Reliance- the Power of Faith

BismillahhirRahmannirRahim

 

Reliance – the Power of Faith

 

Concise advice by our beloved Prophet  

 

by Shaykh Ahmed Abdul Mujeeb Qasmi Nadvi

 

 

Whenever Nabee Akram ( ) was with his companions, he used every opportunity to teach them about Deen. His continuous guidance not only filled their hearts with fear of Allah, but it also used to refresh their Emaan and increased their desire to do good deeds. Subhanallah, how lucky they were! Such conversations made them follow and practice their Deen according to the commandments of Allah under the constant supervision of their beloved Master. One such Hadith is narrated by Imam Tirmidhi (RA):

 

Ibne Abbaas (RA) narrates: One day, I was (riding) behind Nabi ( ), when he ( ) said to me: O boy! Indeed, I will teach you (some) words of wisdom: Guard the Commandments of Allah, He will guard you!  Guard the Commandments of Allah, you will find Him before you (Allah will help you).  If you ask, ask from Allah alone; and when you seek help, seek help from Allah alone, and believe that if the entire mankind gathered to benefit you by anything, they cannot benefit you except by that which Allah has written for you!  And if they gathered to harm you with anything, they cannot harm you except by that which Allah has written for you.  The pens of destiny have been lifted and the (ink of the) scrolls has dried!

 

All the various points narrated in this Hadith are important and we need to always keep those in mind and ponder on those so that we can follow the Sunnah of Rasoul Allah ( ).

 

The first thing that our Nabee Akram ( ) said is; always remember Allah. Allah should be in you mind all the time. He advised us to do what we are told to do and refrain from what we are asked not to do by Allah. He ( ) further tells us that if we do that, Allah takes us in His Protection.

 

The fact is, when we are careful in our life to follow the commandments of Allah, that is, we live to obey Allah and pass each moment of our life according to the Will of Allah, and then we come under His protection. He looks after us. Many scholars have mentioned, if a person remembers Allah and lives for the sake of Allah when he is young, healthy and strong, then Allah protects the person when he is old and weak. Allah protects his wisdom, eyes, and ears. Seeing an old man begging from others, one shaykh said, ‘this man did not take care of Huqouq (rights) of Allah, so Allah has forgotten him in his old age’.

 

There is nothing better than the Protection of Allah. If a person lives under Allah’s protection, a time comes, when the things that are harmful in nature, become useful to the person. Allah makes those things to serve and help the person who is under His protection. After all, the things are what Allah wants them to be, as in Sura Taha, Musa (AS) replies to Allah that he was holding a staff in his right hand, but Allah made the staff into a snake. Things are because Allah wants those to be like those.

 

There are many other stories about Sahabah ekram and others. How about Ala Bin Hadrmee (RA), Saad Bin Waqas (RA) and their whole army crossing the river without any boat? How about Safeena (RA) making the lion to obey and serve? How about, with one command of Uqba Bin Aamar (RA), all the animals of the forest leaving their homes and vacating the land for them?  [Refer to the famous book “Stories of Sahabah (RA) for details]

 

On the other hand, the person who does not obey Allah, and does not follow his commandments, his own things and belongings do not remain useful to him. Their attitude, behavior and usefulness change.  One shaykh said, ‘whenever I disobey Allah, I find its effect on my servant and my animal (to ride).

 

Let me make one thing clear, the protection of Allah is not just limited to the worldly affairs and health of the person, but Allah protects his Deen and Emaan. Allah keeps him in the environment that constantly uplifts his Emaan and helps him to do good deeds.

 

Ibne Abbaas (RA) explains the ayah of Quran …..[8:24…  “and be sure that Allah intervenes between man and his heart …..]”, by mentioning that, when Allah is the protector of the person, Allah always comes in between the person and his intended sin that could have sent the person to the hell fire. Instead, due to Allah’s protection, the person does not commit the intended sin.

 

Whenever our Nabee Akram ( ) used to bid farewell to some person, he  used to pray for that person asking Allah to look after his Emaan, trustworthiness, and his actions. From this, it is very clear, that Allah protects the Emaan of the obedient and loyal person.

