Part 55

Al-Hasan, said: if you wish, you will see a servant who has insight without having patience, and if you wish you will also see one, who has patience without insight but when you see who has both insight and patience, he is the successful one.

Advice is the seed of the mind. The stronger it is the more the mind will be strong and enlightened. Remembering and thinking are the seeds of each other, when they are combined, they will encourage one to forsake this life and seek the Hereafter. Piety is the seed of trust, if they are combined the heart will become straight. Preparing oneself is the seed to face weak hope, and all good is in their unity and ail evil is in their separation. Sincere intention is the seed of strong determination, and if they are combined, the servant will attain his greatest aim.

An Important Rule: The Servant Exists between the Hands of Allah

The servant exists between hands of Allah at two times: while standing during performing prayer and standing on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever fulfills the rights of the first standing, will in fact be facilitating the second one, and whoever considers this easy and does not pay due attention to it, he will be making the other one difficult for himself. Allah, the Almighty says,

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which means, "And during night, prostrate yourself to Him (i.e. the offering of Maghrib and '/sha' prayers), and glorify Him a long night through (i.e. Tahajjud prayer). Verily! These (disbelievers) love the present life of this world, and put behind them a heavy Day (that will be hard)." (Al-Insan, 76:26-27)

An Important Rule: The Pleasure of the Hereafter is More Lasting

Pleasure from this point of view is that needed by man but it is better to be free of it if it will cause the loss of what is greater than it and, which is more perfect than it or if it will cause pain that is much greater than the pain that will be caused if we missed it. Here we find the difference between the wise and intelligent person and the foolish and ignorant one. Whenever the mind of man comprehends the difference between these two pleasures and the two kinds of pain associated with them and discovers that there is no comparison between the two, it will be easy for the mind to abandon the lower pleasure in order to gain the higher, and it will be easier to bear the easier pain and to avoid the harder one.

Since this is the case, the pleasure of the Hereafter is greater and more lasting, and the pleasure of this worldly life is lower and has a shorter duration. That is also the case concerning the pain of the Hereafter and that of this worldly life. The criterion here is according to one’s faith and belief. If belief is strong and governs the heart, he will prefer the higher (eternal) pleasures more than the lower ones, and will bear the easier pain more than the hardest one in the Hereafter.

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A Precious Gem: And Ayydb (Job) when he cried to his Lord!

Allah, the Almighty says,

which means, "And (remember) AiyGb (Job), when he cried to his Lord: "Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy." (Al-Anbiya’, 21:83)

Aiydb (Job, peace be upon him) combined many elements in his supplication. He inferred the reality of monotheism, expressing his need to Allah, showing love for Him and longing for Him, acknowledging the attribute of His mercy and that He is the Most Merciful among those who show mercy, and being humble in front of Allah because of His attributes and by showing his need for Him. Whenever someone is in trouble and finds this feeling in himself, his distress will be removed.

A Precious Gem: You are my Protector in this Life and in the Hereafter

Allah says that Ydsuf (Joseph, peace be upon him) said, € 2 oral giodls Labene ss Som l) oad) 3 “Gyo... >

which means, "You are my Wali (Protector, Helper, Supporter, Guardian, etc.) in this world and in the Hereafter, cause me to die as a Muslim (the one submitting to Your Will), and join me with the righteous." (Ydsuf, 12:101)

This supplication combined the acknowledgment of monotheism, submission to Allah, showing one’s need for Him, being free of taking any supporters other than Him, expressing that dying while being a Muslim is the greatest aim of any servant. This entails acknowledging that we are in the hands of

Allah and not in the hands of any servant, confessing the truth of the Resurrection, and asking to join with the righteous.

