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EASY ROAD TO PARADISE: GOLDEN DEEDS THAT LEAD TO SUCCESS by Shaykh Mufti Mohammad Rafi Uthmani (translated by Imtiaz
Madni) This article has been extracted
from a booklet in Urdu entitled ‘Jannat ka Asan Rasta” which can
be translated as “Easy Road to Paradise.” The booklet was
transcribed from a lecture delivered by the renowned Islamic scholar Shaykh
Mufti Mohammad Rafi Uthmani at a National Gathering of Scholars. The
respected scholar introduced his talk with the following verse from the Qur'an
(Al-Imran, The Family of Imran) [3:102]:
What Allah says in the
first part of this verse is “O believers! Fear Allah as He aught to be
feared” which means “O believers! Do not approach that which He has
forbidden you, and do not delay in fulfilling what He has ordered you to do.”
Then Allah continues: “and die not except in a state of Islam.” It
is clear that death is not within our control. However, what is in our control
is our condition at the time of death – that it may be auspicious for us. The
way to achieve that is to protect ourselves from every form of sin at all
times, and whenever a sin is committed, to hasten towards Taubah
(repentance) and Istighfar (begging forgiveness from Allah). Allah (swt) has kept the doors of repentance open, so
that a person keeps committing sins and keeps repenting and Allah keeps
forgiving, until the time when the angels of death become visible to the person
and the throes of death begin, for at that time the door of repentance closes.
However, if one is habituated to Taubah and Istighfar, then even
if, Allah forbid, death comes to him while he is committing a sin, there
will only be that one sin for which he did not have a chance to make Taubah.
The uncertainty of death is a very important reason why one should always be
concerned about staying away from sins. Today,
however, a flood of mischief has engulfed the entire society. In this
situation, how can a person save oneself from sins? How can one protect one’s
eyes, ears, hands, etc. from indulging in forbidden acts? To protect oneself
from sins under these circumstances is easier said than done. To overcome this
problem, the Qur’an has ordered us and so have the ‘Ulama
(scholars) and pious elders of Islam, to acquire the company of the
righteous people and to try to spend as much time as possible with them. This
is so that by being in their company, the heart may develop a fondness for good
deeds and a fear and distaste for sins, and, consequently, it may become easier
to save oneself from sins and do good deeds. Allah says in the Qur’an
[at-Taubah 9:119]:
O
you who believe! Fear Allah and be with the righteous people. The truth
is that once a strong connection with Allah is developed, a person
cannot commit a sin even if he tries. The heart is filled with such nur
(light) that one is afraid even when coming close to sin. Thereafter, Allah
(swt) turns his heart away from sin and creates such circumstances that,
even without any conscious intention, he continues to be protected from sin. It
is due to Allah’s immense generosity that Allah (swt) saves man
from sin. Four
Golden Deeds The respected scholar mentioned
that one day his eminent teacher and spiritual guide Arif Billah Dr. ‘Abdul Hye
(rahm) said to him, “I will show you an easy prescription for rectification
of the heart. This prescription is very brief but it is very swift in its
effect. It consists of four a’mal (good deeds) that are the life of the Islamic
Shari’ah and Tariqah, and they are so easy to do that you do not
have to spend your life, wealth, or time to do them. If a person makes it a
habit of doing them, a special connection with Allah (swt) is
created whose effect one begins to feel in one’s life. The heart becomes
willing to accept rectification and then gradually a state is reached when even
if the person wants to commit sin, he is unable to do so. Those four deeds are:
1) Shukr
(Gratitude to Allah), 2) Sabr (Patience,
Perseverance), 3) Istighfar (Seeking
Forgiveness from Allah), and 4) Isti’azah (Seeking Allah’s
Protection). Shaykh
Mufti Rafi Uthmani Saheb then said to the
audience, “Today I am giving you the gift that my teacher gave to me during my
fourteen years as his student. I hope that you will appreciate its value,
because my teacher used to say, “This is my teacher’s gift,” and his teacher
used to say, “This is the gift given by Allah and Allah’s Messenger
(saw).” Furthermore my teacher used to tell me very often, “Make it a habit
to practice these four deeds: Shukr, Sabr, Istighfar, and Isti’azah.”” 1. SHUKR The first deed is Shukr (Gratitude
to Allah). Firstly, you need to make it a habit that every day when you
get up in the morning and before you sleep at night you glance at yourself and
your circumstances and then reflect on the spiritual and material Blessings
that Allah has bestowed upon you, and give a collective thanks to Him
for them. Especially you need to reflect on the wealth of Iman (true faith in Allah)
and easy circumstances that Allah has given you and give your heartfelt
thanks to Him for them, and resolve to use those gifts in a proper way.
