SABR---PATIENCE

Sabr ( Patience )

By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah.

The Definition of Patience

Sabr is an Arabic word which comes from a root meaning to detain, refrain and stop. There is an expression in Arabic, "so-and-so was killed sabran," which means that he was captured and detained until he died. In the spiritual sense, patience means to stop ourselves from despairing and panicking, to stop our tongues from complaining, and to stop our hands from striking our faces and tearing our clothes at times of grief and stress.

What scholars have said about patience

Some scholars have defined patience as a good human characteristic or a positive psychological attitude, by virtue of which we refrain from doing that which is not good. Human beings cannot live a proper, healthy life without patience.

Abu 'Uthman said: "the one who has patience is the one who has trained himself to handle difficulties."

'Amr ibn 'Uthman al-Makki said: "Patience means to keep close to Allah and to accept calmly the trials He sends, without complaining or feeling sad."

Al-Khawwas said: "Patience means to adhere to the rules of the Qur'an and Sunnah."

Another scholar said: "Patience means to refrain from complaining."

Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "Patience means to seek Allah's help."

Is it better to have patience at a time of difficulty, or to be in a situation which does not require patience?

Abu Muhammad al-Hariri said: "Patience means not seeing any difference between times of ease and times of hardship, and being content at all times."

I (Ibn Qayyim) say: This is too difficult, and we are not instructed to be like this. Allah has created us in such a way that we feel the difference between times of ease and times of hardship, and all that we can do is refrain from panicking at times of stress. Patience does not mean feeling the same at both easy and difficult times. That is beyond us, and is not part of our nature. Having an easy time is better for us than having a difficult time.

As the Prophet (SAAS) said in his well-known du'a: "If You are not angry with me, then I do not care what happens to me, but still I would rather have Your blessings and favour." This does not contradict the hadith which says, "No-one has ever been given a better gift than patience,"because that refers to after a test or trial has befallen a person. But ease is still better.

Patience and Shakwah (complaint)

Shakwah (complaint) falls into two categories:

The first type means to complain to Allah, and this does not contradict patience. It is demonstrated by several of the Prophets, for example, when Ya qub (AS) said:

"I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah."

(Yusuf 12:86).

Earlier, Ya'qub (AS) had said "sabrun jamil"which means "patience is most fitting for me."The Qur'an also tells us about Ayyub:

"And (remember) Ayyub (Job), when he cried to his Lord, 'Truly distress has seized me.

(al-Anbiya 21:83).

The epitome of patience, the Prophet (SAAS), prayed to his Lord:

" O Allah, I complain to You of my weakness and helplessness."

Musa (AS) prayed to Allah, saying:

"O Allah, all praise is due to You, and complaint is made only to You, and You are the only One from Whom we seek help and in Whom we put our trust, and there is no power except by Your help."

The second type of complaint involves complaining to people, either directly, through our words, or indirectly, through the way we look and behave. This is contradictory to patience.

Opposing forces

Psychologically speaking, every person has two forces at work within him or her. One is the"driving force", which pushes him towards some actions, and the other is the "restraining force",which holds him back from others. Patience essentially harnesses the driving force to push us towards good things, and the restraining force to hold us back from actions that may be harmful to ourselves or others. Some people have strong patience when it comes to doing what is good for them, but their patience is weak with regard to restraint from harmful actions, so we may find that a person has enough patience to perform acts of worship (Salah, Sawm, Hajj), but has no patience in controlling himself and refraining from following his whims and desires, and in this way he may commit haram deeds. Conversely, some people may have strong patience in abstaining from forbidden deeds, but their patience in obeying commandments and performing 'ibadah is too weak. Some people have no patience in either case! And, needless to say, the best people are those who possess both types of patience. So, a man may have plenty of patience when it comes to standing all night in prayer, and enduring whatever conditions of heat or cold may be prevalent, but have no patience at all when it comes to lowering his gaze and refraining from looking at women. Another may have no problem in controlling his gaze, but he lacks the patience which would make him enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and he is so weak and helpless that he cannot strive against the kuffar and mushrikun. Most people will be lacking in patience in any one case, and a few lack it in all cases.

Further definition of patience

A scholar said: "To have patience means that one's common sense and religious motives are stronger than one's whims and desires." It is natural for people to have an inclination towards their desires, but common sense and the religious motive should limit that inclination. The two forces are at war: sometimes reason and religion win, and sometimes whims and desires prevail. The battlefield is the heart of man.

