Noticeable phenomenon in the Islamic world:

 Dear brother, there is a noticeable phenomenon in the Islamic world which is the few cases of psychological disorders therein, whereas the ratio of psychological patients in the western world reaches 155 percent among people, to the extent that some of them are treated twice of a psychological episodes or depression (which is the most epidemic disorder in the western world).
 If we look for a scientific answer to the following question: What is the reason behind the decreased numbers of psychological disorders in the Islamic world?
 The answer will be: it is the faith in Allah.

“To Allah belongs what He withdraws and what He bestows”:

 The prophet PBUH said:

((To Allah belongs what He withdraws and what He bestows))

[Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Nasaa’ee]

 This is considered to be all-inclusive, sufficient, briefed and beneficial Hadith, namely, whatever you own is bestowed upon you from Allah, and whatever you miss is because of Allah’s decree.
 A Bedouin who was leading a flock of sheep was asked once, to whom do these sheep belong to? To which he answered: They belong to Allah under my care.
 And Allah the Almighty said:

((Say (O Muhammad): "O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom))

[Aal-‘Imran, 26]

((Possessor of the kingdom,))

[Aal-‘Imran, 26]

 This means: everything which is owned belongs to Allah, and accordingly, the human being owns nothing, and all the possessions belong to Allah.

((Once a Bedouin came to him (i.e., the Prophet) and roughly grabbed his garment (a Najranee cloth) to the point that it caused a graze and said: “O Muhammad! Give instructions so that I would get some of the wealth of Allah that you have with you (in the Muslim treasury).” All that the Prophet did was smile – If this Bedouin did the same to someone else other than Muhammad PBUH, he would have cut off his head, he said: He said the truth, it is the wealth of Allah!- and then he commanded the person in charge (of the treasury) to confer him from the reserve.))

[Bukhari]

 The following Ayah confirms that meaning:

((And spend of that whereof He has made you trustees))

[Al-Hadid, 7]

 You are nothing but a trustee of what you have, thus, you don’t own things rather than they are at your trust.
 What can we deduce from this incident?
 The Hadith:

((To Allah belongs what He withdraws …))

[Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Nasaa’ee]

 The Prophet, PBUH, wept on the death of his son, Ibrahim, so Abu Darr asked him: Are you crying O, messenger of Allah?, to which he said:

(("The eyes shed tears and the heart feels pain, but we utter only what pleases our Lord. O Ibrahim! We are aggrieved at your demise."))

 Because Allah took him (he died).

Crucial turn:

 The son of one of the companions fell sick and died; so his wife said: "Nobody should mention his death to his father before I do." When her husband came home and inquired about his son, she said: "He is in peaceful now ;" so he thought that she meant their son had recovered. She served him his dinner, then she put on her best clothes and perfume, and he went to bed with her. The next day when he wanted to see his son she said to him: "What would you say if someone lends another something? Could he refrain from repaying it? He replied, "No" she said, "Our son was just a deposit from Allah and He regained him." This companion narrated this story to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) who said to him: "Allah blessed you last night."
 It was reported that she got pregnant that night and she gave birth to a son who later had 10 sons who became of Quran Huffaz (who memorizes Quran by heart).
 If you believe beyond doubt that what you have been bestowed is a favor from Allah and at any time He might restore it, then you will never be taken by surprise.
 Is it possible!?
 I know a wealthy man who owns a factory, he abandoned Salah and stopped believing in Allah after his son died, asking the question: Why did my son die?
 Well, the prophet’s son died too, what did he do?

The best thing learnt by servants is Tawheed (Monotheism):

 When one believes, he will have less psychological disorders, better yet, he will be free of those disorders because Tawheed (monotheism) is a comfort zone to be resorted to, as Tawheed is all about connection with Allah the All-seeing, The Observer, and the One who controls everything:

((Say "In Whose Hand is the sovereignty of everything (i.e. treasures of each and everything)))

[Al-Mu’minun, 88]

((And to Him return all affairs (for decision) ))

[Hud, 123]

 Servants have never learnt anything better than Tawheed (Monotheism).

