If One Puts Their Trust in Allah, He will Always Help & Guide Them
Whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart. Allah has knowledge of all things. (64/11)
Whoever puts his trust in Allah - He will be enough for him. (65/3)
Putting ones trust in Allah is a very important part of a Muslims faith and any that wants to follow God's True Religion. To put trust in Allah means one relies on their Lord at all times whether that be something that seems significant or insignificant, whatever it is a true believer always puts their trust in Allah. The awareness that Allah their Lord has power over all things is a great comfort for them. Everything in the heavens and everything on earth glorifies Allah. Sovereignty and praise belong to Him. He has power over all things. (64:1)
Man was actually created to put his trust in Allah and this is how he finds true peace, a lot of people ignorant of Islam and the guidance and morals of Allah’s Qur’an always try to find ways to be peaceful, but they never actually achieve that. The simple reason for this is because they do not follow the Religion God, their Creator, has perfected for His servants and the high morals He has commanded in the Qur’an, also they don’t know how brilliant putting trust in Allah is, they may often hear people telling them ‘Put Your Trust in Allah’ yet they never actually realise what this really means, or fail to grasp the full meaning and effect of trusting Allah;
TRUSTING ALLAH IS ACTUALLY A MIRACLE COMPREHENDED BY THE ONE WHO PUTS HIS TRUST IN HIM & OTHER TRUE BELIEVERS
In truth putting ones trust in Allah is actually a miracle comprehended by the one who puts their trust in Allah, and other true believers. The significance and vast potential of trusting Allah can be seen in the following verse of the Qur’an; If Allah helps you, none can overcome you: If He forsakes you, who is there, after that, that can help you? in Allah, then, Let believers put their trust. (3/160)
A believer who puts his trust in Allah notices the clear difference between not putting his trust in Him, and putting his trust in Him. Many people who will try to assess this fact from a superficial point of view generally will not notice, that is why this miracle is mainly comprehended by the believer himself and other believers. Also the difference that the believer notices in his life since he started putting his trust in Allah is unambiguous, and this change in his life he astonishingly and with great excitement realises is the actual mercy and help of Allah. (This is one thing those who disbelieve can never experience or realise, because they have a distorted and aberrant view of religion and God. In fact if the veil that Allah has placed on their hearts and intellect, which is due to their own arrogance and denial, was lifted, these people would crawl over ice to experience the peace from trusting Allah.)
The believer realises with great astonishment that Allah responds to the trust he places in Him, as He has promised in the Qur’an; Whoever has taqwa of Allah - He will give him a way out and provide for him from where he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah - He will be enough for him. Allah always achieves His aim. (65/2,3)
The believer compares his new found trust in Allah against his life in the time of ignorance (either before becoming a Muslim or practising Islam properly) before he started putting his trust in Allah, and realises this is what he was missing from his life, as already mentioned this difference is so unambiguous that it is a sign of Allah's existence and a miracle of trusting Allah. The believer actually realises with great excitement and astonishment Allah arranges his affairs in such a way that he knows it is the result of putting his trust in Him, Allah gives him help, answers, solutions, ways of being patient, etc., … from where he does not expect … (65/2), because; Whoever puts his trust in Allah - He will be enough for him. Allah always achieves His aim. (65/2,3)
Once a believer realises the miraculous and beneficial result of his trust in Allah, he never becomes disheartened at anything. He is always prepared to put his trust in his Lord the Al-Waduud (the All-Loving), in fact, it makes him even more confident and devoted to Allah, when he is confronted by difficulty or any problem he looks forward to putting his trust in Allah and waits with excitement to see how Allah arranges his affairs.
