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,,,,. ,.. ,. ,,, ,,.. ,, i;:i t.:: ૽ .>)੔ :U I j $_;.:JI j !T "-:a.II # 0J'a ૾ · '1 t.:: i_, Ϝ "There is no blame on those who are weak or ill or who find no resources to spend [in jihad], if they are sincere and true to Allah and His Messenger. No ground can there be against the doers of good. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Nor [is there blame] on those who came to you to be provided with mounts, when you said, 'I can find no mounts for you,' they turned back, while their eyes overflowing with tears of grief that they could not find anything to spend [for jihad]" (al-Tauba 91-92). This is the area in which believers compete. They do not compete for material things. That is not their purpose or goal in life. The Hereafter is their concern and not the petty things of this world. Instead of competing with each other for the things of this world, they race with each other for the sake of pleasing Allah more and entering Paradise. This is the true "healthy competition" that will benefit everyone. Allah says, Hadith #25: Acts of Charity ,,,. ,,,. . .... i;, ., J J ,,.. J ., Ƨ :; .... ., .... ., , :;I ,J ,,.. ,,, ., ,,.. R·? lJ.J ೄ .. ீ ro _,.ૼ ೙J ธ 0yi--! © P I oQ ,,. ""' น'/ ;- "" ,,.. ท ... ... '" '" ,,,. J • ,... .... J 1'*1 ..... , .... . :: ... .. , .... ு uJ-.. ೑' ·".._ ੒੓ "Verily, the pious will be in delight [Paradise], on thrones, looking [at all things]. You will recognize in their faces the brightness of delight. They will be given to drink of pure sealed wine. The last thereof will be the smell of musk. And for this let [all] those who strive who want to strive" (al-Mutaffifeen 2226). lbn Rajah wrote, When the Companions heard Allah's words, "So hasten toward all that is good" [al-Baqara 148 and,] "And march forth quickly in the way to forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth" [ali-Imraan 1 34], they understood from it that it meant that each one of them should strive to be first [in doing good] before the others for that noble place and for that lofty rank. If one of them saw someone else doing something he was not capable of, he feared that his comrade who did that act would outstrip him. He would then be grieved because he was out done. They would compete with each other for the ranks of the Hereafter and race to them. As Allah has said, "For that purpose, let those who compete compete" [al-Mutafifoon 26]. Then came people after them who did the opposite. They began to compete for the despised world and fleeting pleasures. · Al-Hasan said, "If you see a man competing with you for this world, compete with him for the Hereafter." Wuhaib ibn al­ Ward said, "If you are able to outdo everyone in the race to Allah, do so." One of the early pious people said, "If a person hears that someone else did more voluntary deeds for Allah than he did, he should grieve due to that." Another one said, "If a person hears that another does more for the sake of Allah and due to that his heart then breaks and he dies, that would not be strange."1 Unfortunately, many times Muslims begin to compete with each other for worldly purposes. They even begin to hate each other due to what Allah has bestowed of this world upon some and not upon others. They become envious of the rich not because of the good deeds they can perform with their wealth 1 Abdul Rahrnaan ibn Rajah, Lataaif al-Maarif feema li-Mawaaim al-Aam min al-Wadhaaif (Damascus: Dar ibn Katheer, 1996), pp. 432-433. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi but because of the pleasures that they are enjoying of this world. This is nothing to become jealous about. The pleasures of this world are fleeting. When Muslims begin to compete in such matters, they may be bringing about their own destruction. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ,,,. ... J J ,,,. ,,,. ,,,, J ... ,,,. ,,,. J ,,,. ,,,. 0 .... o $ ૴ w w:UI J CtÄ L:1 0i 0 " G ; J ,,. ,,,. ,,,. ,,.. J .... ,,,. ,,,. ,,. ,,. J ,,,. ,,,. ,,. ,,. ,.. fi w MJ 8 _;..;8 w 8 _;..;G ੑ 0l) :; .fa "By Allah, it is not poverty that I fear for you. But I fear that the world will be spread out before you as it was for the people before you.