.
Showing posts with label Perseverance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perseverance. Show all posts

Thursday, 1 June 2023

Reward beyond all reckoning for those who Fear Allah and Persevere

Faith (Tawakal) and fear of Allah is central to the belief of all Muslims. Rather it should be central to the belief of all who follow any of the four Divine Scriptures. But this faith should only be in One True God without any associates. When unshakable, unwavering and unshrinking faith in One True God develops in the heart of a believer, then whatever befalls on him is accepted as will of Allah and one willingly perseveres. 

Such a level of perseverence gives solace in the face of dangers and induces an unflinching will and determination to endure what may come one's way. Perseverance instills a higher degree of patience in the heart of a true beleiver and induces the staying power and determination that opens means of ultimate success and prosperity.

This is the central idea of the 10th verse of Surah 39 Al Zumar, The Troops, as is being shared herein under:

قُلۡ يٰعِبَادِ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوۡا رَبَّكُمۡ​ ؕ لِلَّذِيۡنَ اَحۡسَنُوۡا فِىۡ هٰذِهِ الدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٌ ​ ؕ وَاَرۡضُ اللّٰهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ​ ؕ اِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصّٰبِرُوۡنَ اَجۡرَهُمۡ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٍ‏ 
(39:10) Tell them (O Prophet): “O you servants of Mine who believe, have fear of your Lord. A good end awaits those who did good in this world. Allah's earth is spacious. Verily those who persevere shall be granted their reward beyond all reckoning.
(Tell them (O Prophet): “O you servants of Mine who believe, have fear of your Lord) That is, do not rest content with belief but follow it up with piety and fear of God. Act according to what Allah has enjoined and avoid what He has forbidden and live in the world fearing His accountability.

(A good end awaits those who did good in this world) Good and well-being both of this world and of the Hereafter. 

(Allah's earth is spacious) That is, "If one city, territory or land has become difficult for the worshipers of Allah, they may emigrate to another place where they may not have to face any such hardship. " 

(Verily those who persevere shall be granted their reward beyond all reckoning.) "Those. . . measure": Those who brave all kinds of hardships and persecutions in following the way of God-worship and piety but do not abandon the way of the Truth. This also includes those people who emigrate to other countries and experience hardships in the foreign land for the sake of religion and faith, and those also who continue to face every kind of temptation and calamity firmly and patiently in the land where they are being persecuted." 

Yusuf Ali Explanation:  
The fear of Allah has also been mentioned right in the opening of the Surah 2 Al Baqarah (The Cow):
(This is the Book; in it is guidance sure without doubt to those who fear Allah.) Taqwa and the verbs and nouns connected with the root, signify: (1) the fear of God which according to the writer of Proverbs (i.7) in the Old Testament is the beginning of Wisdom; (2) restraint, or guarding one's tongue, hand, and heart from evil; (3) hence righteousness, piety good conduct. All these ideas are implied; in the translation, only one or other of these ideas can be indicated according to the context. See also xivii 17; and ixxiv 56.

Fear of Allah is also mentioned in the 60th verse of Surah 23. Al-Muminun:
(And those who dispense their charity with their hearts full of fear because they will return to their Lord) Their hearts are full of reverence for Allah and fear lest their charity or their hearts be not good enough for acceptance before their Lord; for they have the certainty of a future life, in which they will stand before the Judgment Seat. They fear for their own worthiness, but they hope in Faith.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:
To fear God means to have a sensitive heart and to look up to Him cautiously and with apprehension, hope, wary lest one should incur His displeasure and keen to earn His pleasure. It is seen in the bright picture drawn in the previous verse of a devout worshipper, full of humility. “Those who do good in this world will have a good reward.” What a great reward: a good deed in this present life, which is short and flimsy, is repaid with something good in the life to come, which is everlasting. This is certainly an act of God’s grace. He knows man’s weakness and small effort, so He repays him generously and takes care of him.

“Wide is God’s earth.” Your love of your land where you have relatives and friends should not prevent you from seeking a different abode if your own area is hostile to your faith and you cannot do well there. To stick to your place of habitat in such a case could present an opening for Satan. It could become a form of attributing equals to God, even though it might not be felt in this way. This is a fine point indicating that polytheism can subtly creep into our hearts. It is given within the context of belief in God’s oneness and fearing Him. It should be seen as evidence of the source of the Qur’ān. No one can deal in this way with the human heart except the One who created it and knows what has an effect on it and how.

God, the Creator of mankind, knows that leaving one’s land is hard. It involves abandoning one’s relatives and the people with whom one has close ties, leaving the place where one can easily find work and earn a living, to go to a new place where one is a stranger. This is not an easy thing for anyone. Hence, the Sūrah refers here to patience in adversity and how it is generously rewarded by God: “Those who are patient in adversity will be given their reward in full, beyond reckoning.” Thus, God’s servants feel His care and are touched as they see that when they have to undertake something hard God turns to them with care and grace. He opens for them what compensates for land, country, family and relatives, giving them a reward without count. All praise is due to God who knows all that affects a human heart and is fully aware of every thought that finds its way into his mind.