Another important fact the believer keeps in mind is that he knows that Allah will never wrong him and that He will never place a burden on him greater than he can bear:
Allah does not impose on any self any more than it can stand. For it, is what it has earned; against it, what it has merited. (2/286)
For this reason any misfortune that comes his way, he knows that is because of his own shortcomings and that Allah never wrongs His slaves by even the smallest amount;
Allah does not wrong anyone by so much as the smallest speck. And if there is a good deed Allah will multiply it and pay out an immense reward direct from Him. (4/40)
Allah informs us in another verse of the Qur’an that He wishes things to be easy for His servants and that He does not want to put them to difficulty, but that any difficulty that comes his way is because Allah, out of His Mercy wishes to purify his servant of all the bad deeds and traits that will cause grief and harm to himself and even others around Him; Allah does not want to make things difficult for you, but He does want to purify you and to perfect His blessing upon you so that hopefully you will be thankful. (5:6)
As a result of taking all the above into account a believer becomes extremely strong and steadfast against all that confronts him, a good example of this can be seen in the following verses of the Qur’an;
Many a Prophet has been fought, when there were many thousands with him! They did not give up in the face of what assailed them in the Way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor did they yield. Allah loves the steadfast. (3:146)
Say: ‘Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust.’ (9:51)
(Their Messengers said,) ‘And why indeed should we not put our trust in Allah when He has guided us to our ways? We will be steadfast however much you harm us. Those who trust put their trust in Allah.’ (14:12)
SOURCE: http://www.allahforever.co.uk/index.html
Allah has sent us to this world (the duniya) for a purpose, and the purpose is nothing but to worship Him Azza Wajal and do righteous deeds to seek His pleasure. And the religion He wants us to follow is one of total submission and obedience - and a complete way of life.
Allah SWT says:
“He Who created death and life to test which of you is best in action. He is the Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving.” (Surah Al-Mulk: 2)
And Allah says:
"Oh mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may acquire Taqwa.” (Surah Al-Baqara: 21)
Islam should be inculcated into every action and deed in our everyday routine, be it at our work, in our business transactions, our family life (with our spouse and kids), our parents, our social life among our friends, community and everything that surrounds us and to matters of our heart. And inshAllah with this in our mind, all of us will be able to balance our time between the matters of Duniya and matters of the Hereafter. For a believer, all matters of the duniya are also matters of the Hereafter. He does not keep them separate. He indulges in matters of the duniya in such a way that will him benefit for him and not bring harm or evil to him in The Hereafter.
Allah says in the Qur'an:
“The life of this world is nothing but a play and amusement. The hereafter is better for those who guard against evil. So will you not use your intellect?” (Surah al-An'am: 32)
A true believer will always, therefore, remember his final destination. He does not forget the Hereafter, even for a second. He will live in this life as though he is a traveller, and he has to earn and prepare for his eternal abode, a luxurious, successful life.
Ibn 'Umar Radhiyallahu anh narrated that Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalam said: “Be in this life as if you were a stranger or a traveller on a path.” (Sahih Al Bukhari)
Allah SWT says in the Qur'an:
“Verily! It is Allah Who causes the seed grain and the fruit stone to split and sprout. He brings forth the living from the dead, and it is He Who brings forth the dead from the living. Such is Allah, then how are you deluded away from the truth.” (Surah Al-An'am: 95)
The Qur'an is like The GPS and more, that keeps guiding us, and we should pay serious heed to it, with strong faith in the instructions and guidelines it provides endlessly. The Qur'an is perfect in all senses and flawless, and if we stick to it, we will never be led astray with The Mercy and Blessings of Allah Azza Wajal.
Allah says:
“That is the Book in which there is no doubt, guidance for the Muttaqin." (Surah Al-Baqara: 2)
If a matter of Duniya that will not benefit us, attracts us from a distance away from the straight path we are on, we should not think that maybe for once, we can move towards it, and then run back to the path we are supposed to be on, as we never know what is in store for us at that point. Maybe we could end up moving further away because of other worldly mirages, and ultimately leave us in darkness and lead to Hell-fire. Shaytan has a way of making our evil thoughts and actions look like "harmless fun" and nothing more.
