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UNCERTAIN THESE MOMENTS!
Great scholar Dhunnoonul Mesry narrates a story: Deeply pious Uvaisul Qarni was approached by a man to gift him some money. Uvaisul Qarni refused to take it and said: “I don’t need this money; I have a Dinar with me”. “But how long would you survive on a Dinar?” – the surprised man asked. Uvaisul Qarni replied wisely: “If you can guarantee my life until I exhaust this Dinar, I am ready to accept your money”
Our life resembles that of a patient in a Critical Care Unit : moments of uncertainities; breaths with no guarantee of the very next moment; helpless soul who do not have the ownership of even a minute of his life. Ours is a short span of life painted in varying shades of moments of quarrels and love, of sorrows and happiness, of unions and separations, of tears of grief and joy and of failures and success. It is a life full of uncertainties. Or, by living through each moment, we realize that this is how the Creator has set this life for us. However, this uncertainty provides believers with limitless joy and inspires us to improve our cardinal relationship with the Most Merciful, to Whom belongs the ownership of each moment. That is exactly why Prophet (PBUH) supplicated: “O Allah, do not leave me on my own even for the twinkling of an eye.”[Note 1] The Holy Prophet instructed us: “offer each prayer as if that is your last”. When each Rukoo and Sujood are performed as if they are our last chance to pray, the joy we draw out of those would be amazing; not even a second would our minds wander!
Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) himself was unaware of what would happen in the next moment. When Ansari girls sang “We have a Prophet who knows what happens tomorrow”, the Prophet (PBUH) corrected them: “Do not say so, for no one except Allah knows the affairs of tomorrow” [Bukhari – 4001, Abu Davood 4901]. Allah has ordered: “[O Prophet] Say, ‘I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe.” [Qura'n 7-188]
Uncertainties of life sometimes lead weak minded to dangers. Many a people commit Shirk owing to anxiety and worries of tomorrow. Look at the man at the door steps of the astrologer: All that he wants to know is about tomorrow and the future. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) gave severe warnings to the sinners who, despite Allah’s repeated reminders that He alone knows future, approach soothsayers. “Nightly repentance for a period of 40 days of whoever approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything will not be accepted. If he believed what the fortune-teller says, he has become kafir (unbeliever)[Tabrani 22-169]” . “And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record. [Qura'n 6-59]”
Those who wholeheartedly accept Islam’s teachings will have a life full of joy devoid of disappointments and anxiety. They will not be heartbroken in front of the trials of life. Such minds will not go out of control. Such hearts will not lament. Even when eyes burst in to tears, their spirit would not get tired. They will keep up the good faith in Allah even in the midst of turbulence. They will not have sky high concerns about future uncertainties. They would rather live every moment a stress free life by entrusting all their affairs in Allah. At times Prophet (PBUH) prayed “O Allah, save me from trials”, sometimes he prayed “in times of trials, grant us strength to withstand”. In a world decorated with uncertainties, we shall be ever prepared for a return any moment. A pre-preparation for the Other World sans uncertainties, will indeed dwarf life in this world and the trials and tribulations here would seem so insignificant. “Yes [on the contrary], whoever submits his face in Islam to Allah while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve. {Quran 2-112}”
Every moment is anew. Do not be sad about past moments. Pick out lessons from them and leave behind the rest. We never know if the future moments belong to us at all. We do not have a remotest idea of when would be our death. Let us live the moments that we are sure of, beautifully! Let us maintain our bond with the Owner of moments, every moment!
(Note 1: ”Oh Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment). Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You” (Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5071) )
English rendering of article written by Abdul Wadud!
Our life resembles that of a patient in a Critical Care Unit : moments of uncertainities; breaths with no guarantee of the very next moment; helpless soul who do not have the ownership of even a minute of his life. Ours is a short span of life painted in varying shades of moments of quarrels and love, of sorrows and happiness, of unions and separations, of tears of grief and joy and of failures and success. It is a life full of uncertainties. Or, by living through each moment, we realize that this is how the Creator has set this life for us. However, this uncertainty provides believers with limitless joy and inspires us to improve our cardinal relationship with the Most Merciful, to Whom belongs the ownership of each moment. That is exactly why Prophet (PBUH) supplicated: “O Allah, do not leave me on my own even for the twinkling of an eye.”[Note 1] The Holy Prophet instructed us: “offer each prayer as if that is your last”. When each Rukoo and Sujood are performed as if they are our last chance to pray, the joy we draw out of those would be amazing; not even a second would our minds wander!
Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) himself was unaware of what would happen in the next moment. When Ansari girls sang “We have a Prophet who knows what happens tomorrow”, the Prophet (PBUH) corrected them: “Do not say so, for no one except Allah knows the affairs of tomorrow” [Bukhari – 4001, Abu Davood 4901]. Allah has ordered: “[O Prophet] Say, ‘I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe.” [Qura'n 7-188]
Uncertainties of life sometimes lead weak minded to dangers. Many a people commit Shirk owing to anxiety and worries of tomorrow. Look at the man at the door steps of the astrologer: All that he wants to know is about tomorrow and the future. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) gave severe warnings to the sinners who, despite Allah’s repeated reminders that He alone knows future, approach soothsayers. “Nightly repentance for a period of 40 days of whoever approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything will not be accepted. If he believed what the fortune-teller says, he has become kafir (unbeliever)[Tabrani 22-169]” . “And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record. [Qura'n 6-59]”
Those who wholeheartedly accept Islam’s teachings will have a life full of joy devoid of disappointments and anxiety. They will not be heartbroken in front of the trials of life. Such minds will not go out of control. Such hearts will not lament. Even when eyes burst in to tears, their spirit would not get tired. They will keep up the good faith in Allah even in the midst of turbulence. They will not have sky high concerns about future uncertainties. They would rather live every moment a stress free life by entrusting all their affairs in Allah. At times Prophet (PBUH) prayed “O Allah, save me from trials”, sometimes he prayed “in times of trials, grant us strength to withstand”. In a world decorated with uncertainties, we shall be ever prepared for a return any moment. A pre-preparation for the Other World sans uncertainties, will indeed dwarf life in this world and the trials and tribulations here would seem so insignificant. “Yes [on the contrary], whoever submits his face in Islam to Allah while being a doer of good will have his reward with his Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve. {Quran 2-112}”
Every moment is anew. Do not be sad about past moments. Pick out lessons from them and leave behind the rest. We never know if the future moments belong to us at all. We do not have a remotest idea of when would be our death. Let us live the moments that we are sure of, beautifully! Let us maintain our bond with the Owner of moments, every moment!
(Note 1: ”Oh Allah, I hope for Your mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye (i.e. a moment). Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You” (Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5071) )
English rendering of article written by Abdul Wadud!
