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Man is disciplined, tested, then honored:
Dear brother, this world which we are in has a reality and a superficial image; its reality is mentioned in the following Hadith:
((O people, this worldly life is a place of crookedness and is not a place of straightforwardness. It is a place of grief and is not a place of joy. Whoever recognizes this will not feel joy at [the achievement of] some hope [because, he knows it is temporary] or feel grief at wretchedness. Allah has meant for the worldly life to be a place of trial, and has meant for the Hereafter to be a place of ramification. Hence, He has made the adversity of the worldly life a reason for the reward in the Hereafter, and He has made the reward of the Hereafter a compensation for the adversity of the worldly life. He takes to give and afflicts to reward.))
We should know for sure that this world is the abode of hardships, tests and trials not the abode of rest. Once, Imam Ash-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on his soul, was asked, "Shall we ask Allah for trails (through which Allah tests our faith) or for being established in the earth?" He answered, "You will not be established in the earth until your faith is tested." According to my personal point of view, the believer goes through three phases (in his relation with Allah). If he is neglectful; if he neglects some obligations which are enjoined on him, then he will suffer some calamities that will push him to Allah (to turn to Him in repentance), while if he stands firm in the Path of Allah, Allah will send upon him some trials in order to test his faith, and then he will be honored. Thus, you are either disciplined, tested or honored. In addition to that, these three phases may overlap (may happen together) or may occur separately (each one happens alone). However, each believer must know for sure that his faith will be tested, and the real triumph is to pass the tests. It was said, "Satisfaction towards calamities is the highest degree of certainty." Also, it was reported, "If Allah wants to do good to somebody, He afflicts him with trials, so if he remains patient, He favors him over sh3er, and if he is grateful to Him, He draws him closer to Him."
The worldly life is evanescent, while the Hereafter is everlasting:
Dear brother, the one who is never tested is as heedless as the animals, and the proof of that is mentioned in this Ayah:
(So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened to them the gates of every (pleasant) thing, until in the midst of their enjoyment in that which they were given, all of a sudden, We took them to punishment, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows)
Actually, trials happen in the worldly life which is the abode of tests, and the time is our age, and the place is where you live. Thus, there are fact, place and time. The fact is that we are all in an abode of trials. As for man's lifetime, it is short no matter how long he lives. I was told that Makhluf who used to be a scholar at Al-Azhar University lived a hundred and thirty years, but at the end, he died. Therefore, no matter how long the lifetime is, it is nothing when compared to the infinity. Suppose that you could write the number one on the earth, and you could write too many zeros along the distance from the earth to the sun, which is a hundred and fifty-six millions km, and in each millimeter you write a zero, the value of this big number is zero when compared to the infinity. The same goes for any number, even if it is astronomical or unimaginable. In conclusion, this life is finite while the Hereafter is infinite:
(To dwell therein forever)
The way fortune is distributed is a means of trials:
Dear brother, our faith is tested through wealth, products, the adornment of the present life and the prosperity we gain. In other words, you are tested through everything which Allah the Almighty grants you. Actually, Allah's Test compasses whatever is given to you, and whatever you are deprived of. For example, you are tested through being deprived of having a boy child (all your children are girls), in being deprived of having children, in having both boys and girls, with being rich, with being poor, in occupying a high social position or in occupying a low social position. These are all trials. Hence, you are tested in whatever you are granted or whatever you are deprived of. Consider the Hadith below which is one of the greatest Ahadith:
((O Allah! Whatever You have granted me from what I love, make it a means of strength for me to use in the way You love. O Allah! Whatever love (of things) You have removed from me then Grant in its place the love (of things) that You love.))
You are a winner in both cases, so, you should use whatever Allah grants you to your advantage in the Hereafter, and the following Ayah is the proof of that:
(But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter,)
Seek the Hereafter with everything Allah gives you, like your knowledge, fluency, money, health, prestige, and social position:
(But seek, with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter,)
On the other hand, if you do not have children, if you are poor, if your income is limited or if your social position is low, then all of these cases are trials. The most important thing is to pass the test and to win the Hereafter. Verily, the real triumph is not to laugh first but to laugh last (not to be pleased in this life but in the Hereafter.)
