A Beautiful Advice - Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed

Opening

(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Hadith 2305)

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. Respected elders and brothers, mothers and sisters and students.

A few weeks ago I had mentioned a hadith of the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ — the one which I just mentioned in front of you — and we went over one aspect of it. This was the hadith of Abu Huraira رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ wherein the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ took hold of his hand — as you remember — and taught him five things, after making this announcement or declaration: who will learn five things from me and practice on it, or teach it to someone who will practice on it?

So we covered just the first point, which was اتَّقِ الْمَحَارِمَ تَكُنْ أَعْبَدَ النَّاسِ — leave that which Allah سبحانه وتعالى has made unlawful for you and you will become from amongst those who are the greatest worshippers of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. The worship of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, more than doing, starts with not doing those things which are prohibited by Allah سبحانه وتعالى — those must be left out. No matter how good a person does and how much he does, those few major sins that they commit unfortunately deflate a lot of the good that a person accumulates.

The Second Advice: Contentment with What Allah Has Decreed

So moving on to the second point. The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said:

He said: become pleased and happy with whatever Allah سبحانه وتعالى has distributed for you, has set aside for you, and you will become the wealthiest of people. So in this hadith — this second portion — the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ is asking us, and asking Abu Huraira رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, and hence he passed it down to us: take hold of this beautiful advice.

Whatever Allah سبحانه وتعالى has set aside — so what does that tell us? Number one, that our rizq most definitely has already been set aside. قَسَمَ — to distribute — Allah has already distributed your lot. You may hear sometimes in the khutbah — we read this hadith quite often:

Beautify the way you ask and the way you seek your rizq and sustenance — do it in a nice way. But know very well that no nafs, no soul, will be able to leave this world until and unless that soul has taken all that — to the last drop of water, to the last grain of rice — that has been written for that individual, for that soul. Until this soul doesn't grab that, take that, eat that, consume that, there is no way this soul is going to leave this world.

It's like certain documents a person needs to present before they leave the country, before they board an airplane — if those documents are not present, it says: you're not going anywhere, go back. So even if a person wants to leave this world, but if he or she has not completed the rizq that Allah has written for them, they're not going anywhere.

You see near misses — SubhanAllah, that person almost got run over, he almost died from this disease, the doctors gave up on him completely. We hear this everyday — miraculous, unexplainable, how he made it back when he was from the throes of death. My brothers and sisters, there was a lot more food that was written for him. Until he or she hasn't eaten that, he's not going anywhere — no matter how close it may seem, no matter how much it may seem that he's just shaken hands with the angel of death. He's not going to go anywhere until he or she has completely consumed and taken all that rizq that Allah سبحانه وتعالى has written for that individual.

The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ in so many various ahadith and narrations explained all of this. And Allah سبحانه وتعالى also addresses the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ and says to his Nabi — and the purpose is to relay the message to us:

Oh Muhammad صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, I am not asking you to provide sustenance — I am not asking you to provide, because you can't provide, it's not in your hands. Nahnu narzuquka — we are the ones who will provide you. And indeed the end, the good end, will be for those who have piety and God-consciousness.

The Day of Mutual Reckoning

Although it may seem today that the most unscrupulous people — who use the most unscrupulous methods to earn money, to accumulate wealth, to supposedly hit it big — it seems that they've made it, they're doing really good for themselves. And sometimes an average person looks with genuine awe and desire: I wish I had that lot. But if that person accumulated that wealth and that position and that power through un-Islamic ways, in ways that are not permitted by Almighty Allah سبحانه وتعالى, there's only so far that person can run, there's only so long that person can hide. Eventually, at the time of death, it's all going to come to an end — it's going to come crashing.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says: وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى — the end result, the best result, will be for the one who has taqwa.

We have exams always going on in school — sometimes smaller quizzes, sometimes major exams. You see certain people who relax — the exam is tomorrow, they may find time to go eat out, they may find time to go play basketball. And another person is sitting there in the corner, memorizing, reviewing, asking questions. Now you have these two examples: one person is relaxing completely even though he's got an exam right tomorrow, and another person who is working hard. And if the person who is working hard says: this is not fair — that person is running around enjoying himself, what's wrong with me? Why am I sitting here in this corner studying while someone who is the same age as mine, in the same class as mine, is really having a fun time? We'll tell them: wal aqibatu lil mujtahid — the end result will be for the one who works hard. This is not going to last very long. Twelve hours from now, in the exam hall, you will see — you'll have a big smile on your face because what you studied is in the paper. And that person who will be sitting there, pulling his hair, because he could have been studying but instead he found other things to do — now, when he comes face to face with the exam, he has no idea how to go about answering it.

