ACTIVITY:
In
your groups, think of some advice you would give in the following scenarios:
1.
A non-Muslim wants to know about Islam but is unsure about some of its
strict practices.
2.
A Muslim is involved in Haram relationship but has no concern about
giving it up.
3.
A Muslim is practicing his religion but wants motivation to do more.
OPEN
THE MUSHAF to 4:25
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ
لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ
4:26
وَاللَّهُ يُرِيدُ
أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ
4:27
يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَن
يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمْ ۚ
4:28
PATIENCE
الصَبْرُ
يَا أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ
لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
3:200
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم
بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ
وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
2:155
إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى
الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
39:10
وَلَمَن صَبَرَ
وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ
42:43
يَا أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ
الصَّابِرِينَ
2:153
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ
حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ
أَخْبَارَكُمْ
47:31
25 - "Wudu' is half of
Salah; the utterance of (Al-hamdu lillah - all praise belongs to Allah) fills
the Scales of good actions; the utterance of (Subhan Allah wa Al-hamdu lillah)
(Allah is far removed from every imperfection and all praise belongs to Allah)
fills the space between the heavens and the earth, and Salat (prayer) is light;
and charity is the proof of Faith; and endurance is light, and the Qur'an is a plea in your favour or against
you. Every person departs; he either ransoms it or puts it into
perdition".
26 -
Certain people of the Ansar asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he gave them; then they again asked
him and he gave them until all what he possessed was exhausted. Then the
Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whatever
wealth I have, I will not withhold from you. Whosoever would be chaste and
modest; Allah will keep him chaste and modest and whosoever would seek
self-sufficiency, Allah will make him self-sufficient; and whosoever would be
patient, Allah
will give him patience, and no one is granted a gift better and more
comprehensive than patience".
27 –
"How
wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and
this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and
that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and
that is better for him".
WHAT IS PATIENCE?
Patience is:
1)
Not
to hate the difficulty from within
2) Not to utter foul statements against
it
3)
Not
to behave in an ill manner with your limbs
(al-Waabil as-Sayyib)
Subr is your initial
reaction:
31- "Patience
is at the first shock"
(Agreed Upon)
Some of the Salaf said, “Eman
comprises of two halves: half is Subr and half is Shukr.
PATIENCE IN DEATH
28 - When the last illness of
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made him
unconscious, Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her) exclaimed: "Ah, the
distress of my dear father." He (ﷺ) said, "There will be no distress for
your father after today". When he died she said: "My father, Allah
has called you back and you have responded to His Call. O father! Garden of
Firdaus is your abode. O father! We announce to Jibril your death." When
he was buried, she said: "Are you satisfied now that you put earth over
(the grave of) Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?"
Reflections:
-Has there
ever been anything that perfect in the Dunya?
-Has
there ever been anything everlasting?
-Even
the best of people was effected
-Even
the best of households needed Subr!
29 -
The daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) sent for him as her child was dying, but the Prophet (ﷺ) returned the messenger and sent her good
wishes saying, "Whatever Allah takes away or gives, belongs to Him, and
everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world), and so she should
be patient and anticipate Allah's reward." She again sent for him adjuring
him for the sake of Allah to come. The Messenger of Allah, accompanied with
Sa'd bin 'Ubadah, Mu'adh bin Jabal, Ubayy bin Ka'b, Zaid bin Thabit and some
other men went to see her. The child was lifted up to the Messenger of Allah
while his breath was disturbed in his chest. On seeing that, the eyes of the
Prophet (ﷺ) streamed with tears.
Sa'd said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is this?" He replied, "It
is compassion which Allah has placed in the hearts of His slaves, Allah is
Compassionate only to those among His slaves who are compassionate (to
others)".
Another version says: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah shows compassion only to those among His slaves who are compassionate".
Another version says: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah shows compassion only to those among His slaves who are compassionate".
THE
BOY AND THE MONK:
30 - "There lived a king before you
and he had a court magician. As he (the magician) grew old, he said to the
king:
'I have grown old, so send me a young boy in order
to teach him magic.' The king sent him a young boy to serve the purpose. And on
his way (to the magician) the young boy met a monk to whom he listened to and
liked it. It became his habit that on his way to the magician, he would meet
the monk and sit there and would come to the magician (late). The magician used
to beat him because of this delay. He complained about this to the monk who
said to him: 'When you feel afraid of the magician, say: Members of my family
detained me. And when you fear your family, say: The magician detained me.' It
so happened that there came a huge beast and it blocked the way of the people,
and the young boy said: 'I will know today whether the magician or the monk is
better.' He picked up a stone and said: 'O Allah, if the way of the monk is
dearer to You than the way of the magician, bring about death to the animal so
that the people be able to move about freely.' He threw that stone at it and
killed it and the people began to move about freely. He then came to the monk
and told him the story. The monk said: 'Son, today you are superior to me. You
have come to a stage where I feel that you would be soon put to a trial, and in
case you are put to a trial, do not reveal me.' That young boy began to heal
those born blind and the lepers and he, in fact, began to cure people from all
kinds of illnesses. When a courtier of the king who had gone blind heard about
him, he came to him with numerous gifts and said, 'If you cure me, all these
things will be yours.' He said, 'I myself do not cure anyone. It is Allah, the
Exalted, Alone Who cures; and if you affirm faith in Allah, I shall also
supplicate to Allah to cure you.' This courtier affirmed his faith in Allah and
Allah cured him. He came to the king and sat by his side as he used to sit
before. The king said to him, 'Who restored your eyesight?' He said, 'My Rubb.'
