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1 Secret #1: Taqwa (Fear of Allah and Piety)
We are still discussing the series of sustenance. Today we will talk about the reasons for sustenance. I don’t thing that there is anyone who does not want abundance in his/her wealth and provision. Provision is the foundation of life. However, there are reasons, secrets, and means for this provision that are mentioned in the glorious Quran and some sayings of the prophet Mohammed may peace be upon him in the Sunna. There are also reasons that block provision. In this chapter we will talk about the first secret of wealth and provision which is Taqwa (piety and fear of Allah glorified and exalted be He).
1.1 Definition of Taqwa (Fear of Allah)
Taqwa (piety) is to protect yourself from the wrath of Allah and to protect yourself from His punishment and you do this by establishing a barrier that protects you from being punished and destroyed. This barrier is Taqwa. There are more than 300 ayahs in the Quran that speak of Taqwa. So, as a comprehensive definition, Taqwa is doing what Allah orders and abstaining from what Allah prohibits. Taqwa is not a certain form, certain dress, certain moves, or certain words. Taqwa is implementing what Allah orders and abstaining from what Allah prohibits. Taqwa is the noun, Yattaqee and Yattaqoon is the verb which means to do what Allah orders and to abstain from what Allah prohibits. An ally of Allah is not one who flies in the air, or who walks on water. A complete ally of Allah is one whom you find at the orders and prohibitions of Allah. He does what Allah orders and abstains from what Allah prohibits. For Allah to find you where He has ordered you and not where He has prohibited you from. One of the most accurate definitions for an Ally of Allah is:
“Unquestionably, [for] the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. Those who believed and were fearing Allah”
Taqwa is To know Allah, to obey him, to get closer to him by righteous deeds. Taqwa can never be just a claim. It’s a fact along with proof. The proof is the obedience to Allah. Those who just claim to have taqwa, those who just claim to be fearing Allah do not change anything. Abdullah Bin Masud may Allah be pleased with him interprets what Allah said in this ayah “O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared” he (Abdullah Bin Masud) interprets it and say: Fear Allah: is to obey Him not disobey Him, to have gratitude towards Him not ingratitude, and to remember Him not to forget Him.
1.2 Staying Away from Lusts is a Part of the Complete Taqwa
The Prophet Mohammed may peace be upon him says:
“That which is Halaal (permissible) is clear and that which is Haraam (Prohibited) is clear, and between the two of them are ambiguous matters which many people do not know. Thus he who avoids ambiguous matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour, but he who falls into ambiguous matters (eventually) falls into that which is Haraam, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allaah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole, and which, if it is diseased, all of (the body) is diseased. Truly, it is the heart.”
The definition of complete Taqwa contains doing the obligations and abstaining from the prohibitions. Moreover, the definition might also include doing what’s recommended and abstaining from what’s disliked and this is the topmost levels of Taqwa. That’s why a pious servant abstains from a lot of things that are allowed in Islam only because he thinks that they may lead him into ambiguities. In the Hadith found in the books of Al Imam Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja, Baiyhaqi and sh3er, the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said:
"The servant will not be among the pious until he gives up and leaves things that are objectionable for things that are not objectionable and harmful".
1.3 Man should Establish a Barrier of Halal between Him and the Haram
One of the things that complete the Taqwa is to protect yourself from the wrath of Allah to the extent that you pay attention to the weight of an atom, to fear Allah to the extent that you leave some of what you consider as Halal out of fear that it might be Haram. Some of the scholars said: Al Muttaqoon (those who fear Allah) were called this way only because they protect themselves from things that one does not usually protect himself /herself from.
((Two Rikaas from a pious man are better than one thousand rikaas from one who mixes good and bad deeds))
I like to leave a shield between mysef and whatever is prohibited, so I do not trespass, so that means to leave what you have doubt about in order that you do not fall into what is prohibited. Some other scholars said: man is not safe from Haram until he leaves a barrier of what is Halal (permissible) between him and that what is haram. It means that he makes a safety zone of what is Halal between what is Halal and what is Haram and that is his protection.