An Important Rule: And there is not a thing but the stores thereof are with Us

Allah, the Exalted says, QTE Chas Vy gc oe ol >

which means, "And there is not a thing, but with Us are the stores thereof." (Al-Hijr, 15:21)

This verse is a treasure from among treasures, which includesevery matter that is to be asked for, as the only One who has keys of this treasure is Allah and He is the One who owns the keys. If anyone or anything else is asked, they have no power or ability to fulfill the request. While the verse, in which Allah says,

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which means, "And that to your Lord (Allah) is the End (Return of everything)" (An-Najm, 53:42) includes greater treasure which is that every aim if it was not for His sake, it is vain and useless. The end of all matters returns to whoever all matters end to Him. All matters returns to Allah, His creation, will, wisdom, and knowledge. He is aim of every need. Every lover that does not love for His sake, his love would be pain and suffer, every deed that is not for His sake, is vain and lost, and every heart that is not full of Him is miserable away from any happiness and success. Allah shows that all what servant may want is in His hands by saying what means, "And there is not a thing, but with Us are the stores thereof." (Al-Hijr, 15:21).

Allah revealed that all words and deeds should be performed for His sake by saying which means, "And that to your Lord

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(Allah) is the End (Return of everything)" (An-Najm, 53:42). There is no need that we cannot ask from Allah, and the end of all matters is with Him.

Some Secrets of Monotheism

The heart never becomes straight or calm except by achieving closeness to Allah. All things should be loved or hated for the sake of Allah. It is impossible that any matter would end with two ends or that all creatures were created from two. Whoever loves, desires, wills, and obeys other than Allah, it would be in vain and whoever loves, desires, fears, and needs for the sake of Allah, he would gain His blessings, pleasure, and eternal happiness. Mankind is always confused between commands and prohibitions. Man is constantly in need and is obliged to receive help at times of commands and is in need of kindness during times of disasters. The kindness that would happen to him at times of disaster depends upon the way in which he fulfilled the commands. If he fulfills both the commands in secret and in public, he would be shown kindness both in secret and in public. But if he fulfills the commands in public without fulfilling them secretly within himself, he would be shown kindness in public, and his share of kindness within himself would be decreased.

The kindness that one is given within oneself, at times of disasters is calmness, relief, and not feeling worried, confused, or discontented. The servant should submit to Allah in humility seeking Him with all his heart, longing for Him with his soul, and remain busy by thinking about the kindness He has bestowed on him more than about his pain. He does not feel pain as he knows that Allah chooses the best for him and that he is a mere servant of Allah and under His judgments whether or not he is content. If he is content, he will feel contentment and if he is discontented, he will have the displeasure of Allah. This is kindness, which is the hidden fruit

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inside man and is a kind of hidden and secret treatment whose affect will be either increased or decreased.

A Precious Gem: Loving Allah

The servant can only be close to Allah when his will and love become attached to Him. This is the kind of love that seeks Him alone and is not covered with any falsehood or insincerity. It seeks to know His names, attributes, and deeds and its light would never hide the darkness of neglect, as the light of love does not cover the darkness of polytheism. The supplications of the sincere servant seek Allah, so there is no veil of forgetfulness or negligence to be found between the supplicant and Allah. The sincere supplication seeks Allah and his deeds would be seeking to fulfill His commands and avoid what He has forbidden. He would perform acts of worship because he was ordered to do so and loves to do them and avoids what is forbidden because he was forbidden to do so and so hates them.

This is how deeds are attached to His commands and prohibitions, which remove all the causes that induce one to do or avoid the vanities of life. Also trust and love are attached to Him by placing one’s trust in Allah and being content with what He has chosen for him. Poverty and need are attached to Him alone and no other than Him, as well as fear, hope, happiness, and joy.

And if the servant experiences happiness from any creature, he knows that complete happiness and perfect joy and relief of the heart are in the hands of Allah. If any creature helps one to gain closeness to Allah, he will be happy and if that creature does not, he would be sad. There is no happiness except through what helps to reach Him and supports to obey Him. Allah told man that He does not like those who rejoice at this worldly life and its allurements and ordered man to be glad