[Finding Peace and Contentment – Part 1]: What Does it Mean to be Blessed? (via productivemuslim.com)

If you’re in a state of difficulty, tribulation or restriction that is affecting your inner peace and making you think you’re not blessed, then you should read this.

We all want to be ‘blessed’, right? When we’re pleased with someone, we say “God bless you.” When people ask us to make dua for them, we say “May Allah bless you.” But have we asked ourselves what a blessing really is? What does it mean to be blessed?

Sometimes, we take this word for granted and miss the incredibly beautiful depth and meanings that are embedded in the state of being “blessed”. In this article, we will reflect more on what being blessed really means; to refine our understanding of our circumstances, ourselves and our surroundings.

Afflicted but thankful: food for thought

To start with, I’d like to share this anecdote I came across about a righteous man. As funny and seemingly strange as it appeared, I found it worth reflecting on.

This man was bald, blind, a leper and had paralyzed hands and feet. Nevertheless, he was so content and at peace with himself that he used to constantly make this dua:

“All praise is due to Allah who saved me from that which He has afflicted others, and blessed me greatly over many of those whom He has created.”

While making this dua, a man passing by him asked:

“Saved you from what, man? You’re bald, blind, a leper and paralyzed! So, saved you from what?”

The man replied:

“How could you say that? Allah has given me a tongue that is in constant remembrance of Him, a heart that is in constant gratitude towards Him and a body that is in constant patience over its afflictions“

Suddenly, this righteous man put the matter in perspective for the questioner and anyone who wishes to contemplate deeply, genuinely and sincerely on the true meaning of blessings.

Reevaluating blessings

What comes to your mind when you hear the word blessings? Many of us get an image of material possessions or material physical aspects or worldly goods in our minds when we hear this word.

However, Allah says:

“And whatever thing you [people] have been given – it is [only for] the enjoyment of worldly life and its adornment. And what is with Allah is better and more lasting; so will you not use reason?”

[Qur’an: Chapter 28, Verse 60]

He also says:

“Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed.“[Qur’an: Chapter 18, Verse 7]

Blessings are a test

Contemplating on Qur’anic verses and Prophetic ahadith establishes one fact about blessings clearly: they are a test.

Being healthy, wealthy or popular in and of themselves are not necessarily the ultimate success. Losing them, also, is not the ultimate failure.

Blessings may be a means that absorb people in their worldly life, divert them away from the remembrance of Allah  or make them greedy in pursuit of more or in constant worry over the loss of that which they have been given. In this case, are they really a blessing?

Similarly, true affliction is also not necessarily a disease or loss of wealth and status, because these same conditions may be the spark which directs people to seek Allah  more passionately and constantly so that they deepen their bond, connection and reliance on Him .

Allah says in Surat Al-Fajr:

“And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, “My Lord has honored me.” But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, “My Lord has humiliated me.” No!” [Qur’an: Chapter 89, Verses 15-17]

The verses clearly indicate that there is one common element in blessings and hardships: they are both a trial; reinforcing the fact that what may look like good fortune from the outside is not necessarily the source of success and vice versa.

The Prophet so eloquently explained that:

“Richness is not having many possessions, but richness is being content with oneself.” [at-Tirmidhi]

This is what the righteous man we spoke about in the beginning understood, that’s why he was at peace, content and even grateful because he had been truly blessed – with wisdom:

“…and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 269]

Blessings and spiritual growth

A deep understanding of the meaning of blessings is directly connected to your spirituality. Why?

Not having a deeper understanding of what blessings are might actually hinder people’s connection with Allah .

We all face difficulties, ups, downs and failures and we might be surrounded with calamities. Some people might then think that they’re not ‘blessed’. Some people think that being ‘blessed’ means that one has to be rich, happy, healthy and with no problems. If those conditions are not met, one might feel cursed, unworthy or fall into a state of depression, confusion, or even worse, rebellion against the Creator .

Spiritual growth, accordingly, has to do with perceiving things correctly. The spirit is a gift from Allah , its Creator. When we grow spiritually, we grow towards the Source of our spirits, nearer to Him, and not away from Him ! Growing spiritually is easier when one has a proper perception and understanding of the Creator . So, the negative or inadequate perception of Allah or of the nature of this life’s trials could hold back our spiritual growth.

Does Allah stop loving us when He withholds?

Allah is full of love for and towards His Creation (mankind). One of His names is “Al Wadud” (The Most Loving).