Thereupon he said, 'Do you have another lord besides me?' He said, 'My Rubb and
your Rubb is Allah.' So the king kept torturing him untill he revealed the
young boy. The young boy was thus summoned and the king said to him, 'O boy, it
has been conveyed to me that you have become so much proficient in your magic
that you cure the blind and the lepers and you do such and such.' Thereupon he
said, 'I do not cure anyone; it is Allah Alone Who cures,' and the king took
hold of him and began to torture him until he revealed of the monk. The monk was
summoned and it was said to him: 'You should turn back from your religion.' But
he refused. The king sent for a saw, placed it in the middle of his head and
cut him into two parts that fell down. Then the courtier of the king was
brought forward and it was said to him: 'Turn back from your religion.' He,
too, refused, and the saw was placed in the midst of his head and he was torn
into two parts. Then the boy was sent for and it was said to him: 'Turn back
from your religion.' He refused. The king then handed him over to a group of
his courtiers, and said to them: 'Take him to such and such mountain; make him
climb up that mountain and when you reach its peak ask him to renounce his
Faith. If he refuses to do so, push him to his death.' So they took him and made
him climb up the mountain and he said: 'O Allah, save me from them in any way
you like,' and the mountain began to shake and they all fell down (dead) and
that young boy came walking to the king. The king said to him, 'What happened
to your companions?' He said, 'Allah has saved me from them.' He again handed
him to some of his courtiers and said: 'Take him and carry him in a boat and
when you reach the middle of the sea, ask him to renounce his religion. If he
does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water).' So they took him
and he said: 'O Allah, save me from them.' The boat turned upside down and they
all drowned except the young boy who came walking to the king. The king said to
him, 'What happened to your companions?' He said, 'Allah has saved me from
them,' and he said to the king: 'You cannot kill me until you do what I command
you to do.' The king asked, 'What is that?' He said, 'Gather all people in one
place and tie me up to the trunk of a tree, then take an arrow from my quiver
and say: With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the boy; then shoot me. If you do
that you will be able to kill me.' 'The king called the people in an open field
and tied the young boy to the trunk of a tree. He took out an arrow from his
quiver, fixed in the bow and said, 'With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the
young boy,' he then shot the arrow and it hit the boy's temple. The young boy
placed his hand upon the temple where the arrow had hit him and died. The
people then said: 'We believe in the Rubb of this young boy.' The king was
told: 'Do you see what you were afraid of, by Allah it has taken place; all
people have believed.' The king then commanded that trenches be dug and fire
lit in them, and said: 'He who would not turn back from his (the young boy's) religion,
throw him in the fire' or 'he would be ordered to jump into it.' They did so
till a woman came with her child. She felt hesitant in jumping into the fire.
The child said to her: 'O mother! Endure (this ordeal) for you are on the Right
Path".
Steadfastness is Subr BUT this is
ONLY granted to a select few!
|
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
(Worship is the best of all cures) Everyone
is created to go through struggles and can only get out of it via Tawhid and
Ibadah
-al-Wabil as-Sayyib
|
32-
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah,
the Exalted, says: 'I have no reward other than Jannah for a believing slave of
Mine who remains patient for My sake when I take away his beloved one from
among the inhabitants of the world".
33 - I asked the Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) about pestilence and
he said, "It is a punishment which Allah sends upon whomsoever He wills,
but Allah has made it as a mercy to the believers. Anyone who remains in a town
which is plagued with pestilence maintaining patience expecting the reward from
Allah, and knowing that nothing will befall him other than what Allah has
foreordained for him, he would receive a reward of Shaheed".
34 - I
heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Allah, the Glorious and Exalted said: 'When I
afflict my slave in his two dear things (i.e., his eyes), and he endures
patiently, I shall compensate him for them with Jannah.".
