Saturday, 7 August 2021

New Hijri Year: Turn Over a New Leaf

The New Hijri Year occasion is a time for reflection, assessment, and planning for the coming year.

One should seize this occasion by assessing his work in the past year(s) and planning to lead a better life in the coming year.

It’s high time for reflecting on and studying one’s relationship with God, with his own self, and with people.

In the occasion of the new year, one remembers that days and years that pass bring him closer to the time of his death. Therefore, he should prepare himself for departing the world by improving his relationship with God and with people.

After death, one will miss the great opportunity of correcting his mistakes and will then get the outcome of his work in this world. The new year constitutes a real opportunity for correcting one’s mistakes before it is too late.

Checking one’s deeds in this world helps in realizing one’s shortcomings and correcting his mistakes. The new year, therefore, could be a stop in one’s life to weigh his past deeds and better plan for the future.

According to Umar ibn Al-Kattab’s sincere advice, one should bring himself to account before he is taken to account and weigh his deeds before his deeds are weighed on the Day of Judgment. (Ibn Kathir, Musnad Al-Farooq, vol. 2, p. 618.)

Be Careful, It’s a New Leaf

The new year is like a new leaf. A Muslim should be careful to fill it with what pleases God and helps him lead a happy life in this world and in the hereafter. One’s wrongdoings should be corrected with no delay. We should increase and maintain our good deeds.

At the beginning of the new year, one should check his relationship with God and with people. If one finds out that he fails to carry out some religious duties, he has to resolve to make up for any missed obligations. He should observe his daily prayers, dhikr, religious practices, etc. Also, one should maintain his relationship with people and improve it in case of any mistakes.

Repent, God Accepts It

One should start the new year with repentance and starting a new leaf with God and people. Repentance, with its basic conditions and requirements, is highly recommended. The Prophet (PBUH) said,

“Oh people, repent to Allah, for indeed, I repent to Allah 100 times every day.” (Muslim)

God accepts people’s repentance whatever their sins are. Allah forgives all sins as He, Almighty, is the Most forgiving, the Most Kind. Allah Almighty says,

So, the new year is a golden opportunity for a Muslim to renew and maintain sincere repentance. Repentance, moreover, cannot be considered as valid unless one takes the following steps:{Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} (Az-Zumar 39:35)

1- One must feel deep remorse for the sins one has committed.

2- One must refrain from it totally while also abstaining from all those leads or circumstances that led him to such a sin in the first place.

3- He must be firmly resolved never to sin again, and immediately becoming occupied in whatever good deeds that he can in order to wipe out his past sins.

4- All of the above involve sins violating the rights of Allah; if, however, one’s sins violate the rights of human beings, then he must also do whatever it takes to return or compensate or redress the grievances of the person he has wronged. Paying the aggrieved person his dues or compensating him in whatever ways possible becomes an essential condition of valid repentance.

Once accomplished, repentance, as stated above, will undoubtedly wipe out one’s sins, and guarantee him a clean record. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “One who has repented of a sin (sincerely) is like one who has never sinned at all.”

Don’t Miss the Opportunity

Finally, we should never lose hope in gaining Allah’s pleasure and forgiveness. The new year is like a new leaf that should be filled with good deeds and behaviors. Let’s repent to Allah and maintain good relationship with all people and work to spread Islamic values of justice, freedom, and equality.

The new year occasion is a chance to review one’s deeds and relationship with God and with people. Islamic events constitute opportunities to understand Islam and reform people’s behaviors. Days and years bring one’s closer to his death time; so a Muslim should be careful not to miss any opportunity to translate Islamic teachings into practice.

Friday, 6 August 2021

Migrating Without Moving: Performing Hijrah in Your Daily Life

As a Muslim at any stage in your spiritual development, you will almost certainly come across the most-cited hadith ever:

Indeed actions are [judged] by their intentions, and to every person [the reward for] which he intends.

Narrated through what Hadith scholars refer to as the “Golden Chain,” the hadith of intentions is one of the most authentic hadiths around.

What many of us miss, however, is the not-so-often-cited second half:

Whoever migrates with an intention for Allah and His messenger, the migration will be for the sake of Allah and His messenger. And who ever migrates for worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration will be for the sake of whatever he migrated for.

