Benefits
of belief in Devine Decree and Pre-Destiny
Abdullaah Al-Qaseer
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O
People! Fear Allah SWT and perform righteous deeds which Allah
loves and accepts; be cautious through your lives and believe
that everything that occurs does so according to the decree
of Allah SWT. Do not replace the guidance which Allah SWT guided
you to, meaning his obedience, with disobedience otherwise,
Allah SWT will change your situation to one of misery and desolation.
Allah
SWT said that which translates as: “That is because
Allah SWT will not change a favour
which He has bestowed upon a people until they change what is
within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing."
(Al-Anfaal: 53).
He
also says that which translates as: “Have you not
considered those who exchanged the favour of Allah for disbelief
and settled their people [in] the home of ruin? [It is] Hell,
which they will [enter to] burn and wretched is the settlement."
(Ibraheem: 28-29).
O
Believers! Just as your lives contain problems, afflictions
and disasters, they also have great bounties and favours from
Allah, who is the Most Generous. In addition Allah has blessed
your lives by giving you ease through times of grief and hardships
as well as and protecting you from other trials and tribulations
which did not affect you. This life is the abode of hardship
and ease, sorrow and joy, happiness and sadness and laughter
and weeping. Things are constantly changing and the trials that
we face are always different. People are tested in different
ways so that the wise can learn lessons from this and the successful
can take advantage of them. Through these trials, the heedless
become deceived and those who are doomed will go into further
destruction.
Regarding
this, Allah SWT said that which translates as: “ Every
soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good
as a trial; and to Us you will be returned." (Al-Anbiyaa':
35). He also said that which translates as: “In
order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not
exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does
not like everyone self-deluded and boastful." (Al-Hadeed:
23).
And
also that which translates as: “And We will surely
test you until We make evident those who strive among you [for
the cause of Allah] and the patient, and We will test your affairs."
(Muhammad: 31). In addition to this,
Allah has said that which translates as: “…And Allah
will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will
surely make evident the liars.” (Al-‘Ankaboot:
3).
Therefore,
it is saddening to observe in life so many different types of
people who always seem to be complaining. They complain and
weep about sickness, poverty, hardship, being away from loved
ones, deaths of relatives or missing out on the riches of this
world. These people do not seem to have any faith, nor do they
seem to believe in the Divine Decree of Allah and his Pre-Destiny.
O
Muslims! Complaining about Allah to His creatures and weeping
about things that one has missed out on in life is either an
indication of weak faith, or something that leads it. It is
also either an indication of despairing of the mercy of Allah
or something that would lead to it. These are the characteristics
of the worst of creatures; those who harbour false-thoughts
about Allah, just as the ignorant pre-Islamic people did. This
is why you see them feeling despair and fearing the worst possible
outcome when any problem or trial befalls them. So you see such
a person feeling constrained, losing patience and becoming nervous.
Due to their stress, their sorrows seem to multiply, which leads
them to stray away from the truth and become attached to someone
or something that cannot benefit them in any way. They despair
of the mercy of Allah and this is indeed a massive loss, both
in this life and in the Hereafter, because clinging to and attaching
oneself to creatures and turning away from the Lord is association
with Him, as proved by the texts of the Quran:
Allah
says that which translates as: “And do not invoke
besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor harms you,
for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.
And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover
of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there
is no repeller of his bounty. He causes it to reach whom He
wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
(Yoonus: 106-107).
Suhayb
Ibn Sinaan RA reported that Rasulullah SAW said: “How
wonderful is the case of a believer! There is goodness for him
in every thing, and this is not the case with anyone except
for 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 also good for him.”
(Muslim).
Abu
Hurayrah, RA narrated that Rasulullah SAW said: “Never
is a believer stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety,
a grief or mental worry, or even the pricking of a thorn
except that some of his sins are expiated for him (as
a consequence)." (Bukhaari and Muslim).
Rasulullah
SAW also said: “If any Muslim is afflicted with
any adversity, even as small as a prick of a thorn or anything
greater than that, then Allah will expiate some of his sins
(due to this), just as a tree sheds its leaves." (Bukhaari
and Muslim).
Servants
of Allah! How many hardships carry blessings and mercy and how
many adversities befall a slave of Allah, due to which he reaches
an exalted rank and becomes honourable in the sight of Allah?
He has said that which translates as: “…Indeed,
your Lord is Wise and Knowing." (Al-An'aam:
83). He also said that which translates as: "Indeed,
the patient will be given their reward without limit."
(Az-Zumar: 10).
So
fear Allah, May He have mercy upon and protect you all. If you
have hope in Him, He will make you become steadfast. Avoid overburdening
yourselves by performing too many optional deeds and perform
only the deeds that you can continue performing constantly.
By doing so, you will all have a pleasant consequence that you
will appreciate. Do not be deceived by your current good health,
wealth and comforts and don't be weakened by hardships, adversities
and calamities; the way out from Allah is coming and his mercy
is ever near for the righteous and the provision of Allah will
never be attained except through being obedient to him.
Allah
says that which translates as: "Whatever Allah
grants to people of mercy – none can withhold it; and whatever
He withholds – none can release it thereafter. And He is the
Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Faatir: 2).
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