Lesson 2- "O you who believe! seek help in patience and As-Salat (prayer)"
- Ramadan Lectures
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- Ramadan 1429 H- Allah addresses believers
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Allah addresses people in general with the basic principles of Islam
Dear brothers, Allah the Almighty addresses the believers in about one hundred Noble Ayaat in the Noble Qur'an starting with, "O you who believe", but He does not address the disbelievers except in one Noble Ayah which describes the Day of Resurrection; Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ ((It will be said in the Hereafter) O you who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism)! Make no excuses this Day.) ﴿
The Noble Quran usually addresses people in general with the basic principles of Islam, such as the act of worship; Allah the Almighty says in many Ayaat:
﴾ (O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah)") ﴿
So, worship is a basic Islamic principle. On the other hand, Allah the Almighty addresses the believers with the branches of Islam (i.e. Allah's Commands and Prohibitions). In other words, when Allah the Almighty addresses the believers saying, "O you who believe", this phrase means: O you who believe in My Existence, who believe that there is none worth of worship but Me, who believe in My Beautiful Names and Best Attributes, and who believe in My Perfection, Mercy, Might, Power and Knowledge, do this and do not do that. For example, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell)) ﴿
Also, He says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared) ﴿
In this new series, I have chosen 30 Noble Ayaat for you from about one hundred ones starting with Allah's Saying, "O you who believe", and we will ponder over these Ayaat, insha' Allah, in 30 episodes.
Patience is a fundamental principle in Islam
Dear bothers, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc)) ﴿
Actually, patience is a fundamental principle in Islam; Allah the Almighty has placed desires inside man, and there are two completely opposite ways to fulfill these desires; through either a halal or a haram way. For example, as for sexual desires, there are innumerable forbidden relationships with women, but there is only one permissible relationship which is marriage. Also, as for the lust for money, there are innumerable illegal ways to make money, and there are some halal ways to make money legally. Thus, every desire Allah has put inside man has a lawful and clean way through which it can be satisfied blamelessly.
So, what does patience mean? It means to fulfill your desires in a way which is incompatible with the teachings of Islam. For example, if someone has been treated cruelly and has felt oppressed, then Allah the Almighty grants him power which enables him to take revenge, how is patience manifested in this case? It is manifested in taking one's right without violating others' rights. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof, but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah) ﴿
Actually, patience is the essence of Islam; it is to fulfill your desires through permitted ways. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help in patience) ﴿
The worldly life where we live is the abode of performing righteous deeds, the abode of trials, the abode of preparing yourself for the Hereafter, and the abode of working hard. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O man! Verily, you are returning towards your Lord with your deeds and actions (good or bad), a sure returning, so you will meet (i.e. the results of your deeds which you did)) ﴿
Patience means to fulfill your desires lawfully
Patience, as one of the reasons for success, means to understand the wisdom behind your existence in this world; the main purpose of your existence is to get to know Allah the Almighty, and to be patient while obeying Him, because due to Allah's Infinite Wisdom, the Divine Assignment contradicts the human nature. Let me give you the following example to make this point clear: if you go to sleep late, you will prefer, according to your human nature, to continue sleeping in your comfortable bed rather than to wake up for Fajr prayer, because you want to get enough sleep so that you can wake up refreshed. However, according to Allah's Orders, you should wake up for Fajr prayer to perform it on time.Thus, man, by nature, loves sleeping, but according to the Divine Assignment, he must wake up early to pray Fajr at dawn.
Likewise, man, by nature, loves money, but according to the Divine Assignment, he should spend some of it for the Sake of Allah; he should pay Zakah. Also, man, by nature, enjoys looking at pretty women, but according to the Divine Assignment, he should lower his gaze. Thus, patience (in obeying Allah and in refraining from disobeying Him) is a core concept in Islam. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help in patience) ﴿
Patience means to endure doing something against your own desires. The Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessing be upon him, said:
(( (Paradise is surrounded by hardship (i.e. things disliked by human), and the Hell-Fire is surrounded by desires) ))
Also, he said:
(( (The deeds of Paradise are difficult to reach, for they are on the top of a hill, while the deeds of the Hellfire are easy to find in the lowlands) ))
Some of "The deeds of the Hell-fire " are: To turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to Allah's Commands, to eat whatever you want (whether it is halal or haram), to look at forbidden things, to commit sins of the tongue (such as lying, backbiting, slandering, etc.) and to neglect Allah's Commands and the religious duties. So, these are some of the deeds of the Hell-fire. I repeat the Hadith:
(( (Verily, the deeds of Paradise are difficult to reach for they are on the top a hill and the deeds of Hellfire are easy to reach for they are in lowlands.) ))
When people turn away from Allah the Almighty, they belittle sins (i.e. they feel no remorse for committing them), follow their illicit desires, deviate from Allah's Straight Path, and indulge in impermissible pleasures. This is what we clearly see in the time where most people turn away from Allah the Almighty.