Some movements have taken this meaning to heart, suggesting that Muslims must physically leave non-Muslim majority societies and move to majority-Muslim countries.

Migration here is the translation of the Arabic term “hijrah,” often referred to the events when the Prophet Muhammad left Makkah to establish the first Muslim community in Yathrib, renamed Madinah or the “City of the Prophet.”

However, most scholars believe that leaving your society is not a requirement as long as you are not in physical danger and are able to comfortably practice your faith.

But the meaning of hijrah goes much deeper than this; and there are several things that you can do that will both improve your faith and make you a better Muslim. These are what I like to call the “mini-hijrahs:” removing yourself from negative and detrimental non-Muslim influences and surrounding yourself with true submission (Islam) in as many aspects of life as possible.

Hijrah of the Eyes

There are also positive changes that you can make. Clean up your home, neighborhood, mosque, and work-space. Remember that hadith: “Cleanliness is half of faith.”?

The first and most obvious of these is to work towards the perfection of that which you see around you. In typical discussions, this means diverting your gaze from things that are forbidden. Not staring at the opposite sex, changing the channel when inappropriate content comes on the television, and avoiding reading material that drives you away from your faith are all parts of this.

It doesn’t just mean having wudu’ but can also be achieved by not littering, cleaning up trash in your neighborhood, or having an organized home and office space.

Another positive hijrah for the eyes is to remember to take time to step away from your daily grind. Take your family to the park or re-connect with nature. Plant a garden, paint, and surround yourself with the beauty of God’s creation.

Hijrah of the Ears

We often pass-off the terrible things we hear every day. Swearing, explicit music, and just overall annoying sounds are things we have become accustomed to.

What we don’t realize, however, is that no matter how much we try, these sounds shape our mood. Do what you can to be aware of these negative sounds and try to avoid them as much as possible.

Take a step back from that friend who swears too much or talks about coworkers behind their backs. Turn down the music at work and avoid areas of town that are known for heavy street noise.

Surround yourself with positive sounds. Listening to the Quran and religious lessons throughout the day are a good start but be careful as even these typically beautiful and beneficial sounds can turn negative.

Anyone who has suffered through a crushingly-loud Quranic recitation or call to prayer can relate, and even the best of us can be turned away from God’s words when they are delivered through a nasty sound system or a lesson given by someone not properly trained.

Combine this hijrah with connecting to nature and listen to the birds or the calming sounds of the ocean. Sometimes, however, the most positive sounds you can hear are nothing, isolating yourself from the sensory overload of our daily lives to reflect in silence.

We’ve all let our tongues get away from us. Gossiping about a co-worker, spreading rumors about extended family members, or even just speaking your feelings when you should have kept your mouth shut. These are problems of the tongue and, as Muslims, we have a responsibility and duty to watch what we say to others as it affects both our well-being and that of others. Remember the Prophet’s words here:

Hijrah of the Tongue

He who believes in Allah and the Last Day must either speak good or remain silent.

Think before you say something the next time you feel you just have to say something and hold in those feelings to speak out no matter how honest it really is. This doesn’t mean that you should lie, but silence is often better than brutal honesty.

These days, the hijrah of the tongue could be extended to that of our fingers as well, as negative social media posts are just as dangerous as strong words.

On the other side of the equation, utilize the positive meaning of the Hadith and speak “good” to others. A good word can really go a long way and positive statements, even those that are sometimes hard to make, can change lives.

Hijrah of the Mind

By combining these “mini-hijrahs,” you will find that it is not just your eyes, ears, and tongue that benefit, but also your mind and heart. Your mind is at the core of all these systems, and training it to be in better submission to its Lord is the first and most important step to being a better Muslim.

Likewise, by being a better member of your community, you can fulfill the deeper meaning of the hijrah as explained by the Prophet Muhammad without taking one step outside your home.

(From Discovering Islam archive)

Thursday, 5 August 2021

What Prophet Said When He Arrived in Madinah

Abdullah ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated,

When the Prophet arrived for the first time in Madinah, I went with everyone to see him. When I saw him, I knew his face was not that of a liar. The first words he said were,

“O people: feed the hungry, spread Salam (greeting of peace), maintain your kin relationships, and pray at night while others are asleep. With this, you shall enter Heaven in peace.” (Al-Bukhari)

Community organizers and leaders of all kinds who share and promote ideas play an important role in spreading values and bringing people together. They have the ability to leverage the collective strength of people to serve the well-being of humanity.

