The Long Road Ahead

 “… And upon Allaah rely, if you should be believers” (5:23) 

This ayat should indicate what it is then I am suggesting as the key to happiness, Tawaqul.  So what is this Tawaqul?  

Sa’eed ‘Awadh (Hafiz Ullah) mentions this Tawaqul has five characteristics; 

The First Characteristic: Is to know Allaah by His qualities and attributes; such as the fact that He is All Capable and Sufficient to rely on; that He is the Sustainer; that He is All-Knowing and that things can only happen with His will and decree. Knowing all this achieves the first Characteristic, with which the slave of Allah initiates the Characteristics of reliance. The more a slave of Allah knows about Him, the more sound and firm his reliance on Allah will be.

Therefore we find that when Musa, Upon Whom Be Peace, Arrived at the sea with Bani Israel and there was widespread panic amongst them. They thought we are destroyed, Pharaoh and his army are behind us and the sea in front, what will we do. Their reliance in Ar Rahman was incomplete, however who led them knew better. Musa, Kaleem Ullah, turned and said to them; Nay indeed! My Sustainer is with me, [and] He will guide me! (26:62)

As he had complete reliance in his lord, knowing that he is Al Qadir and that he is capable to do what he wishes. And this is undoubtedly the source of happiness for people, as they know what ever befalls them is from Allah, and no matter how things seem, what is written will befall you.  

The Second Characteristic: Is to believe that every matter has a cause or a means in order for it to be materialised. Some people give up utilising these means due to their ignorance and think that this is reliance on Allah. They wait for Allah to send down their provisions and feed them while they are lying on their beds without exerting any effort whatsoever.

This is nothing but the laziness which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam referred to in the Hadeeth which was narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him: “Be keen to do that which would benefit you, rely on Allaah and do not be lazy (by not exerting effort) (Muslim). One who is relying on Allaah must know that although he must utilise all the possible means that Allaah has provided for him, his heart must still rely totally on Allaah to achieve his objectives. And we learn this from the famous hadith when the Prophet sallaahu alaihiwsalam a man entering the masjid without tying his camel. At seeing this, the messenger of Allah asked him, why are you leaving the camel astray like that? He replied I am depending on Allah. So the Prophet replied, Tie It! Then Depend on Allah.  

The Third Characteristic: Is to remain firm in relying on Allaah alone. A person’s reliance on Allaah cannot be fulfilled until one relies on Him alone. Therefore, nobody can claim true reliance on Allah whilst at the same time believing that a Shaykh, or pious person, whether dead or alive, can harm or benefit him; in fact, a person who does such a thing has ruined his entire faith and not just his reliance on Allaah.And we see this at its pinnacle from the story of Ibrahim. As we see this was a life characterised by firm reliance, therefore we see when he was to be launched into the fire for his call of monotheism, he did not flicker, and awaited the response of Allah, and when he saw the dream to sacrifice his son, his reliance was clear and he set forth to it.

However this is not simply a characteristic of the Prophets, as we see this filters through to those of firm belief, and a recognisiton that happiness is only from Allah. Hence we see from Bilal, Raday Allah Anhu, as, when he lay on the hot sand, he was unshaken in his reliance on Allah, and thus maintained his call. And moreover this is not only a characteristic of our men, as we find it in our women. As the first martyr of Islam was Summayah Bint Khayyat, who despite being tortured, remained firm on her Islam, with complete faith in Allah, and his messenger, hence when the messenger passed her as she was tortured with her husband in Ramadan, he told her to be patient and informed her of Jannah, she affirmed herself with that, and was pleased with the decree of Allah, till her soul left to circumublate the thrown of Allah in the body of a green bird of Al Jannah.  

The Fourth Characteristic: Is to depend on Allah completely with ones heart and feel tranquillity when doing so, to the extent that one does not feel anxious or confused regarding the status or means with which objectives are accomplished. Some people do not feel secure until they utilise these means, and if Allah decrees that these means are not available, then they feel saddened.

Such people’s reliance on Allaah is incomplete, because true reliance is when a person does not care if means are available or not, because they know that all matters are in the Hand of Allaah; all He has to do for a matter to occur say ‘Be’ and it becomes.And we see the best example of this from Shaykh Al Islam, Ibn Taymiyya.

What can my enemies do to harm me? Will they imprison me? Then I will have privacy and solitude, to worship Allah, will they kill me, then I am a martyr, (Shaheed), and if they expel me, then its traveling for the sake of Allah.

Happiness and misery is something that will remain as long as life continues. Each human being on the surface of earth is aggressively searching for happiness, and hoping to attain it at the expense of all that he owns. 

The Fifth Characteristic: To realise that the essence of reliance on Allaah is to entrust all matters to Him willingly, without feeling forced to do so. This is just like, for example, how a weak son would trust his parents due to the fact that he knows that the parents are caring, merciful and sufficient for him and that they would properly manage his affairs. This son knows that his parents manage his affairs better than he could do himself. And thus his reliance is something natural to him, and not something he feel he should have, it something he is happy to have.