Besides this, whenever a thought crosses your mind about any of the bounties
from Allah that you enjoy, you should thank Him quietly, in your heart. In other
words, whenever something happens according to what you wished or wanted and
you feel happy about it and your heart feels peace, you should quietly say, “Al-Hamdulillah”
or “Allahumma Lakal-Hamd wa Lakash-Shukr.” The
Many Occasions of Shukr Every day from morning to evening,
so many things happen according to a person’s wishes and desires, for which one
can express one’s thankfulness to Allah (swt). For example, one opens
one’s eyes in the morning in a condition of good health and says “Al-Hamdulillah.”
He sees all his family members also healthy, and quietly says, “Al-Hamdulillah.”
He goes to the Masjid and is able to join the Jama’at (congregational prayer),
and says “Al-Hamdulillah.” He gets his breakfast on time and says “Al-Hamdulillah.”
He reaches work on time, and says “Al-Hamdulillah.” Someone who
travels by bus and is worried that he may miss the bus, but actually gets it,
says “Al-Hamdulillah.” He climbs on the bus and is able to find a seat,
and says “Al-Hamdulillah.” On returning home from work, he finds his
wife looking fine and says “Al-Hamdulillah.” The weather is hot but
there is a cool breeze blowing, so he says “Al-Hamdulillah.” In
summary, if an affair, no matter how small or big, happens according to one’s
wishes, or one’s prayer is accepted by Allah (swt), or if Allah
enables one to do some good deed, anything that makes the heart feel pleasure
and happiness, one should make it a habit to be thankful to Allah from
one’s heart and tongue. This gratitude does not require any time, money or
effort. We
have Been Given Unlimited Bounties In fact, if, Allah forbid,
some difficulty or problem comes upon us, before trying to get out of it, think
about how many bounties Allah (swt) has surrounded us with,
without our deserving them. This gives strength to our heart and allows us to
face such situations. Insha-Allah by thinking in this manner, we
will attain peace of mind even if the problem may persist. We can say without
exaggeration that at every moment Allah (swt) is showering countless
bounties upon us, and in this way, we will have at least thanked Allah (swt)
for some of those bounties. By doing this consistently, a person makes it a
habit to thank Allah, so that on seeing anything that pleases him, he
keeps on thanking Allah in his heart. And he does this act in secret so
no one knows about it. Thus, a very elevated worship of Allah (swt) is
carried out in which there is no riya (showing off), hence his rank with
Allah is raised beyond our imagination. In summary, a person should
mould himself so that in whatever condition he may be, he keeps thanking Allah
(swt). Initially this may seem to be difficult, but with continuous
practice and an awareness of Allah’s bounties under most circumstances,
it will, Insha-Allah, become a habit. Gratitude
Leads to Increase in Bounties and Protection from Punishment Allah (swt) says in the Quran [An-Nisa 4:147]
Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful to Him and
believe in Him. And Allah is Ever All Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing. … From this
we learn that those who believe in Allah and are always grateful to Him
are protected from Allah’s punishment. Allah (swt) also says [Ibrahim 14:7]
If ye are grateful, I will increase the (bounties) on you; From this
we learn that for whichever bounty we keep thanking Allah, that bounty
will keep increasing and thus our worldly life will become easy. If you
find this hard to believe then try it yourself. Whoever does this will clearly
feel a pleasant change taking place in his life. Shukr is a Worship that is Loved by Allah We can understand how beloved this
worship is to Allah (swt) from the following facts. The greatest and
most beloved among all of Allah’s revealed Books is the noble Qur’an,
and Allah (swt) begins this Book with Surah Al-Fatihah, and the
very first word with which Surah Fatihah begins is
Surah Al-Fatihah contains the summary of the entire Qur’an, and its
very first word is
There has to be a reason why Allah
(swt) gives so much importance to praise and thanks or gratitude to Him in the
Qur’an. How much does Allah like this Surah? This can
be gauged from the fact that it is ordered to recite this Surah not only
in every Salah (prayer) but in every Raka’ (cycle) of prayer.