Patience has many other names, according to the situation. If patience consists of restraining sexual desire, it is called honour, the opposite of which is adultery and promiscuity. If it consists of controlling one's stomach, it is called self-control, the opposite of which is greed. If it consists of keeping quiet about that which it is not fit to disclose, it is called discretion, the opposite of which is disclosing secrets, lying, slander or libel. If it consists of being content with what is sufficient for one's needs, it is called abstemiousness, the opposite of which is covetousness. If it consists of controlling one's anger, then it is called forbearance, the opposite of which is impulsiveness and hasty reaction. If it consists of refraining from haste, then it is called gracefulness and steadiness, the opposite of which is to be hotheaded. If it consists of refraining from running away, then it is called courage, the opposite of which is cowardice. If it consists of refraining from taking revenge, then it is called forgiveness, the opposite of which is revenge. If it consists of refraining from being stingy, then it is called generosity, the opposite of which is miserliness. If it consists of refraining from being lazy and helpless, then it is called dynamism and initiative. If it consists of refraining from blaming and accusing other people, then it is called chivalry {muru'ah literally "manliness").

Different names may be applied to patience in different situations, but ail are covered by the idea of patience. This shows that Islam in its totality is based on patience.

TAWAKKUL/TRUST IN ALLAAH ALONE

Tawakkul refers to putting your trust in Allah – to believe that He alone can ward off the harms of this world, provide you blessings and sustenance, and to ease your challenges. Tawakkul is also about accepting the results that He decides regardless of how they may turn out to be.

To understand the concept of Tawakkul, consider how tense and worried you get at times about the challenges of this worldly life. Whether it’s you worrying about losing your job or sustenance, or general life problems that you may come to face, Tawakkul is your belief and the attitude that you have about putting your trust in Allah to take care of all your affairs.

Allah says:

…And whoever places his trust in Allah, Sufficient is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose: For verily, Allah has appointed for all things a due proportion. (Talaaq 65:3)

The Quran makes it clear that Tawakkul is not an option but rather a requirement. Allah (may He be Exalted) says:

“…and put your trust in Allâh if you are believers indeed. (Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:23)

He also says in the Quran:

“….And in Allah let believers put their Trust” [Surah Ibrahim 14:11]

DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR EFFORTS

Tawakkul shouldn’t be mistaken with giving up your efforts thinking that somehow your challenges will get resolved. Rather striving and working with the attitude that Allah will take care of your affairs and will help you in getting through your trials is part of you having the Tawakkul on Allah.

Some scholars have stated that “Tawakkul in reality does not deny actually working and striving for provision, for Allah Almighty has decreed that we should work and it is from His ways that he gives people when they strive. In fact, Allah Almighty ordered us to both depend upon Him and to work, to take the necessary steps needed to achieve our goals, and so the act of striving for our sustenance is an act of physical worship while trusting and depending upon Allah is faith in Him.”

Allah says:

“…So seek provision from Allah and worship Him (alone).” [Al-‘Ankaboot 29:17]

Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan stated about this verse, “Look for sustenance and do not sit around in the masaajid claiming that you are putting your trust in Allah. Do not sit in your homes and claim that your daily sustenance will come to you.” This is wrong and a true believer doesn’t say such things.” (Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan Haqeeqat-ut-Tawakkul (pg. 15-25))

This obviously applies to not just seeking provisions but in striving to resolve other matters of our lives – just as long we remember and believe that His will is a prerequisite for our matters to get resolved and to accept what He ultimately decrees.

The scholars have also stated that, “other than our efforts that we put in, a Muslim should also combine Tawakkul with other means, whether they are acts of `Ibadah (worship) like Du`a’ (supplication), Salah (Prayer), Sadaqah (voluntary charity) or maintaining the ties of kinship, or other material means which Allah has predestined.” (Fatwa no. 2798)

Allah says:

[There were] those to whom people said: “The people are gathering against you, so fear them.“ But it only increased their faith; they said: “For us Allah is Sufficient and He is the best Disposer of affairs” (Imraan 3:173)

BENEFITS OF TAWAKKUL

One of the major benefits of Tawakkul is that it can relieve us from unnecessary anxiety, worry, and resulting depression from the challenges that we may be facing. By believing that all our affairs are in Allah’s hands and we can do only what is in our control, we leave the results to Allah and accept His decree whatever it may be. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali said, “the fruit of tawakkul is the acceptance of Allah’s decree. Whoever leaves his affairs to Allah and then is accepting of what he is given has truly relied on Allah. Al-Hassan and others among the salaf defined tawakkul as ridhaa (acceptance).” (Jami’ Al-’Uloom wa Al-Hikam)

Let’s strive to understand the concept of Tawakkul and to make it part of our belief systems. We will notice that things will not only get resolved easier with His help, but Tawakkul will also relieve us from the day to day anxieties and worries associated with the challenges of this life.

