Allah (SWT) - The Best of All Planners!

Opening & Praise

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. And the reward for the righteous is prayer and peace upon His noble Messenger and upon his family and all his companions, and upon those who follow them with good till the Day of Recompense.

Allah, the Exalted, has said: O you who have believed, be patient, be steadfast, and fear Allah that you may succeed.

Respected elders, brothers, mothers, and sisters of Islam, Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

The Unique Life of a Believer

Allah, the Exalted, has made the life of a believer very unique. In every aspect, Allah, the Exalted, has made the life of a believer extremely unique, and this is only a specialty for those that believe in Allah, the Exalted. In a narration of Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ says:

The Prophet ﷺ beautifully explains that the matters and the affairs of a believer are very beautiful. عَجَبًا — astonishing, wondrous, are the affairs of a believer. And the Prophet ﷺ clarifies: وَلَيْسَ ذَٰلِكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ — and this state of affairs is not granted to anyone but a true believer, but a مُؤْمِن.

When good conditions fall upon him, when good situations fall upon him, شَكَرَ — he is grateful. He makes شُكْر to Allah. He shows his gratitude. فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ — and he is rewarded for his gratitude. And then the Prophet ﷺ completes the statement: وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ — and when bad situations, calamities, befall him, then صَبَرَ — he is patient. فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ — and this also is good for him.

So the life of a believer is such that we will always have good conditions and bad conditions in our life. There will be times when we are extremely happy, joyous — we feel like we're on top of the world, everything is working out, there is nothing in our path. And this is from Allah. At such a time, he is grateful: O Allah, you have granted me so much, you have given me so much, and I am grateful for all the bounties that you have given me. He will be rewarded for that.

And there will be times — every individual faces certain times which he doesn't like, he's not proud of, he wishes he could change. He wishes the situation was not like this. I wish I could turn back time so that this scenario is no longer in front of me. But he is faced with that calamity, he is faced with that situation. What does the Prophet ﷺ tell us to do? صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ — this is beneficial for him.

So this is a sign of a true believer — that no matter what situation we are faced with, we always turn to Allah. We always reflect: how am I supposed to respond in this situation? Am I going to complain? If a bad calamity falls, are we going to complain and cry and make a big noise about it? Or are we going to turn to Allah? Similarly, when good conditions come upon us, are we going to become lazy, forget Allah, leave our prayers because we're happy? No. We are going to make شُكْر to Allah in every situation.

The Current Climate Facing Muslims

The last few days in this country that we live in have not been very good for the Muslims. The Muslims throughout the country feel very depressed, very down. They don't know what to do. They're scared — and rightfully so. They're scared because of what is going on. In the past 72 hours, such Islamophobic incidents have taken place that cause fury in our hearts. Hate crime is on an all-time high for the Muslims, and this is a fact. More than 60 different incidents have taken place in the past 48 to 72 hours regarding the Muslims — where our sisters' hijabs are being pulled off, where slurs are directed at Muslims: "Go back to your country, you don't belong here."

How are Muslims supposed to react to this? This is a time of confusion, a time of fear — we don't know what the future of Muslims in this country is going to be. And at times, we cave in to our fears and we react in a manner which Allah does not want us to react. We have certain individuals that let go of their religion. Many of our sisters were donning the hijab — now, due to fear, they are removing the hijab. Many of the brothers are following the sunnah of the beard, but due to fear they are now removing the beard. Many are not identifying themselves as Muslims. They are afraid — "When you go to school, when you go to work, make sure you don't stick out so they don't recognize you as a Muslim, and this way you won't be harassed."

This is a genuine fear of parents and individuals, after reading all the reports. But how does Allah and the Prophet ﷺ want us to react in such a situation?

The Prophetic Example: The Best of Examples

Allah in the Qur'an gives us a beautiful ayah:

Indeed, for you in the Prophet of Allah is the most noblest of examples. In every facet of our life, every situation, we will find an example in the life of the Prophet ﷺ that we can bring into our lives. Every aspect of the Prophet's ﷺ life is a guidance for mankind.