If Allah is with you who will be against you:

 The Ayaht of Tawheed are marvelous, like the following Ayah:

((Whatever of mercy (i.e.of good), Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it ))

[Fatir, 2]

 Namely, if Allah gives you, no party on earth can prevent Allah’s gift, and if Allah withdraws anything from you, by Allah the closest family members, even your wife.will break away from about you
 A man said to me in tears that his wife said to him: If you were dying and you needed a glass of water I will never give it to you.
 Another man was beaten by his own son.
 There is a great statement that goes: If Allah is with you, who will be against you, and if Allah is against you who will be with you?
 When Allah is against you, your closest family member will dare to hit you, and if Allah is by your side, he will subjugate your enemy and put him at your disposal.
 The meaning of the Ayah:
 Dear brother the meaning of the following Ayah:

((And I endued you with love from Me))

[Ta-Ha, 39]

((If Allah has loved a servant [of His], he makes him beloved to His creatures.))

 He will be beloved to people.
 In another Hadith:

((Whoever is sincere with Allah, Allah will fill the hearts of believers with affection and mercy towards him))

 People’s love is a sign of Allah’s content upon you.
 You should learn the following divine law:
 Allah said:

((And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs ))

[Aal-‘Imran, 159]

 When you have enough mercy in your heart, you become lenient, gentle, merciful, and fair, and on the other hand, when you turn away from Allah, your heart becomes ruthless which leads to cruel attitude and thereupon people will break away from about you.
 Hence the equation goes as follows:
 Connection with Allah> mercy> leniency> people will follow you.
 Turning away from Allah> harshness> cruelty> people will break away from about you.
 This is a divine law. Therefore:

((To Allah belongs what He withdraws and what he bestows))

[Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Nasaa’ee]

Outstanding supplication:

 The most outstanding supplication related to this topic is the following:

((O Allah! Just as You bestowed me with that which I love, make it a source of help to me in fulfilling all that You love. O Allah! Whatever You kept away from me of the things which I love [but were harmful for me], make them a source of freedom for me so that I may be able to fulfill all that You love.))

[Tirmidhi]

 You are between two situations, the first is when you get what you wish for and the second is when you don’t get it, so if the situation was the former then use it in the right cause, and if the situation was the latter then make what you couldn’t get a source of freedom so that you may be effective in the right cause.
 When man earns money, he should invest it in the right cause, and if that income is limited and he has spare time he should use the latter, where does the spare time come from? It comes from having limited resources.
 If you are an employee for example and your work finishes at 2 PM then you are free the rest of the day and you should use that time in the right cause.

This is heroism:

 By the way:

((For sure We are ever putting (men) to the test.))

[Al-Mu’minun, 30]

 We will be put to test twice, the first test is with things you are given, and the second test is with things which are withdrawn from you, and triumph lies in both: bestowing and withdrawing, moreover, sometimes withdrawing is bestowing in its gist.

Be with Allah, and Allah will be with you
Turn loose from all people and watch your greediness
And if He bestows you who can prevent Him
And who is able to give you if he withdraws from you?
***

When does the believer attain happiness:

 Dear brother, when we pay our condolences to someone, we usually say very nice words such like: May Allah multiply your reward, to which the other person replies: May Allah bless you for your visit.
 Among the words recommended by the prophet PBUH to be said in such occasions is also:

((To Allah belongs what He withdraws and what he bestows))

 One of us should look at incidents as something that happened within Allah’s decree, and every affliction has a reason behind it.

((A servant will never reach the reality of faith until he acknowledges that whatever afflicts him would never have missed him and whatever has missed him would never have afflicted him))

[Tabarani in great Mu’jam and Ahmad]

 There is no blaming in the believer’s dictionary of words, which results in his happiness, but if he/she kept saying: “If only”, this word breaks the heart, and it might cause a heart attack, as the agony of regret is unbearable. This is why the prophet PBUH prohibited us from saying the word: If only, however, this word is mentioned in Quran.

What about the positive “If only” in the Quran?:

 Allah says:

((If they (non-Muslims) had believed in Allah, and went on the Right Way (i.e. Islam) We should surely have bestowed on them water (rain) in abundance.))

[Al-Jinn, 16]

 “IF only” in this Ayah is of a positive nature and it is most needed, because when someone refrained from paying Zakat, he is actually destroying his money, so if he said between him and himself: If only I paid zakat, my money would have never been destroyed, this will be a right thing to say and you can say it as much as you wish, as it is considered of a positive nature.
 Same goes with saying: If only I lower my gaze, I would have gotten a happy family, if only I did what I had to do, people will never point a finger at me, and if only I feared Allah in my goods, Allah would never have put the fear of sh3er in my heart.

