Sabr + Tawakkal
Bismilla hirrahma nirrahim
Assalamu'alaikum
After 1 month of absence, I proudly state that it is good to be back ^_^;
Nicely installed in my dormitory with only one window (through which I am 'forced' to spy upon others ^_^;;), I am currently waiting to get my <<>> so that I can finally get my long-awaited phone.
Ok moving on.
Today's topic to reflect upon is Sabr and Tawakkal.
So what are these two things? What significance does it have?
Do you ever feel like doing something, then just before you do it, someone or something intervenes?
Have you ever bought chocolates only to be eaten by your friends?
What did you do after that?
ANGER or SADNESS, or A BIG SMILE?
For a Mu'min, it is his job to give/donate as much as he can. So of course his face is littered with a smile. That is the smile of ikhlas or sincerety.
Sabr means patience or endurance. It is necessary for all Muslim to have sabr, because without it, Islam would not be able to grow, and a Mu'min won't be able to appreciate the value of struggle.
One day, Rasulullah s.a.w. met a group of Anshari (the people of Medina) who were begging for money. They begged for some money from Rasulullah s.a.w., who gave them. They asked for more and more did he gave them, until there is none left. Then he said:
Let's take a look at the mother who was doubtful. If she had thrown herself into the fire, she risks her baby, but when her baby spoke to her, she knows that it is best for both of them.
If that happened nowadays, if the Palestinians had to undergo the same situation, would a mother actually do that?
No iman in anyone is completed without sabr, and no sabr is perfected without tawakkal.
So what is tawakkal?
Imagine, you forgot to close the door to your house, and you are in the bus, 200km away.
Until later, insya allah
Assalamu'alaikum
Read More......
Assalamu'alaikum
After 1 month of absence, I proudly state that it is good to be back ^_^;
Nicely installed in my dormitory with only one window (through which I am 'forced' to spy upon others ^_^;;), I am currently waiting to get my <<>> so that I can finally get my long-awaited phone.
Ok moving on.
Today's topic to reflect upon is Sabr and Tawakkal.
So what are these two things? What significance does it have?
Do you ever feel like doing something, then just before you do it, someone or something intervenes?
Have you ever bought chocolates only to be eaten by your friends?
What did you do after that?
ANGER or SADNESS, or A BIG SMILE?
For a Mu'min, it is his job to give/donate as much as he can. So of course his face is littered with a smile. That is the smile of ikhlas or sincerety.
Sabr means patience or endurance. It is necessary for all Muslim to have sabr, because without it, Islam would not be able to grow, and a Mu'min won't be able to appreciate the value of struggle.
One day, Rasulullah s.a.w. met a group of Anshari (the people of Medina) who were begging for money. They begged for some money from Rasulullah s.a.w., who gave them. They asked for more and more did he gave them, until there is none left. Then he said:
" Whatever that I have that is good, never will I keep it to myself but that I will give it all.
But since there is none left, there is nothing to give. Whomsoever abstains himself from
begging (excessively), then Allah will give him sufficient sustenance, and whomsoever
feels that he has enough (wealth), then Allah will give him wealth; soul-wise and
mind-wise, and whomsoever abstains (sabr), then Allah will give him sabr.
There is none other who receives a better yet larger gift (in the terms of
usefulness) than the gift of sabr. "
It should be evident now that sabr is a very strong tool that is very hard and demanding to have at times, but once we have grasp of it, which is not at all hard, Allah will bless us.But since there is none left, there is nothing to give. Whomsoever abstains himself from
begging (excessively), then Allah will give him sufficient sustenance, and whomsoever
feels that he has enough (wealth), then Allah will give him wealth; soul-wise and
mind-wise, and whomsoever abstains (sabr), then Allah will give him sabr.
There is none other who receives a better yet larger gift (in the terms of
usefulness) than the gift of sabr. "
( Muttafaqun 'Alaihi )
As we can see here, sabr is a very large gift. If you ever, dear readers, have a chance to think about it, it is a very beautiful act. So beautiful, so complete, so touching, that once you get the sense of it, your heart feels lighter than air, your mind feels like it is freer than the stretch of what the eye can see.
Here is a (little) story for everyone:
From Shuhaib r.a.. Rasulullah s.a.w. said:
As we can see here, sabr is a very large gift. If you ever, dear readers, have a chance to think about it, it is a very beautiful act. So beautiful, so complete, so touching, that once you get the sense of it, your heart feels lighter than air, your mind feels like it is freer than the stretch of what the eye can see.