The essence of his message is the well-being of people, and his first words as he entered into the new community of Madinah emphasized that.

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was sincere and had strong, clear conviction in his message. That is why he implemented it first on himself before he took it to others. His sincerity showed on his face, attitude, and body language, lending confidence and credibility to his words and message.

Feed the Hungry

Eliminating hunger starts with everyone recognizing that we share the world’s food resources. We can start to feed the hungry by creating opportunities for people to have healthy meals through social occasions, dedicated outlets or the personal concern on the individual level.

Food is a necessity of survival and a prerequisite for peace. We cannot expect communities and countries to tackle other issues until we have helped them ease the pangs of hunger among their people. Ensuring that everyone is able to find their meals for the day is an important step towards world peace.

Greet with Peace

Ignorance leads to hatred and greeting one another opens the door to learn about one another. It diffuses tension and fosters dialogue.

As we meet each other on the road, while waiting in lines, in classrooms, in the workplace or in social gatherings, warmly greeting each other goes a long way in creating compassion and awareness among one another.

A greeting of peace like “I wish you peace” or “May Allah’s peace be with you today” goes even a step further. In Islam, one of Allah’s names is Peace.

A greeting of peace is a prayer for Allah to send His peace upon each one of us.

Maintain Kin Relations

Family and relatives are an important unit for peace in the world. As families grow and expand, the connection and ties potentially grow weaker. Individuals may find themselves alone, unsupported and without a safety net. Small cliques and competition for power may grow inside the family, and people slowly disconnect from one another.

Renewing and maintaining family ties on a regular basis, even with distant relatives, create opportunities for collaboration and appreciation for one another.

It ensures that everyone belongs with someone, somewhere. In today’s world, we are fortunate that technology has provided means of communication. We can easily stay in touch with other family members.

Pray When Others Are Asleep

There is something special about praying at night. When we are by ourselves in the quiet moments of the night, it is a powerful time to build our connection with Allah.

In an inspiring connection between our spiritual life and physical life, the Prophet lists praying at night along with feeding the hungry, greeting each other and maintaining family ties.

The spiritual connection with Allah is the reactor that gives us the energy to sustain our relationship with others and our service toward them.

By balancing our inner strength and implementing our role towards others, we chart not only a path to peace in our world, but a peaceful path to Heaven as well.

Wednesday, 4 August 2021

Dhikr – 4 Ways to Keep God’s Presence in Your Life

God is present in every aspect of our daily lives. He did not create the world as an experiment, step back, and watch what would happen. He is intimately involved; and as Muslims we are called by the Quran and the example of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to always make dhikr and be aware of God’s presence.

Likewise, God created humans with free will, expressed primarily in our ability to accept or reject His messages and commands. You don’t have to pray, fast, or give charity; but not doing so will mean paying the consequences in both this life and the next.

Over time Muslims, as we are also called to do in the Quran, developed a middle path; we accept both the ultimate power of God’s will as well as humanity’s ability (and necessity) to shape our own destiny.

The balance between free will and the ever-presence and dominance of God’s power is one that has perplexed scholars of theology for centuries. Different schools of thought formed around each position and were in existence before the coming of Islam with the ancient Greeks.

In our current world, where individuality reigns triumphant over all other concerns, the importance of maintaining that balance has become ever the more critical.

The Quran has provided us with the key to resetting the scales and bringing our lives back to where they should be. Through the practice, known as Dhikr, or the remembrance of God, we can help train our minds and spirits to avoid obstacles to our faith and guide us back to the Straight Path of Islam.

Dhikr takes many shapes and forms. This article outlines just some of the ways that each of us can incorporate remembrance into our daily lives.

God’s words are, as mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad, the best of speech. I might suggest, as I have in the past, that dedicating time to reading passages of the Quran every day is an important practice. That still holds true; but even reciting the shortest of passages or chapters in a moment of tension can alleviate stress and help center yourself.1- Reading the Quran

Take chapter Al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112), the shortest chapter of the entire Quran. Even though it contains only four verses, it constitutes one third of the message contained in the Quran:

God is absolute, One, without origin or progeny, and unlike anything else that exists in Creation.

