Part 8

HEARTFELT ADVICE TOA FRIEND

In exegesis to this verse, ‘Alqamah said, “This refers to a misfortune that befalls a person, but he knows that it is from Allah so he

accepts it and is content.’

In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (#8) said, “There is nothing that Allah ordains for the believer except that it is good for him. If he encounters times of ease, he is grateful and that is good for him. If he encounters misfortune, he is patient and that is good for him. This only holds true for the believer.”

The Qur’an also proves this,

“Say: ‘Nothing can happen t to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Master and it is in Allah that the believers should put their trust.’ Say: ‘What do you

await for us except for one of the two best things?...””!?

Here, He informs us that nothing could happen to them except what He has decreed. This indicates that, regardless if what they encounter is hard or easy, it is the same to them. He then informs us that He is their Master and whoever is in such a position will not be forsaken by Allah; indeed He will take charge of effectuat-

ing good for him,

"' Muslim #2999 on the authority of Suhayb ibn Sinan

The Virtues of Patience

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“What do you await for us except for one of the two best things?...’”"4

i.e. either aid and victory or martyrdom: both ate best."

Tirmidhi records on the authority of Anas that the Prophet (#8) said, “When Allah loves a people, He tries them. Whoever is

content will have good-pleasure, and whoever is displeased will have displeasure.”

a matter when He ordains it.’ Ummu’l-Darda’ said, ‘Those who are truly content with the ordainment of Allah are people who are

, Abw’l-Darda’ said, ‘Allah lover 2 a [servant] be content with

“4 al-Tawbah (9): 52

Ibn Abi Hatim and Tabari quote this as the exegesis of ibn ‘Abbas and Mujahid.

6 Tirmidhi #2396, ibn Majah #4031.

Tirmidhi said that it was hasan gharib. Mundhiti, a/-Zarghib, vol. 4, pg. 233 said the isnad was hasan or sahih. Ibn Muflih, a/-Adab al-Shariyyah, vol. 2, pg: 181 said that the isnad was jayyid. It was ruled hasan by Albani, al-Sahibah #1 46

Ahmad #23623-23633-23641 records a similar hadith on the authority of Mahmiid ibn Labid with the words, “When Allah loves a people, He tries them. Whoever is patient, for him is patience and whoever despairs, for him is despair.” Arna‘it said that the isnad was jayyid. .

HEARTFELT ADVICE TO A FRIEND

content, no matter what is ordained. On the Day of Rising they will have such stations in Paradise as would make the martyrs envious.’

“Umar ibn ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz would say, ‘These invocations have left me with no further needs, only submission to the decree of Allah, Mighty and Magnificent. He would employ them in supplication frequently, saying, “O Allah make me content with your ordainment and bless me in your decree to the extent that I would not wish to hasten something I delayed or delay something I hastened.””!”

Ibn ‘Awn saic., In both times of ease and difficulty be content with Allah’s decree, it will decrease your distress and serve you better in your pursuit of the Hereafter. Know that the servant will never attain the reality of contentment until his contentment at times of poverty and tribulation is the same as his contentment at times of affluence and ease. How can you g> to Allah to adjudge your affair and then be discontent when you find that His ordainment does not accord to your desires?! It is well possible that, were your desire to come to fruition, you would be destroyed! When His ordainment accords to your desires, you are content, and both cases arise because of your scant knowledge of the unseen. How

" Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab #209, ibn Abi al-Dunya, a/-Yagin #32 with a da‘if isnad. 8 cf. Chapter 8 fn #8

The Virtues of Patience

can you go to Him for judgment when this is your condition! You have not been fair to yourself and neither have you hit the mark with regards to contentment.’

These are fine words. The meaning is that when the servant turns to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, to aid him in a decision (ésttRhara), he should be content with what Allah chooses for him regardless if it conforms to his desires or not. This is because he, himself, does not know in which course the good lies and Allah, Glorious is He, is not to be impugned for His ordainment. It is for this reason that some of the Salaf, such as ibn Mas‘ad” and others, would order a person who feared that he would not be able to bear a decision which opposed his desires, to add the words, ‘in all well-being,’ to his istikhara since He could choose trial for him

and he not be able to bear it. This has also been recorded from the Prophet (8) but it is da%f.2!