Man is tested through the adornment of this life:
Dear brother, consider the following Ayah:
(Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it)
The life of this world is full of lusts (which man loves), like women, houses, wealth, vehicles, travels, well-being, excellent food, banquets, positions, status, etc…Thus, this world is the abode of trials:
(Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [i.e.those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Allah's sake and in accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet].)
If Allah makes you rich, which is compatible with faith, (being wealthy does not do harm to your faith), is it reasonable to let the poor people around you complain against you to Allah on the Day of Resurrection saying that you had not given them their rights? If you are powerful that you can, just by a stroke of a pen, cause the truth to triumph and bring falsehood to nothing, will you use your power to serve the truth? If are a very eloquent speaker, will you use your eloquence to establish the truth and abolish the falsehood? If you have a high social position, will you use it to support the oppressed or to flatter slavishly the oppressor? Thus, we are in an abode of trials. By Allah, our faith is put into test each hour, since we are in an abode of trials and tests.
Dear brother, we are tested through wealth, products and the adornments of this life, and we are tested through ourselves in terms of health and sickness, strength and weakness, or happiness and misery. If you have good health, you are tested by this health; do you make use of it to obey Allah or- Allah forbid- to disobey Him by committing sins and wrongdoings? Also, Allah tests your faith by your strength; do you use it to serve the truth or the falsehood? Moreover, Allah tests your weakness, does it lead you to despair or to put great trust in the Allah the Almighty feeling sure that He will grant you victory? Furthermore, Allah tests you in the reasons for happiness you have, do you thank Allah for them like the Prophet, peace be upon him. He, peace be upon him, used to say:
((Praise be to Allah Who return my soul to me, Who gave strength to my body and Who permitted me to remember Him.))
Dear brother, you are tested through the adornment of this life, in yourself and in your money whether you are poor or rich. Allah the Almighty says:(You shall certainly be tried and tested in your wealth and properties and in your personal selves, and you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Scripture before you (Jews and Christians) and from those who ascribe partners to Allah, but if you persevere patiently, and become Al-Muttaqun (the pious) then verily, that will be a determining factor in all affairs, and that is from the great matters, [which you must hold on with all your efforts].)
The wisdom behind living together (as believers and disbelievers):
According to Allah's Will, we have to live with the other party (the disbelievers). Based on the fact that Allah inevitably Exists, while other things possibly exist, had Allah willed, He could have made all disbelievers, from the time when Adam was created till the Day of Resurrection, live on another plant, like Mars, for example. Also, he could have made the believers live on the earth (away from the planet of the disbelievers), and so there would have been no wars, like the battle of Badr, Uhud, and Al-Khandaq (the trench); there would have been no wars at all. However, according to Allah's Wisdom, Allah wants us to live together. Some scholars said, "The truth does not gain power except by facing challenges." People of the truth do not deserve Paradise except through exerting effort, through sacrifice, and through remaining patient on the hardship. Pay attention to the Words of the Creator of the universes; Allah the Almighty says:
(And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear)
Fear is a kind of trial:
(And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives)
A little child of someone may die:(And fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).* Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return."* They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e. blessings, etc.) (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy)
Kinds of trials:
1- The trial through Takleef:
Dear brother, the test in the wealth and properties man owns encompasses the test in his prominent position, authority and real estate, etc.., while the test in lives encompasses the test in children, relatives, beloved ones, health, illness, life, success, failure, etc… If someone loses the dearest beloved one, what shall he do? He should remain patient, because Allah is testing his faith.
I want to repeat this again, you may be tested many times in one hour, as you are in the abode of trials and tests. On kind of these trials is the test through the Divine Takleef (the Divine Obligation ordained for man), Allah orders you to worship Him, so you are tested through this obligation; are you a worshipper or a neglectful man? Do you perform Salah well or not? Do you find relief while performing it, or you just want to finish with it as soon as possible? Actually, there is a big difference between the two cases, Allah the Almighty says:
(Truly, We did offer Al-Amanah (the trust or moral responsibility or honesty and all the duties which Allah has ordained) to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e. afraid of Allah's Torment). But man bore it. Verily, he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its results).)