This is the core of Tawhid (Unity of God) and one-half of everything that you need to become a Muslim (with the other accepting His Messenger).

2- Learning, Understanding, and Reciting the Names of God

Ninety-nine in total, the Names of God cover every aspect of His power and influence. Learn them, understand what they mean; use them regularly when calling out to God in your Du’a, or merely when you have a quiet moment alone.

One of the more interesting aspects you will realize about these names is their comprehensiveness. Unlike other religious traditions that see God as only a source for good in the world, you will find many names of God in Islam that seem to stand out differently like “The Most Proud (Al-Mutakabbir)” and “The Abaser (Al-Khafid).” This is because the focus is not the value judgement of God’s power; but rather understanding that God’s power is absolute, and that to find another source of power equal to or greater than God is to commit the sin of associating partners with Him.

3- Connect Yourself to the Prophet (PBUH)

Pick up the famous book of 40 Hadith by Al-Nawawi for starters; learn what scholars for centuries have recommended as essential for every Muslim to know about their Prophet.

As a moral example for all of humanity the life, sayings, and actions of the Prophet Muhammad act as an important way to grow in faith and remember God.

Learn what you can about the Prophet’s life and circumstances. Then, make simple adjustments to your life to incorporate the Prophet’s Sunnah. This could be something as simple as doing the “extras” when you perform wudu or prayer; or even smiling more and being calm and collected in times of tribulation.

4- Find a Community of Remembrance

Finally, re-establishing your balance with God can never be completed alone. Find yourself a community or a group of friends that help you focus on your faith.

For some people that means finding a Sufi circle that conducts regular Dhikr sessions. From those who want to sit quietly and remember God, to physically active groups that will have you sweating by the end of their sessions, there are Sufi groups for a range of different tastes. It doesn’t have to be this way and Sufi practices are not for everybody.

Keeping close to your local mosque community and gathering together for a dinner can be just as beneficial. Maintaining and fostering those connections to other Muslims, no matter how hard it can be at times, is also one of the best ways to remember God.

In conclusion, the lives we live are constantly thrown out of balance. The pressure is on almost everywhere to forget about God and others; and we focus only on pleasing our own personal material desires.

Only through Dhikr and the constant remembrance of God can this balance be re-established. There is no one specific way to accomplish this; and the Quran and Sunnah have given us a collection of tools.

Each one works for a different person at a different time, but all at the end of the day have one goal in mind: Helping you realize that it is not you that is the center of Creation, but God.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive)

Tuesday, 3 August 2021

How to Know Our Lord

Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque in Kuala Terengganu - Malaysia

Man may think that the relationship between him and his Lord is similar to that between children and their parents; that they need them when young and dispense with them when grown up. Their independence may even pull them into ingratitude and forgetfulness of past kindness.

In reality, man’s need for his Lord is eternal, more than an infant for its mother or a plant for light and water. It never ceases.

{Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Who provides for you from the sky and the earth, or Who owns hearing and sight; and Who brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living; and Who directs the course? They will say: Allah. Then say: Will ye not then keep your duty (unto Him)?} (Quran 10: 31)

Man may imagine that he can escape from the consequences of wronging his Lord through some protection here or there.

No Other Refuge

In reality, there is nowhere in the universe where he can hide himself, and no one who can give him that protection. Any refuge he takes away from his Maker is weaker than its seeker:

{Or have they gods who can guard them from Us? They have no power to help themselves, nor can they be protected from Us.} (21: 43)

Whatever faculties mankind has – such as hearing, sight, and feelings – are borrowed from Allah. He may withdraw them any moment He wills, and leave the mightiest of all mankind empty-handed, with nothing but utter weakness.

{Say (to the disbelievers), “Tell me, if Allah took away your hearing and your sight, and sealed up your hearts, who is the god, other than Allah, who could restore them to you?” Behold, how We put forth Our Signs in diverse forms, and yet they turn away from them.} (6: 46)

How to Get to Know God?

This article is a translated excerpt from Shaykh Muhammad Al-Ghazali’s book: The Emotional Side of Islam.

To know Allah is to stand between His Hands, feeling He is what He is and you what you are.

You, with your bare reality, are undecorated, without any pretenses. And He, with His Sacred Self, is absolutely perfect, and free from any defect, want, or insufficiency.

