English posts Archives - Stories by Jana

Heal the gunshot wound

Jana — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 05:15:04 +0000

Imagine a person getting hit with a gunshot on his shoulder. Instead of going to the doctor, he decides to bandage the area at home because he thought taking it out the bullet would cause even more pain. Since the gunshot didn’t hit one of his vital organs, he is able to survive.

But it doesn’t take long for him to realize that it wasn’t the best decision. He starts to experience pain and discomfort. Because the bullets have cut through is muscles and tissues. And the bullet is made up of a poisonous metal which eventually seeps into his internal organs. He faces the consequences of this perhaps years down the line.

While listening to this story, you might think that he is insane to have done that. You might think that he should have taken out the bullet the day he got it. Because surely you would have done that, right?

Well, what if I told you many of us do this with our own selves? We may not have a bullet inside of our bodies. But we have experienced pain inside our chests. Sometimes we don’t even realize when and where we got that pain from and sometimes, we do.

Even when we do, the first thing we attempt to do is numb the pain. Try very hard not to feel it and get rid of it. Its just like the person who is putting the bandage on the gunshot wound. Just like him, we assume that facing our pain and trying to heal it is too hurtful than numbing it. So we do. We numb it better than any anesthetist can.

Of course, numbing the pain does not solve the issue. It doesn’t mean the pain doesn’t exist anymore. Before we know it, the pain catches up with us with all its consequences. The pain will then be perhaps even more magnified than we first experienced it. Then we are left to wonder how we can escape it.

The reason why I felt that this was important to address is that many of us go through it and at times, it impacts our iman too. We may have been numbing the pain even those days that we were turning towards deen and when we come across that pain again, we suddenly feel too weak to do as much worship as we used to do. At this point, many of us feel hopeless, assuming that we are losing our iman and our connection with Allah. Perhaps feeling that Allah does not love us anymore adds to our hopelessness.

But the fact of the matter maybe the complete opposite. Perhaps Allah reminded you of the pain again out of His Love for you. He reminded you of it, so that you can face it and address it properly this time. Perhaps Allah is giving you a chance to see the reality of that pain. He is giving you are chance to take out the ‘bullet’ and fully heal the gunshot wound. And who can possibly heal us except Him?

So if you are in pain, dear brothers and sisters, and you feel so low to the point that you are struggling through the prayers and doing other acts of worship, stay firm in that struggle. Because if anything, it is that struggle that will allow you to keep going and finally seek the help you need. It is the faintest calls of your heart in those moments that are responded ever so swiftly. Feel honoured, because its none other than Him Who will be holding your heart together in these days of pain, that are bound to pass. (In Sha Allah)

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Not forever alone, forever with my Lord

Jana — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 15:37:45 +0000

Ever since I was little, I had a fear of being alone. Not as in being alone in a room. But being left alone in life, even by those who are closest to me. I used to have ruminating thoughts about being left alone and not being able to survive because of it. (There is an entire story behind this fear which I will perhaps tell you in another post In Sha Allah).

After years of struggling through this fear, there came a day where I felt extremely alone. More alone than I had ever felt in my entire life. That was the day I realized that I had to let go off some things that I assumed would help me get over that fear. Because I got to know that they were no good for me.

When I decided to let go, it was as though my heart became empty. It was as though there was this huge hole in my heart that I didn’t know how to fill. Especially then because I became so sure that my fears of being alone were true, since even the things that were supposed to help me, failed in doing so.

Those days, I had a habit of reciting 2-4 pages of Quran after prayer. But this habit had broken due to the intense emotions I was going through. However, on this particular day, I decided to go back to the Quran. Recalling how the remembrance of Allah gives rest to the hearts.

It happened so that I had paused reciting Quran towards the end of Suratul Anbiya, few weeks before that day. When I resumed reciting with my shaky voice, trying my best to hold back my tears, it was the ayah describing a scene from the story of Yunus (AS). The scene where he called out to Allah from beneath multiple darknesses, while being inside the belly of the whale. Allah then describes how He swt had saved Yunus (AS) from that sadness and distress. And Allah says that that is how He saves the believers.