Furthermore, Allah (swt) becomes pleased when His servant praises Him. This
Worship will also Continue in Paradise There will be no worship in
Paradise. Salah, Sawm, Zakah, and Hajj will all cease. That will
be a place for luxury, enjoyment, peace, and happiness. However, one form of
worship, i.e., Shukr or thankfulness, will continue there as well. It
comes in a Hadith that Hamd (Praise and thankfulness) will
constantly flow from the mouths of the people of Paradise without any effort,
just as people breathe air in this world without any conscious intention or
effort. Therefore,
if we make it a habit in this world to thank Allah (swt) for every big
or small bounty, Allah (swt) will save us from His punishment and will
increase His bounties on us. Our hearts will develop love for Allah (swt),
our connection with Allah will become strong, we will come closer to
Allah, and a pleasant change will take place in our life. We will
feel the pleasure from contentment and our life will be full of peace and
safety. A
Woodcutter’s Story Sulaiman (as) had a Throne that no King ever possessed. Jinns
carried it in the air, birds flew overhead to provide shade, and many other
creatures traveled along with it. Once Sulaiman (as)’s throne was flying
in the air with all its pomp and splendor, when a woodcutter in the jungle
happened to see it and spontaneously exclaimed, “Subhan-Allah (Glory be
to Allah). How great is the honor and grandeur of the family of Dawud
(as).” The wind immediately carried his voice to Sulaiman (as). He
ordered that the Throne be brought down and said, “Take me to the woodcutter.”
The woodcutter started trembling with fear, wondering what crime he may have
committed. Sulaiman (as) asked him, “What did you say?” The poor
woodcutter was so terrified that he could not remember. After thinking for a
while, he recalled and replied, “I only said “Subhan-Allah. How
great is the honor of the family of Dawud (as)”” Sulaiman (as)
said, “You saw the army of Sulaiman and felt desirous, but you do not
realize that thousands of such armies have no value compared to the word Subhan-Allah.
You have no idea how high a station you have obtained by saying Subhan-Allah
just once.” Shukr Leads to Sabr and Taqwa Being grateful to or thanking Allah
is such a wealth that brings with it countless blessings of happiness,
tranquility, ease, and other bounties. Furthermore, when man will always be
thankful, the quality of Sabr will develop in him so that he will not
complain during times of difficulty. He will also feel shy to commit sin (he
will gain Taqwa), because he will question himself as to how he can
disobey the One who he has been expressing his thanks and gratitude to from
morning to evening. Therefore, this is also a blessing from the act of Shukr
that a thankful person commits very few sins. He also remains free from the
diseases of envy, greed, lust, extravagance, miserliness, etc. Shukr
Drives Away Arrogance Another great benefit of being
thankful to Allah (swt) is that the person remains protected from
arrogance. This is because whatever bounties he continues to receive, he does
not take credit for them but considers them as gifts from Allah (swt),
and he keeps acknowledging this. So when he keeps connecting whatever he has to
Allah (swt) and not to his own abilities, then on what grounds could he
become arrogant? Arrogance is a major sin and it is so dangerous that Allah’s
Messenger (saw) said, “La yadkhulil Jannata man kana
fi qalbihi mithqala zarratim-min kibr.” This
can be translated as “A person who has the smallest particle of arrogance in
his heart will not enter Paradise.” [Muslim, narrated by ‘Abdullah ibn
Mas’ud] 2. SABR The
second deed is Sabr (patience, forbearance). Sabr is to stop
oneself from committing sin or doing something impermissible when something
happens against one’s wishes. In our daily life, many things happen the
way we want. Similarly, many things happen that we do not like. For example, I
reach the bus stop and find the bus has already left. So, whether the incident
that happens against our wishes is big or small, under all circumstances, we
need to have Allah (swt) in our minds and keep ourselves under control.