RELY ON ALLAAH ALONE WHILE CONTINUING IN GOOD WORK AND WORSHIP FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAAH ALONE!!!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU???

Dr. Bilal Philips (a famous Islamic scholar) narrates a story that involves tragedy, drama, and joy. The story is about an Egyptian teacher whose photograph appeared in a local newspaper. The picture showed his smiling and happy face with his hands stretched out and both thumbs sticking up; his father was kissing him on one cheek and his sister on the other cheek.

The newspaper narrated his story about working as a teacher in Bahrain. After a brief visit back home in Egypt, he was returning to join work and thus taking a flight from Cairo to Bahrain. However, at the airport he wasn’t allowed to get on the flight because he had one “stamp” missing on his Passport. This made the teacher distraught, thinking that his career was over because this flight was the last one back to Bahrain which would have enabled him to report back on time, missing which also meant that he would lose his job. He thus became quite frantic, but his endless crying, screaming, and explanations to the airport staff could not get him on the plane. His family comforted him to accept Allah’s decree.

Disappointed, he returned home only to learn a few hours later that the flight he was meant to take (Gulf Air) crashed killing everyone on board.

While feeling sad for the passengers on board, he along with his family thanked Allah for His decree. The day he thought was the most tragic day of his career and life, ended up to be the happiest one averting a tragedy for him and his family.

We are reminded of such signs in Surah al-Kahf, a surah that Muslims are instructed by the prophet to read every Friday. In it is the story of Prophet Musa (Moses) and Khidr. Khidr bore a hole in the boat of the people who took him and Musa across the river. This made Musa question (and object) to such an action as the owners of the boat were quiet poor and obviously weren’t happy to what was done to their boat. However, as it became apparent later, an oppressor King came down to the river and forcefully took away all the boats except the one with a hole in it. So the owners of the boat praised Allah due to the fact that there was a hole in their boat.

We learn from this story that in times of distress or when we desire something badly, we shouldn’t always assume what’s good for us and what’s not because Allah may have decreed a different outcome. As Allah says in the Quran (part of the verse):

“….and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not know.” (Quran Al-Baqarah:216)

When struck by an affliction therefore, we have to be patient and in control of oneself. That is possible when we elevate ourselves to a high enough spiritual level where our Iman (faith) in Allah can help us ride the wave.

We can also stay in control by not losing our sense of reasoning that can help us provide better perspective of the situation. ibn al-qayyim said, “patience can be defined as a manner of spiritual superiority by virtue of which we refrain ourselves from doing evil. it is also a faculty of the intellect that enables us to live properly in this world.” Qatada said, “Allah has created angels having reason but with no desires, animals have desires and no reason, and man has both reason and desires. Therefore, if one’s reason is stronger than his desires, he is like an angel. On the other hand, if his desires are stronger, he is like an animal.” (ibn Al-Qayyim – “The Way to Patience and Gratitude.”)

The take away lesson for us is that we can improve the quality of our lives by making an effort to train ourselves to be patient, i.e. to elevate our levels of faith and to understand the dynamics that reasoning plays in staying patient.

As the prophet mentioned in a hadith,

“……..whoever strives to be patient, Allah will make him patient” (Al-Bukhari).”

HEADWRAP

Poem by Fatimah Finney.

This head is wrapped in more than just cloth,

this body is covered in more than just clothes

and I am more than what you think you see in me.

I wear humility on my back,

gratitude around my neck,

and respect across my chest

because modesty is my chosen style of dress.

I am a Muslim woman

And I am not oppressed.

I am impressive.

My beauty is not measured by the length of my legs,

the width of my hips,

or the height of my heels.

Nor is my worth contained in curves of my frame

Or the style of my hair.

Who I am extends beyond my body proportions and the clothes that I wear.