This story by itself had touched me. Because I felt myself being in a kind of darkness too. Darkness of the feelings that I didn’t know how to explain. Darkness of emotions that were eating away at me on the inside. Darkness of not even knowing how to ask for help.

But then I found myself reciting the next ayah.

وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا

“And [mention] Zechariah, when he called to his Lord, “My Lord, do not leave me alone…” Suratul Anbiya, 89

I clearly remember that I could not finish the ayah. I was only able to recite up to that point. My sight got blurry with tears as I felt my shattering heart being held together.

Why did I feel like I was being pulled together? Because it was my Lord Who decided that I will be reciting that ayah right in that moment. It was my Lord Who made my tongue recite that dua just on that day, even when I didn’t know what to ask for. And the fact that He Himself, made me make that dua, is proof that He in fact will bring an end to the loneliness I was feeling.

All of a sudden, I felt less lonely. All of a sudden, I felt heard even without saying a word. All of a sudden I knew that I was in fact never alone. That my Lord has always been, and will always be by my side through His Knowledge.

To put this in context, the ayah is the dua of Zakariyya (AS), who was asking Allah for a son, though he had reached old age and his wife was barren. Perhaps the end of my feelings of loneliness felt as impossible to me, as an old man having a child.

But even that wasn’t impossible for Allah. Allah in fact gave Zakariyya (AS) an heir who will carry out his mission even after he was gone. Just like that, Allah did in fact help me with my fear of being alone.

Ever since that day, I came across sources from places I didn’t even expect, that helped me so much in healing from that fear. I still wonder about how far I’ve come and it is no less than a miracle to me. I can’t be more grateful for the fact that I no longer go through episodes of crying due to ruminating thoughts of being alone.

So if you have ever felt alone, remember this. Your Lord will never leave you alone. He Knows the deepest of your fears and reasons behind them. He Knows exactly what you need. He listens the most silent of your cries that no one else can possible hear. So hold on to Him. Ask from Him. Because He is your ultimate refuge. And once you find that refuge in Him, He Will send you people who will only add to the joy that you found in remembering Him. (In Sha Allah)

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It will all make sense!

Jana — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 14:27:47 +0000

“Alhamdhulillah….for the good I’m not able to see in this situation.”

I said these words in a conversation on a day where my eyes were overflowing with tears and had a throbbing pain in my chest. A pain that I thought would last even to this day and beyond, because it hadn’t left me in a long time and the turn of events had made it worse. And no, I did not say those words because I was pious or because I thought I would find a way out of that sadness. My iman was the weakest it had been in a long time and I wasn’t doing much worship either except for the bear minimum. I had assumed I was in a dark tunnel that had a dead end, with no light whatsoever.

Why did I say those words? Somehow, the little bit of knowledge that I had about Allah had come together to my rescue in that moment. I remembered how Allah had taken care of me all my life to that point. I remembered how He is the Most Loving, how He is the Best of Planners, how He makes a way out for His slaves, how He is competent over all things. I remembered all of His beautiful names. Also this one thing I repeatedly learn from the studies of Suratul Fathiha was embedded deep in my head.

The first ayah of Suratul Fathiha, which is الحَمْدُ لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْن is a Jumlah ismiyyah (a noun sentence). Generally in Arabic, when something is said in the noun form as opposed to the verb form, it makes the idea permanent. This means that the حَمْد of Allah is permanent. The praise and thanks that belongs to Allah is present all the time. No matter what Allah decrees for us in our lives, He deserves to be praised and thanked for it. I will repeat that.

NO MATTER WHAT Allah decrees for us in our lives He deserves to be PRAISED AND THANKED for it!

So whatever happens, we need to be able to say Ya Rabb! This is the best thing that could be happening to me right now. I may not be able to see it but I thank You for it!

And guess what? Not too long after I said those words, I did realize that indeed what I went through was the best thing that could have happened to me at that time of my life. I was able to see right through the pain. As my scars healed and the pain subsided by the Will of Allah, I realized that I had become stronger that even before I had those scars. I realized so much about myself and I was able to help so many with my experience. Subhaanallah!