Allah says:
“Those are the people who trade the hereafter for the world. The punishment will not be lightened for them nor shall they be helped.” (Surat al-Baqara: 86)
InshAllah, let's be cautious of ourselves so that we will not be included in this type of people, may Allah save us all. Allah says:
“Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world.” (Surah Al-An'am: 70)
This does not mean that one cannot have fun in this world. Have fun, but within the boundaries of Islam. And keep it balanced. How do we balance it?.
Firstly,like mentioned above, a true believer tries to make his whole life an ibadah. And his life can be an ibadah only if he is obeying His Lord at all times. For example, at his work place, he follows the etiquettes and laws of Islam by being nice to his colleagues, trying to give Da'wah when he gets a chance (needn't be through speech, his actions speak too), abstaining from intermingling (talking unnecessarily, coming in contact like shaking hands, patting each other etc.), being sincere to his work not just for worldly gains but out of fear of Allah SWT and most of all, having a halal job. In his business transactions, he will be fair, stay away from interest and any other kind of dealings that are against the shariah of Islam. Even when he relaxes and has fun, he keeps thanking Allah SWT.
Secondly, let's weigh the time we spend to make our life here better and the time we spend to make our Aakhirah better, by keeping in mind that the Aakhirah is eternal and this world is for such a short span of life. Surely, we spend quite an amount of unavoidable time for the duniya. How can we then, be satisfied with ourselves for the amount of time we spent only to worship Allah SWT and the little or no time we spend in learning His dheen? (Indeed, He is The Most Merciful that inshAllah, we will enter Paradise, for the little we do here for our own Aakhirah's sake as gratitude for this life he has Blessed us with!)
Allah SWT says:
“Oh mankind! Have Taqwa of your Lord, and fear a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the promise of Allah is true, let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah.” (Surah Luqman: 33)
Thirdly, let's always stop ourselves and think twice when we feel tempted to think/say, "We have no time", when it comes to doing a good deed or an act or worship. Allah has given each and everyone of us 24 hours a day and 7 days in a week. All men are equal. If the companions of The Prophet Sallallahu alihiwassalam and the rightly guided scholars of the Islamic Era, (may Allah be pleased with them all) were able to run homes (sometimes more than one) with many kids, run businesses or do some work in order to earn their bread, govern the nation/state, do da'wah and teach Islam to their people, recite the Qur'an and contemplate on it on a daily basis, participate in battles, travel to seek knowledge of dheen, pray thahajjud and other extra prayers etc, why cannot we find time then?
"O Lord! Give unto us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good and guard us from that doom of the Fire ".
By Umm Hibathain
http://www.areweprepared.ca/
One of the attributes of a true believer is his or her ability to appreciate beauty in all things Allah has created. Whenever he sees things in nature, he is immediately reminded of the great power and majesty of the Creator who made it. In this way, all moments of life are causes for reflection for the true believer.
Such a thinking believer is also free from the prejudices of today’s society, namely the conditioning of the mind by the media. He can see that all human beings have been created in a pleasant form that is appealing to the viewer. He notices in all people, the perfection in the symmetry of the body, the face and the pleasant appearance of the human smile as well as countless other details that makes the human body pleasant to see. This leads him to render thanks to Allah and feel Allah's ever presence in all human beings He has created. The real believer views people as precious creation manifesting Allah's great power and purpose in creation. He can easily see the marvellous complexity involved in the design of the human body and knows that simply appreciating the outer appearance in a superficial manner would be ungratefulness to Allah.