You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 39. Az-Zumar (The Throngs) already published.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'anYou may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 
  • Tafsir Ibn Khatir
  • Muhammad Asad Translation
  • Yusuf Ali Translation
  • Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
  • Qur'an Wiki
  • Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
  • Towards Understanding the Quran
In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Tuesday, 19 July 2022

Sabr: Patience with Perseverance - the best trait of a Muslim

Life is a complex living with generally smooth sailing, yet marred with tests and trials, up and down and many a challenges that rob one's peace of mind and makes one dejected and depressed. This could be loss of near and dar one, loss of property, wealth, position or a job. These are occasions when one is in extreme distress and does not, though momentarily, see any hope or light at the end of the tunnel. Some even lament "Why me!!"

Well, this is how life has been planned for us by Allah to test us in times of happiness and sorrow. Both these conditions are in fact a test for the man, specially for the true believers for sometimes their faith too wavers and they look towards the sky in distress, silently asking the why of bad times they are passing through. Cognizant of man's state of mind, Allah has asked the believers to be patient with perseverance for they do not the WHY and even do not know how better things in their  lives are planned, promises that those who face difficulty and yet persist on the right path, will be doubly rewarded for their faith in Allah and being patient.  

But do we really understand what Sabr really is. Jamal Badawi explains:
Typically people translate sabr as patience, which is an approximate meaning. Patience s is not a very good translation because it comes from the Latin origin which means suffering. Thus patience is understood in peoples minds as a passive type of suffering. The term sabr comes from the verb sabara which means to tie or bind. In other words it means to be tie down uncontrolled fears, weakness and human passion. There is no specific English word that expresses this meaning but some words that are close are perseverance, resolution, fortitude, self discipline and control. This quality is not passive but more active determined and dynamic. The term sabr (perseverance) in Islam has so many applications that are not limited to perseverance in cases of calamity or disaster. It does include fighting for justice or freedom, demolition of human tyranny unlike the negative passive term, patience.
Going by the above explanation we understand that the main difference between patience and perseverance is that patience is the ability to endure difficult situations without being annoyed or anxious, but perseverance is the quality of continuing with something even though it is difficult.

Thus believers are advised not only to overcome their grief but also continue enduring their grief and resultant difficulties with complete faith in Allah and never ever wavering from their true path for this is the stage when the Satanic machinations are at their prime to offset a believer and inculcate in his mind the feeling of abandonment. 

Thus under the distressful circumstance, a true believer must know that:
  • Whatever is happening or happened to us, we don't understand the WHY, yet we trust Allah without questioning.
  • That when in distress, we do not show our grief to people around us holding back our tears and being strong but cry when it's just Allah with us and beg Him for mercy to take us out from the grievous situation we are in.
  • Instead of being feeling low,  still manage to say Alhamdulillah.
  • Everything belongs to Allah which He has very graciously given to us. But if it is taken back, we need not lament for the taken back things was not ours anyway. Instead we should say:  Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ) - “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return.“
It is certainly difficult for a person to look at the tragedies of the world today and not feel helpless and sad. But believers are called to put their trust in their Lord, and not to fall into despair or hopelessness. You must continue to do what Allah has called to do: put trust in Him, perform good deeds, and stand as witnesses for justice and truth. This is how Allah advises a believer to exhibit sabr and perseverance in Qur'an:
  • "Seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble." (2:45)
  • "Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)
  • "Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives, and the fruits of your toil. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who say, when afflicted with calamity, 'To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.' They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and mercy. They are the ones who receive guidance." (2:155-157)
That is those who have faith in Allah in times of distress, Allah promises them good tidings and releif as is said in Surah 94 Al-Sharh:5-6:
فَاِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ۙ‏ 
(94:5) Verily with every difficulty there is relief.
اِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ؕ‏ 
(94:6) Verily with every difficulty there is relief.

The above quoted last verses of the Surah Al-Sharh were revealed when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was passing through some of the hard times of his life3 and these two repeated verses were revealed to tell him that with every hard ship comes the ease provided one faces the hardships with patience and perseverance. 

Yusuf Ali explains: This verse is repeated for extra emphasis. Whatever difficulties or troubles are encountered by men, Allah always provides a solution, a way out, a relief, a way to lead to ease and happiness, if we only follow His Path and show our Faith by patience and well-doing. The solution or relief does not merely come after the Difficulty: it is provided with it. I understand the definite article in al-'usr in a generic sense, and translate: "every difficulty". In xcii. 7, I have translated Yusr as Bliss, and in xcii. 10 'Usr as Misery.
The essence of all above is in fact a strong message for the believers to exhibit extreme sense of  Sabr (patience with perseverance) whenever in in testing and trying times for Allah is on the side of those who bow their heads to Allah in every state of happiness and despair and know that both happiness and distress are from Allah and his duty is to remain subservient to whatever comes from Allah. Such are the true believers and Muslims.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so  that they are able to discuss issues with Non Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Photo | references: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: Selected verses from Al-Qurʾān about Sabr   "صبر "   / Patience

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More