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'Abdullah
11-15-2019, 11:09 PM
We are so blessing to be Muslims. This is such a great blessing but we don't often realize it. On one hand we have words of Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala which are preserved in Quran and on the other side we have knowledge of Hadith preserved for us to follow the footprints of our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Each and every verse of Quran is so deep and profound that scholars have written books just to explain one verse of the Quran and still no one can claim that they have done the justice in explaining a single Quranic verse. Similarly, the Hadith often comprise of few words but one can write several books just to cover one hadith and often times we need several other hadiths and verses of the Quran to fully understand the depth of a single hadith. Below is an example of one such hadith of my Habibi, and I am certain that if anyone of us can understand and put this hadith to practice will enter Jannah Insha'Allah. This hadith is recorded in Al-Hakim and is graded authentic by Sheikh Al-Albani.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Take advantage of five before [another] five occur:
your wealth before you poverty,
your free time before your preoccupation,
your health before your illness,
your youth before your old age,
Your life before death
.
[Al-Haakim]
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
This is a beautiful reminder of the fact that Allah SWT has given us ample ability and opportunity to perform good deeds, it’s up to us whether we take advantage of them. We are also reminded that the things that we have at our disposal now, will not be with us forever. Each of these five resources can also be a trial for human beings. Indeed, the trial of bounties can be harder than the trial of hardships. When we have a hardship we turn to Allah, but when we have bounties, we tend to forget who gave them to us. In fact, if you think about it, even the eyes we are using to read this message, are a bounty from Allah. When was the last time you thanked Allah for the gift of sight? The other challenge, when bounties are bestowed on us, is staying away from forbidden things, because everything is laid out for us. In this case, the believer must work harder to restrain themselves, and only partake in that which is permissible and good. Let us look at each os these trials in detail:

Wealth

There is no doubt that wealth is one of the greatest trials facing man. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) tells us in the Qur’an:
“Know that your wealth and your children are not but a trial for you and that Allah has with Him a great reward” [Quran 8:28]
Similarly the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised us:
Verily, for every nation there is a fitnah (trial and temptation). And the fitnah of my nation is wealth.[al-Tirmidhi]
One of the greatest trials of wealth, both earning it and spending it, is that it diverts us from the most important thing in life, the remembrance of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala). Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) tells us:
O you who believe, let not your wealth and children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whoever does that, then they are the losers.[Quran 63:9]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised us in a hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari:
The ones with the most wealth, will have the least on the Day of Resurrection, except those who say:'This is for that, this is for that and this is for that. [Bukhari]
In other words, they give their wealth away for good causes. Using wealth in a good way is one of the greatest ways in which we can earn Allah’s pleasure. Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) tells us:
And spend [in the way of Allah] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, ‘My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.’ But never will Allah delay a soul when its time has come. And Allah is acquainted with what you do.[Quran 63:10-11]
Wealth in this context does not necessarily mean that we have large amounts of savings, or the fact that we can afford a huge house, a top-of-the-range car and a state-of-the-art media system. The simpler things such as a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs and food in our fridges make us amongst the world’s wealthiest people – a fact that we, more often than not, seem to overlook, particularly when we see people that have a lot more worldly possessions than we do. There are millions of people in the world today that don’t even have a drop of clean water to drink, and they don’t know where their next meal will be coming from. These are the people that we need to be helping with our wealth. Even a small donation can go a long way.
We should give as much as we can in the way of Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala), and we are assured of the rewards for doing so by Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala):
The likeness of those who spend their money for Allah’s sake, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn), it grows seven ears, every single ear has a hundred grains, and Allah multiplies (increases the reward) for whom He wills, and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs, All Knower.[Quran 2:261)
Now this does not mean that we start spending what we have on poor and needy people and ignore those who depend on us. Islam is a religion which teaches us to take care of the rights of people. Those who depend on us certainly have more rights. We need to take care of them first and then whatever is the surplus we should spend on the poor and needy people. The point is to spend your money with an intention to please Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) and in accordance to the priorities taught by Allah through prophet (peace be upon him) . Below are few hadiths which emphasize the importance of spending money on family:

Without a doubt, when a Muslim spends money on his family while considering (the action as worship), it is an act of charity. [Ahmad, Bukhari and Muslim]
The best alms is that which you give when you are rich, and you should start first to support your dependents.[Bukhari]
In another hadith the reward of one spending money on a widow or a poor person is mentioned to be as high as that of a warrior fighting in the path of Allah or the one who fasts all day and prays all night. Subhan Allah!
The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) who fights for Allah's Cause, or like him who performs prayers all the night and fasts all the day [Bukhari]
There are so many verses in Quran and so many hadith on this topic. I just selected few which does not do the justice but hope it conveys the message. May Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) make us among those who spend their money to please Him alone and save us from the trials of wealth! Ameen!

Free Time

Every true believer knows that life on earth is temporary and its eternal accomplishment lies in terms of pleasing Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala) and living its life according to His Commandments. The Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:
By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.[Quran, 103: 1-3].
The small chapter of Quran explains the worth of time in life of a Muslim. The Creator of the world of the worlds declares time as a great measure of one`s success or failure. The Exalted One says that with every advancing moment of existence, human has a great warning that is associated with it. Time is one of mankind’s most precious resources since it can never be replaced or renewed once it has passed. When we waste our time it is much like someone investing his capital impulsively and not using it to generate profit. Invest time in Good deeds, our beliefs form the basic foundation of our life, and those, whose beliefs are established on the Quran, are normal to act on those beliefs by giving themselves to doing good deeds or we can say by investing their time in doing good deeds. Allah Almighty says in Holy Quran:
O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the messenger, and make not vain your deeds! [Quran, 47:33]
From this verse we can say that we should do our best to utilize our time in doing good deeds instead of wasting in useless deeds.Unfortunately, our societies seem to be dedicated to entertainment, enjoyment, pleasure and sensual gratification, rather than spending time contemplating the purpose of our existence and our relationship with our Creator. Television, movies, sports, music, art and alcohol are all temptations to sidetrack us from our true purpose in life. The loss of our free time in these is a devastating loss that we will come to regret on the Day of Judgement. When we have time that is uninterrupted, we can devote it to study, memorizing the Qur’an , helping the poor and needy and other good deeds. If we have time available to us, we have no excuse if we do not use it for the pleasure of Allah. This time will be a proof against us on the Day of Judgement.
In one hadith Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
Lose no time to do good deeds before you are caught up by one of seven calamities awaiting you: a starvation which may impair your wisdom; a prosperity which may mislead you; an ailment which may damage your health; an old age which may harm your senses; a sudden death; the Dajjal (Antichrist); or Doomsday, which is indeed the hardest and most bitter. [At-Tirmidhi]
May Allah help us understand the blessing of free time and help us to utilize our free time in doing things which pleases Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala.

Health

What we often don’t realize is that our health is a blessing from Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala. When we are in good health, we take it for granted and don’t always appreciate what we have. It is only when we fall ill that we realize what a great thing we had and how we let it go to waste by not doing as much ibadah (worship) as we know we could – and should – have done. This reminds me of a video a saw few years ago and for some reason it came into my mind while writing this. Below is the link and hope it can help us to appreciate the good health we have and utilize that to worship Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala.

We need to realize that sickness is a great barrier to performing good deeds, as most good deeds require some type of effort to be exerted. If we become ill, even temporarily, we will not find the means to perform these deeds. By Allah’s infinite mercy, if a person was doing good deeds, then became ill preventing them from doing the deeds, Allah will reward them as if they had been able to perform them. But if a person was not performing good deeds, and then got ill, they will not get any extra reward.
The least we can do, brothers and sisters, is making an effort to complete obligatory actions such as salah five times a day, fasting in Ramadan, and going for the Hajj. All of these require that we use our physical bodies. That is the least that we can do, the bare minimum. Of course, the more that one does, the better it is for him.

May Allah Subhanahu Wa Taala help us to make use of our health only to do things which pleases Him! Ameen!