So when we learn that the Prophet (SAW) used to say الحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ (All praise and thanks belong to Allah in all circumstances), know that the Prophet (SAW) was stating nothing but the fact! And when you say those words even when things aren’t going your way, know that you are saying nothing but the truth too!

So say Alhamdhulillah, always and every day. Say Alhamdhulillah for the situations that won’t get solved. The pain that just won’t go away. The feelings that keep getting tangled and just don’t make sense. Know that whatever is going out of your control is Allah’s beautiful plan for you. Always remember, the sooner you say Alhamdhulillah and convince your heart of those words, the sooner it will make sense In Sha Allah!

#Reflections #Selfreminder

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Secret to the best in this life and the next

Jana — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 15:50:15 +0000

The word ‘Taqwa’ has the meaning of protecting oneself. A question that arises is, protecting oneself from what?

Generally, the scholars say that taqwa is protecting ourselves from the punishment of Allah by staying away from things that displeases Him.

But as we go through the journey of taqwa, we will actually realize that by practicing taqwa, we aren’t just saving ourselves from the punishment in the next life. Rather, we are also saving ourselves from the torture and pain that sins cause us in this life.

You may have held yourself back from consuming haraam food and you later realize that it wouldn’t have been good for your health anyway. You may have held yourself back from taking haraam money or interest-based loans and later you realize that your life is much better off without the debt or the stress of having something illegal. You may have left a relationship that was displeasing to Allah and perhaps years down the line, you realize your life may have gone down in ruins if you stayed in it. Or your life may not have played out the best way if you were focused on that relationship at that time of your life. You may have left all those bad habits for the sake of Allah but that’s what taught you resilience and boosted the quality of everything you do.

Subhaanallah this reminds be of the dua Allah Himself taught us.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَ فِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّار

“Our Master, grant us the best in this world, and in the next and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” Suratul Baqarah, 201

The fact that He Himself taught this dua, is proof that He swt Wills to give us the best both in this world and in the next. And the fact that He taught us a way to achieve that success is a sign of His Love and Care towards us.

May Allah make us people of taqwa, thereby grant us the best in this world and in the next and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Ameen!

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You need love. People love.

Jana — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 15:18:51 +0000

“Appreciation, acceptance and gratitude from other people are not that necessary in our lives.”

I told my sister as we were having a conversation about social anxiety, which is a disorder where a person excessively worries about how other people perceive him or her in a social situation.

“No! Sometimes it maybe more important than even food. Remember the dua of Ibrahim (AS)?”

My sister responded, compelling me to think. As I remembered the ayah she was referring to, I ended up agreeing with her.

In Surah Ibrahim, Allah describes the scene where Ibrahim (AS) is leaving his family in the desert of Makkah, and he makes this beautiful dua to Allah for his family. One part of that dua is in the ayah below.

رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ

“Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.” Surah Ibrahim, 14

Notice the order of the things Ibrahim (AS) asked Allah in this dua. He first asks Allah to make the hearts of the people inclined towards them (meaning his family, Haajar and baby Ismaeel (AS) and by extension the descendants who will come through Ismaeel (AS)) and then he asked Allah to provide them from the fruits. He asked Allah for the love of people towards his family before he asked for provision for them.

Scholars say that its because of this dua that we have a love towards the Ka’ba in Makkah and for the worship we do around it to this day. The language of the ayah does not just refer to the Ka’ba. Notice the word هِم in the words تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ (incline towards them). هِم is the pronoun in Arabic used for people. So we can say that Ibrahim (AS) was asking Allah for the love of people towards his family.

The reason why I highlighted this is, sometimes, a lot of us are very hard on ourselves. Hard on ourselves as in, we feel like we do not need people in our lives. Because throughout our lives, we never really had people who appreciated us for who we are, especially since most of us grew up in a culture where it’s taboo for family to praise us for the little things. Or perhaps we never had people with sincere intentions for us. Or maybe its because of people that we had to go through the toughest times of our lives.