Allah  says in Surat Al-Baqarah:

“It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth….” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 29]

Everything on earth is created for you. The sun, the moon, the earth, the mountains, the fruits, etc.; everything is created for you to use and/or reflect on, but you are created for Him !

What does this mean?

Allah says in Surat ad-Dhariyat:

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Qur’an: Chapter 51, Verse 56]

If the entire purpose of our life is to worship Allah , such worship cannot be restricted to the hurried prayers we offer everyday, but a level of worship that necessitates a deeper bond and connection. The word for prayer in Arabic (sala) is similar to the word (sela), which means connection. When you connect with someone, you get to know them more, you get to know them better and you get an opportunity to develop deep love for them, right?

Allah wants us to love Him. In times of difficulty or restriction, we should not turn our back on Him thinking He doesn’t love us anymore. Love doesn’t mean that you always shower the other with blessings that are constituted of material, tangible presents. Love is much deeper. Love and commitment entail sticking to the other in sickness and in health, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer. Right? Isn’t this what those in love vow to one another when they declare their commitment?

So, if you are one of those people who thinks that Allah doesn’t love you just because you’re in a state of tribulation or because you feel you’re not “blessed” enough, it’s time to change your perspective of being blessed to the right one. Facing some sort of trial or difficulty might in fact carry in its folds far better and deeper lessons and blessings that you wouldn’t have learned or earned otherwise.

The incredible blessing: patience

Allow your eyes, minds and hearts to contemplate deeply and carefully on this hadith of the Prophet :

Some people from the Ansar asked Allah’s Messenger (to give them something) and he gave to every one of them who asked him until all that he had was finished. When everything was finished and he had spent all that was in his hand, he said to them:

‘“(Know) that if I have any wealth, I will not withhold it from you (to keep for somebody else); And (know) that he who refrains from begging others (or doing prohibited deeds), Allah will make him contented and not in need of others; and he who remains patient, Allah will bestow patience upon him, and he who is satisfied with what he has, Allah will make him self-sufficient. And there is no blessing better and vast (you may be given) than patience.” [Sahih Al Bukhari]

Some people might look at this and think, “Patience? Really? What do I do with that? Where do I cash it?”

If you have the same thoughts, then hold on and think deeply.

Why is patience the best blessing?

1. Patience keeps you in the company of Allah in this world

Unlike blessings that can be consumed and completely used up in this worldly life, patience is a limitless gift that allows you to remain in the company of Allah , relying on Him alone in this life and growing more intimately connected to Him. Allah  specifically assures us that He will be in the company of the patient and reward them immeasurably:

“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 153]

“…and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” [Qur’an: Chapter 8, Verse 46]

“…Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” [Qur’an: Chapter 39, Verse 10]

So, patience gives you an opportunity to connect and bond deeply with Allah , while other blessings could take you away from Him .

2. Patience helps you reach Al-Firdaus

Just like being patient keeps you in Allah’s company in this world, you will remain closely in His company in the Hereafter; and that is the ultimate goal! We all ultimately aspire for our eternal home in paradise. Prophet Muhammad said that if we were to ask for paradise, we should ask for its highest level: Al-Firdaus Al-A’la. Why?

“Al-Firdaus is the highest of Paradise and its most expansive, and above that is the Throne of Ar-Rahman (the Most Merciful), and from it the rivers of Paradise are made to flow forth. So when you ask Allah, ask Him for Al-Firdaus” [at-Tirmidhi]

So, this paradise, Al-Firdaus, is the closest to the Creator, Ar-Rahman, and if you want to earn an eternal closeness to Him, shouldn’t you be working on initiating and deepening this relationship here first?

“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has not yet made evident those of you who struggle in His cause and made evident those who are patient?” [Qur’an: Chapter 3, Verse 142]

3. Patience earns you limitless reward

Now that we’ve understood that when you are patient you’re in fact in the company of Allah Himself, consider anything else you think is an outward blessing. Do they have an end? Health, wealth, success, beauty, popularity, etc. Are they limitless? No, they have their own limits. On the other hand, patience earns you the company of Allah , who said:

“Everyone upon the earth will perish, and there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.” [Qur’an: Chapter 55, Verse 26]

Everything will perish, except your Exalted Companion who is  The Ever-Living, The Ever-Lasting, The Owner of the Kingdom. Everything you might have attached yourself to will vanish, except Him. And patience gives you an opportunity to really cling on to Him, The King of All Kings.

Isn’t this a vast and expansive blessing?