Nothing is dearer to Allah than a young man who turns to Him in repentance
Patience is the weapon of the believer; Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (You who believe! Seek help in patience) ﴿
Also, He says:
﴾ (Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning) ﴿
Actually, the phrase "without reckoning" could be likened to a blank cheque. Suppose that someone gives you a certain amount of money; one thousand Liras, one million Liras, one hundred million Liras, or even one billion Liras, it is still a limited amount of money. Whereas, if he gives you a blank cheque, you can put whatever amount of money you want, so this is the highest reward. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning) ﴿
Nothing is dearer to Allah the Almighty than a young man who turns to Him in repentance; Allah the Almighty boasts about him to the angels, saying:
(( (Look at this servant of Mine, He leaves his desires for My Sake.) ))
The contradiction between the Divine Assignment and man's disposition
Our religion is based on patience, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help in patience) ﴿
Actually, there are three types of patience; the first one is patience upon performing acts of obedience to Allah, such as lowering one's gaze and controlling one's tongue, because man tends to peek into other people's lives and to expose their faults, whereas according to the Divine Assignment, he should conceal the faults of others and keep silent. It was narrated that the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said:
(( (..And he who believes in Allah and the Last Day, must speak good or remain silent.) ))
Thus, there is a severe contradiction between the Divine Assignment and man's disposition, and this contradiction is the price of Paradise. It was narrated that the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said:
(( (The Paradise is surrounded by hardships and the Hell-Fire is surrounded by temptations.) ))
Also, it was said: Whoever loves this worldly life will harm His Hereafter, and whoever loves his Hereafter will harm his worldly life.
The believer believes in Allah's Promise and is satisfied with His Decree
The second type of patience is to be patient while abstaining from sins.
Dear brothers, sins are desirable, attractive, and have sensible pleasure, whereas the reward of the acts of obedience to Allah is received in the Hereafter. Therefore, the shallow-minded person would prefer the sensible pleasures of this life, such as attractive women and luxurious homes and vehicles over the reward of the Hereafter. However, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world))" ﴿
Who is the true believer? He is the one who believes in Allah's Promises. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world)" ﴿
As I have just said, there are three types of patience; patience upon performing acts of obedience to Allah the Almighty, patience while abstaining from sins, and the third type is not easy at all; it is patience with Allah's Qada' and Qadar (the Divine Will and Decree).
If Allah the Almighty tests a person with being infertile, he, as a true believer, should be content with Allah's Qada' and should willingly accept Allah's Choice for him.
It was said, "Satisfaction with adversities is the highest level of certainty." Some people are tested with sickness, others are tested with having a low income, others are tested with difficult workplace relationship, and so on. Actually, no one lives a problem-free life, therefore, we should be patient with Al-Qada' and Al-Qadar.
Let me repeat, there are three types of patience; patience upon performing acts of obedience to Allah the Almighty, patience while abstaining from sins, and patience with Allah's Qada' and Qadar.
Let me tell you the following story which shows how the believer is satisfied and pleased with Allah's Qada' and Qadar. A doctor told me that a patient with bowl cancer came to his hospital, and the tumor had spread in his bowels. He said, "This kind of cancer is so painful that it makes the patients scream out of pain. Nevertheless, whenever someone entered his room, he would say to him, "Bear witness that I am satisfied and pleased with Allah's Qada' and Qadar. O Allah, all praise be due to You."
The doctor continued saying, "The amazing thing about that patient was that whenever he pressed the call button, doctors would rush to his room to take care of him. Four or five days later, he died. However, whenever we entered his room, we felt spiritual delight. That patient was deeply content with what Allah decreed for him, and whenever someone entered his room, he would say to him, "Bear witness that I am satisfied and pleased with Allah's Qada' and Qadar. O Allah, all praise be due to You."