When we look at the Prophet ﷺ, especially his earlier days in Makkah, we think we have it bad. We think we're in a situation where being a Muslim is very difficult. But when we study the seerah of the Prophet ﷺ and realize how the earlier Muslims were treated — and how they reacted — we gain immense perspective.

When the Prophet ﷺ was given the noble message that he is the final Prophet and must call mankind towards the one Allah, every single thing about his life was attacked. His honor was attacked. Before Prophethood, he was known as the most honest and most trustworthy person. His name was used as an example of honesty and trustworthiness. That was his reputation — the entire area respected and revered him. Now, because of the كَلِمَة لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ, he went and told people about the oneness of Allah, calling them to Islam — and now he was called a liar, a magician, a madman. People were warned: "Don't go close to Muhammad, he is going crazy, he will give you strange ideas and confuse you."

His reputation went down. The security of his family went down. The security of himself went down. People were spitting on him, throwing dirt on him, causing him inconvenience, ridiculing him. His family members, his daughters, were given divorce because their father declared Prophethood. That is a difficulty he had to go through.

The Steadfastness of Bilal al-Habashi

Those that believed in Islam — Bilal al-Habashi — what crime did he do? His only crime was that he was a believer. His only crime was that he believed in one Allah and said Ahad, Ahad — Allah is One, Allah is One. In the hot sands of Arabia, he was placed during midday. A huge boulder was put on his chest so he could not move and breathe properly. And they would say: "We will stop all this punishment. Just let go of Islam. Just don't say you are a Muslim. Don't say لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ and all of this will stop."

But what did Bilal do? Ahad — Allah is One. I am a Muslim. I could never forsake this. These are the lessons we have to take from the seerah.

The Family of Ammar bin Yasir

Ammar bin Yasir — his mother and father were also placed in the hot sand for the same reason. Why? Because they were Muslims. No other crime. They did not hurt anyone. They did not take anyone's money. The only thing they did was say لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ. Because they identified themselves as Muslims, they were persecuted. But the Prophet ﷺ would pass by Ammar bin Yasir and say:

"O Ammar and the family of Ammar, glad tidings to you — you have Jannah. Be patient. Be patient."

Respected brothers and sisters in Islam, similar situations we are faced with as well — just because we identify ourselves as Muslims, just because our sisters wear the hijab, or we pray, or we call to Allah. We are going to be called names. We are going to be bothered. People are going to make fun of us. They are going to say: "If you want us to stop this, just come into society, let go of your Islam a little bit. Don't call yourself a Muslim. Don't recognize yourself as a Muslim, and all of this will stop. You'll become a normal person and we won't say anything."

But we have to take lessons from the lives of the Sahaba — we will not forsake our Islam. We will not forsake the deen of Allah just so that people stop calling us names. The deen of Allah is all-powerful. So let us take the lives of the Sahaba and bring them into our lives.

Steadfastness and the Promise of the Angels

Yes, these times are testing times — a test from Allah. How do we react? Allah in the Qur'an says:

Allah is talking about us here. He is talking about the believers throughout the centuries. Those that said, "Allah is my Lord, Allah is my God, I believe in one Allah" — ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا — then they were steadfast. They didn't shake. No matter what situations came, no matter what scenarios were put in front of them, ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا — they remained firm.

تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ — the angels descend to these individuals. We don't see the angels, but the unseen assistance of Allah descends. And what do these angels say? أَلَّا تَخَافُوا — Do not fear. Don't be afraid. Don't worry. وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا — and do not be sad. وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ — and glad tidings to you who stayed firm on your deen, with Jannah — that which has been promised to you.

نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا — We are your friends. The world might turn its back on you. You might lose your friends in this world. You might lose certain favors of society. Your neighbors might not be speaking kindly to you. Don't worry — we are your friends. The angels are saying this to us. نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاؤُكُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ — and also in the Hereafter. وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِي أَنفُسُكُمْ — and in Jannah you will have whatever you desire. نُزُلًا مِّنْ غَفُورٍ رَّحِيمٍ — this is a gift from the Most Merciful Allah.