35 -
Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) asked him whether he would like
that he should show him a woman who is from the people Jannah. When he replied
that he certainly would, he said, "This black woman, who came to the
Prophet (ﷺ) and said, 'I suffer
from epilepsy and during fits my body is exposed, so make supplication to Allah
for me.' He (ﷺ) replied: 'If you
wish you endure it patiently and you be rewarded with Jannah, or if you wish, I
shall make supplication to Allah to cure you?' She said, 'I shall endure it.'
Then she added: 'But my body is exposed, so pray to Allah that it may not
happen.' He (Prophet (ﷺ)) then supplicated
for her".
36 - I
can still recall as if I am seeing the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) resembling one of the Prophets whose
people scourged him and shed his blood, while he wiped blood from his face, he
said: "O Allah! Forgive my people, because they certainly do not
know".
Patience
is of three types:
1) –
all of creation have this one to some degree
2) –
only the truthful can have this one
3) –
this one shows Islam is pragmatic and wants us to realise that not everything
is as it seems
37 –
"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".
38 - I
visited the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was
suffering fever. I said, "You seem to be suffering greatly, O Messenger of
Allah." The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Yes, I suffer as much as two persons." I
said, "Is that because you have a double reward?" He replied that
that was so and then said, "No Muslim is afflicted by a harm, be it the
pricking of a thorn or something more (painful than that), but Allah thereby
causes his sins to fall away just as a tree sheds its leaves".
39 -
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "He whom
Allah intends good, He makes him to suffer from some affliction".
Subr brings about at least one of the following three:
-Expiation
-Raising
of rank in the Dunya and Akhira
-Something
better in exchange
40 -
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Let not
one of you wish for death because of a misfortune which befalls him. If he
cannot help doing so, he should say: 'O Allah, keep me alive as long as You
know that life is better for me, and make me die when death is better for
me".
41 -
We complained to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) regarding the persecution inflicted upon
us by the disbelievers while he was lying in the shade of the Ka'bah, having
made a pillow of his cloak. We submitted: "Why do you not supplicate for
our prevalence (over the opponents)?". He (ﷺ) replied, "Among those people before
you, a man would be seized and held in a pit dug for him in the ground and he
would be sawed into two halves from his head, and his flesh torn away from his
bones with an iron comb; but, in spite of this, he would not wean away from his
Faith. By Allah, Allah will bring this matter to its consummation until a rider
will travel from San'a' to Hadramout fearing none except Allah, and except the
wolf for his sheep, but you are in too much of a hurry".
42 -
After the battle of Hunain, Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) favoured some people in the distribution
of spoils (for consolation). He gave Al-Aqra' bin Habis and 'Uyainah bin Hisn a
hundred camels each and showed favour also to some more honourable persons
among the Arabs. Someone said: "This division is not based on justice and
it was not intended to win the Pleasure of Allah." I said to myself:
"By Allah! I will inform Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) of this." I went to him and informed
him. His face became red and he said, "Who will do justice if Allah and
His Messenger do not?" Then he said, "May Allah have mercy on
(Prophet) Musa (Moses); he was caused more distress than this but he remained
patient." Having heard this I said to myself: "I shall never convey
anything of this kind to him in future".
TASK: What do you learn from Hadiths 40, 41 and 42?
-How would the truth be worth striving for?
-How valuable would Jannah be for you?
43 -
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When
Allah intends good for His slave, He punishes him in this world, but when He
intends an evil for His slave, He does not hasten to take him to task but calls
him to account on the Day of Resurrection."
44 -
One of the sons of Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) was ailing. Abu
Talhah went out and the boy died in his absence. When he came back, he
inquired, "How is the boy?". Umm Sulaim, the mother of the boy,
replied, "Better than before". Then she placed his evening meal
before him and he ate it; and thereafter slept with her. At last, she said to
him: "Arrange for the burial of the boy". In the morning, Abu Talhah
went to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and informed him of the event. He enquired, "Did you
sleep together last night?" Abu Talhah replied in the affirmative, on
which the Prophet (ﷺ) supplicated, "O
Allah bless them." Thereafter, she gave birth to a boy. Abu Talhah said to
me: "Take up the boy and carry him to the Prophet (ﷺ)"; and he sent some dates with him.
The Prophet (ﷺ) enquired, "Is
there anything with him?" He said; "Yes, some dates". The
Prophet (ﷺ) took a date, chewed
it and put it in the mouth of the baby and rubbed the chewed date around the
baby's gum and named him 'Abdullah.
Levels of Subr:
-Wajib
………………………………………………………………………………………PATIENCE
-Mustahab…………………………………………………………………………………..THANKS
-Muqrab……………………………………………………………………………………..LOVE
45 -
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The
strong man is not one who is good at wrestling, but the strong man is one who
controls himself in a fit of rage."
|
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
The wise person does from the outset that what a foolish
person does a month later
-Iddah as-Saabireen
|
46 - I
was sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) when two men began to quarrel and curse each other and the
face of one of them turned red and the veins of his neck were swollen (from
rage). Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I know of a word, if he were to utter that, his
rage would vanish and that is: A'udhu billahi minash-Shaitan nir-rajim (I seek
refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed)." So they (Companions) said to
him: "The Prophet (ﷺ) tells you to utter:
'I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed".
