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How To Achieve Inner Peace

It is important to remember that inner peace comes from Allah. It does not come from material things. It does not come from drugs or painkillers. It does not come from a sinful lifestyle. Unless our relations with Allah are good, we can never have real inner peace. In order to have inner peace, we must :

Have strong faith and trust in Allah. Make Dhikr of Allah as much as we can. Dhikr brings comfort. We must follow the right path of Islam. Neither misfortune nor prosperity should turn you away from Islam.

Be with good people and be good to others. We must always say good words and do good deeds. Deeds of charity bring real inner peace.

What we do not like others to do to us, we should not do to others.

Be most forgiving. Forgiveness is the best healer and it first heals the person who forgives.

Of Malls And Mus’ab Bin ‘Umair

Big city, with bright lights. Cars flash in fast lanes. Young Muslims are getting ready to hit the “night scene”. Branded shoes and designer clothes in place, clutching the latest mobile gizmos and sporting the trendiest watches, their perfume smells of – more than anything else – money.

You can see them “hanging out” in groups, lolling in the bright lights of a megamall, lingering aimlessly in hyper shops, watching people go by, sharing a joke, and laughing raucously.

You can see them racing cars dangerously late into the night, music blasting from the stereos, startling passersby while they laugh in their faces. A standard sight.

Each time you see this all-too-familiar scene, just think of someone. Someone who lies buried in the blood-wet earth of ‘Uhud, feet covered by scented grass and his body covered only by a square woolen sheet that was not even sufficient to cover him completely. Someone who was his mother’s pampered son, he wore the best clothes his rich mother’s money could buy, and his perfume scented the streets he walked through. The talk of Makkan matrons and maidens in their plush salons, the toast of his peers in the city’s clubs, the most flamboyant young man of the Quraish, who left a life of pleasuring the Self to gain the pleasure of Allah: Mus’ab Bin Umair Bin Hashim Bin Abd Munaf who was also known as Mus’ab Al-Khair.

Mus’ab was only a youth when he heard of the new Prophet who had arisen among the Quraish and his message of monotheism. Makkah talked of very little else in those days. His curiosity piqued by all the talk, Mus’ab decided to approach the Prophet (peace be upon him) on his own to determine the truth of his Message.

One night, instead of joining his friends in their customary revelry, Mus’ab made his way to the house of Al-Arqaam Ibn Al-Arqaam which came to be known as Dar Al-Arqaam among the Muslims. It was here that the Prophet met with the growing band of Muslims, away from the eyes of the Quraish. It was here that the companions talked over the future of their faith, heard and recited newly revealed portions of the Qur’an, and prayed behind the Prophet (peace be upon him) to Allah.

That night, Mus’ab sat down among the gathering of the faithful and heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) recite verses of the Qur’an. From that moment on he forgot forever his life of luxury and indolence while discovering the key to eternal life.

Concept Of Hereafter

Many people wonder how a person with a scientific and logical temperament, can lend any credence to the belief in life after death. People assume that anyone believing in the hereafter is doing so on the basis of blind belief.

This concept has been given to mankind by God in his book “Qur’an Kareem” which has more than a thousand verses containing scientific facts.  Some have been discovered by science and others will be discovered as science advances.

The concept of peace, human values, and good or bad are useless without the concept of the hereafter. One thing or act can be bad in the eyes of a person but could be good or beneficial for another one.

Every human being wants justice: Does human law provide justice to all humankind?

The people who do injustice should be punished: Can we punish a murderer of 100 people as compared to a murderer of a single person?

This life is a test for the hereafter:  If it is not, then why few people are wealthy and enjoying the luxuries of life, and why few are poor and don’t even have enough food to eat?  Life is a test for both of them.

Final justice on the day of judgment.  No human law can provide 100% justice to all humankind.  There will be definitely a day of judgment for final justice. We all are in the examination hall and we will be given results on the day of judgment.

When it is dead sure that there will be a day of judgment and life after death, one should follow the religion instead of passing life in his own style.

All religions basically exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. but Islam goes beyond that. It guides us toward practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual ad collective lives. Islam takes into account human nature and the complexities of human society. Islam is Guidance from the creator himself. Therefore, Islam is also called The “Deen-ul-Fitrah” (the natural religion).

According to Muslims the only true religion on earth is ISLAM. Everyone has their own choice to find out the truth but one must not decide anything just by seeing the followers only.  Rather one must study sacred scripture to find out the truth.  ISLAM is for the whole of mankind so whoever accepts it and follows it will get successful. Accepting is not enough till we follow it in true spirit.

We should hurry to ask Allah (SWT) for forgiveness and start following true religion before the end of our life. Life is too short(who knows tomorrow we will get up from sleep or not!).

