Re: Standing Still
Sister redvelvet
No worries ... of all people I would not think of you being anything but firm and excelling in faith inshaAllah.
First of all ... The story from the radio Urdu service, can you detect what is inherently wrong in this?
A man was really wealthy and he had two servants and he used to mistreat them and one day they ran away from him. They found work in a market and eventually became rich merchants building their own houses. Then one day a beggar came by to the door ... and they looked upon him recognising him to be their previous master who was mean. They asked him whether that was him ... he replied, “Yes, I am he ... I used to be rich and I didn’t appreciate Allah (SWT), so then He took it all away from me”. This is to say don’t become arrogant with what you have because Allah (SWT) can take it all away from you.
The story is basic but problematic ... first of all it sets out to say that wealth is a gift from Allah (SWT) and there is somewhat of a linear relationship between being honoured to being wealthy. It infers that Allah (SWT) will punish by means of poverty those who are not grateful to Him. Now when I heard that story I felt that the man was in a better situation than before ...instead of crying and lamenting of his situation and begging he should have been happier and the reason is based on the following.
Consider a person alpha who makes a du’a and it gets answered. Another person beta she makes a du’a and it does not get answered so she leaves it and continues her normal doings. Another person gamma he asks and gets concerned and asks again, no answer and asks gradually more and more to a state of despair and hopelessness. Then he stops asking and forgets about it upset and frustrated. Then there is person delta ... she asks from her Lord and the du’a is not answered, she asks again, but does so with the same heart and appeal as before, without any cause of concern and full trust that her du’a will be answered. It does not get answered, so she does it again and spends a long period of her life like this ... neither does she get perturbed or dismayed of her du’a being answered nor does she stop asking ... each time with the same intent.
Now for alpha there was no prolonged test for him ... rather his du’a was met and he was required to be grateful. If he was not grateful after having his du’a met, then he failed his test. Beta again she asks once from Allah (SWT) and the du’a is not answered, so she interpreted her disposition with that of patience and stopped asking. Although that is not blameworthy it is also not serving her needs very well. She only remembered Allah (SWT) when she was in need and found an excuse to stop making du’a. Person Gamma becomes frustrated and loses his adab with his Lord. His impatience throws him out of belief and he fails his test ... The commendable from these was Delta, she continued her du’a ... even without it being answered. In reality Beta was not being patient – because patience is about not getting when actively seeking. Beta stopped seeking. The beauty of the position that Delta was in is that she spent a considerable amount of time at the door of Allah (SWT)’s remembrance. What a blessing that is ... that a person can be in the presence of their Lord for long periods of time without being swayed? Her du’a was not being answered ... but her presence before her Lord was cherished by her and so she continued asking Him. This is the mark of the true servant.
So going back to the story – the rich cruel man who became a poor man, actually realised that he should have been grateful to Allah (SWT), so the story ends on a good note !!! That man became closer to Allah (SWT) in correct remembrance of Him. So that his removal of his wealth (which was his barrier to dzikr of Allah) was removed. So the story was sending out the wrong message. Also, on the other note the servants who ran away from their master found wealth ... so if metaphorically we take Allah (SWT) as Master if we run away from Him we will find wealth – or in this case happiness?
What we should realise is that neither wealth nor poverty is good or bad – but how we react to that situation is what makes it good for us or bad for us ... If we get wealth saying “this is my doing – look how great I am” then that wealth has been bad for us, but if we get the wealth and be humble and charitable then that wealth has been good for us ... likewise if getting poor or in financial trouble we start to remember Allah (SWT) that situation has been good for us, but if we start to get angry and forget worshipping Allah (SWT) due to our misfortune then that has been a burden on us ...
My friend’s auntie had her young child taken away from her and other smaller problems such as a divorce from her husband and she said this all happened when she was praying to Allah (SWT) ... so she stopped praying taking it as a sign that her prayers were not benefitting her in any way. That is the trouble in our mindset – we think there is a barter process or an exchange process a business deal between us and Allah (SWT) ... There is not !!!
He does whatever He Wills with us and if He throws any of His creation to fire it is His Right as He is our Creator ... But we know that He may burden us in this world with hardships, but He will not punish a slave who is correct with Him in the Hereafter, inshaAllah ... And the way to be correct with Him is to ACCEPT our destiny... This does not mean nor translate to not asking in du’a from Him. Because those who ask from Him ... that act of asking is their legacy and true inheritance – not the result of answering the du’a – but the actual asking process is the true destiny we want to be on. If we have our du’as accepted – we should find something else to ask about. We should absorb ourselves in asking from Him and worshiping Him – this is what is means in Surah Fatihah – Iyyaka Na’budu wa Iyyaka Nasta’een.
All night, a man called “Allah”
Until his lips were bleeding.
Then the Devil said, “Hey! Mr Gullible!
How comes you’ve been calling all night
And never once heard Allah say, “Here, I am”?
You call out so earnestly and, in reply, what?
I’ll tell you what. Nothing!”
The man suddenly felt empty and abandoned.
Depressed, he threw himself on the ground
And fell into a deep sleep.
In a dream, he met Abraham, who asked,
“Why are you regretting praising Allah?”
The man said, “ I called and called
But Allah never replied, “Here I am.”
Abraham explained, “Allah has said,
“Your calling my name is My reply.
Your longing for Me is My message to you.
All your attempts to reach Me
Are in reality My attempts to reach you.
Your fear and love are a noose to catch Me.
In the silence surrounding every call of “Allah”
Waits a thousand replies of “Here I am.”
Maulana Rumi
Ask regularly from Allah (SWT) with the loftiest of expectations never waning in hope and never settling for second best, whilst being content in the act of asking itself since this means we occupy our time in dzikr of Him. Both i’badah and du’a are forms of dzikr ... so know this ... that our purpose is to keep Him in our minds and hearts in awe and respect at all times ... It is immaterial if our du’as are accepted or not ... but we believe they are accepted as the adab permits ... and if they are answered we respond likewise and if they are not answered we respond likewise in each case seeing it as an opportunity to come closer to His Majesty.
Finally – when I mentioned dunya – I didn’t mean ‘Alam ... Dunya is the transient and illusive nature of the world – it is not the physical planet, but the relationship and value we hold with items in this world. When we say that we should not chase the dunya – that is true ... because chasing the dunya means – desiring and coveting the bounties of Allah (SWT).
But can we chase the articles behind our du’as? Yes ... every prayer ... most of us read Rabbana atina fid’dunya hassanawan wa fil akhirati hassanatan wa kina azaabannar.
My Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi makes us perform a very useful du’a ... that we say ...
“Oh Allah (SWT) grant us good aspects of dunya in our hands to facilitate our works, but away from our hearts rather to fill in them love of You and RasoolAllah (SAW)” ... Ameen.
To “chase” dunya out of desire for it is bad, but to compete for dunya keeping separation from it and to facilitate its use for good and without desiring it is not disallowed. Many Sufis became poor and unproductive out of not understanding that this world does have its uses... why else are they called the bounties of Allah (SWT) that we as a race deny - in Surah Rahman?
We have to be excellent enough to make a lot of wealth with our skills if need be, but we have to be as unattached to it as possible that if required we can give it all away in charity ... This is the example of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (RA) and Sayyiduna Umar (RA). Most of us fall short of both being able to excel or being able to be detached.
… I dont get it … whats the point in all this ??? … not giving people what they want in the name of that its “behtar” for them … if Allah wants …HE can make everything behtar for us … its not difficult for him …