To summarize, the first kind of trials is the trial through Allah's Orders. Keep in mind that Allah charges you to worship Him.
Man's stance towards being tested through Allah's Orders:
What is your attitude towards this trial? Allah orders you to worship Him, and He even makes worshipping Him the reason of your existence in this life. Allah the Almighty says:
(And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).)
(And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth in six Days and His Throne was on the water, that He might try you, which of you is the best in deeds.)
The following is another relevant Ayah:
(Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed.)
Al-Qurtubi said, "'is best in deed', means who fears committing Allah's Prohibitions the most, and who is the fastest in obeying Allah. The meaning of 'that He may test you' is that Allah may treat you in means of testing." He tests the faith of His servant with the death of his beloved to see if he shows patience, and He tests His servant with curing the disease of a relative he is about to die to see if he presents his gratefulness. Allah has created death to resurrect His servant on the Day when they will be recompensed, and He has created life to test His servants. In fact, the concept of trials should be very clear to every believer.
2- The personal trial:
Sometimes there is a trial on the personal level. This is manifested when people are in affluence and in a good situation, while someone is suffering a personal affliction. This is the personal test:
(Verily, We have created man from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer, seer.)
There are collective trials, such as the high prices, the oppression, the occupation and the public calamity. On the other hand, there is a personal trial:
(Verily, We have created man from Nutfah drops of mixed semen (discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer, seer.)
Always remember the words of Imam Ash-Shafi'i, "You will not be established in the earth before you are tested."
Here is another relevant Ayah:
(And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives)
I mentioned this Ayah earlier, and the following is a third relevant Ayah:
(But that Allah might test what is in your breasts; and to Mahis that which was in your hearts (sins), and Allah is All-Knower of what is in (your) breasts.)
This is the personal trial. Someone may be tested in his wealth, another one through being poor, another with his children, another one with being deprived of children, another one with having only male children, another one with having only female children, another one with both his children and poverty, another one with children and in wealth, another one with being wealthy but having no children and so on. Hence, Allah puts you into test through your situation, and the real triumph is to pass this test. I told you earlier in this Khutbah that "Satisfaction towards calamities is the highest degree of certainty". When you just say, "Praise be to You, O My Lord, I am satisfied with the calamities which befall me", you pass the test successfully. Allah the Almighty says:
(And it is He Who has made you generations coming after generations, replacing each other on the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above sh3er)
3- The collective trial:
The collective trial is the one many people are put into. For instance, you may be an employee, while other people's positions are higher than yours, such as the head of the department, the general manager and the Minister. You may find yourself better suited for these positions than them, but you are tested with your middle position, and you may be tested with a lower position:
(And it is He Who has made you generations coming after generations, replacing each other on the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above sh3er that He may try you)
"That He may try you" compliment the meaning. For example, Allah makes you a nurse, while someone else is a doctor, a recruit while someone else a Major General, a street vendor, while someone else a president Chamber of Commerce, and so on. He may make you occupy a low social position in society, while other people around you occupy a prominent social position.
Man should make use of the available means then put his trust in Allah:
I hope from the depths of my heart that you do not misunderstand the meaning of trials, and so mistakenly think u should be passively satisfied with unsuitable situation you are in. When should you be content with what Allah afflicts you? It is when you do your best, but you cannot change your situation. In this case you should be pleased. However, when someone says to you that he did not pass the exam, because Allah tested him with failure, then this is a lie. He did not pass it, because he had not studied well. Also, he who neglects some orders of Allah and is affected negatively by that, then he attributes the adverse consequences to Al-Qada' and Al-Qadar is mocking Islam, because Tawheed does not justify the error. Thus, what happens to him is the penalty of negligence. For example, if you placed a toxic drug in the reach of children, and you say that Allah tested my faith (by the death of the child who took it), then you are mistaken, because that happened due to your carelessness. You should have put that dangerous drug in a place out of the reach of children.
Dear brother, there are many cases when man is tested after he has made use of all the available means, but when he neglects them, he will face the bad effect of his misdeed. Neglecting the available means can be manifested in having an uncovered outlet in the bathroom where there is water, and the current is two hundred and twenty volte causing death when someone touches water. Thus, if a child comes to the bathroom and puts his hand in that outlet, he will die instantly. Whoever says that the death of the child is just Allah's Qada' is absolutely mistaken.