Lesson: The message here, my brothers and sisters, is that if you are in a state of difficulty that has no other solution but for you to be patient and turn to Allah , then don’t panic. Know that you have been given an opportunity to acquire a state of the highest and most eternal form of blessings. So, don’t panic. It will be over. Sooner or later it will be over, and if you really attained patience through it, then you have in fact been given an opportunity for a never-ending reward, in sha Allah!

Live between patience and gratitude

To live contentedly in this life, you must be in one of two conditions:

• a state of shukr (gratitude towards Allah) for whatever good you have been given, or
• a state of patience over whatever affliction you think you’re in

We will all experience both conditions. We all will experience some sort of affliction and some sort of prosperity. Neither one of those conditions mean you’re ultimately successful, and neither one of those conditions mean you’re ultimately doomed. Allah has already made that clear to us:

“In order that you not despair over what has eluded you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful.” [Qur’an: Chapter 57, Verse 23]

True success is to be truly grateful when gratefulness is due because this shows you’re mindful of Allah and not heedless of Him, and to be patient when patience is due because this means you’re still mindful of Allah and hopeful of Him and trust His immense power and ability to get you out of whatever you’re in, and to reward you for it here and in the Hereafter for eternity.

The key is to remember what the beautiful Prophet said:

“How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.” [Muslim]

Why does this apply exclusively to the believer? Because the believer knows that this life is ultimately about knowing and connecting with Allah . Discovering and understanding Allah’s Majesty, Power, Grace and all His beautiful attributes takes more than a lifetime! He has given us a lifetime to get to know Him and love Him, and we will take this bond with us to the next life for eternity. That’s the whole point of this temporary life: so we must not be overly happy over whatever good we have or overly sad about whatever we don’t have. If we get fixated on the material world ignoring the fact that this world is ending and we are all going to die with nothing of this material world in our hands; where then are the blessings and what then have we earned?

Tips

• Next time you ask Allah to ‘bless’ you or someone else, think sincerely about what you’re saying. Ask for true and eternal blessings. Ask Allah to give us wisdom because this will help us face the inevitable ups and downs of life gracefully. Ask Him to give us patience when patience is due and to help us be thankful when thankfulness is due because really, that is the true blessing!

• If you’re in a state of tribulation, learn how to deal with difficulties better.

Written by Dina Mohamed Basiony.
Dina Mohamed Basiony is a writer based in Egypt. She has an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo.

Source: http://productivemuslim.com/finding-peace-and-contentment-part1/

6 steps to get closer to Allah swt

“…for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (Surah Al-Rad, 13:28)

To be close to our Creator is a fundamental need of every human being and striving to achieve it can be the healing for our chaotic inner selves which, in turn, leads to:

1. Allah’s love
2. Greater productivity
3. Confidence
4. Satisfaction and joy

Therefore, it is essential to exert effort in seeking closeness to your Creator. To begin with, the prescription to getting closer to Allah requires a few things from you:

1. Strong intention to get closer to Allah
2. Patience
3. Consistency
4. Avoid doing nothing

Let’s first consider our worth to Allah . If you want to know your worth to Allah , then see what you are doing with your life. Are you pleasing Allah or disappointing Him?
Don’t like your answer?
Well, there is good news. The fact that you are seeking closeness to Allah means He wants you to remember Him. Being productive is very important as a Muslim. It is a sign of Allah’s mercy that you have come to seek beneficial knowledge from websites like this one. A righteous deed is like a pearl necklace – when it breaks, all the pearls follow one another quickly.
Abu Huraira (RA) reported that the Prophet Muhammad said that Allah , the Exalted and Glorious said, “I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.” (Sahih Muslim).

We need to struggle to achieve great things. The harder the struggle is, the better the outcome becomes. Getting close to Allah takes time. We cannot expect everything to magically fall into place by doing a righteous deed. You need to depend on Allah and trust that what He has planned for you is the best you can have, for this life and the hereafter.
Here are some tips to achieve closeness to Allah (glorified and exalted be He):

1. Dua’a (Supplication)

We forget that we need Allah’s help and strength to guide us. When we get too caught up with dunya (this life) we often think we can do it on our own without His help. We have to know that nothing changes without the strength and power of Allah . We need to ask Him for His help, even if it is to get closer to Him, or become better at worshiping Him. We need to seek refuge in Allah in everything. It could be negative thoughts we have, our lack of productivity or even our lack of faith. We need to ask Allah to help us and guide us to the Straight Path. Allah says in the Qur’an:
”And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided”(2:186).