1.4 Allah will make a way out of Every Hardship for those who Fear Him:
So, how does one protect oneself from the wrath of Allah? Simply put, how do you cure yourself (Allah forbid) from high blood pressure? When you know that your blood pressure is high. Therefore in order for you have to have Taqwa, you have to have protection and you gain this protection with knowledge. How do you fall into ambiguities, into things that are doubtful, things that might be halal or might be haram? You fall because you have an illusion that they are allowed. How do you fall into the unlawful (the Haram)? By being ignorant of the fact that it is haram. That’s why the only way towards Taqwa is to seek Islamic Knowledge and Islamic Sciences. You know Allah through the universe, and you worship Him through Islamic knowledge and sciences.
Dear Brothers, the first ayah in this sermon which I mentioned earlier is that the destruction of the universe is easier to Allah than to not fulfil the wishes of any Believer without exception.
" And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out”
Sometimes, all the doors of provision become shut in your face, no travels, no jobs, no employment, no companies, no investments, all roads are blocked. Then in this case… fear Allah, do what He orders and abstain from what He prohibits so that He gets you out of this hardship.
1.5 When You Fear Allah, Provisions Come to You Where You Never Expect
Dear brothers and sisters, the exit is the survival of poverty. Poverty has almost become disbelief. And if I may expand on this quote “Poverty has almost become a disbelief” which was said by the Imam Ali may Allah be pleased with him then I would say poverty has almost become terrorism, poverty has almost become theft, poverty has almost become falling into ambiguities. The Imam Ali may Allah be pleased with him says: “the foundation of Islam and this life is four types of men: A scholar who applies his knowledge, an ignorant who is not too arrogant to learn, a wealthy man who is not stingy (willing to give in charity) and a poor man who does not sell his after-life for this life. So if the scholar wastes his knowledge, then the ignorant will become arrogant to learn and if the wealthy becomes stingy the poor will sell his after-life for the life of someone else”. So, one of the signs that you are fearing Allah is that provisions come to you from where you never expect, from unexpected sources, from somewhere that you could have never imagined.
The primary ayah that supports this is:
“And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out”
I am talking to the youth, the future is unknown. One wonders: will I be able to get into university? Will I be able to specialize in something which I can live from? Will I be able to afford buying a house? Will I be able to get married? The lord of the universe, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the one who owns everything, the one who says “be” and it becomes, the one who says disappear and it disappears, he said:
“O My slaves, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans among you and the Jinn among you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I possess, except what is decreased of the Ocean when a needle is dipped into it” (Muslim). Try it, go to the sea, get on a boat, hold a needle, dip it in the water, then pull it out. Now write for me the percentage of the water that remains around the needle with respect to the water of the entire sea. This was the description of the prophet Mohammed may peace be upon him. He then said: “So he who finds good, let him praise Allah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but HIMSELF”
I am talking to the youth, I am talking to the one whom all doors of provision got shut in his face. I am talking to he who has little provision. I am talking to he who complains of scarcity of provision. I am talking to he who complains of hardship:
“And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out”
But don’t try to convince me that you do fear Allah. Convince yourself. You might be able to convince me and embarrass me. If you say “I fear Allah”, then pay close attention, Are you really what you are supposed to be? Have you turned to Allah glorified and exalted be He? Have you given up every ambiguity (something which is not clear whether it’s halal or haram ).
“And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out”
The disappearance of the universe is easier for Allah than not fulfilling the promises of this verse for every believing young man
I repeat, the disappearance of the universe is easier for Allah than not fulfilling the promises of this ayah for every believing young man, anytime, anywhere. Sometimes Allah follows a ayah with another ayah that makes it a law:
“And he called out within the darkness, ‘There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers’. So We responded to him and saved him from the distress"
The following ayah which makes the law is “And thus do We save the believers”.