Such carelessness can also be noticed in a hospital when the emergency doctor has a patient who is in need of an immediate care, but the doctor neglects the patient, because he wants to go on with his chat to a nurse till that patient dies. I think such a doctor should be considered a criminal since he can save the life of the patient. The patient's death is the result of the doctor's negligence. Thus, when you make use of all the available means as if they are enough to achieve what you want, and then you trust Allah, but things go against your wishes, you can call this Allah's Qada', and Qadar. In other words, when you make use of all the available means considering them enough to get what you want, then you put your absolute trust in Allah as if they are useless, but matters do not happen the way you wish, we can call this Allah's Qada' and Qadar, or else it is the effect of carelessness:
((But you should keep the company of the wise. If something befalls you, you should say: (Hasbiya Allahu wa ni'mal-Wakeel) Allah Alone is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for us.))
You cannot say that Allah Alone is Sufficient for me and He is the Best Disposer of affairs for me until you make use of all the available means, then something befalls you (something, against your will, happens according to the Will of Allah the Almighty). Also, it is a big mistake to attribute the effect of every negligence to the Will of Allah. For example, if you are ignorant of the best good in the market, you buy goods through which you cannot make money, and then you attributed your failure to the Will of Allah, you will be definitely wrong. Instead, you should make use of the available means as if they are sufficient to get what you want, then put your trust in Allah as if they are insufficient at all.
I swear by Allah to you that, nowadays, Muslims are in desperate need of believing this truth. They are negligent, they never make use of the available means and they just wait for a miracle from Allah. In fact, this miracle will never occur unless they make use of the available means. If you do not follow this method, do not except that Allah willdo anything for you. Let me repeat again, you should make use of the available means as if they are enough, and then put your trust in Allah as if they are nothing at all.
Whoever oppresses his partner is not a real believer:
Dear brother, the story of Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, affirms the fact that whoever oppresses his partner is not a true believer. Allah the Almighty says:
(Verily, this my brother (in religion) has ninety nine ewes, while I have (only) one ewe, and he says: "Hand it over to me, and he overpowered me in speech."* [Dawud (David)] said (immediately without listening to the opponent): "He has wronged you in demanding your ewe in addition to his ewes. And, verily, many partners oppress one another, except those who believe and do righteous good deeds)
Dear brother, please pay attention to the Ayah below:
(And, verily, many partners)
Who are the partners? They are the married couples, the two friends, or the two business partners. Every two people who are engaged in any kind of a relationship are considered partners:
(And, verily, many partners oppress one another, except those who believe)
Imam Ash-Shafi'i deduced from this Ayah that "Whoever oppresses his partner is not considered a believer":
(And, verily, many partners oppress one another, except those who believe)
Whoever oppresses his business partner or his spouse does not have perfect faith, and we can say that only to ease the situation, because he is considered to be lacking faith entirely:
(Except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and they are few." And Dawud (David) guessed that We have tried him and he sought Forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allah) in repentance.* So We forgave him that, and verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good place of (final) return (Paradise))
Allah the Almighty tests your faith in everything:
Suppose that you are a director of an office, a general manager of a hospital, a head at a university, or a head of a foundation, Allah puts your faith into test with this position; will you treat your employees fairly or unfairly? Will you promote an employee because he is one of your relatives, or will you promote only those who are qualified? This is a test from Allah. Consider this another simple example: If you are a primary school teacher, and your son is one of the students, will you appoint him as a monitor even if he is incompetent? Is there any simpler example than this? Thus, Allah the Almighty tests your faith with your position, work, trade, industry or institution. Allah the Almighty says:
(And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him) the Book (this Quran) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Mohayminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures). So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you. To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation, but that (He) may test you in what He has given you; so strive as in a race in good deeds. The return of you (all) is to Allah; then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ.)
Listen to this relevant Ayah:
(And it is He Who has made you generations coming after generations, replacing each other on the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above sh3er that He may try you in that which He has bestowed on you. Surely your Lord is Swift in retribution)
Man's reality is revealed when Allah tests him:
Dear Brother, consider the following Ayah:
(And of mankind there is he whose speech may please you (O Muhammad, peace be upon him), in this worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart, yet he is the most quarrelsome of the opponents.)