This is a small example that happens everyday in our life, but it's a sign of what is yet to come. The Day of Judgment — where the people who thought they are living the life, and SubhanAllah, not only are they going to fall, but the people, the other people who envy them — they're also going to fall.

That's why, one of the many names of the Day of Judgment — from the approximately 24 names that are mentioned in the Quran — one of the names is Yawm al-Taghabun: the day of mutual deception and mutual failing. Meaning that each one in today's dunya is saying: I'm ahead of the game. We're all thinking that x, y, and z has hit it — they hit the gold mine, they hit the jackpot, they're doing amazing. But Allah سبحانه وتعالى says: tomorrow, the Day of Judgment, is going to be the real day when the curtain is going to be raised. Then everyone will realize who the real winners are and who the real losers are — and it's going to be a shocker.

There will be individuals who thought they had it, but very soon they will realize — SubhanAllah — that they're not even in the line. And there are others that we thought, we say: they're miskeen, they're bichara — SubhanAllah, we should cry for them, they're in such a pitiful state. But they will be the ones who are at the very head of the game, sitting on the stage, under the throne of Almighty Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

So Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ is being addressed by Allah, and He is saying: نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى — we are not asking you to provide, we shall provide for you, but remember the end result, the good result, is for those who lead a life of God-consciousness.

Don't worry if someone is ahead of you in the game. Don't worry if someone was able to move out of the apartment before you did, moved out of the condo before you did, moved out into a larger home than you did, or their children moved up the socioeconomic ladder quicker than your children did. Don't worry about that — as long as you know that you're leading a life of taqwa and God-consciousness, insha'Allah ta'ala, you are winning the race. That's it. That's the key thing. Have you taught your children to have taqwa? Have you yourself inculcated taqwa? That's the key question we have to keep on asking ourselves.

Qana'ah: The Quality of Contentment

The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ says: وَارْضَ بِمَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لَكَ — become happy, become happy with whatever Allah has already set aside for you. And what's going to happen? تَكُنْ أَغْنَى النَّاسِ — you'll become the wealthiest of people, the richest of people, if you can simply inculcate the quality of what we call qana'ah — contentment.

Contentment with what Allah has given. As one saying goes:

This is attributed as a hadith Qudsi — it is mentioned in some of the tafasir books. The meaning most definitely is correct, although the narration may be weak. Oh my servant, أَنْتَ تُرِيدُ — you have a desire, and you have a plan for your life, some goals you've set out. وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ — and I've got some goals for you, I've got a plan for you as well. إِنْ سَلَّمْتَ لِي فِيمَا أُرِيدُ — if you submit to me in that which I am asking from you, أَعْطَيْتُكَ مَا تُرِيدُ — I will give you also what you want. وَإِنْ لَمْ تُسَلِّمْ لِي فِيمَا أُرِيدُ — and if you do not submit to me in that which I am asking from you, أَتْعَبْتُكَ فِيمَا تُرِيدُ — I will tire you in what you are trying to achieve.

You know how we play with children — he says yeah, and we move it around, and the child is running after it: no I want it, I want it, it's in your hand, you can drop it, you can give it just like that, but you want to play with the child. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says: أَتْعَبْتُكَ فِيمَا تُرِيدُ — I will tire you, round and round. 8 to 5, no 12 to 12, three shifts — a really crazy life, the life of a hard-working donkey who tires himself so much, but at the end of the day all he gets is one little amount of food. The food is the same, the food is the exact same. It's not that all of a sudden it's got some super nutrients or fruits or sweets and desserts. It's the same oats — runs around, and at the end of the day: same oats. أَتْعَبْتُكَ فِيمَا تُرِيدُ — I will tire you in what you're trying to get. وَلَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا مَا أُرِيدُ — but at the end of the day, only that which I had already planned for you will take place.

So it's a lose-lose situation. The win-win situation is when you say: ya Allah, this is what you want from me — no problem, I will submit to you. You asked me not to lie in business, you asked me not to commit fraud, you've asked me not to cheat, you've asked me not to backstab my partners, my clients. I'm gonna lead a lifestyle that's upright, even though apparently I'm taking a loss and everyone in my business is making more money than me because they are cheating and lying and being deceptive. It doesn't make a difference — I'm gonna do what's right because I fear Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى — the end result, the best result — the one who wins at the end of all of this game is the one who led a life of God-consciousness, not the one who played all the tricks of the game. He may apparently seem to go forward, but he will lose horribly at the end. Like in a racing game — you have cars going 7 laps, 6 laps, whatever the case may be. And the first 5 to 6 laps a car is number one. But in the very last lap a huge malfunction takes place and the car hits another car, or hits the sides, or some explosion takes place. Remaining first for 6 laps — rather, even 6 and a half laps — has absolutely no bearing. In a matter of seconds, every single car that was behind him will beat him to the line, and he'll be lucky if he came out even alive.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6607)