 

Am I Not Your Lord ?

And recall (O Prophet) when your Lord brought forth descendants from the loins of the sons of Adam, and made them witnesses against their own selves, asking them: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes, we do testify.’ We did so lest you claim on the Day of Resurrection: ‘We were unaware of this.‘ (Qur’an, 7:172)

Allah made the Israelites enter into a covenant with their Lord. A covenant with God is not the exclusive privilege of the Children of Israel. In fact, all human beings are bound in a covenant with Allah and a Day will come when they will be made to answer how well they were able to observe that covenant.

This event, according to several traditions, took place at the time of the creation of Adam. Apart from the prostration of the angels before Adam and the proclamation that man would be Allah’s vicegerent on earth, all the future progeny of Adam were gathered and endowed with both existence and consciousness in order to bear witness to Allah’s lordship.

The best interpretation of this event is found in a statement by Ubayy Bin Ka’b, who has probably given the substance of what he had heard from the Prophet (peace be upon him):

Allah gathered all human beings, divided them into different groups, granted them human form and the faculty of speech, made them enter into a covenant, and then making them witnesses against themselves He asked them: ‘Am I not you Lord?’ They replied: ‘Assuredly you are our Lord.’ Then Allah told them: ‘I call upon the sky and the earth and your own progenitor, Adam, to be witness against you lest you should say on the Day of Judgment that you were ignorant of this. Know well that no one other than Me deserves to be worshipped and no other than Me is your Lord. So do not ascribe any partner to Me.

I shall send to you My Messengers who will remind you of this covenant which you made with Me. I shall send down to you My Books.’ In reply, all said: ‘We witness that You are Our Lord and our Deity. We have no lord or deity other than You.’

I know Allah Will Provide Me

Muhammad Alshareef narrates an interesting account of charity Sheikh Sa’eed Bin Musfir witnessed in Makkah

I was walking out of the Haram (the Kaaba in Makkah) when I saw a man begging everyone that passed by him.

Just then a man who had parked his tinted Mercedes excessively close to the Haram in a designated VIP parking walked passed the beggar on his way to his car. As he pulled the keys out and the alarm did the “whup whup”, the beggar raised his finger to the sky and said, “Please, for the sake of Allah!”

Trying to end the moment and avoid a dip into the pocket, the Mercedes man said back, “Allah will provide!” The beggar said back, “What! Did you at any moment think that I thought you were my provider?! I’m not asking for your provision, I know Allah will provide for me.” The two stood there staring at one another for a moment and then the Mercedes-tinted windows came up and the man drove away.

A needy African sister who was sitting nearby on the street selling textiles was moved by the incident. She did not have much, but from what she did have, she pulled out one riyal and placed it in the hands of that beggar. He smiled and went on his way. Meanwhile, the Mercedes man could not drive on with the choke of guilt. He turned the car around and made his way through the crowd to the place where the incident had happened.

I saw with my own eyes as he pulled out a 10 riyal bill from his briefcase to give to the beggar. But he looked left and right and could not find him.

What was he to do? He had already pulled out the bill to give for the sake of Allah and was not going to put it back. So he found the nearest person he thought was worthy of the bill, placed it in her lap, and went on his way.

The 10 riyals sat in the lap of the sister who had given the beggar one riyal! Abu Hurairah reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said that Allah’s injunction is: “O my servants! Spend and you will be given.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Abdullah Bin Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Charity does not diminish wealth.” (Al-Tabarani)

He Was The Qur’an Walking On Earth

No doubt, the Holy Qur’an is the pillar on which Prophet Muhammad’s character is based.

The Holy Qur’an shaped the characteristics of this Noble Prophet.
When his wife A’isha was asked by one of the Muslims about his morals, she said, “He was a Qur’an walking on the earth.”

Prophet Muhammad said. “Allah has refined me in a way that is best and matchless.”

Allah says in the Holy Qur’an what means “And you (stand) on an exalted standard of character.” (Qur’an, Al-Qalam: 4)  Just like a pearl was this great Prophet, radiating colorful light in every direction. It is most difficult to get at the whole truth of the personality of Prophet Muhammad and only a glimpse of it I can catch. What a dramatic succession of picturesque scenes. There is Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Prophet; there is Muhammad (peace be upon him), the General; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the leader; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Warrior; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Businessman; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Preacher; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Philosopher; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Statesman; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Orator; Muhammad (peace be upon him); the Reformer; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Refuge of Orphans; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Protector of slaves; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Emancipator of women; Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Judge; Muhammad the Ascetic (peace be upon him).