When we have been through a life like that, we tend to numb the need for connection with people. We try to suppress the need to reach out to other people, to share feelings, to vent and to show our sadness and tears. But we don’t realize that no matter how hard we try to suppress or numb these emotions, they will eventually come out some way or the other.

One of the ways that it will come out is that we will seek that connection we missed through a romantic relationship (thanks to the movies and series that do a number on our thinking). While this is a good thing to expect from a future marriage, expecting your future partner to fulfil ALL your emotional needs just isn’t healthy. If we carry that mindset, we will be willing to get into relationships that are not right in the first place. The moment you get a compliment from the opposite gender, you may feel that this is the person who is going to make you happy. You see how irrational and dangerous this mindset is? Subhaanallah!

This is one of the MANY reasons why we must seek connection from other people. And I don’t mean in a romantic sense. We can seek this connection within our family. If not, within our friends. Whoever it is, there must be at least one person who we can open up to and share our feelings with. Someone who will listen to us without judgement. It maybe a difficult thing to do if we haven’t done so for long in our life. But I tell you its completely worth it!

And those of you who do not think you have someone you can trust in your life, share your feelings with Allah AND ask Him for the love of righteous people in your life. It’s from the sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) too. (check the comment below) Ask from Allah with a sincere heart, and He Will answer your dua, just as He swt answered Ibrahim (AS)’s dua so beautifully, that its power exists to this day. To this day, we have a love for Haajar (SA), Ismaeel (AS), and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who came from the descendants of Ismaeel (AS). Subhaanallah!

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The heart and its investments

Jana — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 15:34:46 +0000

Those of us who know a little bit about business might be aware that the businesses run on investments. Basically, an investment is what a business spends its money and time on. The owner and the employees involved in the business always consider the ‘return on investment’ whenever they decide to take on a project.

Now imagine a business investing on a certain product. This product seemed to be profitable from the surface. However, a month down the line, the business suffers a loss. The business owner however, does not give up on the product and keeps on spending money on producing more of the product and its marketing. Even with all of it, the business keeps suffering from loss. If the owner keeps investing in that same product without any changes, what is going to happen to his business? Well, it doesn’t take much for us to comprehend that he will run out of business and may even go bankrupt. Because the owner is not getting any return on his investment.

This is something many of us do. Not necessarily with our time and money. But with our emotions. We may end up liking a person. Or we may excessively love a close family member or a friend too. And we inevitably invest a lot of our emotions into them. We excessively worry about them, feel extremely sad whenever they are hurt, feel like taking revenge from whoever hurt them and invest all our love into them. We do this even though we get absolutely nothing in return from them. And we think this is harmless. But it isn’t.

Emotional investments also come with a cost. The cost is us losing the ability to love truly. It is us losing the ability to find happiness in anything except that thing we invested in. It is us losing the ability to see even our own selves for who we are, as we become preoccupied with judging ourselves based on the perception of the one we love. Thus we end up losing the respect we have for ourselves and don’t even have the sense to take care of ourselves. This could happen consciously or subconsciously.

This is why, its so important for us to be careful of where we place our hearts in. The things that we invest in can either make us or break us. And if you have already invested in someone whom you know will not give your emotions in return, taking a step back from them and also the emotions that you invested in them. This can be done by distancing yourself from them and finding the root of your excessive emotions towards the person. True love isn’t excessive and it doesn’t come from a place of desperation and weakness, rather it comes from a place of stability and strength.

And Wallaahi the best place to find the stability and strength for your heart, that is required for true love is with Allah. Rather than investing your time into that toxic place that your heart is yearning for, turn it towards Allah, even if forcibly. Turn your heart to remember Allah. Turn your heart towards the Quran. Turn your heart to learning more about Allah and loving Him. Ask Allah to help you make sense of these unresolved emotions. The love of Allah is the only kind of love where you will get an immediate return directly into your heart. This is the love that will fix the love that you have with everyone else around you. This is the love that will console your heart like nothing else. And this is the love that will help you find your own self and even the sense to love your own self. Subhaanallah!