What counts is what happens at the end of the race, not what happens in the 95% or 99% of the race. So a person may be rising high due to his deceptive methods and due to his cheating and lying, my friends, but most definitely he's gonna fall real hard at the end. And that ending, that falling hard — you and I might not even see it. It may be a so-called peaceful death as they say, in sleep. It doesn't have to be that he gets hanged. It might be a so-called peaceful death — but how do you and I know how peaceful it is? How do you and I know what it feels like when the soul is being pulled out by the angels of death at the time of his sleep, and what happens after that in the grave? You and I are not watching that. If a person accumulates these things out of greed and out of haram ways, then most definitely there will be a price they have to pay — unless they seek forgiveness from Allah, and Allah سبحانه وتعالى forgives them.

So what is it? وَارْضَ بِمَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ — do that, my friends. Become happy and pleased with whatever Allah سبحانه وتعالى has already set aside for you. تَكُنْ أَغْنَى النَّاسِ — you will become the happiest of people.

And that's why the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said in a hadith:

Whoever leads a life of moderation will never become poor — because he leads his lifestyle based on his own needs, not on the desires of others. A lot of people purchase things not because they need them, but simply because those who are around them have them — so they now need to fit into that category, they need to compete, they want to be ahead in this materialistic world.

That type of racing will never end. A lot of times you ask a young 6th grader: why do you have these $130 shoes — you don't even know how to dribble a ball properly? And the person will say: it's because my classmates have it. That's it. This is the mentality that is created from such a young age — a materialistic, competitive nature. Don't buy a nice comfortable pair of shoes that you enjoy, but rather buy that which others have so you can be ahead of them. They bought a $110 pair last weekend, you buy a $130 pair this weekend. That mindset is created from a very young age. And the businesses, of course — the capitalistic society — know how to play on our emotions. They sit there and reap, and we lose — lose our dunya, lose our akhira.

How do we lose our akhira? Because we spend what we don't have. We end up taking interest-bearing loans. We end up in so many problems simply because we have to live up to a lifestyle that's not our need, but a perception we want to show to the world: this is the lifestyle I have, and I'm also cool, and I'm also accepted, and so forth.

True Happiness Is Not in Wealth

Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ is telling us — you will not only never be rich, you will never even be happy. You want happiness and richness? Simply be pleased with what Allah has given us.

This past week was a great example of greed — with this whole lottery business that was taking place. I've received multiple messages from people, text messages, people coming and telling me as well. SubhanAllah — and even the people at the cash register: are you sure you don't want to play the lottery today? No I don't. But it's hit 1 billion! Who cares? And I told them: hey, do you really think that billion is going to give happiness to someone? You really think that? Besides the fact that the chances of winning that are SubhanAllah extremely, extremely small — and there are a lot of other crazy things that could happen to you before you win that — but leave that aside.

Where did this desire come in the Muslim? Besides the fact that it is obviously haram — playing the lottery is haram — that's besides the point, we know that. But the idea that happiness will come to me if I win money, even though it comes from haram means — that is a weakness of aqeedah, my friends. Happiness — wallahi al-azeem — is not in money. Just like this wall cannot benefit you: when I make sujood in the mihrab and you all make sajda to the northeast, none of you are believing that you're prostrating to this wall. You know that this wall can't do anything — the Ka'bah can't do anything in and of itself — we're prostrating to Almighty Allah. He has asked us to face the qibla, that's why we do so.

The only one who can give us harm or benefit, the only one who can provide for us, is Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Wealth cannot provide us any happiness — nothing, absolutely nil. That yaqeen needs to change within the hearts: the belief that if I become rich, then life's problems will come to an end.

Needless to say, if that were the case, the Muslims would never be in the situation we are in today. The highest amount of cash reserves in the entire world are held by a Muslim country. The highest amount of GDP is in a Muslim country. 55 Muslim countries, with hundreds of trillions of dollars in cash assets — not debts, cash assets — they have more in cash than others have in debts. But where is the happiness? Where is the peace? Where is the contentment? Contentment and peace were never promised on these things.

It comes with the orders of Almighty Allah. A person who fulfills the orders of Almighty Allah — he will enjoy happiness in his little apartment, in his condo, in his one-bedroom hut — that happiness that a person who lives in a mansion can never have. How many times does a person hear of horrible family situations where you have to be called in for counseling — parents of kids who have left them, abandoned them, just the husband and wife, and now the husband and wife are about to leave each other — leaving behind houses, I kid you not, that are bigger than this house of Allah. Where did that happiness come from? If happiness came with a large home, why is it like that? Because it was never promised by Allah and His Rasul.