I am a Muslim woman

Born of Muslim women

And my story is theirs.

We are more than what your headlines declare.

We have minds.

We have opinions.

We have intelligence.

We have ambitions.

We have our faith

And we gladly practice our religion.

As mothers, daughters, sisters, wives,

friends, students, and teachers,

we are born leaders.

And we are strong.

Yes, we choose to wear our garments long

And our heads are wrapped.

But this only adds to what is inherently in us

and what we will never allow your guidelines to define.

My beauty is mine.

So no, I am not those women on your magazines

and don’t be confused in thinking I secretly want to be.

I am a proud Muslim woman

and I prefer being free.

_______________

Fatima Finney is currently a college undergraduate at Trinity College in Connecticut. She enjoys hearing, reading and writing poetry, and uses poetry to address issues that are important to her.

COVER THE FEET WITH THE JILBAB

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (sallalahu allahi wa salaam) brought Fatimah a slave which he donated to her. Fatimah wore a garment which, when she covered her head, did not reach her feet, and when she covered her feet by it, that garment did not reach her head. When the Prophet (sallalahu allahi wa salaam) saw her struggle, he said: There is no harm to you: Here is only your father and slave. (Hadith no. 4 Sunan Abu Dawud Book 32, Number 4094) . Fatimah R.A did not have to cover her feet or her head (and we know the head is an obligation of khimar to cover) so obviously since this is an issue and feet and head are mentioned in the same instance as things that away from non-maharam men could bring harm, the feet are part of the hard awrah as much as the head (hair, neck, ears, and in some opinions, face) is. This hadith does not make it clear if covering the feet was necessary for salat (prayer) but it does seem to say that there would be harm in the action if a woman failed to cover her feet in front of non-maharam men.

Although often taken as strong Islamic evidence that the face was never and obligation to be covered by those who fight niqab as being mustahaab or wajib/fard this hadith is popularily quoted on hijab blogs that support modest dressing but not niqab or jilbab:

Narated By 'Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin : Asma, daughter of Abu Bakr, entered upon the Apostle of Allah (sallalahu allahi wa salaam) wearing thin clothes. The Apostle of Allah (sallalahu allahi wa salaam) turned his attention from her. He said: O Asma', when a woman reaches the age of menstruation, it does not suit her that she displays her parts of body except this and this, and he pointed to her face and hands. (Abu Dawud, Book 027, Hadith Number 4092). It is unfortunatley not classed as sahih (authentic) because the chain of narration cannot be directly linked to Aisha R.A who it is attributed to.

Narrated by Abu Dawud it is a mursal narration at the level of hasan which means it may be considered but not leaned upon for any fatwa which is why it is consequently quite useless in an arguement against niqab---or using it prove that the feet must be covered but that the hands might show. But if it were really from Aisha R.A it would prove that the feet had to be covered and that for women other than the Prophet's wives RA it was merely halal, rather than mustahaab. I am just explaining the importance of this hadith not be sahih so no one tries to bring it up in debate to prove something. This hadith actually is too weak to be considered deciding proof. Or believe me, I'd use it, he he he. My family are anti-niqab and I am anti-sock as often as possible in my own naffs.

The hanafi madhab though is of the opinion that the feet may show so it is a valid opinion. Their rulings comes from the following sources:

i) If the establishment of the nakedness is by the saying of Allah, the Exalted, (from the Qu'ran, translated), "And let them not show their beauty, except that of it which is apparent," then the foot is not customarily a location of beauty (it may be for a minority, but regulations are set according to the general rule), and thus Allah, the Exalted, has said, (from the Qu'ran, translated), "And let them not strike their feet in order to make known that adornment which they are hiding," i.e. the ringing of anklets, and this conveys that the feet themselves are of the beauty which is apparent. This is fortified by the fact that the Mother of the Believers, `A'ishah, said, commenting on the verse, (translated), "And let them not show their beauty except that of it which is apparent", "the toe-ring, a silver ring which is [placed] on the toes." [Narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim, as quoted by Ibn Taymiyyah in Hijab al-Mar'ah , p. 17.]

ii) If the establishment is by the Prophet's saying, "The woman is to be covered," along with it being established that some of her body is excluded due to hardship of [avoiding] exposure, then, by analogy, it should necessitate that the feet also be excluded, due to the corroboration of hardship. This is because she would be put to hardship by her foot showing when she walked barefooted or with shoes, for she may not always find khuffs or socks with which to cover them. Along with this, desire is not aroused by looking at the foot such as is aroused by looking at the face, and so if the face is not `awrah, in spite of the plentiful arousal of desire, then the foot is more appropriate to remain uncovered in view of the hardship associated with covering it. [See Fath al-Qadir : al-Hidayah with its commentaries, vol. I, p.225, and al-Bunayah , vol. II, p.63.]