A word to the wise:

 When you fear Allah if you were a merchant, putting Him in your account when you sell and buy, no one in the world will frighten you, but if it is not the case, and you were like those merchants who sell ignorant customers defective goods for a high price thinking that they are shrewd, Allah will fill their hearts with the fear of people.

Ponder over the following beautiful Ayah:

 Ponder over the following beautiful 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.), 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).))

[Ar-Rum, 41]

 It is out of profound wisdom that Allah punishes the one who performs oppression and evil deeds by letting him taste his own poison, why is that? It is for a noble purpose, Allah said:

((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). ))

[Ar-Rum, 41]

 Hence, any wrong deed you perform, you will be disciplined by Allah, and this discipline is out of His mercy:

((If they (Jews) belie you (Muhammad) say you: "Your Lord is the Owner of Vast Mercy, and never will His Wrath be turned back from the people who are Mujrimun (criminals, polytheists, sinners, etc.)."))

[Al-An’am, 147]

 The Hadith:

((To Allah belongs what He withdraws and what he bestows))

[Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Nasaa’ee]

Great stories of companions’ history:

 I mentioned in the Nabulsi Mosque once that one of the companions promised the prophet PBUH to be sincere, honest and a well wisher for every fellow being, so once he sent his servant to buy a horse. The servant made a deal for 300 dirhams and brought the seller with him for collecting the price. The companion looked at the horse and realized that the seller had "undervalued" it. He started renegotiating with him and asked him if he would agree for 400 dirhams. He agreed. Then he enquired how about five hundred, to which the seller happily nodded his head. He continued bargaining till he increased the price and finally bought the horse for 800 dirhams.
 The people who were witnessing the unusual bargain later asked him the reason for pushing up the price from 300 to 800 dirhams. The companion explained: "I have given him (seller) a fair price because I had promised the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to always be sincere, honest and a well wisher for every fellow being". (Since the seller was not aware of the true price of the horse, so being a Muslim it was his duty to pay him the right price.)

When you fear Allah nothing frightens you:

 I know a successful merchant who told me about something he did and I admired a lot; he said that he bought imported goods for eight and a half as a price, but he couldn’t sell it even for half its price and this was painful to him. So, a young merchant stepped into his store (still a novice in this business), so this friend of mine offered the young merchant his stagnant goods and asked for eight and a half for it, so the young merchant agreed (out of ignorance) and he was ready to pay its price saying that it worth it, and when he was about to go and bring the money, my friend stopped him and said: hold it, I will not sell it to you for eight and half but for five only, you are still a novice in this business and paying that much will bankrupt you so go and don’t buy it.
 He feared Allah to sell this good to that young man for eight and a half while he couldn’t sell it himself for even five, but out of fearing Allah he didn’t want to take advantage of that naïve young man.
 Hence, when you fear Allah, nothing will frighten you, and when you don’t fear Allah, your own shadow will frighten you, because Allah the Almighty said:

((We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, because they joined sh3er in worship with Allah))

[Aal-‘Imran, 151]

Dread is the ultimate punishment to mankind:

 Dear brother, fear is the ultimate punishment to mankind, namely:

((And Allah puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well content; its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favours of Allah (with ungratefulness). So Allah made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad) which they (its people) used to do.))

[An-Nahl, 112]

(( (He) Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear.))

[Quraish, 4]

Today’s speech:

 Dear brother, in the respect of this Hadith:

((To Allah belongs what He withdraws and what he bestows))

[Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, and Nasaa’ee]

 This Hadith adjusts your balance, makes you stable, as you won’t regret a thing, and you will never say “If only”, instead, you will do the best you can, and you will put your trust in Allah, and praise be to Allah the Lord of all worlds.

Supplication:

 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.
 Praise be to Allah, The Lord (The One and Only) of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon our master, Prophet Muhammad, the Truthful and the Faithful.
 O, Allah, give us and don’t deprive us, dignify us and don’t humiliate us, choose us and don’t turn away from us, please us and be pleased with us, O Allah, our Lord! Grant peace and blessings to Sayyidina Muhammad, upon his Family and his Companions.