You, as you really are: weak, poor, and imperfect. And He, as He really is: worthy of all exaltation and glorification.

Without a sense of gratitude, man can easily slip into pride and false feelings of adequacy and self-sufficiency, and ultimately independence from Allah. A belief that man is the source of his own sufficiency! That man is his own provider!

He shuns any reminders of being one of the many needy creatures in this wide universe who constantly need their Creator. He sees himself as the product of his own making.

He believes anything he possesses is his right, rather than a bounty from Allah. His own self, in his eyes, gives him power on this earth, and it will empower him in the hereafter.

{And if We let man taste mercy from Us after an adversity that has touched him, he will surely say, “This is what I deserve, and I do not think the Hour will occur; and even if I should be returned to my Lord, indeed, there will be much good (Paradise) stored for me with Him.} (41: 50)

Why should man think that his name is recorded in heaven and that a place is reserved for him with his Lord when he is finished with this life, if he lives his life ungrateful and unmindful of Him?

These are the delusions and empty fancies of proud minds. This is how souls are ruined and their judgment impaired.

Allah created mankind to know and praise Him, not to ignore and deny Him. Allah draws close, with His Mercy, to those who glorify their Lord publicly and privately and do not overstep their human boundaries.

They confess their weakness to Him, and He gives them strength.

They confess their lowliness to Him, and He gives them honor.

They turn from the strength and power of themselves to the strength and power of Allah, and He opens for them the gates of supremacy, success, and fulfillment:

{O you who believe! Fear Allah, and believe in His Messenger, He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy, and provide for you a light by which you shall walk (straight), and He will forgive you (your past).} (57: 28)

In this arrogant age, people are disinterested in heaven, and interested in clinging to earth; trusting the seen world, and deriding the unseen world; showing strong faith in themselves, and too little faith in Allah, Who created them for a purpose much higher than that which they have in view or the end towards which they are working.

They will continue to deprive themselves of heavenly provision as long as they persist on this erroneous path.

They live exposed to anguish after anguish and affliction after affliction:

{And a disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieve because of their deeds (disbelief and denial) or to descend close to their homes, until the Promise of Allah comes to pass. Certainly, Allah does not fail in His Promise.} (13: 31)

It is translated and adapted by Haya Muhammad Eid & edited by Emily Katharine Richardson.

(From Discovering Islam archive)

-aboutislam.net

Monday, 2 August 2021

Your New World: Consider These Steps After Shahadah

This video is about growing and transitioning into your new life as a practicing Muslim.

This might be the most exciting time in your life. You finally know for sure that there is a Creator and that you’ve been created for a purpose.

You now know that He wants you to be successful and that He sent guidance for you.

Not only that, He sent an example of how to implement that guidance: That is the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

When you realize that Islam is the truth and you knew you had to accept it, so you took that step to say the Shahadah, the declaration of faith; you brought witness that there is nothing worthy of worship except the one God (Allah) who created everything, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in fact His last and final Prophet and Messenger.

Think for a moment about how you got to this point in your life: Your story, your journey is uniquely yours. Likewise, moving forward, your journey will continue to be unique.

That took courage. That took conviction. And that took confidence.

From here on now, you’re going to need those things. You’re also going to need a little bit of faith in yourself and a lot of trust in Allah Almighty.

Seek Knowledge

That strong, sturdy ground is knowledge. So every step that you take forward, if it’s based upon sound knowledge, it will be a strong firm step. If you step forward unto something weak and shaky, what will happen? You might fall down.

In Islam, all of our actions must be based upon knowledge. So I want you to think about your path moving forward and think about each step being based upon strong, firm, sturdy ground.

And what that translates into is that you could end up having doubts; you could end up even falling out of the fold of Islam. May Allah protect all of us and save us from that. Ameen.

So you have to move forward and base each step on knowledge. This is just like when you got to the point where you were sure enough to say the Shahadah. You had done research, you had studied, you had had conversations, you had thought it over, and you carefully considered your choice. Just like that, as you move forward, make each step in the same way.

Just now that you got into Islam, your journey has not finished; you have to continue seeking knowledge, continue your relationship with the Quran, and begin improving and embellishing your life with more of the actions from Islam.