This is what Sabr is, and it is a very important ‘amal of the heart. In
this Allah (swt) tests the strength of His servant’s Iman. In our
daily life, so many things keep happening that are unpleasant and that are hard
on our nafs. Sometimes we hear the news of our loved one being sick, in
trouble or even dead. Sometimes we may lose our hard-earned money, or we may
lose our job or do not get increment or promotion. Each of these things
disturbs us mentally, we feel bad, we feel sorry or sad, but these things are
continuously testing our patience. As none of these things is under our
control, we can never force the results to be what we want. Therefore, we must
have a firm belief that these situations come from Allah (swt). Such
belief carries much wisdom and many mercies. On such occasions, Allah (swt)
has, by His grace and generosity, given us a very beneficial and effective
treatment for our peace of mind and heart. Allah (swt) instructs us in
the Qur’an to say Inna lillahi wa
inna ilaihi raji’un:
This gives us peace
of mind and develops in our nature the ability to bear hardships. So, the
easiest way to practice patience when
something happens against one’s wishes,
whether it is a major shocking sad news or just a minor discomfort, is to say Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. This also does not require any time, money or effort.
In his talk the respected scholar gave an example of
the Indian Subcontinent where electricity is interrupted frequently due to load
shedding and said that whenever the power goes off, we should say Inna
lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un and when it
returns, we should say “Al-Hamdulillah.” It has been proved from the
Ahadith that even on remembering some event from the past that brought
sadness or some discomfort if we recite Inna lillahi wa inna
ilaihi raji’un, we will gain the same reward for Sabr
as we gained at the time of its original occurrence. Inna
lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un is not only
Associated with Death A prevalent perception in our
society is that the words Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un
are only recited at the time of someone’s death. However, this perception
is not correct. There is one Hadith where the Prophet And Allah (swt) loves His
servant who is patient and grateful. Mulla
Nasruddeen Mulla
Nasruddeen
was a philosopher and wise man, widely remembered for his funny and witty
stories and anecdotes. There is an incident
about Mulla Nasruddeen. It is related about him that he was very good
looking and his wife was just the opposite. Once he said to his wife, “Dear
wife. You and I will both go to Paradise”. She asked him, “Why is that?” The Mulla
replied, “Because when you see me you thank Allah for giving you such a
handsome husband, and when I see you, I exercise patience. And the patient and
the grateful will both go to Paradise.” Allah’s
Mercy Descends on the Sabir The lesson is that we should be patient
in the face of unpleasant circumstances, whether big or small, and recite Inna
lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un, because with
patience we are blessed with Allah’s proximity. As Allah says:
Who can cause any harm to the one
who has gained Allah’s closeness? And about those who, when
facing calamities and difficulties and unpleasant circumstances, say Inna
lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un, Allah
says:
They are those on whom
(descend) blessings from Allah, and Special Mercy, and they are the ones that
receive guidance. [Al-Baqarah 2:157] To
summarize, at the time of any difficulty, if one recites the words Inna
lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un, one will
actually feel that Allah’s special mercies are with him. This act
creates in the person the quality of perseverance and the dignity to bear and
endure hardship, develops in him the strength to face calamities, and attracts
divine help so that he remains pleased with Allah’s decisions about
himself, which is a very high position in one’s life. The one who practices
patience (Sabr) does not develop feelings of anger or of revenge for
personal reasons, and if these feelings do develop, they disappear quickly, so
that he remains protected from acting on those feelings. By the
way, when Allah’s servant makes it a habit of doing the four golden
deeds mentioned earlier, then in a few days he will begin to feel that someone
has placed a hand of mercy on his heart and is supporting or backing him so
that he does not feel alone anymore and his life starts to become enjoyable. 3. ISTIGHFAR The
third deed is Istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Allah), and this too
does not require us to spend of our life, wealth, or time. Whenever a person
happens to commit a small or big sin, he should immediately feel remorseful
about it and say Astaghfirullah, which means: “O Allah. I seek
Your forgiveness.” The
Challenge of Shaytan When Adam (as) was being
sent to this world, even before he could arrive here, Shaytan came with
this challenge: “O Allah! I will lead your servants astray and take them
to Hell (because man is my enemy, because of whom I lost my high rank).” Adam
