Grateful & Humble, Backbiting, You Know...
Issue 341 » August 26, 2005 - Rajab 20, 1426
General
| Living the Quran |
Al-Muminun
(The Believers) Grateful and Humble
Whatever the nature of sacrifice, and whether big or small tangible or intangible, offer it in gratitude and humility. It so often happens that one begins to get weary and tired of giving in the way of Allah. One, then, begins to say, 'We have already spent so much time; we have already given so much money; how much more shall we give?; we have already made so many sacrifices; what else is required of us?' This will happen only if you are making sacrifices not to please Allah alone; but then you are motivated by something else. Or, when you do not realize that you should indeed be grateful to Him for every opportunity you get to offer some sacrifice. Also offer every sacrifice in all humility. Let us be very clear that whatever things you sacrifice, you do not give it to some person, nor to some organization. Nor do you give it to Allah, though He is Merciful and Generous enough to say that whatever you give is a loan to Him, which shall be repaid manifold. You give everything to yourselves. Does one ever get tired of giving more and more to himself? Now this is not selfishness. It only means that we believe that our ultimate prosperity lies in submission to the will of Allah. Through sacrifice we seek our betterment in this life and we desire a successful, eternal life in the Hereafter. At the same time, every sacrifice we make, everything we give in the way of Allah, makes our community stronger. Therefore be grateful to Allah for having given you the opportunity to sacrifice, for having called upon you to serve Him, for having blessed you with the ability to offer something in His way. Things might have been otherwise. We might have been left wandering astray: we might not have been given the opportunity to sacrifice wealth and thus reap eternal reward. You should therefore give every sacrifice in the spirit of gratitude. To Him you should look for acceptance. And also humility. You should never have the feeling of having done enough. Once the disease creeps into your heart that you have done enough, then all is lost. You should always think that whatever sacrifice you may offer, it is still nothing compared to the obligations you have to discharge towards Allah. Being fearful of never having given away enough is very fundamental to your sacrifice. Source: |
| Understanding the Prophet's Life |
| Dealing with backbiting Know that it is upon the one who hears a Muslim being backbitten to oppose it and prevent the one doing the backbiting. If he is not able to prevent him with his speech, then he should stop him with his hand. If he is neither able to do so with his hand or with his tongue, then he should get up and leave that gathering. Abu ad-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever turns away from (harming) the honour of his brother, Allah will turn his face away from the Hellfire on the Day of Judgment." Jabir Ibn Abdillah and Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with them) said: “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘No (Muslim) person abandons another Muslim in a place where his sanctity will be violated and his honour will be lowered, except that Allah will abandon him in a place that he would love to have His support. And no (Muslim) person aids another Muslim in a place where his sanctity will be violated and his honour will be lowered, except that Allah will aid him in a place that he would love to have His support.’” Muadh Ibn Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever accuses a Muslim of anything, desiring to disgrace him, Allah will withhold him over the bridge of the Hellfire until he takes back what he said.” Source: |
| Contemplation |
| You know... One morning, something can change, something has changed... You turn your face, your eyes, your heart and your hopes towards another Reality. One instant, one second, far from human beings, from their doubts, from their wounds. And the Universe speaks to you of the heart of its evidences: «Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day there are indeed signs for people of insight » You know... And you come back to yourself... to the heart of your inner universe. It is never easy... this quest for meaning, for simplicity. To forget your doubts, your weaknesses, your wounds, your tears, your failures... and to find in yourself the authentic question, your secrete sincerity, your fragility. Alone, in a silence that belongs only to you, simply, softly, tenderly. To find yourself again... in the sacred place that He alone knows, and you. « We shall show them our signs in the horizons and in themselves so that it will become clear to them that this is the Truth” You know... A quest for meaning, a quest for simplicity, a quest for love, a quest for truth. A search. One morning something has changed. You, your gaze, your life. A paradox. To learn to love and to resist yourself... within the same outburst, with the same strength. To love the light of the heart’s humility, at the centre, and to resist the shadows of the mind’s arrogance, at the periphery. To resist the prisons of self-importance and blindness of the heart and to love the liberations of the mind seeking light and peace. « Do the people think that they will be left alone for they have said ‘We believe’ and that they would not be tested?” You know ... The test of the inner peace... an infinite quest of His signs, of Good, of Beauty, of Love. To know He is here and that one has but to unceasingly go towards Him. And everything changes: the universe, human beings, your life... “To change the life” said the poet... and the life has changed as you change in the proximity of the essential. You seek, you observe, you cry. To speak to Him of your tears close to the Truth. He knows, you know... Your tears are your love; your tears are your freedom « And God invites you to the dwelling of Peace... » You know... Deep in your self there exists a dwelling of a language without words. The sadness of the world has offered you the smile of the essential...Freedom and Peace. A prayer with no request. You know... Source: |