So there are certain things which are more important to do first and those are the obligatory actions: The first of which is the salah (the five daily prayers). So that is where you want to focus your energy and focus your studies at this point and begin step by step implementing those prayers into your life.

First Things First

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

The most beloved actions to Allah are those are done consistently even if they are few. (Muslim)

So take your time and implement the prayers and all of the actions that come after that in such a way that you’re able to continue with those actions day after day, week after week, year after year and so on…

These actions will help you in your confidence as you move forward as a new Muslim.

Your journey will be unique. So you know yourself best and you’re going to have to make certain judgments on how you go forward.

You’ve changed a lot inside, your heart has changed and now you’re ready to begin changing your life, but your surroundings have not changed. The people in your life have not changed, most likely, so that can provide a number of challenges.

Well I can’t speak for every particular situation, I can give some general advice for this.

Family and Friends

In Islam, we’re taught to deal kindly with everyone; and we’re taught that Islam is the middle path and to avoid going to extremes. We’re taught to calm people and not to repel them. We are taught to maintain our ties of family; and to respect and honor our parents especially and the rest of the family and humanity at large.

So regarding your family and friends who are not Muslim, I think one of the most important pieces of advice that I can give you is to remember that they all most likely have your best interest in mind. Whatever it is that they do or say from here forward, please remember that it’s probably coming from a place of care, they may be worried about you.

So these are all things that if you keep it in mind, it will help you moving forward; it will help you in your relationships. And you might get off to a rocky start; but it will give you the best possible outcome if you behave and you try to adjust your manners to be in-line as much as possible with Islam.

And try to be patient. Patience is a very virtuous action. Allah said that He rewards patience without account.

Try to be patient and kind towards everyone that you encounter and you interact with.

Interacting with Muslims

The Muslims that you may be interacting with, remember that they also have your best interest in mind; they may want to help you and may not realize that they don’t know you deeply enough to really understand what it is you’re going through and what you need.

When it comes to the Muslims, you have to also have patience.

So be patient with them as well, they’re your brothers and sisters in Islam. Islam teaches us to love one another purely for the sake of Allah because of the fact that we all believe in Him and we’re all striving for the same thing.

So remember to have that love to make excuses for them; remember to be kind and affectionate towards them regardless of what they do and how they treat you. They’re responsible for their actions and you’re responsible for yours, so be sure to behave in the best way possible.

And if you make mistakes, remember that Allah is the most forgiving and all you need to do is turn to Him, ask for forgiveness, and then try better next time.

The Quran

Lastly, I would like to remind you to maintain a relationship with the Quran; most likely it was one of the things that got you to this point, and it is the verbatim words of our Lord, and maintaining a connection with that is critical from now until the day that we die.

This will continue to refresh your Iman; it will continue to inform your decisions; and it will help you stay connected with your purpose in life.

I pray that this video is beneficial to you in your new life and the journey that has not yet ended, that will continue as long as you live in seeking knowledge and becoming a better Muslim, and getting closer to Allah Almighty.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive)

Sunday, 1 August 2021

Never Give Up – The Power of Hope in the Quran

Online dictionaries define hope as the feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen, or feeling that events will turn out for the best.

Never Give up Hope

Hope is something to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence. It is an ethereal quality that enables us to keep going in the direst of circumstances. We keep moving forward with optimism because hope allows us to envisage a better future or a good outcome.

Actually God has supplied us with an unending supply of hope. And when we begin to feel the pangs of hopelessness, we need to remember that God gave us every reason to rely on Him and to hope for His forgiveness and His mercy.

In the hustle and bustle of the twenty first century, hope often gives way to despair. Not because we no longer have reason to hope, but because we are so preoccupied and busy with affairs of this world that we do not give hope the chance to blossom.

We should expect things to turn out for the best and we can look forward to tomorrow with confidence. God has promised us that following His guidance will lead us to the best outcome.

It is easy to forget one of the most essential things pertaining to hope and that is that God, the creator of human kind, understands that at various times in our lives, we will feel like giving into despair.

And to encourage us to look forward with hope, He reminds us consistently that we should never ever despair of His mercy, kindness and forgiveness.

The Quran and the traditions and sayings of Prophet Muhammad abound with references to how much God wants to be Merciful and how much He wants to forgive us.

What Makes us Lose Hope?