47 -
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The one
who suppresses anger and has the power to give effect to it, will be called out
by Allah, the Exalted, to the forefront of the creatures on the Day of
Resurrection and he will be asked to choose any of the virgins (Hur) of his
liking".
48 - A
man asked the Prophet (ﷺ) for an advice and he
(ﷺ) said, "Do not get angry". The
man repeated that several times and he replied, "Do not get angry".
|
Practical steps to remove sins and lusts:
-Know Allah and the sin
-Think about the severity of the one being disobeyed and the
not the lowliness of your desires
-Remember Allah's blessings upon you
-Think about the consequences of your actions
-Instil a love and connection - replace desires with it
-Give yourself self-respect and your Eman nobility
-Don’t live for hoping the Dunya when you know it will go any
minute
-Don’t be excessive in indulgences, program yourself to be satisfied
with a little
Tariq
al-Hijaratayn, Pg. 408-414
|
49 -
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A
Muslim, male or female, continues to remain under trial in respect of his life,
property and offspring until he faces Allah, the Exalted, with no sin
record".
50 -
'Uyainah bin Hisn came to Al-Madinah and stayed with his nephew Hurr bin Qais
who was among those whom Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) showed favour to.
The knowledgeable people (Qurra'), whether they were old or young, had the
privilege of joining Umar's council and he used to consult them. 'Uyainah said
to Hurr: "My nephew, the Leader of the Believers shows favour to you. Will
you obtain permission for me to sit with him?" Hurr asked 'Umar and he
accorded permission. When 'Uyainah came into the presence of 'Umar, he
addressed him thus: "O son of Khattab, you neither bestow much on us nor
deal with us justly." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) got angry and
was about to beat him up when Hurr said: ''O Leader of the Believers, Allah
said to His Prophet (ﷺ): ' Show forgiveness,
enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e., don't punish them).'
(7:199) This one is from the ignorants. When Hurr recited this, 'Umar became
quite motionless in his seat. He always adhered strictly to the Book of Allah.
51 -
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "You will
see after me favouritism and things which you will disapprove of." They
submitted: "What do you order us to do (under such circumstances)?"
He replied, "Discharge your obligations and ask your rights from
Allah".
52 - A
person from among the Ansar said, "O Messenger of Allah! You appointed
such and such person and why do you not appoint me?" Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "After me you will see others
given preference to you, but you should remain patient till you meet me at the
Haud (Al- Kauthar in Jannah)".
53 -
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at one time when he
confronted the enemy, and was waiting for the sun to set, stood up and said,
"O people! Do not long for encountering the enemy and supplicate to Allah
to grant you security. But when you face the enemy, show patience and steadfastness;
and keep it in mind that Jannah lies under the shade of the swords." Then
he invoked Allah, saying, "O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Disperser of the
clouds, Defeater of the Confederates, put our enemy to rout and help us in
over-powering them".
The
effects of Subr:
1.
Allah created him and his actions and everything is bound by his Will i.e. he
realises Rububiyyah of Allaah and people are not placed over him except that
Allaah Willed it and Wanted it
2.
Reflect over his sins because every hardship can be a cause of your own devices
3. He
is getting reward by the hardships and nothing is compared to it from easy on
the Day
4. He
has chance to elevate his status and clean his heart
5.
The more one pardons, the greater his status - so it may seem humiliation but
he is raised in his rank
6. It trains one to love and hate for Allah and not for personal reasons
7.
You're valued with Allah and not with the creation, thus Allah gives you better
in return IF you pass the test of patience
8.
You can improve in your soul
9.
The greater the test, the greater the relief
10.
The more desperate and the more isolated, the closer Allah is
11.
Trials actually at times bring people together and create unity through the
patient ones - Surah al-Fussilat
12.
The patient repel labelling against them and show a greater moral character
and this only spreads goodness and justice, such as the events in Makkah
Summary
from Subr:
-You
become better
-This
allows you to get closer
-Your
sins are expiated OR your level is raised
DON’T
BE LIKE THE ONE WHO HAS LITTLE OR NO SUBR
HE
WANTS GOOD BUT WHEN CALLED TO DO A LITTLE GOOD, OR LEAVE A LITTLE BAD, OR TO
TAKE CONTROL OF HIS ACTIONS – HE CANT FIGHT HIMSELF
REMEMBER:
LIFE IS A TEST BUT THE GREATEST GIFT ALLAH CAN GIVE IS SUBR BECAUSE JANNAH IS
NOT CHEAP
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