Youth
Youthfulness is a time when a person is the most energetic, when one lays out the foundations for one's future, and when one plans one's life. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to take advantage of this time before the time comes when you do not have that enthusiasm, when you do not have that zeal, or that outlook. The enthusiasm and energy that you have been blessed with will never again be given to you after this age. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to seize the moment and take advantage of it. A person should exercise this energy for the sake of Allah
Subhanahu Wa Taala
by procuring knowledge of Allah, obtaining halal sustenance, and worshipping Allah through acts that he might not be able to do later on in life.

Youth here does not mean the western concept of youth that youthfulness finishes when someone is eighteen or nineteen years old. In the Islamic Shari’ah, a man’s life has been divided into a number of sectors or stages. Shabbab or shab, according to the strongest opinion, means before reaching the age of forty. This is because forty is the prime of life, when mental and physical capabilities have reached a peak, and after that they start to go down.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler: a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position (for illegal intercourse), but he says: ‘I fear Allah’; a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his justify hand does not know that his right hand gives charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears. [Bukhari and Muslim]
Inshallah if life permits, I will discuss above hadith in more details some day. Whats relevant to our discussion is that a young person who grew up in worshipping Allah subhaanahu wa taala will be under the shade of Allah's throne.

Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in another authentic hadith that:
Allah subhaanahu wa taala is pleased with and amazed at the youth who does not have any evil inclinations.
This means he does not do evil. Allah subhaanahu wa taala loves such a youth who is straight in the worship of Allah and does not turn left or right to the paths of Shaytaan. Allah loves this person and is amazed at him because in general it is the youth, due to their virility and strong desires, who swerve left and right away from the path of the worship of Allah subhaanahu wa taala.

Youth are the backbone of the nation and the future generation; of them the nation consists and of them scientists, reformers, the Mujahedeen, and other members of the society rise. If youth are good, their communities will benefit from in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah (Exalted be He) says:

And those who believe and whose offspring follow them in Faith: to them shall We join their offspring, and We shall not decrease the reward of their deeds in anything. Every person is a pledge for that which he has earned. [Quran, 52: 21]
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased).[Muslim]
Of the examples of religious young people who are committed to obey their Lord is the young Companions like Usamah ibn Zayd. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Usamah to lead the Army of Muslims that was heading to Damascus. His age at that time did not exceed seventeen while there were elite of senior Companions to the extent that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked permission from Usamah ibn Zayd to keep `Umar with him in Madinah and Usamah gave him the permission to that. Another example is Ali ibn Abu Talib, who slept in the bed of the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the Night of Migration to Madinah and who offered himself as a sacrifice.

Another example is Jaafar ibn Abu Talib, who was the commander of the Muslim army in the Battle of Mu’tah as a successor to the famous commander Zayd ibn Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) who was killed in that battle, then he carried the banner, took his sword, and said: I would love to go to heaven because it is good and its drinkables are cool. As for the Roman, their defeat is so close and it will be by my hand. The Romans cut his right hand, so he grabbed the banner with his left hand. They cut his left hand, so he grabbed the banner to his chest, then they kept striking him with swords to death.

May Allah give our youth the ability to read the stories of these young companions so that can be their role models! Ameen!

Life
Every Muslim must realize that this life is a trial. Allah has given us this life to see how we will use it. Allah tells us in the Qur’an:
Blessed is He in whose hands is the dominion, and He is powerful over all things. [He] who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving. [Quran, 67:1-2]
Our lives will soon come to an end, and if we spent all our time chasing after our own desires – what will we have to show for our time in this world? The Prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, advised us:
Three things follow the deceased [to his grave], two of them return and one remains will him: His family, wealth and deeds follow him while his family and wealth return and only his deeds remain with him.[Bukhari]
Only the good deeds that we perform in this life, for the sake of Allah, will be of benefit to us in the Hereafter. So take the time to get your priorities in order before death overcomes you, as it inevitably will.
I will end with a final hadith that I feel sums up the importance of all these issues:
A man shall be asked concerning five things on the Day of Resurrection: concerning his life, how he spent it; concerning his youth, how he grew old; concerning his wealth, how he acquired it and how he spent it; and what he did with the knowledge he had.[Tirmidhi]

I pray that Allah Subahanahu Wa Taala grant us the ability to make the most of all that He has blessed us with, and that He accepts all our efforts Insha’Allah.
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