So this is our reward for our صَبْر. This is the result of being patient in these times. We must be patient. Do not become irrational. Let us not leave our Islam. Let us not behave in a manner that Allah does not want us to behave.

Everything Is in the Control of Allah

The second point I want to make across today is this: no matter what happens in the world, our إِيمَان has to be correct — that everything is in the control of Allah. Allah is the all-powerful. He is the قَادِر مُطْلَق, the supreme being. Ultimate power belongs to Allah, and He is in charge of His affairs. No one can control Allah. No one can remove what Allah has decreed.

The Story of Yusuf (AS)

In Surah Yusuf, we all know the story of Yusuf (AS). As a child, he sees a dream. His brothers grow jealous of him and throw him into a well. He stays in that well for a few days. A caravan takes him to Egypt, where he is sold in the marketplace as a slave. Such hardship Yusuf had to go through. If any individual were in that place, he would feel so depressed, so broken: "What is my life? I am thrown away by my own blood, my own kin. I am thrown in a well, not knowing if I will ever survive. Then I am sold in a market as a slave in an unknown land." A person's life at that moment seems at its ultimate low. And on top of that, he is then accused of adultery — he is innocent — and due to that accusation, he is thrown into jail. Negativity after negativity after negativity.

But what does Allah reply? There is one ayah — one small fragment of an ayah in Surah Yusuf — that is the crux of the entire surah:

Allah is in power over His affairs, however the majority of people do not realize this. Everything is in His control. Allah took all that negativity away and brought Yusuf (AS) all the way to the top — from the bottom of a well to becoming the king of Egypt. Everything is in His control. وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ

So let us not look at this current situation and feel despondent and depressed. وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ — they do not know. We need to have trust in Allah. Whatever situation we are in, Allah is still in control.

Turning to Allah: The Du'a for Yaqeen

Now I want to make a very general statement. On the day of the election, when everyone was watching the results — during the night when it was announced who would be the elected president — how many individuals went to the musalla at that time and prayed tahajjud? And asked Allah: "I don't know what this country is going to be. I don't know how I and my family are going to be treated." How many turned to Allah at that moment? How many prayed Fajr salah that morning?

We are complaining about situations. We are complaining about what is happening to Muslims. But what are we doing to solve this? What is the correct method, the correct path for us to take? It is to turn to Allah. Whenever a calamity comes, the only solution is Allah. The only solution is to turn to Allah.

That is why a دُعَاء — a supplication — that the Prophet ﷺ taught us is very concise but very powerful. The Prophet ﷺ is asking Allah for this one thing — and when I think about the words, I say SubhanAllah:

O Allah, grant me that conviction in You, that يَقِين in You, that إِيمَان in You, that makes all the calamities of the world easy for me. That is what we need to ask. We're complaining about our neighbors, we're complaining about the situation of Muslims, we're complaining about Islamophobia — but let us ask: O Allah, grant me that يَقِين in You. Grant me the firm إِيمَان that any calamity that may befall me becomes easy for me, that I can bear it.

This is a دُعَاء that the Prophet ﷺ taught us to ask. Let us ask for that. Let us work for that يَقِين — O Allah, everything is in Your control. Grant me that يَقِين so that nothing in this world becomes difficult for me, nothing seems like an insurmountable calamity — because Allah is in charge.

Allah Is the Best of Planners

Allah is الْحَكِيم — He is wise. وَالْفِعْلُ الْحَكِيمِ لَا يَخْلُو عَنِ الْحِكْمَةِ — the actions of a wise person are never free from wisdom; there is always wisdom in them. Whatever Allah does, there is wisdom in it — whether we realize it or not. We may understand the wisdom, or we may not understand it. Allah says in the Qur'an:

Perhaps you hate a situation, or you hate something, and that is beneficial for you. And perhaps you love something — a situation, a thing, an issue — and that might be harmful for you. So there could be good in situations we assume to be bad. And this is the system of Allah that He shows the world:

They plan, and Allah plans, and Allah is the best of planners. Mankind plans whatever they want to plan, but Allah also plans. And no one can overpower the plans of Allah.

