Expecting The Best From Allah SWT
From a book by: Abu Muhamad al Maqdisi
حسن الظن بـالله
It is a form of worship by the heart and not a physical form of worship (ex prayers, fasting, performing haj).
Allah Says, as is in the Hadith Qudsi reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim: “I am as my slave expects Me to be, and I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself. And if he remembers Me in a group, I make mention of him in a group better than it. And if he comes near to Me by a hand-span, I come near to him by an arm-span. And if he comes near to Me by an arm-span, I come near to him by the span of an outstretched arm. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Imam An-Nawawi said “The scholars say that expecting the best of Allah is to expect that He will have mercy on him and relieve him of hardship.”
A famous scholar said: “It is said that His Saying “I am as my slave expects Me to be” means:
If one expects an answer when he supplicates. It’s sad but true that a lot of us when we keep supplicating to Allah SWT and nothing happens we give up or we start complaining that Allah SWT is not answering our calls and that reflects weak faith. When Allah SWT delays your call, it is for your own good, look at this hadith:
The Prophet PBUH said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship, will be given for it by Allah one of three things: He will give him swift answer, or store it up for him in the next world (Hereafter), or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil." Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.
2. His repentance to be accepted.
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّـهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚإِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." [Az Zumar 39:53]
3. Something troublesome / problematic to be repelled from him.
4. His deeds to be accepted that are performed with their proper conditions.
Being negative and pessimistic
Whoever thinks that Allah SWT will NOT accept his supplication or his repentance; this is despair from the Mercy of Allah, and is from greatest of the major sins. Whoever dies upon this will be delivered to that which he expected.”
إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّـهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people. [Yusuf 12:87]
Why do we need to expect the best from Allah SWT?
It is a form of following Allah’s instructions as well as the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
It is strongly related to unification (oneness) of Allah (tawheed) by accepting and confirming that Allah is the Wakeel – Guardian.
It’s a form of worship.
It’s a motivation tool that will always make you work for the sake of Allah and to please Him.
Examples of people who always expected the best from Allah SWT:
- Hajar – the wife of Abraham; who he left with their child in a valley without vegetation without even turning to look back while she was calling him: "O Ibrahim! O Ibrahim! Who did you leave us with in this place?" She then realizes after her amazement at his continuing to walk away without turning back to look at her, and she says: "Did Allah command you to do this?" He replied: "Yes." So, she replied, with the best expectation of her Guardian: "Therefore, He will not abandon us."
- Abu Bakr (RA) On the occasion of Tabuk expedition, Abu Bakr (R.A.) brought everything that he possessed. When the Prophet PBUH asked him, “What did you leave for your family?” Abu Bakr (R.A.) said, “I have left for them Allah and his Prophet”.
- The noble group of youths (people of the cave) who expected the best of their Guardian and opposed those they were close to and far from in order to please Him. So, they left the closest of people to them in order to flee to their Guardian and away from polytheism and sin, and in order to please Him, they exchanged their comfortable lives for a small cave. So, Allah expanded it for them out of the Mercy that he poured forth on them.
وَإِذِ اعْتَزَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّـهَ فَأْوُوا إِلَى الْكَهْفِ يَنشُرْ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِ وَيُهَيِّئْ لَكُم مِّنْ أَمْرِكُم مِّرْفَقًا
[The youths said to one another], "And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship other than Allah, retreat to the cave. Your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair facility."
v Sufian Al Thawry – said “I would have not loved to be judged by my father (on the day of judgement) as my Lord – Allah – is better for me than my father”
On the death bed!
Everyone should be expecting the best of Allah on one’s deathbed by being certain in His promises to the believers and to have confidence in his Guardian that He will not forsake him or waste his efforts in the days past, as the Prophet PBUH said “None of you should die except that he expects the best from Allah.” [Muslim]
Watch out, you need to WORK & be PATIENT!
Don’t be like the case of one who wishes he had some land that he would plant some seeds in and harvest without moving a finger or doing anything on his part, or one who wishes to have children without getting married and having relations; you must complement it with actions.
Being PATIENT is another important criteria when one is training himself to always thinking positive about Allah SWT. Look for instance at the hidden wisdoms that we learn from the story of Prophet Musa & al-Khidr in Surat al-Kahf (chapter 18)
- Story of the ship.
- The youngster whom al-Khidr killed
- The wall that they’ve built.
Expecting the best from your Muslim brothers & sisters
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq once said, “If you see something you don’t like in a brother, try to find 1-70 excuses for him. And if you can’t find an excuse, say ‘There might be an excuse, but I don’t know it.’”
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ
O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin [49:12]
So let us all expect the best from others and forgive one another so that Allah SWT will forgive our shortcomings in the Hereafter insha’allah (if Allah SWT wills).
۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞
Sunday 8th April, 2012.
Helpers of Islam Group [HIG] &
Serving Islam Team – HKG
+852 96187953
+852 90973841
info@servingislamteam.com
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