Photo: Theo Wright

Coming out of Ramadan, our souls are more raw and perceptive. That cuss word or the gossip that we freed our tongue and hearing of during Ramadan feels like ice on sensitive teeth. There is pain and irritation. And leaving Ramadan to the humdrum of daily life brings with it the very things we tried to avoid. Like a broken chair we never get around to fixing, we become accustomed to those things that are damaging to the soul. And sometimes this comes from those closest to us—without any deliberate ill-feelings—and it dots our hearts with the black spots that the Prophet ﷺ(peace be upon him) warned us against. In this regard, the Prophet Musa `alayhi assalatu wassalam (peace and blessings be upon him) made a powerful du`a’ (supplication):

“And make for me a counselor of my family,
Aaron, my brother.
Increase through him my strength
And let him share my task
That we may exalt You much
And remember You much.
Indeed, You are of us ever Seeing.” [Qur’an, 20:29-35]

Musa (as) asks for strength from Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) given through one of the closest people to him—his brother. But he does not only ask for moral and physical support. There is a purpose behind it: to remember Allah and to glorify Him.

As social beings, we need people. We need strong relationships. Whether an introvert who is more comfortable with intimate one-on-one conversations or an extrovert who loves to be around a lot of people, that connection with other people is something that we crave. And so we are instructed in Surat al-Kahf, which we are encouraged to recite once a week for its reminders, to:

“Keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance. And let not your eyes pass beyond them, desiring adornments of the worldly life, and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire and whose affair is ever [in] neglect.” [Qur’an, 18:28]

We are human and we need reminders. True friendship is one that brings light in both the dunya (this life) and the akhira (the Hereafter). If you have just one person be to you like Harun (as) was to Musa (as), or better yet a group of people like the youth of the cave, you will constantly be moving forward in your relationship with Allah (swt) because your relationship with His creation is based on goodness. And Allah is Good and only accepts the Good.

And if you feel sad for yourself because you don’t have anyone, put your trust in Allah (swt). He brings people into our lives—gems—and we can facilitate that by working on our relationship with Him. Good always recognizes good and indeed attracts it, as the Prophet  ﷺ tells us:

“Souls are like conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize, they get along with, and those whom they do not recognize, they will not get along with.’” (Bukhari)

So cultivate light within yourself, and light in your relationships. And hold on to those gems that you do have, because truly, anyone who reminds us of Him can only be a gift from Him—and what does a gift represent except love from the Gift-Giver?

A few gems:

The Alternation of Days

Know that time does not remain at a stand-still, for Allah subahnahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) says:

وَتِلْكَ الْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ النَّاسِ

“[…] And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people […]” (Qur’an 3:140)

One time it is poverty, and another time it is wealth. Once it is honor, and another it is humiliation. So the happy one is the one who remains well-grounded in each situation, and he is the one who has taqwa (consciousness) of Allah (swt). For if he is wealthy, it beautifies him and if he becomes poor, the doors of patience open up for him. And if he is healthy, he recognizes the blessings upon him. If he is tested, he bears it all. The alternation of days does not hurt him—no matter if he is elevated, or if he is starving.

This is because all of these situations change and do not remain constant, but taqwa (God-consciousness) is the foundation of peace. It is the guard that does not sleep, taking you by the hand when you slip. And the disgraced one is the one who is deceived by the sweetness of his present situation without having any taqwa. Soon enough that situation will change and he will be a loser.

So, hold tight to taqwa in every situation. You will only see vastness in every confinement and well-being in every sickness. This is the wealth of the present, and what the future holds is known.

—Sayd al-Khatir

Supplication of the One in Hardship

When a calamity befalls the believer, he begins making du`a’ (supplication) constantly, but he may not see any sign of response for some time. When he is close to despair, Allah (swt) looks into his heart to see if he is pleased and content with the Decree, and not hopeless or discouraged. If this is his situation, then the response comes quickly. This contentment and pleasure in Allah (swt)’s Decree is what reforms and fixes the iman (faith) as well as destroys Shaytan (the devil). That moment when the believer is close to despair is when the real men are determined.

This is seen in the statement of Allah (swt):

حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ

“[…] until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,’When is the help of Allah?’ […]” (Qur’an 2:214)

And this is what occurred with Jacob (Ya’qub, peace be upon him)—after he lost two children, he did not despair, rather he said:

عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جميعا

“[…] Perhaps Allah (swt) will bring them to me all together […]” (Qur’an 12:83)

And likewise with Zakariah (peace be upon him)—he did not despair even with old age from having children:

وَلَمْ أَكُن بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا

“[…] And never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy.” (Qur’an 19:4)

So, be aware of why the response is delayed! Understand that He is The Master, and that He is The Most Wise in planning, and Most Knowing of what will lead to the reformation of His slaves. Know that He wants to put you through trials to test what you hide in your heart, and that He wants to see your humility, and that He wants to reward you for your patience. Know that He wants to test you with a delay in response so that you can fight the whispers of Shaytan.

Indeed every one of these things strengthens the recognition of His Favors and leads to being thankful to Him. Thus when the trial begins, the supplications are lengthened, and the one in hardship shows his need and takes refuge in Allah (swt)—he will be content with everything.

—Sayd al-Khatir

Keep Guard

Satan tricks people in whatever way he can, and his power over them increases and decreases according to their alertness or negligence, their ignorance or knowledge. Note that the heart is like a fortress, and the devils are always going around the fortress watching for the guards to become heedless. The guard should know all the gates of the fortress which he has been appointed to guard, and he should not let his attention slip for a moment, for the enemy never lets his attention slip.

—Talbees Iblees (Dr. Bilal Philip’s translation)

A Wake-Up Call

O you who persists in mistakes and wrong doings; O you who has turned away from what the most Loving and Compassionate commands; O you who obeys the falsifier of the path and the creator of calamities—How long are you going to insist on your misbehavior? How long are you going to keep yourself distant from your Lord? How long will you seek from this world what you cannot have, and keep away from the other world by that which you cannot possess? Neither are you sure of what Allah (swt) prepared of sustenance for you, nor are you satisfied with that which He has commanded for you. O my brother, by Allah (swt), admonition does not seem to benefit you. Afflictions do not seem to threaten you. Time does not leave you, and the call of death does not reach your ears. As if, you poor man, would live forever and you weren’t meant to expire and be forgotten!

—Bahr ad-Dumoo’ (Translated by Shazia Ahmad)

Who is the real poor person?

One should implement what he knows for it is the greatest foundation. And the poor person, the truly poor, is the one who wasted his life learning that which he does not practice. So, he loses the pleasures of this worldly life and the goodness of the hereafter, coming forth bankrupt (on the Day of Judgment) with strong evidences against himself.

—Sayd al-Khatir