Some days later, and out of Allah's Deep wisdom-as if Allah the Almighty wanted to give the staff (doctors and nurses) of the hospital an unforgettable life lesson-, another patient, who also had bowel cancer, came to the hospital and stayed in the same room. He lost his temper out of pain; his intense anger went out of control to the extent that he even cursed Allah the Almighty and His Messengers! Wherever he pressed the call button, no one would respond to him, and whenever we entered his room, we felt spiritual discomfort and unbearable gloomy feelings.
Subhan Allah! It is really strange that both patients had the same disease and suffered from the same pain, but the former was pleased and satisfied with his fate and destiny whereas the latter was discontent with it.
Salah is a means of getting closer to Allah, so seek help in it
Dear brothers, as I have mentioned above, we should be patient upon performing acts of obedience to Allah, be patient while abstaining from sins, and be patient with Qada' and Qadar of Allah the Almighty. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc)) ﴿
Actually, patience is a passive attitude whereas Salah is an active one. Let me give you an example to make this point clear. When you have to swallow a bitter medicine, you should bear it with patience, then after the end of treatment, you can eat whatever you want. Thinking of the delicious food you will be able to eat after the end of the treatment will encourage you to endure the bad taste of that medicine. Likewise, after being patient (upon performing acts of worship, upon abstaining from sins, and with Allah's Qada') you will receive a great reward through performing Salah (i.e. through testing the sweetness of Salah), since Salah is a gift from Allah the Almighty, a means of nearness to Him, a source of tranquility, a means to taste the sweetness of the love of Him, a form of remembering Him, a source of purity, a form of intimate conversation with Him, and a way for attaining closeness to Him. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc)) ﴿
Thus, first you have to show patience (in refraining from sins), then you will receive a great reward from Allah through Salah. This is the meaning of seeking help in patience and Salah.
The wisdom behind Allah's Withholding and Giving
Dear brothers, once, I went to Homs in order to visit a sick person. When I met him, I found out that he had been paralyzed for 27 years. I tried to say something to him in order to lift his spirit, but I found that it was he who would lift others' spirits!
An Islamic scholar came to him and said, "You will, insha' Allah, be rewarded with Paradise in the Hereafter for your patience." He said, "But I feel like I am living in Paradise right now!" I was amazed at how patient, optimistic, and close to Allah the Almighty he was. Everyday he would make Du'a to (invoke) Allah the Almighty at night and make Munajat (speaking to Allah the Almighty secretly). I said to myself, "How great the religion of Islam is! This man had been paralyzed for 27 years, nevertheless, he was so pleased and he found spiritual happiness in the feeling of being close to Allah the Almighty."
It was said, "Allah the Almighty might give you while in reality He is depriving you, and He might deprive you of something while in reality He is giving you. If Allah's Wisdom were to be revealed to you, you would realize that His withholding is, in reality, a form of giving."
For example, you may have faced a terrible hardship, but this hardship has led you to return to Allah the Almighty, make Du'a to Him, ask Him for forgiveness, and turn to Him in repentance, and accordingly you will be pleased with getting closer to Him (so hardship in this case is actually a blessing). On the other hand, if someone is very rich and has everything he wants, his wealth may lead him to turn away from Allah the Almighty; he does not feel the need to make Du'a (because he mistakenly thinks that he needs nothing from Allah), he does not do Munajat, and he does not try to turn to Him, so he does not taste the love of Allah the Almighty.
As long as that fabulously wealthy man is so distant from Allah the Almighty, the blessing of wealth in this case has become a curse, whereas as long as the patient who experiences great suffering has a heart connected with Allah, the tribulation he is going through is actually a blessing not a hardship.
As it was said, "Allah the Almighty might give you while in reality He is depriving you, and He might deprive you of something while in reality He is giving you."
In fact, people are accustomed to criticize their countries and to talk only about their cons. In contrast; whenever I travel abroad, I remember the pros of my country. For example, during the month of Ramadan in my country, you feel a great sense of spirituality; as if people are celebrating a festival. It is really amazing how most masjids are crowded with people whose hearts become deeply attached to Allah the Almighty. Perhaps, this is due to the hardship experienced by people (which is actually a blessing since it brings people closer to Allah), and so "Allah might deprive you of something while in reality He is giving you."