(as) said, “O Allah! You have given my enemy Shaytan so much
power that neither I nor my children possess. He can acquire different forms
and appearances and he can come upon us in ways that we cannot see him but he
can see us. He is a jinn and we are human beings, and our
characteristics are different. He will for sure push us to hell”. The
Weapon Given by Allah Allah (swt) said, “O Adam! There is no doubt that We have given
him many powers. However, We are giving you one weapon to counter his many
powers. As long as you will keep on using this weapon, none of Shaytan’s
attacks will succeed. The name of that weapon is “Istighfar”. Whenever
you happen to commit a sin, say “Astaghfirullah” from the depth of your
heart. Sins
are Forgiven through Istighfar Allah (swt) does not send punishment on those people who
do Istighfar (seek Allah’s forgiveness). As Allah says in
the Noble Qur’an
And Allah would not punish them while they would seek His
Forgiveness. [Al-Anfal 8:33] Allah
(swt) has placed in our hearts the urge to
commit sins and He has put pleasures in sin. Hence, it is not easy to stay away
from sins as a person automatically gravitates towards them. That is why Allah,
in His all-encompassing Mercy, has opened such wide doors of His forgiveness,
that if we happen to commit a sin, we should just feel remorseful and sincerely
repent and seek Allah’s Forgiveness, and the sin will be forgiven. Abdullah
Bin Mas’ud (radh) narrated that Allah’s Messenger Repent
after every Sin If we commit a sin once, we should
repent and seek forgiveness and Allah will forgive the sin. If we commit
the same sin again, we should repent again, and Allah (swt) will forgive
the sin again. So much so that if we commit the same sin seventy times and
every time we repent and seek forgiveness, then each time that sin will be
forgiven. This is because the doors of repentance are open. So even if the
repentance is broken a thousand times, mend it each time with repentance (Taubah),
and the One who is most merciful and most generous will forgive even a
thousand times. If a person dies in a state where he sins, then repents, then
breaks his repentance by sinning again, but then repents again, and this
process continues, then he is successful, because he followed each sin with
repentance, which caused each sin to be forgiven. This is the reality of
repentance, that there should be remorse after committing the sin, and a firm
resolve not to commit the sin again. Every sin is forgiven by repentance,
except if we have violated other people’s rights, for they are not forgiven
only through repentance, until the other person forgives us or his rights are
restored once again. The
Benefits of Istighfar (seeking forgiveness from Allah) There are many benefits of Istighfar.
Istighfar is an act of worship (‘Ibadah). It is also a means for
forgiveness of sins and of gaining closeness to one’s Lord. When I will
repeatedly seek Allah’s forgiveness then gradually, I will begin to feel
shy while committing sins, I will gain an awareness of the vastness of Allah’s
mercy through which He continues to provide me with His bounties while I am
committing so many sins. Someone who, in his heart, is always aware of his own
mistakes and is remorseful over his sins, will never become arrogant or
boastful, nor will he ever develop pride over his piety, because he will
remember his sins more than his acts of worship, no matter how many they may
be. Istighfar is such a deed that has no set time for it and we need it
all the time because we do not know how many sins we keep on committing either
knowingly or unknowingly. Some sins are such that we are not even aware of
having done them, and there are others that we do not even consider as sins.
Under all of these conditions, whenever we become aware that a sin might have
been committed, we should immediately turn towards Allah, our heart
filled with remorse, and say with our tongue “Astaghfirullah” meaning “O
Allah! I am very sorry. Please forgive me and please also protect me
from this sin in the future.” Seeking Allah’s
forgiveness is such a deed by which the doors of Allah’s unlimited and
complete mercy open for His servant. Besides feeling remorse in his heart, he
also becomes aware of his conviction (Aqidah), his faith (Iman) is
protected, and he is blessed with the wealth of piety (Taqwa). Such a
person does not intentionally commit any sin or at the most he commits very few
of them, and such a person also does not cause harm to Allah’s creation.
Allah (swt) has, through His Fadl (grace) and Karam (mercy),
bestowed a great favor upon His sinful servants by providing them with Taubah
(repentance) and Istighfar as a means for them to attain success in this
world (duniya) and salvation in the Hereafter (Akhirah).
Falillahil-Hamdu wash-Shukr. So for Allah is the praise
and the thanks. Pious
elders have advised that we should try, as far as we can recall, to remember
and reflect on all our sins committed in the past, whether major or minor, and
then with full sincerity and with complete remorse and humility, repent (make Taubah)
and seek Allah’s forgiveness (make Istighfar) for them. This
should be enough. Insha-Allah, all our sins will be forgiven.