Bakr al-Muzani narrates that a man would frequently make istikhara and as result was tried and was unable to bear it with patience, instead sinking into despair. So Allah revealed to one of their Prophets, “Tell My servant that if he lacks due resolve

then why does he not ask for My decision [with the words], ‘in

The hadith of Sa‘d has the Prophet (38) saying, “From the good fortune of a servant is His seeking a decision from his Lord, Mighty and Magnificent, and being content with what He ordains. From the misery of a person is his abandoning seeking a decision and his dislike of what He ordains.” This was recorded

” Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab #205

! Tabarani, a/-Kabir#1 0012-10052 on the authority of ibn Mas‘id and itis da‘f.

HEARTFELT ADVICE TOA FRIEND

by Tirmidhi and others.”

There are numerous ways to achieve contentment with the decree:

1. The servant having certainty in Allah and a firm trust that whatever He decrees for a believer will be good for him. As such he will be like a patient who has submitted to the ministrations of a skilled doctor: such a patient will be content with his ministrations be they painful or not because he has

a complete trust that the doctor is doing only that which will be of benefit to him. This is what ibn ‘Awn alluded to in his aforementioned words. —/

3. Immetsing oneself in love of the One who sends tribulation, constantly being aware of His magnificence, beauty, greatness and perfection which 1s without limit. The potency of such awareness will cause the servant to drown in it such that he no longer senses pain much in the same way that the women who saw Yusuf forgot about the pain of cutting their hands.” This is a higher station than those previously

” Ahmad #1445, Tirmidhi #2151

Tirmidhi said that it was gharib and that its isnad contained Hammad ibn

Humayd who was not strong: Arna‘it said that the isnad was daff. It was ruled da‘if by Albani, a/-Da Yah #1906 7

* Mentioned in, “When they saw him, they were amazed by him and cut their hands. They said, ‘Allah preserve us! This is no man. What can this be but a noble angel here!””

The Virtues of Patience

Junaid said that he asked Sirri if the lover senses the pain of tribulation to which he replied, ‘No.’ In these words, he is alluding to this station. It is in this light that a group of those facing tribulation said, ‘Let Him do what He wills with us. Even if He were to cut us up, limb by limb, we would only increase in our love.’

One of them said,

If ardent love tore me apart, limb from limb, The pain would only increase me in love. I will remain a prisoner to love,

Until, in the pursuit of your pleasure, I pass away.

ants. While performing /awaj, h: saw his son but did not speak to him. He said,

I migrated from all people for love of You. I bereaved my dependants that I may see You. If You tore my limbs apart, in my love

The heart would still long for You.

A group of the lovers such as Fudayl and Fath al-Mawsili, if they went to sleep without an evening meal and without a lamp being lit, they would cry in joy.

During the winter nights, Fath would gather his family and cover them with his cloak and say, ‘You made me go hungry so I have

made my family go hungry. You have made me a stranger so I have made my family strangers. This You do with Your beloved and

HEARTFELT ADVICE TO A FRIEND

Your friends, am I one of them? Should I exult in joy?”

They entered upon one of the Salaf who was ill and asked him, ‘Is there anything you want?’ He replied, “That whatever He finds most pleasing, I find most pleasing,’””

In this light, one of them said,

For Your sake, his punishment is sweet. For Your sake, his distance is closeness. You are like my very soul, Rather, You.are more beloved! Sufficient is it in my love That I love/only what You love.

Abw’l-Turab composed the following lines:

Be not deceived, the lover has signs.

He has routes to the gifts of the Beloved: Taking delight at the bitterness of His trial, Being joyous at all that He dees,

His withholding is a gift accepted,

Poverty is honour and generosity, transient.

They entered upon a man whose son had been martyred in Jihad and he wept saying, ‘I do not cry at his loss, I only cry when thinking what his state of contentment with Allah was when the swords struck!’