Redefining The Way We Look at Problems

Nobody will live this life without being tested and being put into difficulties. Our hearts will never rest from worries as uncertainties tries to shake our beliefs. We sleep in the nights hoping problems fade away but end up waking up in the morning with more problems. This is the depiction of our everyday lives, and the struggle to maintain hope in Allah, that everything happens for a reason and nothing more than goodness of tomorrow.

As Stephen Covey, an educator, once said with regards to problems, the bigger the changes that we want to make, the more difficult the challenges become. The problems and pains will be ever-increasing as we try to achieve higher things.

But that is a matter of perspective. If you look at how big, hard and impossible seems our problems may be perceived, the mercy of Allah is greater and is ever-increasing! We meddle too much in our problems such that we fail to acknowledge what He provides us yesterday, today and tomorrow. Yesterday, we were given chances to make the change. Today, this is the chance to make that change. And as for tomorrow, at least Allah has given us the space in our hearts to hope. To hope for a better future and to hope that whatever happened yesterday or is happening today, will pave the path of tomorrow.

Thus, as Covey wrote, "we need to identify and apply the principle or natural law that governs the results you seek."

In order to do this, we must open ourselves to honesty and to look deep into our hearts in order to seek the root of the problems. And to reflect, is a gift from Allah. It is a guidance towards better understanding of knowledge and it gives us the ability to extract values from lessons.

People fear and they feel insecure. The future is uncertain, this fears us because it is beyond our control - we cannot do anything about fate and destiny but to control our expectation such that, we hope it will meet reality. What really happens is, we don't put our belief in the process of which if we do our part, Allah will do the rest. Thus, insecurity that is not handled well, kills hope.

The danger of hopelessness is that it kills ambitions. Negativity in our mind drains our hope. We choose to not believe. Because hope is a matter of choice, given the right paradigm of mind.

Thus I want to propose a solution. Put your reliance in Allah.

"If only you relied on Allah a true reliance, He would provide sustenance for you just as He does the birds: They fly out in the morning empty and return in the afternoon with full stomachs." (Tirmidhi, ibn Majah)

This can be translated through your actions. Make intentions for the sake of Allah. Define problems with relation of the way of Allah. Be proactive and execute actions in the way of Allah. And hope for the sake of Allah that whatever the problems is, He gave it so that we can talk to Him. He wants us to talk to Him, to yearn for Him. He wants our love. He wants us to make that extra du'a and He misses our du'a. And that's why sometimes He delays our du'a. So that He can have more time with us.

This is where the challenge comes: To be firm with our hearts to Allah, no matter how bad the circumstances looks like. Find knowledge, practice it, and strengthen your belief and conviction to none other but Him. For Allah is Al-Wakeel, that he controls His worshipers’ affairs and takes care of them.

I will end with this hadith:

The Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) was asked, “O Messenger of Allāh, which of the people are the most sorely tested?”

He said: “The Prophets, then those similar, then those similar. A man will be tested in accordance with his level of faith. If his faith is strong, he will be tested more severely, and if his faith is weak, he will be tested in accordance with his faith. Calamity will keep befalling a person until he walks on the earth with no sin on him.”

(Tirmidhi)

InsyaAllah, verily, with hardship comes ease.

Author: Asyraf
Photo Credit: Bokeh City Lights by Trevor Diaz

Rohingyans: The (Almost) Forgotten Muslims

The Rohingyas reside in the Arakan (Rakhine) State in Burma. It is estimated that there are 800,000 Rohingyas in Arakan, constituting one-third of the population. The Rohingyas reside mainly in North Arakan and comprise 80% of the population there.

Rohingya Muslims are the most persecuted humans of the world declared by the United Nations. Doctors Without Borders calls them among the most likely to be extinct.

Since 1942, they have been facing more than 15 massacres in which thousands of people lost their lives in each massacre. They are not accepted as being a citizen of Burma from the time of late 1970s. They are not allowed to get any kind of government jobs. They are not allowed to go to any public schools, colleges, and universities. They are not allowed to open a bank account and do official transactions. They are not allowed to get married without the government's permission and to get the permission, they have to bribe the officials and wait for 2 years. Even then, only 3-5% of people get it. Most of the people are very poor and their only source of income comes from cultivating their lands. But wth every massacre, their lands have been snatched and occupied by the Buddhists and they are expelled to concentration camps.

Since no international media and human rights organizations are allowed to get in, it is difficult to get an accurate numerical picture of what is happening there. The numbers vary from 800 killed in the current round of genocide to tens of thousands raped, killed, and made homeless. At least 100,000 are in the concentration camps.