And in all these magnificent roles, in all these departments of human activities, he is like a hero. Still, many more sides are to be found in the person of this generous, pious Prophet.

His life was replete with hardships, soaked in seas of sadness. He became an orphan when very young; when the child went with his mother to see the grave of his father, his mother died there. Orphanhood is the extreme state of helplessness and his life on this earth began with it.

Leadership is the height of material power and his life ended with it.  From an orphan boy to a persecuted refugee and then to an overlord, spiritual as well as temporal, of a whole nation and arbiter of its destinies, with all its trials and temptations, with all its vicissitudes and changes, its lights and shades, its up and downs, its terror and glory, he has stood the trial and tribulation of the world and came out unscathed to serve as a model in every facet of life.

His achievements are not limited to one aspect of life, but cover the whole field of human activities. Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao, head of the Department of Philosophy, Government College for Women, University of Mysore, India, says, “Circumstances changed, but the Prophet of God did not. In victory or in defeat, in power or in adversity, in affluence or in indigence, he was the same man, disclosed the same character. Like all the ways and laws of God, the Prophets of God are unchangeable.

Never did his acts run counter to what he said, if you try to find examples and incidents that prove his justice and mercy, you will need heavy burdens of volumes but we will just pick a few incidents.

Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them. (Mathew: 15-17)

Think about what fruits this great generous Prophet gave to the world. Think about his teachings that heavy volumes are loaded with. Think about the number of his great early adherents that, up till now, stun the world with examples of their justice and mercy. They are the graduates of Muhammed’s  (peace be upon him) school  – the school of the Qur’an.

Considering Sins Too Light

O ALLAH forgive me my sins, Allah I will never do that again, I swear by Allah I was wrong, the supplication ends and the tears are wiped away. The next thing we know, we’re back to square one doing what we swore we would not do. Why is it that we return to our old ways after repenting and seeking forgiveness?

One reason could be that we are taking sins too lightly. We may be considering them insignificant, while they may not be so.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Beware of the minor sins which are often thought of as insignificant, for they are like a group of people who stopped at the bottom of a valley. One of them brought a stick, and another brought a stick until they had gathered enough to cook their food. These minor sins, if a person is called to account for them, will destroy him. According to another report, he said: Beware of minor sins, for they will pile up until they destroy a person. (Ahmad; Sahih Al-Jaami’, 2686-2687)

Also, compare our attitude with that of the Companions’. They were so careful and worried about committing sins. That is how true Iman (faith) is – full of regret and remorse even when a small mistake happens.

Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The believer regards his sin as if he were sitting beneath a mountain which he fears may fall on him, whereas the sinner regards his sin as if a fly lands on his nose and he swipes it away.” (Al-Bukhari)

Subhan Allah, what an excellent comparison! May Allah guide us and remove the attitude of considering sins too light from our hearts.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to seek forgiveness for over 70-100 times a day, even though Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was Ma’soom i.e. he did not commit sins. Further, Allah had already forgiven his past and future mistakes. Despite that, he used to seek Allah’s forgiveness over 70-100 times a day. If a person without any sins used to seek so much forgiveness, then what about us?

Seeking forgiveness is itself a great act of worship; one of its rewards is that Allah wipes out our sins as if we never did them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The one who repents from his sin is like the one who did not sin in the first place.” (Ibn Majah; Sahih Al-Jaami’, 3008)

No matter how great the crime or sin is, Allah can forgive it. Even the greatest crime on earth – Shirk (associating partners with Allah) – can be wiped out if one seeks forgiveness and repents during his or her lifetime.

However, there are a few conditions scholars have outlined about true repentance. First of all, repentance should be sincere for the sake of Allah. If one is leaving a sin for some other reason (e.g. a man gives up smoking because it was damaging his health or reputation among others), then it cannot be counted as repentance to Allah.

Allah said in the Qur’an:

“O you who Believe! Turn to Allah with Sincere repentance! (Qur’an, 66:8)

Apart from sincerity for Allah, the conditions include:

  • Immediately ceasing from the sin
  • Regret
  • Determination not to return to the sin
  • If the sin involved a victim: restoring the victim’s rights and/or seeking his forgiveness.

It’s such a shame that sometimes we miss our prayers or we don’t get up for Fajr, and yet we feel no regret, even though neglecting prayers is such a tremendous sin. A dangerous pit we fall into when we consider sins insignificant is that we even neglect to ask Allah’s forgiveness for that sin. May Allah guide us to turn to Him in sincere repentance, to stop committing sins completely, and feel absolutely remorseful and regretful of what we have done in the past, Ameen.

We should try our best not to fall into sin, but we as human beings will make mistakes. The way out is to seek forgiveness, for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

“And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful” (Qur’an, 24:31)