The Lesson of 9/11: Islam's Growth Through Adversity

If you go back about 15 years, to when the 9/11 event happened — when certain individuals committed a crime and the religion of Islam had to pay unjustly for their crime, and the Muslims were prosecuted in America, and Islamophobia was at an all-time high, and people were afraid for their lives — the hidden system of Allah was still in play. The number of people who accepted Islam after 9/11 was much greater than before 9/11. Islam came into the media. Islam came onto the lips of people, into the ears of people. People became curious. Many non-Muslims started to contact Muslims, bought the Qur'an, went to the masajid, and inquired about Islam. And people accepted Islam in huge numbers — because of the very negativity that others planned against Islam.

وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ — they planned to put Islam down, but Allah wants Islam to always shine. And Islam shined throughout the country as hordes of people came into the fold of Islam.

Just to give a more recent example: ever since this past year, a lot of negativity has come against Islam. But how many people have accepted Islam? There have been documented cases of people who have come forward and said: "I did not know about Islam, but because of what this candidate said — he spoke so ill of Islam — I wanted to inquire, and I became a Muslim." One woman who accepted Islam last year — she was not wearing the hijab, but after this election she said: "In January, I am officially going to wear hijab every single day."

This is the plan of Allah. وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ. We may see the negativity in this, but we have to make positivity out of it. This is a time for us to show what Islam really is. This is a time for us to show who Muslims really are. This is not the time to shy away from our Islam.

Be Proud of Your Islam: An Opportunity for Da'wah

We should not hide away and say "I'm not a Muslim" or "Don't ask me about my religion." Be proud of who you are. Show your Islam so people can recognize: "No, these are the Muslims. These are the true Muslims. Whatever the media is saying, whatever the internet is saying — that is incorrect. I know Muslims. My neighbor is a Muslim and he is the best of individuals. My co-worker is a Muslim and he is the best of individuals. Don't tell me what Islam is — I know what Islam is." And this will bring people closer to Islam.

So this is an opportunity for us now. The doors of da'wah have been opened for us. Whether you are a student, whether you are working, whether you are at home — your neighbors, your co-workers, your classmates — in every aspect now, you are doing da'wah. Just by being a Muslim, you are doing da'wah. So let us take this opportunity, make it into something positive, and make an impact on society.

People are going to look for negativity in Muslims. But we will not give them any negativity. We will only give them positivity. We will show them the character of the Prophet ﷺ, as Allah describes him:

Indeed, without doubt, you are of the most exalted character. We are going to bring that character into ourselves. When non-Muslims see us, they will say: "These people are of the best character." When it comes to community efforts, the Muslims are on the forefront. When it comes to social work, they are on the forefront. When it comes to humanitarian work, they are on the forefront. When it comes to the safety of the community, they are on the forefront. In every aspect, the Muslims are the best citizens. In every aspect, the Muslims have the best character.

The Solution: Istighfar and Turning to Allah

Besides that, we must also turn to Allah. Situations may be bad, but the only cure for these bad situations is turning to Allah — and that is istighfar. Turn to Allah and make istighfar. Allah says:

In many different places, Allah says: O my nation, make istighfar. وَيُمْدِدْكُم بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ — and Allah will strengthen you and help you with wealth and with progeny. And in another place, وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمْ — Allah will increase the strength that you already have.

So if you want strength, if you want to be rid of these situations, the solution that the Qur'an mentions — and that the prophets of previous nations also mentioned — is to turn to Allah. Not to complain. Not to go and commit violent crimes. Not to swear at someone. Not to show bad character. But to show good character, to turn to Allah, and to take whatever positive we can out of this negative situation.

Closing Du'a

May Allah give us ability to be patient in these testing times. May Allah give us ability to bring the أَخْلَاق of Nabi ﷺ within us and within our families. May Allah give us ability to practice upon whatever has been said.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