Source: Burma Task Force Canada (www.burmamuslims.org)

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Verily, Allah does not and will not forget any type of oppression done onto anyone. If the score isn't settled here, then it will be settled in the Hereafter.

Allah does not forget and we should try our best not to.

May Allah save the Rohingyans. Ameen.

Posted by Aiman Azlan (Toronto)
Photo by Leticia Chamorro

6 Ways to Think Good of Others

The following is a translation of this Facebook note: bersangka baik itu kan bagos :)

1. When you meet someone, be sure that he is better than you. Say it in your heart, “Maybe his status with Allah is higher than mine.”

2. When you meet a young boy, say it in your heart, “This child hasn’t done a single sin yet, where as I’ve done a lot. Surely this boy is better than me.”

3. When you meet an old man, say it in your heart, “He has worshipped Allah longer than I have, surely he is better than me.”

4. When you meet someone knowledgeable, say it in your heart, “This person possesses a blessing that is lacking in me, obtained a status that I couldn’t achieve, knows what I don’t know, and he acts upon his knowledge. Surely he is better than me.”

5. When you meet someone ignorant, say it in your heart, “He does Allah wrong out of his ignorance, while I do Him wrong when I’ve already known better not to do so. And I do not know how I will be at the end of my life and at the end of his.”

6. When you meet a kafir, say it in your heart, “I do not know of his fate in the future. Maybe in the end of his life he will become a Muslim and practice the Deen well. And maybe it’s possible that in the end of my life I will become a kafir and commit wrongdoings.”

There is no harm in thinking good of others as oppose to having ill thoughts about them that can cause you to sin. Things that are not clear do not need to be thought of as evil and negative because that might just be the shaytaan talking in your head.

Allah knows best.

Posted by Aiman Azlan (Toronto)
Photo by Sodanie Chea

Moderation in Reminding People

A Lesson from Sheikh Abdallah Adhami

The Companions taught their students: "Remind people, if you must, not more than 'once' a week; and never more than twice a week — if 'they' beg you to."

Even Ibn Mas'ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) was so considerate in his reminders to us so as not to bore or overwhelm us." (Agreed-upon).

Amazing! The one whom people would listen to forever, even he was cautious to not burden his Companions, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

They did actually elaborate further: "Never interrupt the worldly conversation of a people and tell them: ‘Let me share a verse from the Quran with you’."

Ibn Ḥibbān even narrated in his ṣaḥīḥ, from 'Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) an explicit exhortation to "not interrupt 'any' conversation of people" (in order to remind them).

Subhanallah, indeed the Prophet was gentle with people.

"So by mercy from Allah , [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you." (Surah Ali Imran: 159)

Posted by Aiman Azlan (Toronto)
Photo by Johan Larsson

The Intention for Seeking Knowledge

The following was taken from Qurba's course entitled "Marriage: In Partnership Towards Allah".

Introduction

This noble intention was penned by the illustrious scholar of Tarim, Hadramawt, Imam Abdallah bin Alawi al-Haddad, may Allah enshroud him in His mercy. He was blind from a very young age but grew in knowledge and stature to become the foremost educator in the Islamic sciences and spirituality of his time. His books are published until this day and he continues to be a source of benefit for many around the world.

May Allah benefit us by him. Ameen.

Imam al-Dhahabi (Allah have mercy on him) points out to the signs of having a sincere intention or otherwise. He mentions that the one who seeks knowledge for the sake of Allah Most High, then that knowledge creates in him humility, humbleness, and the fear of Allah.

And the one who seeks knowledge for worldly gains, he becomes proud with his knowledge, thus argues and quarrels with other Muslims. (See: al-Muqizah, p. 65. Thanks to Dar al-Iftaa Leicester for this note).

The Intention for Seeking Knowledge

In the Name of God, Most Merciful, Compassionate. All praise to Allah, Lord of the worlds. And salutations and greetings upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

I intend to study and teach, to take and give a reminder, to take and give benefit, to take and give advantage, to encourage the holding fast to the book of Allah and the way of his messenger, upon him be peace. And calling to guidance and directing towards good, hoping for the countenance of Allah and His pleasure, proximity and reward, Transcendent is He.

The scholars have said that intention should be in the heard, but there is no harm in saying it on the tongue. There is no prohibition in it. In fact, saying it on the tongue i.e. talking to yourself is a good way of putting your intention to the heart. If you don't have the intention, then you don't understand what you are getting yourself into.

Posted by Aiman Azlan (Toronto)
Photo by epSos.de