This means he is not a true believer:
(And when they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe," but when they are alone with their Shayatin (devils - polytheists, hypocrites, etc.), they say: "Truly, we are with you; verily, we were but mocking."* Allah mocks at them)
Allah will definitely reveal the reality of the hypocrite when he fails in the test, and according to His Command, man's reality is revealed. Hence, Allah the Almighty is able to put you in a difficult situation that reveals your reality. Some scholars said, "You can deceive some people all the time, and you can deceive all the people for some time, but you cannot deceive all the people all the time." This is impossible. I would like to add a statement to this saying, so it becomes, "You cannot deceive Your Lord or yourself for even one second, because this is absolutely impossible":
(Man will be a witness against himself [as his body parts (skin, hands, legs, etc.) will speak about his deeds].* Though he may put forth his excuses (to cover his evil deeds).)
Seeking the Hereafter makes the believer pleased with Allah's Qada' and Qadar:
Nowadays, we have mortal and extremely powerful enemies, so someone may ask, "Why does Allah not destroy them by an earthquake?" The answer of this question is mentioned in the Ayah below:
(But if it had been Allah's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you).)
Allah decrees that you will be greatly rewarded in the Hereafter, so He allows you to strive and work hard in this life. Verily, Allah is Able to destroy all the enemies of Islam at once, because His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, "Be!" or "Go away" and it is.(But if it had been Allah's Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you).)
Putting into test is of the properties of the Prophets, peace be upon them. Allah the Almighty says:
(And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies - Shayatin (devils) among mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it, so leave them alone with their fabrications.)
Dear Brother, sometimes there is a collective test into which all people are put, like earthquakes and floods. You heard about these natural disasters in Pakistan and many other countries. Thus, there are collective trials, and the real believer should be satisfied with Allah the Almighty, because he strongly believes that Allah's Hand is working Alone (everything in the universe is under His Control), and he believes that the Hereafter is the most important thing. Therefore, he is pleased with Allah's Qada'(preordainment) and Qadar (predestination).
Boasting about sins is unaccepted in all religions:
Dear Brother, there is a very critical point mentioned in this Ayah:(Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.))
Pay attention to this, if there is a collective test, then it is the effect of the collective moral corruption:
(Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon).)
Allah did not say that He may make them taste all of that which they have done, but rather He says, "a part of that". Consider the following Noble Hadith which I repeat frequently:
((I was among a group of ten people of Muhajireen (immigrants) when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us and said, "O people of the Muhajireen, there are five things which if you ever indulge therein, calamities will engulf you. Allah forbid that you ever indulge therein. One is that when among any people promiscuity (fornication and adultery) become widespread until they announce it…))
The trial comes because of announcing publicly the sins people have committed and boasted about it. For example, in a European country the Minister of Health announced that he was a gay, in another western country, the Foreign Minister announced being a gay too and during a farewell ceremony that took place in Washington for the former U.S. Ambassador in Bucharest, the ambassador attended the ceremony with his sexual partner. That is the meaning of "until they announce it". Actually, this sin is a crime which deserves punishment according to all laws, and it is rejected in all religions, but people are proud of committing it (people announce that in public):
((One is that when among any people promiscuity (fornication and adultery) become widespread until they announce it, plague will overtake them as well as new diseases which were previously unknown))
As years pass, there is a new disease discovered, and one of these diseases is AIDS:
((and when any people cheat in weighing and measuring they will face drought, famine, hardship and the wrath of unjust tyrant rulers))
Cheating in the Hadith include all types of fraud, like in weighing, in measuring the square of a land, in calculations, in the specifications and in the production and expiry dates of products. A pharmacist may scratch the expiry date of a very expensive medicine (to remove it) and sell it although it could be expired. You will be called to account for all your deeds on the Day of Judgment:
((hardship and the wrath of unjust tyrant rulers; and when any people withhold Zakaat, rains from the heavens will be withheld from them))
I always say that the less shy people are, the less the rainfall rate is, the more women expose their bodies, the more expensive the lamb meat is and the larger the satellite dishes are on the roofs of the buildings, the smaller the plates of food are (which means the more people disobey Allah, the less their sustenance is):
((And had it not been for the presence and needs of mute animals even a little sprinkle of rain would not fall; and those people who break their covenant with Allah and His Messenger will fall prey to enemies; and the people who enforce unjust laws will be involved in civil war and rebellion...))