 

In the Hadith that Resoul Akram ( ) asked us to keep Allah in our mind and you will find Allah in front of you, means that if you keep Allah in mind all the time, your requirements will be fulfilled and Allah will create the circumstances from nowhere for your correction and success. Wherever you live, you will feel and will know that you are not alone, Allah is with you as your protector and helper. As you would recall our Prophet ( ) told his companion Sayedna Abu Baker (RA) “Do not worry, Allah is with us”.

 

Someone asked a devotee of Allah, ‘don’t you get tired of being alone all the time?’ The person replied, “He is always with me who has told us …”I am with the person who remembers me”.  Another Shaykh, when told, ‘I always see you alone’ replied to the man, “How can one be alone if Allah is with him?”

 

The second part of the advice given by our Nabee Akram ( ) says is, ask only Allah. The reality is that man is immersed in the desire of his needs and is constantly struggling to get this and get that. It is a never-ending vicious circle. Man achieves one target and fixes the next one for him. The people who do not have faith in Allah or do not realize Allah’s Attributes and powers, they only depend on the physical facts. However, the people who believe Allah is the only Sustainer, Controller and the Helper, they realize that win or lose, everything is in the Hands of Allah. No matter they are sick, they are in hardship or in need of something, they always turn to Allah under all the circumstances and beg for His help. They not only say it but also believe in the following verse by heart. 

[1:3] “You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help”

 

When Sayedna Ibrahim (AS) was being thrown in the fire, the angel Gibraeel (AS) came and asked him, “Do you need me to help you?’. Look at the faith and Yaqeen on Allah, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) said to him, “I do not need your help”. This is the sign of a true Momin, where he does not consider others as his helpers but leaves everything up to Allah.

 

Nabee Akram ( ) advised his companions that even when your whip falls down while riding on your horse, donot ask anyone to help, but get down and pick it up yourself. Allah is always pleased when the people ask only Him. Allah, matter of fact, is unhappy when a person does not ask for Allah’s help. In one Hadith it is mentioned that Nabee Akram ( ) said, even if your shoelace is broken, ask its replacement from Allah.

 

No matter what, we always need to ask Allah for Help. He is Generous and He is the Giver. He is the Kind and Merciful. There is a well-known story that a villager came to see the Mughal king to seek help. When he finally reached the king, he saw him with raised hands and begging Allah. Seeing this, the villager changed his mind and retuned saying, “I will beg for my needs from the same whom the king is asking from”.

 

The third advice that Nabee Akram ( ) gave to Ibne Abbaas(RA) was, if all the people can get together to benefit you they can do only as much as Allah has written for you. Similarly if all the people join hands and turn against you, they can conflict harm only as much as Allah has destined for you. No one has any power. Allah has it all. No one can change His decision. No one can stop Him from giving you…

 

 

Allah Ta Ala says in Quran …

 

[AYAT OF QURAN]

 

[10:106-107] “And do not invoke, other than Allah, what neither benefits you nor harms you, for, if you do so, then you will surely be one of the unjust”

“If Allah brings some harm to you, there is none to remove it except He.  And if He intends to bring some good to you, there is none to turn His grace back.  He brings it to whomever He wills from among His servants. He is the Most-Forgiving, the Very Merciful.”

 

 

[13:11 part of Ayah] “ ..When Allah intends evil for a people, there is no way to turn it back, and for them there is no patron other than Him”.

 

 

[57:22] “No calamity befalls the earth or your own selves but it is (pre-destined) in a Book before We bring it into being, __Indeed it is easy for Allah.”

 

May Allah teach us strong Emaan and make us steadfast in His Love and remembrance! Aamin!

 

 Note: 

SWT =  Subhanahu Wa Ta'Ala

SAW =  Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam

AS   =   AlehisSalam
RA = 
    Radhiyallaho anhu

RAnha= Radhiyallaho anha

                                                  

The Friday Khutbahs are published to enhance your knowledge of Islam.  The references of Quran and Hadith are the approximate translation of the Arabic text.   The editors have not verified the accuracy of the the English translation.  The scholarly reader is encouraged to refer to the original Arabic script if there is any doubt.  Kindly notify us if the translation can be enhanced.