Thereafter, we should not make it a habit to repeatedly remember them and
become disturbed. Rather, if ever a sin is unconsciously recalled, we should
quietly seek Allah’s forgiveness for it once. Remember, however, that it
is obligatory on us to fulfill others’ rights, under all circumstances. 4. ISTI’AZAH The fourth deed is Isti’azah.
Isti’azah means to seek protection. Before we begin to recite the
Qur’an we recite
When you read the Qur'an, seek Allah's protection from
Shaytan the rejected one. Recite
“A’uzubillah” (I seek Allah’s Protection)
During Every Occasion of Danger This worldly life is filled with
all kinds of events and happenings, and we always face Shaytan and our
inner desires. Hence, we should continue to seek the Protection of Allah
(swt) all the time. There are some dangers associated with monetary
dealings and relationships with people, and we may not be able to find any
solution to avoid those dangers, nor may the matters be within our control. On
such occasions, seeking the protection of Allah (swt) naturally
provides great strength to our hearts. Therefore, we must make it a habit to
say “A’uzubillah” from the depth of our hearts whenever we face
any such difficulty. From morning to night, man is surrounded by different kinds of whispers from Shaytan
and worries about things to come. “I do not know what may happen tomorrow. What
if I lose my job, or lose my respect, or my possessions get stolen, or an enemy
attacks me, or I lose money in my trade or business, or I get sick with such
and such disease, or I die, or get in an accident, and so on.” No one is free
from such possible dangers. The way to save oneself from all dangers of this
world and the Hereafter is this great worship called Isti’azah (seeking
Allah’s protection). Whenever the heart receives any whisper from Shaytan
or a worry or concern about something that might happen, quietly say “A’uzubillah”
which means “O Allah! I seek Your protection”. If you cannot
remember the Arabic word, you can convey this supplication to Allah
in your own language. Note that the more wealthy a person is, and the
higher a position he holds, the more worries and dangers he has, and the one
who possesses neither wealth nor fame nor position of any significance, also
has less worries and dangers. The
Helplessness of a Thief A thief entered a house. He
searched all over but could not find anything to steal. This was because there
was nothing there to steal, neither utensils nor clothes, nor any furniture.
After searching for some time, he noticed a man sleeping very peacefully in the
verandah. The thief thought to himself that he must take something from this
house otherwise it may bring bad luck. When he looked carefully, he saw a pile of
flour close to the sleeping man. The thief spread his sheet on the floor in
order to transfer the flour onto it. However, just as he was about to pick up
the flour, the sleeping man turned over onto the thief’s sheet. Now
instead of taking something, the thief was actually losing his own belonging,
because the man was sound asleep. It was a cold wintry night, and the thief sat
down to wait for the sleeping man to turn over to the other side so that he
could pick up his sheet, but the man showed no signs of moving. The poor thief
was shivering from waiting so long in the cold and he was just beginning to
think that he did not care any more about the flour, he just wanted to take his
sheet with him, when he heard the Adhans (calls for prayer) for
the Fajr (dawn) prayer. The thief decided it was time to leave, and as
he was stepping out of the door, he heard a voice from behind him saying,
“Close the door on your way out.” The thief was so frustrated that he replied,
“Let it stay open. Someone else may come in and provide another sheet to cover
you.” Thus,
nobody is free from worries and danger. The more important a person is, the
more are his worries and dangers, and the less important a person is, the more
peace and tranquility he enjoys. During every situation of worry or danger, one
should say “A’uzubillah” which means “O Allah! I seek Your
Protection.” One may have fear of failure in achieving one’s goal, or one may
be afraid of losing one’s life or wealth due to the evil from an enemy or
envier. One may also have the fear of being involved in an open or secret sin
due to mischief from one’s inner desires and Shaytan or of being
punished in the Hereafter, or maybe some unclean desire enters the heart. In
all cases one should immediately recite “A’uzubillah” or recite the
following Du’a (supplication): “Allahumma la
malja-a wa la manja-a minka illa ilaik” which means: “O Allah!