2. Stay Away from Poisons

You need to get any poisons out of your life. Poison has many forms. Fix your heart, by staying away from anything that Allah doesn’t love. If you are around friends that make you sin and make you disappoint Allah , then you need to get them out of your life.
The Prophet Muhammad said: “A good friend and a bad friend are like a perfume-seller and a blacksmith: The perfume-seller might give you some perfume as a gift, or you might buy some from him, or at least you might smell its fragrance. As for the blacksmith, he might singe your clothes, and at the very least you will breathe in the fumes of the furnace.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

3. Get to Know Allah [SWT] Through His 99 Beautiful Names

How can you love Allah and want to get closer to Him if you don’t know Him that well? We fall in love with people as we get to know them more and realize that they have a lot of beautiful qualities and characteristics. Of course Allah is above any analogy, but you need know Him more. Wanting to get closer alone won’t do you any good without falling in love with your Creator. Start with the name of Al-Wadud, the Ever-Loving. Allah’s love for you is unconditional. He does not need or want anything from you in return. He loves you so He keeps giving you even if you disobey Him. Ask Allah with His 99 Names.

He is the One who is closest to you (Qareeb). So ask Him to bring you closer to Him. Call on Him using the name Al-Wadud and ask Him to love you more and make you love Him more. It’s as simple as that. We tend to overthink stuff and forget that if we seek refuge in Allah  , He will make everything easier on us.

Abu Huraira narrates that the Prophet said, “If Allah loves a person, He calls Gabriel saying, ‘Allah loves so and-so; O Gabriel! Love him.’ Gabriel would love him and make an announcement amongst the inhabitants of the Heaven. ‘Allah loves so-and-so, therefore you should love him also,’ and so all the inhabitants of the Heaven would love him, and then he is granted the pleasure of the people on the earth.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

4. Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah )

Remembering Allah is essential in achieving closeness to Him. You can remember him by engaging in dhikr (remembrance) and tasbeeh (praise).
Say Astaghfirullah a lot to erase your sins.
Say Alhamdulillah so Allah will give you more.
Look outside your window and say Subhan-Allah about His beautiful creations.
The most elegant form of remembering Allah is by looking at His creations. When you are in between tasks like driving or walking, remember Allah . Listen to Islamic lectures or Islamic poetry that talk about Allah’s glory. Surround yourself with people who remind you of Allah . Attend halaqas or religious circles in masjids or you can even create your own gathering of remembrance. The more you remember Allah , the more He will remember you. See what happens when you are sitting in a gathering that is filled with Allah’s remembrance.
Allah’s Messenger [SAW] said:
“Whenever some people gather in one of Allah’s houses (mosques) to recite the book of Allah and study it among themselves – then calmness (tranquility) descends upon them, the angels surround them, mercy covers them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him.” (Sahih Muslim)

5. Follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad

By following the Sunnah of our prophet we will gain the love of Allah . When you gain the love of Allah, you will get closer to him. Following the sunnah of the Prophet makes you a better person. You will have better manners and ethics. Read more about the Prophet ; fall in love with your Messenger. After all, he was a mercy to all mankind. Allah says so in the Qu’ran:
“Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (3:31)”.

6. Stay Connected to the Qur’an

Reading or memorizing the Qur’an alone is not enough. Understand it and act upon it. Try your best to act the way we were asked to in the Qur’an. Strive for the best. Reflect on its meanings; it will give you answers to your daily life’s complications. When you read the Qur’an and understand it more you will be more likely to reach the level of ihsan. You will want to do everything right. In the form of a man, Gabriel/Jibreel once entered a gathering where the Prophet was sitting. One of the questions the angel asked was to elaborate on the term “ihsan”, Prophet Muhammed said, “That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don’t see Him then truly He sees you.”(Bukhari and Muslim)

Wrapping It All Up

Be productive, seek knowledge and take action. The more you love Allah , the more you will do to get closer to Him. The more you get closer to Him, the more He will get closer to you. The more you will want to learn about the sunnah and the Qur’an and want to get even closer to Him, the closer you will become to reaching the level of ihsan. When you reach that level you will feel Allah’s love and you will be satisfied with everything He gives you. You will be productive because you won’t want to waste time without pleasing Allah . You will be confident in anything that you do in your life, because you will have full trust in Allah . May Allah guide us to the path that takes us closer to Him. Ameen.

http://productivemuslim.com/6-steps-to-get-you-closer-to-allah-swt/