At any time, in any place, the God of the companions of the prophet Mohammed may peace be upon him is also our God. This great God whom you approach, owns everything, He owns the strong, He owns the water of the sky, He owns the provision of the earth, He owns our enemies, He owns our friends, He owns who is superior to us and He owns who is beneath us.
1.6 Allah Has Made Provision and Health Dynamic
Allah glorified and exalted be He said:
“So plot against me all together; then do not give me respite. Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature but that He holds its forelock. Indeed, my Lord is on a path [that is] straight.”
One of the supporting ayahs is:
“And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth;”
Allah glorified and exalted be He has fixed millions of things, millions of laws, He has fixed the motion of the orbits of the stars, fixed the characteristics of substances, fixed the laws of physics, the laws of chemistry, the laws of dynamics, fixed billions of laws but He made provision and health dynamic. You don’t own your health, you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow and you don’t own your provision. As if Allah glorified and exalted be He wanted provision and health to be reasons for our teaching and upbringing when He made them dynamic.
1.7 Limited Provision With the Blessings of Allah Suffices
Dear Brothers, master Muath Ibn Jabal may Allah be pleased with him said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:
((Oh people: make piety and fear of Allah your business, you will get your sustenance without any need for having any merchandise nor commerce.and he read the Ayah: {“And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out”}
I tell you again young men and women, you are about to encounter life, you are in need of marriage despite this vast corruption, you are in need of a house despite the rise in house prices, you are in need of a profession that brings you income and save your face. I know for sure that there is no young man or young woman but that they aspire for work, marriage, a profession and a house. Fear Allah.
Dear brothers and sisters, we have not included in our calculations what is called “Blessing”. Sometimes a limited provision comes to you but with the blessings of Allah it suffices you and covers all your expenses comfortably. Being economical in your living might be better than some business that has risks, sins and injustice.
“And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth;”
Some time ago, in some of the countries of the gulf, it rained as much as it would rain on Damascus for a full year. Also in a city in Africa, it rained in one night as much as it would rain in two full years in Damascus. When Allah gives, He astonishes. The rationing of Allah can never be a rationing of inability rather it’s a rationing of upbringing.
“And there is not a thing but that with Us are its depositories, and We do not send it down except according to a known measure”
1.8 When Allah Gives, He Astonishes
Dear brother and sisters, a third ayah that supports the primary ayah
“And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out”
is this ayah:
“And if only they upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet”
“what has been revealed to them from their Lord” is the Quran. Sometimes Allah glorified and exalted be He gives us an example. In some years we harvest wheat that amounts up to 6 million tons whereas the need of our entire country is only 1 million ton. That’s 6 times our country’s need. In some other years the total of wheat does not even exceed half a million. When He gives, He astonishes!
1.9 Whoever Obeys Allah Doesn’t feel distressed or poverty
A fourth ayah:
“And [ Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant provision”
Some of the scholars said: if a poor man goes through hardship then let him ask Allah to make easy halal provision for him out of what Allah has decreed.
Allah says:
“What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing”
Anas narrated the Prophet (Pbuh) as saying,
“Whoever’s concern was the afterlife, Allah makes his richness between his eyes, gathers his inner self, and the worldly lifewill come to him with compliance. And whoever’s concern was for the worldly life, Allah will make his poverty between his eyes, disunite him and he will not get anything from this worldly life except what has been written for him.”
“Allah will make his poverty between his eyes” means that a person will never be satisfied and will search for more by any means. “disunite him” means that the person’s mind and life will always be in different directions and not focused.
Obedience to Allah is better than the worldly life and all there is on it:
Dear Brothers, the Imam Ali May Allah be pleased with him reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: He whom Allah has taken out from the humiliation of sins to the honor of piety is considered rich (without money), honored (without having a noble tribe), in good company (without friends). He who fears Allah is feared by everything and he who doesn’t fear Allah fears of everything. When you are content of Allah and satisfied with little money, Allah is content of you and satisfied with your little deeds.