The one who entrusts Allaah does so in the certainty that what Allaah decrees is better for him, even if it is apparently the opposite of what he believes to be good and indeed even the decree appears to be evil. Such a person is content with the decree of Allaah as he knows that it is better for him, whether the benefit is apparent or not.However brothers and sisters I am compelled here to say that do not confuse this with apathy, do not confuse this with not caring what befalls you or others, as subhan Al Aziz this is what has come upon us, when we consider the Qadr of Allah, for others.

So when we watch TV, and we see the images of our brothers and sisters in the holy land, in the first Qibla of Al Islam, being terrorised by the decedents of pigs and donkeys, Al Yahood, Lanat Allah Alay, let us not be of those that console ourselves with this is simply what is written for them. Brothers and sisters, that is not tawaqul, that is selfishness. Know, by Allah, know, when that mother dies at a check point giving birth, it was your mother that died, know when that youth is shot on his way to Masjid Al Aqsa, know it was your brother who was shot, know when it is that family that are starving in Gaza for no other reason that they choose the friends of Allah to represent them, rather than the friends of Shaytaan, know it is your family starving, it is your father dieing from no access to medical care and your sister dieing from starvation. Know it, and do something about it.

Your tawaqul here is to know the victory of Allah is near, and the abode of the Muslims is Al Jannah, but know they have rights on you, from your wealth, from your strength and dare I say it, from your blood in this hard time to fall upon them.Therefore I conclude by reminding you that Happiness is for the believing heart and it is only achievable through the remembrance of Allah, and complete reliance in him. The reliance is a state which enables you to transcend the apparent, and appreciate the hereafter in this very world.

And I leave you with the words of Umar Ibn Al Khattab, the leader of the faithful, the one who took Phalesteen for the Muslims, who raday Allah Anhu, said; If you rely on Allah with due reliance, Allah will provide for you as he does for the birds; they leave with empty stomachs in the morning and return full at dusk. Tirmidhi 

The Dictionary Defines Happiness As:

1. The Quality or State of Being Happy

2. Good Fortune; Pleasure, Contentment, Joy

And therefore this is something that we all crave.

There is no soul that does not seek happiness. As this is the natural disposition of man. However to man this has become something which is directly related to material wealth. Happiness has become synonymous with Ad- Dunya, and why is that. That is because in the absence of strong faith, this is the natural disposition of man. As Allah Subhana Himself makes clear in the Quran, through an ayat many of you will have already read today, or will before the sun sets, from Surah kahf, as Allah Jala wa A’la says;

 

الْمَالُ وَالْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا

Wealth and children are an 4dornment of this, world’s life: but good deeds (18:46)

However when we look at our lives then, it should be that we are the happiest of people. We, the people of the West, should be the happiest on the face of the Earth. As there is more material wealth saved by the West than exists in the rest of the world together.

However, there is a problem, we are not the happiest. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Based on our world view, we should find then, that the richest country in the world is also the happiest. However, it is not.

In fact in the U.S. there is a suicide every 17 minutes. Therefore before I start the prayers for Jummah, 2 people will have killed themselves in the United States for no other reason than despair from this world. However don’t just think this is a fitan in the US, as the relationship is directly proven in all the richest countries. Hence 150 000 people commit suicide every year in Europe alone.

And at a more local level, visit the mental health services of this city and you will find a substantial proportion of patients using services have no shortage of material wealth, yet are so unhappy, they suffer from depression and take clinical drugs to try stop themselves taking their own lives.

Therefore this should be a clear indication that happiness is something that we cannot win from this world, in any substantial and sustainable manner, as the world around us is a proof against it.

Therefore what must we do, we must realise that we need to find it where Allah, the Most Wise has told us it is, and that is with him.

Allah Jala wa A’la makes clear that;

أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

For, verily, in the remembrance of God [men's] hearts do find their rest (13:28)

Therefore the example of this world shows us that happiness generally from the world is short lived, and moreover that happiness, contentment and tranquillity is only in the remembrance of Allah.

Happiness is not something that is measured by quantity nor could it be bought by currency, and no human possesses it to sell it, nor can they take it away from one who attained it or was granted it. Happiness is, faith followed by action, calamity followed by patience, fortune followed by thankfulness. And the happy one is the one who favors the eternal over the vanishing and perishing.

Now in our time, many of us start thinking this is a rejectionist attitude, and is a little extreme, and that to which we are calling is more unhappiness. As the best remembrance of Allah, the Quran is full of; we cant do this and we cant do that. However I stop you there and I tell you that is because we fail to give the Quran the attention it deserves.