#Reflections

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You are surrounded by signs

Jana — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 15:53:05 +0000

Ever seen a beautiful scenery that took your breath away? Be it the white sandy beaches of the Maldives with the sound of the waves soothing your ears. Or the magnificent mountains in Switzerland with their tips covered in snow, overlooking the extensive green carpets of grass. Or the breathtaking rivers, streams, and waterfalls in different shades of blue all around the world. Or the stunning view of the sky at the time of sunset and sunrise every single day.

What comes to your mind when you see them? Well, thinking of the times we are living in, many of us might want to take a picture to share on social media. But isn’t it just pitiful to end such an amazing experience with just that? Don’t you think what’s around you is trying to tell you something more than you can see with just your eyes?

With this question in mind, read this ayah.

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.” Surah Ale-Imran, 190

Allah is telling us that whatever we see around us are signs for us. And the people who will see these signs are only those who have understanding. The words أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ means people who have sound minds. Those people who can think clearly about reality because their minds are free of useless things.

Now the question that arises is, they are signs of what? That’s what the next ayah describes.

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

“Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Master, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” Surah Ale-Imran, 191

Allah is telling us that people of sound minds, who remember Allah almost at all times, they think about the creation around them and their immediate words are, رَبَّنَا (Our Master). Why would they say that?

Because while looking at the creation, they realize something. They realize that the creation around them was not made from their hands. Neither from the hands of those around them. And neither does anyone around them have the power over those majestic creations. They realize that their must be One Who has complete control over that creation. With that realization, it also hits them that they don’t even own themselves. Because they did not create themselves. They did not decide the face they will have, the body shape they will have and neither do they have the control over how their bodies are functioning.

Hence they realize that they have a Master, who created everything and who is precisely controlling all creation around them.

So the next time you see a beautiful scenery, remember that it’s a sign from your Master, for you. It’s a sign for you to remember Him, be grateful to Him and worship Him like He deserves to be worshipped. How amazing will be a Master, Who shows you beautiful signs for you to return to Him? Subhaanallah!

*Taken from a lecture by Ustadh Nouman

Note: This is the explanation of just one part of the second ayah mentioned in the post.

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You will have your fair share

Jana — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 07:46:45 +0000

A lot of times in life, we tend to blame others when something bad happens to us or when we lose an opportunity. We tend to say things like:

“If it wasn’t for him/her, that would not have happened to me.”

“I completely deserved the chance. They were being unfair.”

“If it wasn’t for them, my life would not have been so miserable.”

We can stay in this state of constant complaining because at the end of the day, we are surrounded by people who have wronged us. Even if they are away from us, those hurtful words and the looks they gave us may stay with us for life. We feel this constant need to get back at them. We feel the need to get revenge. We feel the need to see them suffer just like we did. And these feelings are not pleasant. They eat away at us and further worsen the wounds that we already have from the loss we suffered.

In the midst of your chaotic feelings, how will you feel if you realized that you actually don’t have to deal with those people? That you don’t actually have to call out on these people for the good you lost? That you actually have only One Who can remove all of your problems altogether?

With this in mind, read the ayah below:

وَإِن يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِن يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

“And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” Surah Yunus, 107

In this ayah, Allah is telling us that it was Him all along. That it will always be Him, Who Will be in control of the adversities that touch us and the good that happens to us. We don’t need to play the blame game with those who have hurt us to get over that pain. Rather, we need to call out to the One Who is in complete control of our destiny. No one can hurt us except by His Will and if He intends good for us, nobody can take away that good for us.

So as muslims, we don’t need to feel insecure about others stealing our happiness. Because at the end of the day, Allah allows everything to happen in our lives. He would not have allowed the bad thing to happen to us without a wisdom. Neither does He shower us with His blessings without a purpose.

Thus He causes it to reach whomever He Wills of His servants. Because at the end of the day, He is the One Who Knows His servants best. Subhaanallah!

Note: By no means am I saying that we are not allowed to seek help or justice when we are wronged. In Islam, we are asked to stop the oppressors no matter what. The situations highlighted in this post are cases where there is nothing more you can do about it but your wounds still go back to those memories. And also situations where you have done everything you can, and people are still looking down on you and talking behind your back.

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No, it was not an accident!