A man came to the prophet (PBUH) and asked for advice. The prophet (PBUH) said: “Fear Allah, for taqwa (piety) brings together all good."
This means; you should obey Allah
1.10 Physical Provision with no Spiritual Provision Leads to Destruction
Dear brothers and sisters, sometimes a man might be given physical provision and be deprived of spiritual provision. That’s why, be hopeful for all types of provision. Knowing Allah is a great provision, obedience to Him is a great provision, feeling completely humble and submissive to Allah while praying is great provision, when your heart becomes humble while reading Quran is also great provision when Allah gives you money through which you cover all your needs then this is also provision. That’s why Allah says:
““Alif Lam Mim, This is the Book (The Quran) about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah -Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,”
“Out of what we have provided for them” out of knowledge, out of strength, out of experience, out of money…etc. Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,
"Allah does not wrong a believer a good deed because he is given blessings for it in this world and will be rewarded for it in the Hereafter”
1.11 Bestowal of Allah is a Test and His Deprivation is a Cure
When you see Allah providing for a servant that which the servant loves despite his sins, then know that this is a plot from Allah to lead this servant into destruction. Allah says:
“So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair.”
He also says:
“Do they think that what We extend to them of wealth and children. Is [because] We hasten for them good things? Rather, they do not perceive”
He also said:
“And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me. But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me.”
The response from Allah is:
“NO”
It’s not like this, neither my bestowal is honoring nor my prohibition is deprivation. My bestowal is a test and my prohibition is a cure.
1.12 Whoever Fears Allah, Allah Will Provide Him From Where He Never Expects
Dear brothers and sisters, provision is the foundation of life and every human being needs money to cover his expenses. So, if one fears Allah, Allah will prepare for him sufficient provision. Too little money is a difficult thing. Too much money is also a difficult thing. The prophet Mohammed may peace be upon him said:
“"Hasten to do good deeds before you are overtaken by one of the seven afflictions.''
Then (giving a warning) he said,
"Are you waiting for such poverty which will make you unmindful of devotion; or prosperity which will make you corrupt, or disease as will disable you, or such senility as will make you mentally unstable, or sudden death, or Ad-Dajjal who is the worst expected absent, or the Hour, and the Hour will be most grievous and most bitter".
Poverty has almost become disbelief. Wealth that drives you to sin is one of the biggest afflictions. Allah knows what was in the past, what’s in the present, what will be in the future and He also knows what does not exist how it would be if it were to exist. If Allah reveals to you, on judgment day, the wisdom behind what’s happening to you, be it abundance in provision or lack thereof which you might hate, you will never stop thanking Allah day in and day out.
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.”
Sinning is one of the greatest reasons for scarceness of provision:
Dear Brothers, we will talk during the next sermon, if Allah Wills, about the sins that are a cause of deprivation of provision. Someone might be deprived of some provision because of his sins, whereas piety and fear of Allah are reasons for increase of sustenance
{ And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out”
There are several types of sins which are a major reason for lack of sustenance, this is the subject of our second sermon.
Dear Honorable brothers, call yourselves to account before you are called to account, and weigh your deeds before they are weighed for you. And know that the Angel of death has passed us to someone else and at some point he will pass osh3er to reach us, so let us be very cautious. The smart person is he who always brings himself to account and strives to gain the reward after death, and the incapacitated one is he who follows his lust and all praises are to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.
The second Sermon
All praises are to Allah the Lord of the Worlds, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah the Ally of the virtuous and I bear witness that our Mastter Mohammad is His servant and Messenger, the one with great morals. O Allah, our Lord! Grant peace and blessings to Sayyidina Muhammad, upon his Family and his Companions, his descendants and all those who allied with him and followed him till the Day of Judgment.