There is neither refuge nor any safety from You except in You.” In other words,
“Difficulties are also sent by You, and only You can provide us safety from
those difficulties.” Cling
to the Archer A wise man once asked the people:
“There is a tremendous archer who never misses his target. The sky is his bow,
and all the calamities and sorrows of this world are his arrows. What is the
way to save yourself from him?” The people replied, “It is impossible to be
safe from such an archer.” The wise man then said, “There is only one way:
Cling to this archer.” So brothers! Seek the protection and refuge of Allah
(swt). Whenever you feel any fear or anxiety in your heart, immediately say
“O Allah I seek your refuge and your protection.” He is such a Giver
that He never refuses anyone who sincerely begs from Him. Just imagine this
scenario: It is a dark night and the rain is pouring down heavily. Some robbers
are chasing a lone child, who is running away from them and screaming, “Save
me! Give me shelter!” Would you not give refuge to such a helpless child? It is
obvious that you would give him shelter even if you lived in a hut. Allah
(swt) is the Lord of all and He is the most merciful of those who show
mercy. When His servants who are overwhelmed by difficulties seek His
protection, He surely opens for them the doors of refuge and protection. Isti’azah (seeking Allah’s protection) is a deed by which Allah’s
servant experiences Allah’s majesty, the greatness of His Rububiyah
(Lordship), and His all-encompassing beneficence, and he feels in
his heart the protection and peace from Allah (swt). He is also blessed
with the wealth of Tawakkul (complete trust and reliance on Allah)
and Tafwid (being content with Allah’s decisions about
him). Such people will never harbor any desire to harm others. So, let us make
it a habit that whenever we feel danger, we say a heartfelt “A’uzubillah”.
When we will genuinely seek Allah’s protection, we will be able to
witness for ourselves Allah’s mercy opening strange and unexpected ways
for our protection from dangers as they advance towards us. Make
it a Habit to Practice these Four A’mal So, in summary, four good deeds
were discussed: Shukr, Sabr, Istighfar, and Isti’azah. Be
constant in practicing all four of them. Make it a habit. Then Insha-Allah
step-by-step one’s entire life will gradually become patterned according to Deen
(Islam). Both Deen and duniya (worldly life) will remain
protected and one will develop hatred for sins and fondness for good deeds. One
will continue to develop more and more closeness to Allah, and will
begin to feel a special connection with Him. Three
Periods of Time are Protected At any time in man’s life, there
are three periods: past, present, and future. Through Istighfar, the
past is protected. Through Shukr and Sabr, the present is
protected, and through Isti’azah the future will be protected. When all
three periods are protected, the entire life is protected. Whoever makes it a
habit to perform these four good deeds, Insha-Allah at every moment he
will experience Allah’s help and beneficence. Convey
this Gift to Others In concluding his talk, the
respected scholar said, “I have a request from you all. What I presented in
front of you today is a priceless gift given to me by my esteemed teacher and
spiritual guide. It is extremely easy to do and very effective. Please convey
this gift to your family and your acquaintances. Insha-Allah by sticking
to it you will be protected from so many uncountable sins, accidents and
calamities. And you can do one more thing – please send thawab (reward for good
deeds) to the soul of my teacher and spiritual guide ‘Arif Billah Dr. ‘Abdul
Hayy ‘Arifi (rahm) who gave us this great gift. May Allah (swt)
enable us to be constant in doing these four a’mal (good deeds). Ameen.
Note: swt = Subhanahu
wa Ta'ala saw = Sallallahu
‘alaihi wa sallam as
= ‘’Alaihis-Salam radh = Radhi-Allahu ‘anhu radh= Radhi-Allahu ‘anha The articles, booklets and 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.
http://www.islameasy.org/EasyRoad_Paradise.php |
All
Praise and Thanks be to Allah
To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return [Al-Baqarah 2:156]
is
quoted to have said “Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un”
when the lamp went off at night. Ayesha Siddiqah (radh) asked him,
“O Messenger of Allah. Is this also a calamity?” Allah’s Messenger
Verily Allah is with those who patiently persevere. [Al-Baqarah 2:153]
which
means “I seek Allah’s protection against the accursed and rejected Shaytan.”
This action of ours is also Isti’azah because what we are essentially
saying is, “O Allah! Take us within your protection against the harm
from Shaytan.” We have to recite “A’uzubillah” before reciting
the Qur’an because its order is given in the Qur’an itself [An-Nahl 16:98]: