get to do all of these but the reminder really helps me to get at least one or two completed a day.
I also keep a diary dedicated to my appreciation of Allah. In this diary I write about Duas that have been answered by Allah - big and small ones. I also write about happy moments in my life because I know those are from Allah too. My pages are being filled and filled. As I look through my pages (and usually I do this when I’m feeling down or when my imaan is wavering) I see all the memories of good times and answered duas which in turn boosts my emaan and reminds me of how loving, kind and merciful Allah is. When I read about the answered duas pertaining to hardships and how Allah took me out of them, it increases in my tawakkul in Allah. It reminds me to trust in Allah even during moments of difficulty because Allah had always taken me out of them in the past.
I created it as a habit to try and remind myself of Allah when it comes to the tiny things because it’s the tiny things that we seem to come across the most. Forming this as a habit keeps you conscious of Allah throughout the day and helps you to remain obedient to Him. For example, it can be something as little as thinking of how magnificent and creative Allah is when I see how my black tea begins to cloud and swirl into a thicker and tan coloured form as I pour in the milk. Or I could be on a walk to the shops and I notice the variety of textures, shapes and colours around me by analysing the bricks on the buildings, the concrete on the floor, the various plants, animals and insects. I think to myself SubhanAllah Allah has made so much variety in this world and everything has its own purpose. I make it a habit to analyse the creation around me because it keeps my mind focussed on Him and makes me understand and appreciate His majesty and power. When I couple these little things around me with the bigger things such as the sun, the moon and the different colours and cloud formations in the sky, it truly has me in awe of Allah’s supremeness and it leaves me rest assured that my life is perfectly planned by the Greatest and most sublime.
''And remind for verily the reminder benefits the believers.''
(Quran 51:55)
"...What is Ihsan?" Allah's Messenger replied, "To worship Allah as if you can see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must understand that He is watching you."
(Bukhari)
''And it is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon''
(Quran 21:33)
Dua and Dhikr
Dua is the essence of worship and it is the hearts that find ease in the remembrance of Allah. Call upon Allah by his beautiful names and send salutations to the Messenger (saw) before your supplication. Try to understand and ponder over the meaning behind what you are saying. For example, when you say 'Allahu Akbar' you are saying 'Allah is Greater.' When you ponder over the meaning of this name, you will realise that it means that that nothing is above Him or greater than Him and that He has power over all things.
“And your Lord said: “Invoke Me and I will respond to your invocation.”
(Quran 40:60)
''Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace.''
(Quran 13:28)
References