As if the Prophet, peace be upon him, was describing our current situation.
Man is in the abode of trials and he is tested every time:
Dear Brother, I ask Allah the Almighty to make us sure that we are in the abode of trials. By Allah, your are tested every minute, every second, every hour, at your home, at your work, on the way, with a friend, with an enemy, with someone whom has a higher or lower position than yours, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, and in strength or weaknesses. Verily, you should keep in mind that you can be tested through your current situation, whether it is positive or negative.
Dear brother, call yourselves to account before you are called to account, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed against you, and know that the Angel of Death has passed over us to reach sh3er, and will pass over sh3er to reach us, so let us be cautious. The wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires.
* * *
The 2nd Khutbah:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and I bear witness that there is no Deity but Allah Alone, the Protector of the righteous. And I bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is His Servant and Messenger, the one with noble morals. May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him, his Folks and Companions.
The prudent is the one who calls himself to account before it is too late:
Dear Brother, consider the following example that comes across my mind. If you notice an unusual rigorous inspection of goods for the arrivals to your country, such as asking them to put everything they have at the table no matter how small it is, you will keep this in mind when you travel to another country thinking about the things that you can buy. If you go shopping in that country and you see something good and cheap at the same time, before you buy it, you will immediately say to yourself, " I will not be able to pass this to my country, they will not allow me to do that." If you consider your relation with Allah in the same way, you will always ask yourself before you perform any deed, "What will I answer Allah the Almighty when He calls me to account (on the Day of Judgment) for that deed?
I have given you an example from our daily life. Someone travelled from Damascus to Beirut, but he could not buy anything in Beirut, because of the rigorous inspection of goods in his country. Actually, you, as a real believer, should ask yourself before you do anything, "What will I say to Allah about the things I do? Your success lies in preparing answers to Allah the Almighty for whatever you do. Moreover, it lies in calling yourself to account for every behavior, every word, every smile, every visit, every meeting, every picnic you go for (where men and women are mixed together), evening party you are invited to (where men and women are mixed together) and every deal you make, asking yourself whether these deeds please Allah or not. Thus, the real triumph is to call yourself to account (in this life) before you are called to account (in the Hereafter).
Once I was in Maghreb, I saw a phrase written on the wall of a shop saying 'Pray before people pray for you (after your death)", and I say to you, call yourself to account before you are called to account. Whoever calls himself to a severe account will receive an easy reckoning on the Day of Judgment, but whoever calls himself to an easy account will receive a severe reckoning on the Day of Judgment.
Invocation:
O Allah, we beseech You to show us the way of righteousness together with those to whom You showed it; and to give us good health together with those whom You have healed; and to be our Protector, as You are of those whom You protect; and to bless what You have bestowed on us; and to save us from the affliction that You have decreed –for You rule with justice and You are never judged; and he whom You protect shall never be humiliated, and he whom You make Your enemy shall never be elevated, blessed and dignified are You. We thank You for what You have decreed, we ask You for Forgiveness for our sins, and we repent to You.
O Allah, please lead us to the good deeds, for no one leads to them but You; please lead us to the good conduct, for no one leads to it but You; please make us do well in the Deen, which is our dignity, make us do well in our worldly life, in which we dwell and grant us safety on the Day of Judgment for it is our Final Destination. O Allah, please supply our life with all good things and make our death a rest from every evil, O our Master, the Lord of all Worlds.
O Allah, make us desire what You have made lawful and reject what You have made unlawful, make us by Your benevolence independent of all sh3er and make our obedience to You turn us away from our disobedience.
O Allah, by Your Mercy and Benevolence, raise high the word of truth and this Deen, grant triumph to Islam, dignify Muslims and grant triumph to Muslims all over the world, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, show us Your Omnipotence against your enemies, You are the Most Generous.
