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Friday Talks |
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Be contented with what Allah gave you.
Written by: Sk Abd-Razzag Taher Farih
Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa
06 April 2018
20 Rajab 1439.
Dearly beloved,
One day the prophet ppbu sat down and asked his companions: {Who would take a few words from me and he would follow them; or teach others to follow them?} Abu-Huraira said: I will, O messenger of Allah. The messenger then took Abu-Huraira’s hand and counted to five, then said: {Avoid; and be fearful of anything forbidden; then you would be the most devout of all people. And accept and be satisfied with what Allah gives to you then you would be the richest of all people. And treat well your neighbour then you will be a true believer (or a true person of faith). And love for all people what you would love for yourself then you would be a Muslim. And do not laugh far too much. For too much laughter kills off the heart}. This was the advice that the first teacher (ppbu) gave the brightest student Abi-Hurairah may God be pleased with him. His advice for Abi-Hurairah is an advice for the entire nation. That is because the essence is in the general intended meaning and scope rather than by the specific reason or specific person or recipient of the word.
We, on this Friday, talk about the second point of this great advice: “and be satisfied or contented with what Allah gives to you then you would be the richest of all people”. Meaning, be contented, pleased and satisfied with what Allah decides for you; then you would be the richest of all people. Therefore, in reality, being rich is not measured in the abundance of money. That is because many people whom Allah has made rich in money, they are not contented and not satisfied with what they were given. In fact they are constantly and persistently active in trying to increase what they have. Some don’t even care how or where money comes from. The way they are active in making money is as if they are so poor and desperately need more in order to survive.
Richness; is being rich within. The one who can be called rich is that who is contented with what Allah Has given him/her. It is that who is not extremely active in multiplying it without the need to do so. One; who is not so persistent when asking. One; who is contented with his share which is granted to him by Allah, as if he has plentiful. On the other hand, the one who is poor within is on the opposite side of the scale. He is never pleased with what he was given. The poor is the one who is in constant search for more; and in any way possible. It is the one who if an opportunity is missed then he becomes real depressed and troubled. He always feels poor for money just because he never feels rich with what he is given.
The messenger ppbu said: {being rich is not by the abundance of the earthly materialistic possessions or wealth or earthly debris and wreckage. Richness is being rich within, the self-sufficiency}. That also means; that there should not be longing or greed for what other people have. The rich is the one who is contented.
Some scholars explained the verse in the Quran which reads: {Whosoever does right, whether male or female, and is a believer, then we shall make them live a good life, and We shall reward them in proportion to the best of what they used to do.} 16:97. Scholars explained “we shall make them live a good life” by: “contentment”. There is an old expression which says: “Contentment is an endless treasure”. That is because it flourishes from the richness of the heart that has strong faith and certainty. Whoever becomes contented then they get blessed in what they have.
The messenger ppbu says: {Allah loves the rich slave who is pious (or devout) and invisible or does not seek to appear on the seen}. Rich here means the one who is rich at heart. That is clear by what the messenger ppbu said in another hadeeth: {O Allah, make his richness in his heart}.
Be contented with what Allah has decided or decreed for you, then you would be the richest of all people. Always remember what the messenger ppbu said: {if the morning comes to any of you with him and his family are secure or safe from all harm, and physically healthy in the body, and possess provision for the day (has food for a day) then he is as if he possessed the whole world}. The messenger ppbu also said: {Successful is the one who enters the fold of Islam and is provided with sufficient or enough sustenance, and Allah makes him contented with what He has bestowed upon him}
Be contented with what Allah Has given you then you would be the richest of all people. Be contented with your family, your people, with your income, with your form of transport, with your children; boys and girls, with your job. Be contented with anything that you have, whether it be plentiful or little, then you would be the richest of all people. You will then find happiness, tranquillity and peace. The messenger ppbu explained to us that contentment is one of the reasons that encourages and inspires being thankful to Allah. The reason for becoming the richest of all people if you are contented; is that whoever is contented and pleased with what Allah has given them then there is nothing that they desperately need.
Being rich is not to be rich with money, or rich with the children or rich with status but being rich is being self-rich, and contentment is knowing that riches and honour come from being with Allah. On the other hand, discontentment is like being poor and in need, and it is humiliation in front of others. This who is never pleased or never contented will never have enough, and will always be hungry. If you see someone who has more money, or more offspring; then remember that there is someone else who has less money or less children than you. Look at those who are below you; and do not look at those who are above you. The messenger ppbu said: {Look at those who are lower than you (financially) but do not look at those who are higher than you, lest you belittle the favours Allah conferred upon you}. Or just in case you start not appreciating Allah’s blessings on to you. Always remember that no matter how poor you get, there is always those who are poorer than you. And no matter how sick you get there are those who are sicker than you. And you are; as rich as the level of contentment with what Allah Has bestowed upon you.
A poet once said:
One fears for getting poor and lack of feed,
While being poor is better than riches that encourage wrong deeds
Stick to contentment and you shall be a king,
Even if it only means some rest for your tiring body and limbs
And look at those who owned the world and took the throne,
Did they take anything with them, just a shroud and a bit of cologne?
Imam Shafee said: “If you have a contented or satisfied heart then you and whoever own the world are the same”.
We ask Allah to separate us by great distances with any Haram; as much as the distances¡ He placed between the heavens and the earth.
Notes:
Adhan - The call to prayer.
Ahmad (Ahmed)- Another name for the messenger Muhammad (PPBU).
Allah - The Arabic word for "god." It is often used as a name for God in Islam.
- The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
- is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Aya (or Ayah):
- is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa)
Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life.
- talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.
Duaa: a prayer in the form of
Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh - Religious law.
Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.
Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman: belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.
Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."
Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.
Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".
Khutbah - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran - Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid - A center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah: is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.
Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.
Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.
- Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara - Christians. Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.
Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise - Another word for heaven. A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
- PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
- Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk - Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam- Fasting
Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.
Surah - A chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.
Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor - The Psalms
Zakat - The third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