"(People), do you not see how Allah has made what is in the heavens and the earth useful to you, and has lavished His blessings on you both outwardly and inwardly?" (Qur'an 31:20)
That is why, the believers are those who are able see and appreciate beauty in a way disbelievers do not. However, what differentiates a person from another is their fear and love of Allah, which comes from an understanding of the existence of Allah and the purpose of creation. The human body comes to a bitter end only within a few decades. That is why believers only judge one another on the level of their moral perfection and adherence to Allah's commands.
source:http://www.quranicpath.com/
In the Qur’an, God has described Himself as:
"The one who created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deed." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 67, Verse 2
He draws attention to the fact that the life of this world is a time for testing. Indeed, events which appear to be favorable or unfavorable in the course of this life are critical in terms of revealing a person's actual character. Calamities, in particular, serve to reveal the degree of a person's sincerity.
One of the most noticeable qualities of believers is their stable character. In times of prosperity and hardship alike, they display the same sincerity and enthusiasm.Their unique perception of the concept of "difficulty" accounts for this, for they consider times of difficulty as opportunities by which they can prove their devotion to God and the strength of their faith. They acknowledge that they are special situations created by God to discriminate between "those in whose hearts is a disease" and "those who are sincere in faith to Him." In the face of all they encounter, they show forbearance and put their trust in God in compliance with His words:
"So be patient with gracious patience." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 70, Verse 5
The Qur’an also states:
"God does not charge a soul except [within] its capacity. It will have whatever [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] whatever [evil] it has earned." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 286
Believers feel the security and comfort of knowing that God does not impose on them more than they can bear. In the face of an ordeal they remember that this is an incident they will manage to overcome, and therefore they meet it with patience.
Thus, no matter how trying an ordeal may be, they earnestly strive while displaying a submissive attitude to God.
In addition, they know that ordeals befell believers in the past and that the trials people of the past encountered will come to them as well. A believer aware of this fact is prepared long before he actually encounters difficulties; he has determined that he will remain loyal to his Lord and is thus committed to display patience and submission and put his trust in God under all circumstances.
"And they had already promised God before not to turn their backs. And ever is the promise to God [that about which one will be] questioned." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 33, Verse 15
A believer fulfills his commitment to God. He faces hunger, poverty, fear, injury or death with steadiness, accepts them and shows a thankful attitude towards his Lord. Even if innumerable difficulties should come upon him one after another and his entire life is spent in hardship, he knows that when he accepts difficulties in this life (lasting but a few decades) with good patience for God, he will experience no difficulty throughout eternity – not for a single moment. His earnest behavior will, by God’s will, earn him the most beautiful blessings: the pleasure and mercy of God and His Paradise.
This good news is given in the Qur’an:
"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 155
There is a final point to be kept in mind. The way believers face difficulties with patience is different from the ignorant person's understanding of patience, which is simply to endure. Believers' understanding, however, is not only "endurance" but facing the problems that one must solve and overcome. Therefore, believers do their best to provide solutions by exercising their reason and resorting to all material and physical means. While doing so, they pray to God to give them strength and relief:
"Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people." The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 2, Verse 286
It is indeed this attitude in the face of hardship – sincere efforts coupled with acceptance – which reveals genuine zeal. The strength of their faith in God and the Hereafter enables believers to struggle hard against difficulties without ever feeling weak-hearted.
Excerpted from Zeal and Enthusiasm by Harun Yahya
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said, "The signs of the hypocrite are there: That he utters falsehood when he speaks and that he breaks his promise and that he betrays when entrusted", Imam Muslim added in another narration, "Even though he fasts, prays, and claims he is a Muslim."
Hypocrisy is a contradiction between what appears and what is concealed and, thus, a hypocrite is one who shows different to what he conceals.
Hypocrisy is divided into two types:
• Hypocrisy in belief.
• Hypocrisy in action.
Hypocrisy in belief is when one shows Islam and conceal Kufr (disbelieve), and this was the status of the hypocrites during the time of the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) after his migration to Medina. This is the most dangerous and malignant form of disbelieves.
To that effect, Allah (S.W.T.) said in surat An-Nisa’, (Verse 140), what can be translated as, "Allah will gather the Hypocrites and the disbelievers all in the Hell-Fire." Allah (S.W.T.) also says in the same surat in (Verse 145), what can be translated as, "The Hypocrites will be in the lowest depth of Hell-Fire."