The Quran is our liberator, and is actually here to open our hearts and minds, and be the source of our enlightenment, contrary to popular belief, hence Allah the Al mighty makes clear;

Ta Ha, We did not bestow the Qur’an on thee from on high to make thee unhappy, 20:1-2

So if it wasn’t sent to make you unhappy, what was it sent for, well, by Allah, I tell you it was sent to make you, that which you are craving, HAPPY.

And I heard a story of a companion which illustrates this perfectly, his name was Rabbi Ibn Amir, and he had spent his whole life in servitude, living as a slave. However, with Islam came his freedom, and came happiness to him.

Once he was sent as the head of a delegation to meet the Persians, the USA of their time, the world superpower. And he was received with much honour, as the messenger of the leader of the faithful, Umar Ibn Khattab.

The deputy leader of the Persians received him in a tent made from silk and gold, and laid for him cushions of a comfort he had never even imagined. However as he approached, he with his spear removed this from the ground and sat on the floor, and when asked what is it you come with, he said;

“ We come with the will to liberate man from the worship of the creation, to the worship of the creator.”

He was not phased by the wealth and funfair, he was not made happy with the elaborate reception, he was made happy only with the worship of Allah.

So we look at ourselves, and we think we are Muslims, we believe in Allah and his messenger, and we fulfil the tenants of faith, happiness should then be ours. And your right it should be, but by Allah it is us that push it away. How do we push away happiness, we do so in two ways;

1. We don’t obey Allah and His Messenger

How close are we to the Sunnah of Muhammad Ibn AbdAllah? How dear is it to us? How dear is it to us to copy him in his actions and inactions? These are questions we must ask ourselves.

So when Allah says to us pray, we say maybe later. When Allah says make Hajj, we say maybe when I am older. When the messenger says, love for your brother, what you love for yourself, we at this point love nothing.

Therefore I remind you of the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, when he said,

“ Everyone will enter Jannah, except those that choose not to! “

He was asked, and who are those? or who is that?

And he answered,

“ He who disobeys me, has chosen not to “

2. We create environment devoid of blessing and happiness

Ibn Masoud Radhi Allah Anhu swore by Allah three times, that when Allah mentioned speech for the sake of amusement leads people away from Allah, in Surah Luqman, then Allah was referring to Music. So what’s the relation well, things that would destroy happiness is making the Muslim environment a dwelling for Kufaar Jinnis and isolating, and pushing away angles. This happens by such things, as it does with other things that mentioned in the Sunnah, for example;

The Prophet (Salla Allahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) said: “Angles do not enter a house that has a dog or picture” So why is it there are many people close the doors and shut it for angles not to enter and they get or invite reasons of misery and worry while they are seeking happiness after that?

And subhan Al malik that is for those of us who still remain in Islam, what about those of us, who flurt with kuffar everyday, by abandoning the prayer, the zakat, the fasting??????

Therefore brothers think about this, do then we really deserve to be happy? Do you really think we can be happy as we commit to the haram day in day out? Happiness is a gift for the believers my brothers and sisters in Islam, and is something that is true and attainable for every single one of us, should we want it. As this represents a state of the heart. Allah Himself says;

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَنُ وُدًّا

VERILY, those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds will the Most Gracious endow with love (19:96)

And we see the evidence from this, in the book and all around us. And I bring you the example of the wife of Phiroan as a sublime example of this. Asiya (May Allah Have Mercy on Her) was married to Phiroan, and she accepted Islam. Now how was this, the man who said, ‘I am your lord most high’, how could he have a wife who believed in another lord, the lord of he who called himself lord?

So what did he do?

He set about an intricate process of torture for her, to make her submit through her pain, and reject the king of kings, for he who was not even king of his palace.

And therefore as she was tortured, and lay naked suspended from her breasts from a ceiling, in pain and anguish, she did so with a smile on her face. She, May Allah have mercy on her, did so happy. Why? As she had faith and she had the reliance on Allah. So as she lay suspended in this horrific state, she cried to her lord;

رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِ وَنَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

O my Sustainer! Build for me a mansion in the paradise [that is] with you, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me, from all evildoing folk! (66:11)

Sent her Sons for Death

And Allah showed her, her abode in Paradise, and comforted her heart as she was martyred. And therefore my brothers and sisters, I tell you now, that the road to happiness, is a road on something called Tawaqul; Reliance on Allah. As when one has firm belief, and this translates into a genuine happiness with whatever Allah puts your way, welcome to eternal happiness. Happiness in Dunya and Happiness in the hereafter.

Therefore Brothers and Sisters, if your not the happiest, think why not, and realise that this state is a gift from Allah for those who believe and work righteousness, and if you strive for the pleasure of Allah, inshAllah you will find it and your heart will be content, even in the most bizzare circumstances.

Keep your eyes peeled, soon I guess I will need to explore the practicalities of seeking the face of Allah for this almost utopian happiness. And as i sign out, I ask you to make dua for a brother who we love greatly, Shafiq, who is going for a job he really wants, may Allah make things easy for him, and use him to serve the Ummah.