1.13 Allah Provides for His Servant According to his Intention
Dear brother and sisters, one of the given results of Iman (faith) is that if you ask Allah some righteous work that requires money, Allah provides for you what helps you carry out this righteous work. There are righteous deeds that require money that’s why those who say O Allah grant us a righteous deed that brings us closer to you, those who have good intentions, those who have a desire to serve Allah’s creation are hoping that Allah provides for them a provision that matches their intentions. So, what needs to be mentioned is this: get OUT of yourself and into the service of Allah’s creation. Only then, will Allah enable you to serve them even if their service requires a lot of money. Allah glorified and exalted be He provides for a servant according to the servant’s intention. So, he who intends to serve his nation, solve the problems of their poor, help the sick, assist those who need to get married, Allah glorified and exalted be He will provide for him from where he never expects. There is no rule for provision. There is an Arabic poem verse that says:
If provisions go along with the soundness of mind, the cattle will then die because of their ignorance.
Sometimes Allah glorified and exalted be He opens a broad door of provisions that’s why the Mumin (believer) asks Allah for good halal provision that helps him carry out righteous work that brings him closer to his lord. Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Envy is not justified except in two cases: one who, having been given (knowledge of) the Qur'an by Allah and he reauthors it during the night and day (and also acts upon it) and a man who, who has been given wealth by Allah, and he spends it during the night and the day (for the welfare of sh3er, seeking the pleasure of Allah). Hadith number in Sahih Muslim [Arabic only]: 1350
1.14 The Size of Each Human Being is According to the Size of his righteous work
There are some righteous deeds that are difficult for the mind to conceive such as building an orphanage, building an educational institution that teaches Islam, building a hospital, building accommodation for the youth, giving generously and in abundance to the poor and needy and building a developmental project that supports the Ummah. Ways that bring closer to the creator are as many as the creations. In this world, your size in the sight of Allah is as same as the size of your righteous work. When the angel of death comes to the human being, the human being regrets nothing but one thing… the righteous deed. Allah says:
“[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says,
"My Lord, send me back. That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.”
When one dies, one loses everything in one second. All of that which he has collected in a life time, he loses in one second. Once his heart stops, everything is over, all his money belong to someone else now. One who regrets the most is he who lived poor to die rich. One who regrets the most is one whose inheritors enter paradise due to his money while he enters hell fire due to his money.
1.15 Spending Halal Money to help Solve People Problems
Dear brothers and sisters, you will be asked one question about your life, one question about your heyday, one question about your knowledge. However, you will be asked two questions about your money, where did you get it from? And what did you spend it on? Money is the foundation of life. The heroism of a believer is to know how to earn the Halal (legitimate) money and how to spend it in the right directions.
The options of righteous work for he who has collected halal money are endless. If the road towards halal earning is clear and according to the law of Allah glorified and exalted be He then you should take that road because if you become wealthy out of halal money, out of legal ways then the options of righteous work available to you become endless. On the other hand, if earning money is on the detriment of your religion, on the detriment of your values and principles, then know for sure that poverty is a badge of honor for you.
Supplication:
We beseech you Allah to show us the way of rightness, together with those to whom You have showed it; and give us good health, together with those whom You have healed; and be our Protector, together with those for whom You have become their Protector; and bless us in what You have bestowed on us and save us from the afflictions that You have decreed, for You rule with justice and You are never judged. He whom You protect shall never be humiliated and he whom You make enemy shall never be exalted. Blessed and dignified are You, and we thank You for what You have decreed.
We seek your forgiveness and we repent our bad deeds, O, Allah lead us to do the best of deeds, as you are the only one who leads to them, and lead us to the best of morals as you are the only one who leads to them.
O, Allah make us do well in the religion which is our dignity and make our lives good for it is our living and make us safe on the day of judgment for it is our final destination please make the life our supply for all good things and make the death a rest from every evil our master the Lord of all worlds.
O, Allah please make me with what You have made lawful needless of what You have made unlawful and make me with Your benevolence independent of all sh3er.
O, Allah, by your mercy grant victory to the word of truth and to this religion, and grant triumph to Islam, dignify Muslims, make the Musliims victorious in all countries, n Iraq and Palestine, and in all countries of this world O Lord of the worlds, Oh Allah show us Your might towards Your enemies.