Allah (S.W.T.) mentioned many of their attributes, and exposed much of their reality and uncovered the extent of their hostility towards Muslims in many verses of the Qur’an, for the purpose of alerting the Muslims to their danger and conspiracies;
Later on, Gabriel, mentioned their names to the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), and the prophet told that to his most trusted companion, Huzaifah-Bn-Alyaman. This was on the hypocrisy of belief.
For the second As type of hypocrisy, which is hypocrisy in action, It is to abandon all or some religious act in privacy, while complying with it publicly. This conduct fits under the terminology of Hypocrisy, but not under that of disbelief.
The hadith that was mentioned earlier has specified for us three of the signs of hypocrisy.
The first sign is lying. Which is one of the worst and gravest sins, since it is a means to immorality, and leads the person to the hell fire (we ask Allah (S.W.T.) for refuge from that). Imam Bukhari and Muslim reported that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said, "Honesty guides to righteousness, and righteousness guides to paradise, and a person does preserve his honesty until Allah (S.W.T.) gives him recognition for being honest." The prophet added, "and dishonesty guides to immorality, and immorality leads to the Hell-Fire, and a person does preserve his dishonesty until Allah (S.W.T.) gives him recognition for being dishonest."
In another authentic hadith reported by Imam Ahmad, Ibn-Hibban and Al-Baihaqi, that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said, "Maintain six virtues and I guarantee you paradise: Tell the Truth when you talk, fulfill your promises, and give what has been entrusted with you, preserve your chastity, lower your gaze, and do not harm anyone."
Imam Ahmad and others reported in an authentic hadith that the Aisha’, may Allah be pleased with her said, "There had not been worse conduct than lying in the eyes of the companions. And the prophet (S.A.W.) would know the man of his companions who has been lying, and that would not clean away from the heart of the prophet, until he (S.A.W.) knows that person made repentance to Allah."
The second sign of hypocrisy is breaking the promise. Thus whoever promised another of good thing and did not fulfill it, then he would have a quality of hypocrisy. Allah (S.W.T.) has ordered us Muslims to fulfill our promises, when he said in surat Al-Israh, (Verse 34), what can be translated as, "And fulfill (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant, will be questioned about."
Imam Bukhari reported that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) said, "A man form the children of Israel, asked someone to lend him a thousand dinars until a set date. Someone lent him the money, and when the time came that man wanted to pay it off. He went out to the sea to go to the lender, but could not find a ship; thus, he took a piece of wood and drilled a hole through it, then he put in it a thousand dinar and threw it in the sea. The lender came out in another sea shore to find the log before him, and he took it as a fire wood to his family and when he sawed it, he found his money in it". Because of his eagerness to payoff the debt on time, Allah (S.W.T.) has helped him in directing the money to its owner.
The third sign of hypocrisy is the betrayal when entrusted, and not returning this trust to which it belongs to or using it without permission given from the owner. Allah (S.W.T.) has commanded us in surat An-Nisa’, (Verse 58), what can be translated as, "Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due…"
Trusts are of many types. It may be in the form of money and in the form of rights. There are some Muslims who are conscious about money trusts, but are not conscious about the rights and duties that Allah trust every one of us with. Thus, yourself is a trust given to you by Allah. Your wealth, which you gather is a trust, entrusted to you by Allah, the time that you made use of is also a trust, again your health, your youth, your mind, your hearing, and your vision, are all trusts to you from Allah. Also your wife and children are a trust entrusted to you by Allah. Also your community is a trust entrusted to you by Allah. And the most important trust is the deen of Allah that entrusted you with. So let us be ware from the betraying all of these trusts or the loss of them, surely Allah will question us, on that, on the day of Judgment.