People feel terrible when they think that God will not forgive them or is angry with them. It is dark and heavy feeling, and it is also one of Satan’s most useful weapons. Satan uses our despair to push us further away from God.

One of the reasons believers feel anxious and despairing is due to the fact that they have sinned. Sinning makes us feel bad, we are often ashamed and disappointed in ourselves, and when we feel like that over and over, it can easily become hopelessness.

When a person thinks that they will not be forgiven, they may respond by turning away from God. That would be a grave mistake because turning towards God is the one thing that can restore hope.

Almighty God says:

I treat my slave according to his expectations from Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him in My heart; if he remembers Me in a gathering, I remember him in a better and nobler gathering (i.e. of angels), if he comes closer to Me by one span, I go towards him a cubit’s length, if he comes toward Me by a cubit’s length, I go towards him an arm’s length, and if he walks towards Me, I run unto him.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Never Despair

The early Muslims understood that God has what we would nowadays call an open door policy. There is no sin big enough to make a person despair of God’s mercy and forgiveness. No matter how big the sin, God’s mercy is bigger.

The companions of Prophet Muhammad were not angels, they were human beings, they made mistakes and they committed sins. They also had a different understanding of the nature of sin and how it is connected to forgiveness.

Even after all the crimes Pharaoh committed against God and the Children of Israel, God still commanded Moses to speak kindly to him just in case he would ask for forgiveness.

Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, verily, he has transgressed all bounds in disbelief and disobedience and behaved as an arrogant tyrant. And speak to him kindly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear God. (Quran 20:43)

Whatever sin causes your despair, it does not compare to the sins of Pharaoh. As human beings have the ability to make a choice. We can choose despair or we can do as God advises and choose hope.

Say, My servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. (Quran 39:53)
…Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve. (Quran 12:87)

Stress and anxiety seem to be the plagues of this new century. Depression, fatigue and sorrow all try to strip hope away from us.

Hopelessness is becoming more common, isn’t it? Hopelessness is not a new trait, it has been with humankind from the beginning; and from the beginning, God and His Messengers have urged us to be hopeful. They have given us guidance and encouragement.

Whoever asks often for forgiveness, God will provide for him a way out of each concern he has, and will solve all his troubles, and will provide him with livelihood from sources that were not known to him. (Ahmad)

God has told us on numerous occasions to call on Him for help; and Prophet Muhammad reminds us that relief is no more than a supplication away.

Make supplication to God Almighty and know that He will answer your prayer. (At-Tirmidhi)

He even gave his companions advice on how to dispel feelings of anxiety and despair. He told them to recite this supplication:

Oh God, I seek your protection from anxiety, sorrow, inability, laziness, cowardice, stinginess, overpowering debt and subjugation by fellow man. (Al-Bukhari Abu Dawud and others)

This certainly seems to cover all the stresses of our daily lives, just as it covered the stresses that afflicted Prophet Muhammad’s companions. Our burdens today are no greater than burdens in the past, and the cure is still the same. Turn to God, beg His forgiveness and hope for relief.

…After a difficulty, Allah will soon grant relief. (Quran 65:7)
So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily with every difficulty there is relief. (Quran 94:5)

The life of a human being can be difficult

And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient. (Quran 2:155)

The life of this world is filled with tests, trials, and tribulations but these must be faced with patience and hope. Hope that God will guide you to the best outcome. Hope will guide you through the darkness, but despair will only lengthen the journey.

God is merciful, what we see around us every day is only one percent of His mercy. Every time a mother holds her child, or a nurse wipes the brow of a suffering patient, or rain falls on the parched earth in a drought stricken area… it is God’s mercy alive in the world.

The other 99% remains with God for Him to distribute on the Day of Judgment. That is certainly a reason for hope.

God created mercy in one hundred parts and sent down to earth only one part. Because of this one part, there is mutual love amongst creation, so much so that an animal will lift up its hoof from its young one, fearing that it might harm it. God has reserved the remaining ninety-nine parts of this mercy to favor His believing servants on the Day of Judgment. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Afterword

Sometimes stress and anxiety can turn into the type of hopelessness we nowadays call depression. If this is the case for you, or someone you know, it is essential that you seek medical advice and help. This too is a mercy from God.

(From Discovering Islam’s archive)