Happiness and contentment only comes with the remembrance of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. You and I must learn this ourselves and teach our children: more does not mean nice, more does not mean happiness. No — if I want to become a physician, if I want to become an engineer, if I want to become a lawyer, I need to know — and my children need to know — I need to do it to serve the deen. Not simply because whatever gives me more money at the end of the month equals happiness, whatever gives me more money equals beautiful children, whatever gives me more money equals healthy children. My friends, that's not true.

But we are so engrossed in this capitalistic, materialistic system that we cannot help but think that's right. And to hear anything besides that seems so wrong — unbelievable. Are you serious? Because 24x7 we're being invited to something completely opposite to that. 24x7 the media, the social media, the billboards, the magazines, the college education — wherever we go keeps on telling us: you get more dollar bills in your pocket, you get more line of credit, you will be happy. That's it — enjoy life by purchasing more things.

Our deen has taught us: no. Simply become pleased with what Allah سبحانه وتعالى has given you — you will become the richest of people. You wanna be rich? Be happy. This doesn't mean you don't work, this doesn't mean you don't get a good education, this doesn't mean you don't work hard — sweat, work hard, no problem. But at the end of the day, know that your work doesn't bring you your rizq, my efforts don't bring me my rizq, my education is not what's going to put food on my table. At the end of the day, these are all simple means — it is Allah سبحانه وتعالى who is al-Razzaq, the ultimate provider. These are simple tools I'm using, simple means I'm using.

Two Types of People: The Akhirah-Focused and the Dunya-Focused

And remember — the hadith of the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ I'll end with — the Prophet told us there are two types of people.

The First Type: Those Focused on the Hereafter

The one whose goals and life and aspirations in this world is his hereafter — he wants to build a beautiful hereafter. That doesn't mean he doesn't work. But if you ask him deep down, my friend, what is the meaning of success for you and your kids? He will say: it means salvation and a beautiful paradise, besides all the good of this world.

Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: whoever makes the intention that ya Allah, I want to be ahead in the hereafter — Allah will reward him with three things:

Number one: جَمَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَمْرَهُ — Allah will take care of all of his affairs. His life will be in order, in fashion, nicely put together. Number two: وَجَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْغِنَى فِي قَلْبِهِ — Allah will put wealth and richness inside his heart. He'll walk out of this place — SubhanAllah — after performing Jumu'ah Salah as though he's the wealthiest man, the richest man. Happy, because he knows he's trying to please Allah, and Allah will turn on the switch — the switch of feeling rich, the switch of feeling fulfillment in your life — will be turned on. And number three: وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ — Allah will bring the dunya to his feet, disgraced, and he'll have as much as he wants, and he'll be saying: enough, I don't want it — and the dunya will keep on coming to his feet.

The Second Type: Those Focused on the Dunya

The one whose 24x7 concern, worry, and anxiety is only about the dunya — whether he misses Jumu'ah, misses Isha, misses Fajr — no problem, as long as I get a few extra dollars at the end of the day. Three punishments:

Number one: جَعَلَ اللَّهُ الْفَقْرَ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ — the very thing that he's running away from, which is poverty — Allah will put poverty right in front of his eyes, dangling right in front of him. Every day he wakes up: I'm gonna lose money today. Every night he goes to sleep: oh my God, what's gonna happen to my investments, what's gonna happen to my job? Non-stop fear of poverty.

Number two: شَتَّتَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرَهُ — Allah will make his affairs all disorganized. He'll have no vision in his life — he doesn't know where he's headed.

And lastly: وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَهُ — he will only get that amount of money which has already been written for him before the creation of the heavens and the earth. And it gave him no benefit.

Closing Du'a

I ask Almighty Allah that He makes all of us — and our children and our spouses — from the first group of people who are focused on the hereafter, who work hard in this dunya, who will not run after that which is not meant for us, and who most definitely will not run after haram money — that which comes through lotteries, that comes through deception, deceiving, lying, fraud, signing on wrong papers, deceptive marketing methods, deceptive labeling — all sorts of things like that that are being used.

May Allah Jalla Jalaluhu save all of us from that type of system and grant all of us rizq that is filled with barakah, that is filled with halal, that is filled with the pleasure of Allah — that rizq which will make your children obedient to you, that rizq which will put love between you and your spouses, that rizq which will insha'Allah give you a beautiful, long, healthy life. Ameen ya Rabbal Alameen.