Here is a (little) story for everyone:
From Shuhaib r.a.. Rasulullah s.a.w. said:
There was once a king from the people before you who had a witch. As the witch grew older, he said to the king : " I am getting older, therefore I ask of you a boy to whom I will teach my witchcraft ". The king sent to him a boy to be taught. On his way, he met a priest ( from the Nasrani tribe, Christians who followed the Prophet Isa a.s. ). The boy then sits down to listen to his sermon. When he returns from the place where he had learned witchcraft, he would pass by the priest and he would sit straight down and listen to the teachings of God that the priest gives. When he returned to the teaching place, the witch would hit him, due to his tardiness. The boy told the priest about this, then he said : " If you are afraid of the witch, then tell him that your parents had kept you long and if you are afraid of your parents, tell them that the witch had kept you long. "
One day, whilst exacting his routine (visit at the priest's), he stumbled upon a beast which had blocked the path of a group of people. The boy said to himself : " Today, I will find out, is the witch or the priest better? " He then takes a stone and said : " Oh Allah, if it is the teachings of the priest that you love better than the witchcraft, then kill this beast so that the people may pass ". The stone is thrown and the beast dies, and the people maypass. The boy went to the priest's and he told him about what happened. The priest said : " Oh little boy, you are now far purer than I am. You are at such a level that I myself confirm. Verily, you will encounter difficulties, therefore if so, then do not tell them (those who give you difficulties) about me. "
The boy can now cure blindness, leprosy and all kinds of diseases. The word was heard by the close friend of the king who had turned blind. He went to the boy with gifts of uncountable number and he said : " Whatever that is besides you is yours, if you can cure me. ". The boy replied : " Verily, I cannot cure anyone, but only Allah can. If you have faith in him, then I will pray that he cures you. ". The man puts faith in Allah (aman tu billah) and Allah (subhanallah) cures him. The man then returns to the king and sits down besides him (in a lazy manner). The king then said : " Who is it that restored your vision? ". The man said : " My God. ". The king questioned : " Have you another God than myself? ". The man replied : " My God and your God is Allah. ". The man is acted upon (tortured) by the king and he is continuously tortured, until he pointed (figuratively, i.e. hinted at) to the boy who had cured him. The king came to him and he said : " Dear child, your witchcraft is at such a level that it cures blindness and leprosy, and you can do this and that. ". The boy replied : " Verily, I cannot cure anyone, but only Allah can. ". The boy is acted upon as well, and he was continuously tortured until he pointed to the priest. The king went to the priest and he said : " Come back from your religion! (Leave Islam and worship the king and statues as god) ". The priest denied, and the king sawed the priest's head in half, until both sides fell down to the ground. The king's friend was also asked to revert, but he denied and had met the same fate. Then the king went to the boy to ask him to revert, but he as well denied. The boy was given to a few soldiers of the king who said : " Take him to the mountains and climb up with him. Once on the summit, and if the boy returns from his religion, set him free. If not, throw him down. ". The soldiers took him and climbed up the mountain. The boy said : " Oh Allah, set me free from these people with your will. ". Then the mountain shook and the soldiers fell down. The boy went back to the king's residence, and he was questioned : " What did they do to you? ". He replied : " Allah Ta'ala has freed me from their actions. " The boy was given to other soldiers of the king who said : " Take him on a boat and sail until the middle of the ocean. If he returns from his religion, set him free. If not, then throw him aboard. ". He was taken on a boat and they sailed until the middle. The boy said : " Oh Allah, set me free from these people with your will. ". Suddenly, the boat capsized and the crews drowned. The boy went back once again to the king's residence, and he was once again questioned : " What did they do to you? ". He replied : " Allah Ta'ala has freed me from their actions. ", then he continued : " You cannot kill me, until you do what I tell you. ". The king asked : " And what would that be? ". He replied : " Gather all the people until they are one, then crucify me on a tree, and then take an arrow from a quiver and shoot at me whilst saying : " In the name of Allah, the Lord of this boy. " . Verily, if you do all this, then you will succeed in killing me. ".
The king gathered the people in an open field. The boy was crucified and he took an arrow from his quiver, puts it in firing position and said : " In the name of Allah, the Lord of this boy. ". The arrow was shot and it fell onto the boy's forehead. He puts his hand on it, and he dies.
The people who were gathered said : " Let's all have faith in this boy's God. ". They went to the king and said to him : " Do you know that which you fear all this while? Verily, by Allah, what you feared has come : the faith (in Allah) of all the people. We all have faith (in Allah).".