Jana — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 15:56:25 +0000

Imagine you are working on a project with a professional. You don’t know much about the subject this project is about but your mentor happens to know a lot. Your mentor is also someone close to you and you know that he wants you to be successful by the end of the project.

So you start working on this project with your mentor. Sometimes your mentor lets you have your way but other times, your mentor guides you to change the idea that you have. Sometimes, your mentor even suggests you change the work that you had already done. But you don’t get offended and you accept those changes. Because at the end of the day, you trust your mentor’s knowledge and the care he has for your success.

Allah swt is above any analogy. Think about this for a moment. About how Allah deals with you. Sometimes, your plans and Allah’s plans are the same. He swt lets you have your way in life. But other times, Allah has planned something else. Perhaps He Knows in His Knowledge that you deserve better. Perhaps He Knows that by changing those plans, you will grow closer to Him. Perhaps He is Protecting you from a harm that was coming your way with the plans you were hoping will come true.

Look at the words that the Prophet (SAW) taught us to say when we are afflicted with something:

قَدَرَ اللّه وَمَا شَاء فَعَل

“Allah has decreed it and did as He Willed”

[Sahih Muslim]

How comforting are these words dear brothers and sisters? To know that nothing in our lives happens by accident. To know that everything was precisely decided by Allah even before it happened to us. And to know that Allah is the One Who Loves us the most and He is the One Who Knows what’s best for us.

Rasool (SAW) did not teach us these words as a mere saying we say in a time of difficulty. Rather he (SAW) has taught us an entire attitude that we must carry. Let us be among those who have this attitude!

May Allah make us of those who always put their trust in Him. Ameen!

Hadhith reference:

https://sunnah.com/urn/2118440

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Never lose the reward of this good deed!

Jana — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 15:12:36 +0000

We all know that in Islam, we get a reward for every good we do. But did you know that there is a good deed that we do, the reward of which could be lost due to how we behave after we do it? Well, there is. And that deed is charity!

Allah says in the Quran:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُبْطِلُوا صَدَقَاتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالْأَذَىٰ كَالَّذِي يُنفِقُ مَالَهُ رِئَاءَ النَّاسِ وَلَا يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ

“O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day….” Suratul Baqarah, 264

Allah tells us not to waste or invalidate our charities with مَنِّ or أَذَىٰ. Let’s explore these two words separately to understand this ayah.

The word مَنِّ in Arabic means a to do a favour. It’s also to remind someone of a favour done to them. So this part of the ayah is describing how a person reminds the person they gave charity to, about the favour he did for them. Statements like, remember how I gave you that amount of money last month? You were really in need weren’t you?

These are some explicit ways of doing it. But it can also be done indirectly. Stuff like, ‘Gosh I couldn’t save as much money as I wanted to. But Alhamdhulillah, I’m happy I gave it for the right thing”. It can also be done by the way we behave when we are around the people we gave charity to. We can really make people think less of themselves from the attitude that we carry. May Allah protect us from it. Ameen!

The next word Allah said in the ayah is, أَذَىٰ. This word means to cause pain to the other person. When we remind a person of a favour we did for them, we are hurting them. Because nobody likes to be in a position where they need to ask. And it’s not a nice thing for us to remind anyone of the time they were in need.

So these are the two things, that can completely make our charity go in vain. We may have given away the money, or some material thing, or even our time to help someone. Even the time we give for helping others can be considered charity. But if we keep reminding the people we helped about the favour we did for them, we have done no good in the sight of Allah. And we will not find the reward of it in the Hereafter.

And look how Allah describes these people as ones who don’t believe in Allah and the Last Day. Because if they truly believed in Allah, they will know that Allah has already seen the charity that they gave. So they won’t feel the need to remind anyone of it whatsoever. And if they truly believed in the Last Day, they will know that they will get the reward of it on that Day. So they won’t feel the need to put down the people they gave charity to. They won’t feel the need to get respect, excessive gratitude or other favours in return for that charity. Because they will know that Allah Will give them the reward of it without account!

May Allah accept all of our charities from us and protect us from the characteristics that invalidate them. Ameen!

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