The preservation of all of these trusts that we have mentioned lies in observing Allah’s rights in them. And to follow the commands of Allah in all of them. Allah (S.W.T.) has praised the believers in surat Al-Mu’minoun, (Verse 8), what can be translated as, "Those who are faithfully true to their trusts and to their covenants."
http://www.raleighmasjid.org/
A Muslim should be mindful and attentive while offering the Prayer. He should reflect on the meaning of the Qur’anic verses and du`aa’ he reads. He should be humble and concentrate while praying.
In order to gain proper concentration in Prayer, it is important to keep one’s mind free of all pre-occupations with worldly affairs. Since our minds tend to dwell on the things which we are currently absorbed with, it is important to break the hold of this world upon our minds by conditioning ourselves to think consistently of Allah and the Last Day. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “A true believer is one who has made all of his thoughts subservient to the bigger thought: Allah.”
Another important point to remember is that often because of our indulgence in major sins, we may be deprived of true joy in Prayer as a penalty for these sins. Such sins include displeasing one’s parents, fornication or adultery, indiscriminate mingling and mixing with members of the opposite sex, unethical conduct and behavior in financial dealings, and so on.
Therefore, as a prerequisite step towards improving our concentration in Prayer, we must examine our life and purge it of all the major sins according to the best of our ability. After having done so, we can follow these tips which have been gleaned from the discussions of the salaf as-salih (pious predecessors):
1. Before standing up for Prayer, try to deal with all the minor urgent matters which demand your attention. If you are pressed by hunger, eat first; if you are pressed to attend to the call of nature, relieve yourself; if you are the parent of an infant, feed him or her, or keep him or her busy.
2. Perform your wudu’ (ablution) well, paying due care and attention.
3. Approach the Prayer with zest and passion as if it is the most important task in your life. Actually the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that we could do nothing in this world that could ever surpass Prayer in merit and excellence.
4. Visualize that in your Prayer you are going to have a special audience with Allah, Lord of the worlds, and that you are enjoying a direct communion with Him—which, in fact, is true.
5. Think of the Prayer you are performing as if it were the last Prayer of your life. In fact, it could very well be the last one, since no one is given a guarantee that he would live to perform another Prayer.
6. Picture the scene of the Last Day when people will be lined up into two groups, one destined for Heaven, and another for Hell, and ask yourself where you would be placed
7. Focus your mind on what you are reading in your Prayer.
8. If, in spite of your best efforts, your mind is still wandering, seek refuge in Allah and bring your mind back to Prayer.
9. Pray to Allah and beg Him to grant you true the joy of concentrating in your Prayer and protection against the wanderings of your mind
The rise of Muslims to the zenith of civilization in a period of four decades was based on lslam's emphasis on learning. This is obvious when one takes a look at the Qur'an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad which are filled with references to learning, education, observation, and the use of reason. The very first verse of the Qur'an revealed to the Prophet of Islam on the night of 27th of Ramadan in 611 AD reads:
"Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created man from a clot. Recite: And thy Lord is the Most Generous Who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not." (Quran, 96:1-5)
"And they shall say had we but listened or used reason, we would not be among the inmates of the burning fire." (Quran, 67:10)
"Are those who have knowledge and those who have no knowledge alike? Only the men of understanding are mindful. " (Quran, 39:9)
The Qur'an encourages people towards scientific research:.
"And whoso brings the truth and believes therein such are the dutiful." (Quran, 39:33)
Every Muslim man's and every Muslim woman's prayer should be:
"My Lord! Enrich me with knowledge.." (Quran, 20:114)
The pursuit of knowledge and the use of reason, based on sense and observation is made obligatory on all believers.
The following traditions of the Prophet supplement the foregoing teachings of the Qur'an in the following way:
• Seek knowledge "even though it be in China."
• "The acquisition of knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim, whether male or female."
• "The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr."
• "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave."
• "God has revealed to me, 'Whoever walks in the pursuit of knowledge I facilitate for him the way to heaven.'