On the other hand, in some countries, people enjoy unimaginable luxurious lifestyle, but this lifestyle pulls them away from Allah the Almighty. So, what do you think is better; to be deprived of something while Allah the Almighty grants you means of attaining nearness to Him, or to be granted the whole world while Allah the Almighty deprives you of the blessing of being close to Him?
I repeat the saying one more time, "Allah the Almighty might give you while in reality He is depriving you, and He might deprive you of something while in reality He is giving you." It was narrated that the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said:
(( (How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.) ))
Seeking help in patience and Salah in order to act upon Islam
This Noble Ayah could be considered as a law:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help…) ﴿
Which means seek help through patience in applying the rulings of Islam, in performing acts of obedience to Allah the Almighty, and in accepting and being content with Allah's Qada' and Qadar. Consider these great words of wisdom of our Master Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, "If the veils of the Unseen were to be revealed in front of me, it would not increase my Yaqeen (certitude) in Allah the Almighty", which means his faith in Allah's Wisdom and Mercy is so deep that even if the veils of the Unseen were to be revealed in front of him, this would not increase his faith.
Also, he, may Allah be pleased with him said, "If I knew I would die tomorrow, I could not do more righteous deeds and acts of worship than what I have already done", which means he reached the highest level of faith in the Hereafter.
Dear brothers, wherever the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, was distressed about anything, he would resort to Salah. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer)) ﴿
Dear brothers, I ask Allah to protect us all from distress and calamities, but when the specter of a disaster is looming, you should follow the example of the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, who used to resort to Salah whenever anything distressed him, so that Allah the Almighty would take away his distress and strengthen his faith.
Allah's Special Accompaniment and General Accompaniment
The most important point here is that Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (…And verily, Allah is with the believers) ﴿
It means Allah the Almighty is with the pious and the truthful, and He is with those who repent, and those who purify themselves. This is Allah's Special Accompaniment. In other words; when Allah is with you, He will grant you victory, and help, and the sense of tranquility which the people of the cave found in the cave, which Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, found in the fire, which Prophet Yunus, peace be upon him, found in the belly of the whale, and which our Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, found in the cave of Thawr. When our master Abu bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, they ( the polytheists who were pursuing them) are about to see us, the Prophet, may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, said:
(( (O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two (persons) the third of whom is Allah.) ))
Allah's Special Accompaniment is really great; Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (…And verily, Allah is with the believers.) ﴿
Allah the Almighty is with the righteous, and with the truthful; He will grant them victory, help, success, and prosperity, and they are under His Care and Protection. On the other hand, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be) ﴿
This is Allah's General Accompaniment; Allah is with all people by His Infinite Knowledge that encompasses all of His creatures.
The more knowledge you get, the more patient and tolerant you will become
Finally, let me give you an example to show you how knowledge enhances one's ability to be patient. Consider the example of a dentist who has two patients, one of them is a young man, while the other one is a child. The dentist says to the young man, "This dental treatment requires local anesthesia, but I cannot give it to you, because your heart can not handle anesthesia, so you have to endure the pain with patience." The young man will try to keep calm, because he trusts that professional and highly-qualified dentist, and he knows that it is to his advantage, like when I sometimes go to the dentist and see some patients pressing hard on the arm of the dentist's chair out of pain, because the dentist is working without anesthesia, but they endure the pain with patience because they trust their dentist's knowledge, wisdom and experience, and they believe that it is for their benefit.
On the other hand, the other patient, who is still a child, cannot bear it; he will cry and shout, he will not sit still, and he may even hit the dentist! So, why does the little child have no patience? It is because he lacks knowledge (i.e. he cannot understand that it is to his advantage).
Accordingly, the more knowledge you get, the more patient and tolerant you will become. Moreover, having patience helps one get rid of hatred; when you believe that Allah the Almighty is the only Deity and Lord of all, that He Alone has power and control over everything, that everything happens by His Will, and that if Allah wills for something to happen, it will definitely happen, you will not bear a grudge against anyone, and you will be patient while enduring hardship, because as long as Allah the Almighty, the Great, the Absolutely Perfect, has allowed something to happen, there is one sort or another of goodness in it. It was said, "Everything happens for a reason, even if the doer were a criminal!" Thus, as long as Allah the Almighty has allowed something to happen, there is definitely a wisdom behind it.
Next lesson, insha-Allah, we will continue this series of lessons in which we ponder over some Noble Ayaat starting with Allah's Saying: "O you who believe"
![O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to](https://nabulsicdn.fra1.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumbnail/1811.jpg)