The king gathered the people in a ditch and in it flames are lit. The king said : " Whomsoever does not return from his religion, you are welcomed to throw yourself into the fire. ". Many volunteerily do so, because they didn't want to become kafir (unthankful to Allah) and musyrik (associate other than Allah in worship) anymore; until a pregnant woman came. She was afraid of throwing herself into the fire. Then her baby (in her hand) said to her : " Oh mother, have sabr, verily you walk on the path of truthfulness. "
(Rawahu Muslim)
One day, whilst exacting his routine (visit at the priest's), he stumbled upon a beast which had blocked the path of a group of people. The boy said to himself : " Today, I will find out, is the witch or the priest better? " He then takes a stone and said : " Oh Allah, if it is the teachings of the priest that you love better than the witchcraft, then kill this beast so that the people may pass ". The stone is thrown and the beast dies, and the people maypass. The boy went to the priest's and he told him about what happened. The priest said : " Oh little boy, you are now far purer than I am. You are at such a level that I myself confirm. Verily, you will encounter difficulties, therefore if so, then do not tell them (those who give you difficulties) about me. "
The boy can now cure blindness, leprosy and all kinds of diseases. The word was heard by the close friend of the king who had turned blind. He went to the boy with gifts of uncountable number and he said : " Whatever that is besides you is yours, if you can cure me. ". The boy replied : " Verily, I cannot cure anyone, but only Allah can. If you have faith in him, then I will pray that he cures you. ". The man puts faith in Allah (aman tu billah) and Allah (subhanallah) cures him. The man then returns to the king and sits down besides him (in a lazy manner). The king then said : " Who is it that restored your vision? ". The man said : " My God. ". The king questioned : " Have you another God than myself? ". The man replied : " My God and your God is Allah. ". The man is acted upon (tortured) by the king and he is continuously tortured, until he pointed (figuratively, i.e. hinted at) to the boy who had cured him. The king came to him and he said : " Dear child, your witchcraft is at such a level that it cures blindness and leprosy, and you can do this and that. ". The boy replied : " Verily, I cannot cure anyone, but only Allah can. ". The boy is acted upon as well, and he was continuously tortured until he pointed to the priest. The king went to the priest and he said : " Come back from your religion! (Leave Islam and worship the king and statues as god) ". The priest denied, and the king sawed the priest's head in half, until both sides fell down to the ground. The king's friend was also asked to revert, but he denied and had met the same fate. Then the king went to the boy to ask him to revert, but he as well denied. The boy was given to a few soldiers of the king who said : " Take him to the mountains and climb up with him. Once on the summit, and if the boy returns from his religion, set him free. If not, throw him down. ". The soldiers took him and climbed up the mountain. The boy said : " Oh Allah, set me free from these people with your will. ". Then the mountain shook and the soldiers fell down. The boy went back to the king's residence, and he was questioned : " What did they do to you? ". He replied : " Allah Ta'ala has freed me from their actions. " The boy was given to other soldiers of the king who said : " Take him on a boat and sail until the middle of the ocean. If he returns from his religion, set him free. If not, then throw him aboard. ". He was taken on a boat and they sailed until the middle. The boy said : " Oh Allah, set me free from these people with your will. ". Suddenly, the boat capsized and the crews drowned. The boy went back once again to the king's residence, and he was once again questioned : " What did they do to you? ". He replied : " Allah Ta'ala has freed me from their actions. ", then he continued : " You cannot kill me, until you do what I tell you. ". The king asked : " And what would that be? ". He replied : " Gather all the people until they are one, then crucify me on a tree, and then take an arrow from a quiver and shoot at me whilst saying : " In the name of Allah, the Lord of this boy. " . Verily, if you do all this, then you will succeed in killing me. ".
The king gathered the people in an open field. The boy was crucified and he took an arrow from his quiver, puts it in firing position and said : " In the name of Allah, the Lord of this boy. ". The arrow was shot and it fell onto the boy's forehead. He puts his hand on it, and he dies.
The people who were gathered said : " Let's all have faith in this boy's God. ". They went to the king and said to him : " Do you know that which you fear all this while? Verily, by Allah, what you feared has come : the faith (in Allah) of all the people. We all have faith (in Allah).".
The king gathered the people in a ditch and in it flames are lit. The king said : " Whomsoever does not return from his religion, you are welcomed to throw yourself into the fire. ". Many volunteerily do so, because they didn't want to become kafir (unthankful to Allah) and musyrik (associate other than Allah in worship) anymore; until a pregnant woman came. She was afraid of throwing herself into the fire. Then her baby (in her hand) said to her : " Oh mother, have sabr, verily you walk on the path of truthfulness. "
(Rawahu Muslim)
Let's take a look at the mother who was doubtful. If she had thrown herself into the fire, she risks her baby, but when her baby spoke to her, she knows that it is best for both of them.
If that happened nowadays, if the Palestinians had to undergo the same situation, would a mother actually do that?
No iman in anyone is completed without sabr, and no sabr is perfected without tawakkal.
So what is tawakkal?
Imagine, you forgot to close the door to your house, and you are in the bus, 200km away.
No neighbours to close it for you, so what will you do? Turn back?
Tawakkal is the act of relying on Allah. In other words we recognize him as The All-Powerful and Most Able to exert all matters into action, even if it is not logic at times.
The Prophet Ibrahim a.s. was given two tests of tawakkal :
1) When Allah told him to leave his wife Siti Hajar and his newborn son Ismail in the middle of a desert, he and his wife has complete faith in Allah. Siti Hajar said " He will never leave us alone! " when Ibrahim told her that this is what is ordonned by their Lord.
2) When Ismail was adolescent, Allah told Ibrahim to sacrifice his son. He was most shaken by this, but Ismail said to him " O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practising Patience and Constancy! " (Surah As-Saffat, ayah 102)
Tawakkal, for us, is the cure for a troubled soul; the ointment for a worried heart. Humans were created with the need to rely on someone, and who else is reliable onto but Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Truthful?
Until later, insya allah
Assalamu'alaikum