• "The best form of worship is the pursuit of knowledge."
• "Scholars should endeavor to spread knowledge and provide education to people who have been deprived of it. For, where knowledge is hidden it disappears."
• Some one asked the Prophet : "Who is the biggest scholar?" He replied: "He who is constantly trying to learn from others, for a scholar is ever hungry for more knowledge."
• "Seek knowledge and wisdom, or whatever the vessel from which it flows, you will never be the loser."
• "Contemplating deeply for one hour (with sincerity) is better than 70 years of (mechanical) worship."
• "To listen to the words of the learned and to instill unto others the lessons of science is better than religious exercises."
• "Acquire knowledge: it enables its possessor to distinguish right from the wrong, it lights the way to heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless - it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is an ornament among friends and an armor against enemies."
Learning is a natural pleasure. This pleasure is inborn and instinctive. The pleasure of learning is one of the essential pleasures of the human race. Without learning, survival itself is threatened.
The process of learning starts right after birth. It is true that babies who can barely talk investigate problems with all the zeal and excitement of explorers, make discoveries with the passion and absorption of dedicated scientists. At the end of each successful investigation, one can see on the tiny face an expression of innocent and pure heartfelt pleasure. The process of physical growth stops when a boy or girl reaches puberty, that is with the on set of menarche in the girls and with the change in the voice and growth of moustache and beard in boys. After puberty it is impossible to increase the height both in boys and girls.
On the other hand the mental faculties grow from birth until death. At some point in our lifetime, the physical body becomes sick or ill and gradually dies; even the emotions become duller. But the mind continues to live, and even grows more lively and active, enjoys itself more, works and plays with more expansion and delight. I have seen grandparents obtaining Bachelors, Masters and Ph. D. degrees at the ages of 70, 80 or 90.
The pleasure of learning is not confined to learning from textbooks, which are too often tedious. But it does include learning from book magazines (periodicals), newspapers, movies, television, radio and traveling.
When you stand in a big library in front of thousands of books do not think they are lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. Each has its own voice, which is as inaudible as the radiobroadcast waves falling directly on ears. Just as one switches on the radio to listen, similarly a person needs to open a book to hear the voice far distant in time and space. One can hear the voice speaking, mind to mind, and heart to heart. Reading of books gives you two different delights. One is the pleasure of understanding the unknown and the unexpected. The other pleasure is of deepening one's knowledge of a specified field.
Apart from books, learning means keeping the mind open and active to receive all kinds of experience. As pointed out earlier there is great emphasis on learning and seeking knowledge in Islam.
The Prophet Mohammed ordered Muslims to be active in their search for learning, crossing oceans and continents if necessary. " Seek knowledge even in China" he said. Learning also means learning to practice one' s own professional skills - that of a physician, engineer, musician or craftsman.
Crafts and hobbies lead you into fresh fields of enjoyment and give you relaxation and activity without tension. One should know that tension is the prime cause of heart attacks, ulcers, hypertension, and most of the human diseases.
Traveling is an important activity in the pleasures of learning. There are many examples of exceptionally informed people who never read books and newspapers, but acquire knowledge through traveling. One should travel with an open mind, an alert eye and a wish to understand other people and other places.
A saying of Prophet Muhammad is ... With knowledge man rises to the heights of goodness and to a noble position, associated with sovereigns in this world, and attains the perfection of happiness in the next.
There are many people in this world who have played themselves to death, or eaten and drunk themselves to death. Nobody ever died because of thinking or learning. People who avoid learning, or abandon it, find no joy in life, find that life is dry. No learner has ever run short of subjects to explore. The pleasures of learning lead to happiness. One can live a long, healthy and rewarding life by attaining and preserving the happiness of learning. Learning is everyone's birthright. Everyone - young or old, rich or poor, male or female, has access to learning. Exercise your birthright. Remember what you have learned cannot be taken away by others.
Source: article By: Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D. IslamiCity* -