Some of these scholars voiced that the feet are not nakedness in that she is not required to cover them, but they are nakedness for the purposes of looking and touching, i.e. it is not permissible for strange men to look at or touch her feet.

But in the following sahih hadith, where men were clearly cursed and condemned to hellfire for dragging their garments on the ground in arrogance (showing off their wealth by a wanton display of how much fabric they could afford) women were allowed what men were nor ONLY in order to COVER THEIR FEET.

Abdullah, son of Umar bin Khattab reported that Allah's Messenger sallalahu alahi wa salaam said: "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not look upon the man who trails along his garment in pride." There upon Umm Salamah (a woman of the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with her) asked, "What should women do with their garments?" The Prophet sallalahu alahi wa salaam said: "They should lower their garments a hand span," (half their shins down). Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "Women's feet would still be uncovered." Allah's Messenger sallalhu alahi wa salaam replied: "Let them lower them a forearm's length, but not longer." (At-Tirmidhi)

This states that yet again, as in the case of Fatimah where her modest garment (similiar to an overhead abaya) did not quite hit the foot, that a woman's foot was to be covered when she left the home, to the extent that an exception to a rule was made ONLY for the purpose of covering her feet in front of non-maharam men in public. All of the madhabs are of the same opinion that the feet should be covered when in front of non-maharam men except for hanafi, because of the Prophet's (sallalahu alahi wa salaam) advice to Fatimah. Him saying that there was no harm in her feet showing in front of maharam men is taken to mean that the HARM AND THE WORRY is in the feet being exposed in the presence of non-maharam men, and this is emphasized by the allowance made for the Muslimah's clothing to contain more fabric than a man's garment even though women are just as subject to flaunting their wealth and social status as men are. An exception was made for their modesty, and that exception was made so that the feet, which are harmful to be seen by non-maharam men, could be covered. Ibn `Abidin reported this as one of the authentic views in Radd al-Muhtar. It may be noted that Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, the Hanbali, also favored this opinion. He says,"And similar [is the case with] the foot. It is permissible for her to show it [in salah] according to Abu Hanifah, and [this] is the stronger [position], for `A'ishah considered it of the apparent beauty. . . . . So, this is an evidence that women used to show their feet initially, just as they used to show their faces and hands . . . . for they used not to walk in khuffs or shoes. [Moreover], to cover these in [salah] poses a great hardship, and Umm Salamah said, 'A woman should pray in an ample garment which covers the tops of her feet,' and so when she makes sajdah, the bottoms of her feet may show." [ Hijab al-Mara'ah wa-Libasuha fi al-Salah , pp. 17-18].

SHOULD ONE WEAR SOCKS? HOW DID THE SAHABIYIAT COVER THEIR FEET?

Not every one of the Sahabiyiat wore khuffs (leather shoes/slippers) or socks all the time or had the ability to afford them so those who say that the wearing of socks is wajib/fard are making legislation where Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala gave none to His Messenger sallalahu alahi wa salaam. If one is to examine the evidence FOR covering the feet we see no actual mention of the women of the sahabiyiat wearing khuffs or socks as part of their hijab. What we DO SEE from the evidences for covering the feet, is that the overgarment (jilbab) was used to cover the feet. The Prophet sallalahu alahi wa salaam said (of a woman's public clothing, which was the jilbab): "They should lower their garments a hand span," (half their shins down). Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) further said, "Women's feet would still be uncovered." Allah's Messenger sallalhu alahi wa salaam replied: "Let them lower them a forearm's length, but not longer." (At-Tirmidhi). And.. Fatimah wore a garment which, when she covered her head, did not reach her feet, and when she covered her feet by it, that garment did not reach her head. When the Prophet (sallalahu allahi wa salaam) saw her struggle, he said: There is no harm to you: Here is only your father and slave. (Hadith no. 4 Sunan Abu Dawud Book 32, Number 4094). So both Umm Salamah and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them) covered their feet in most circumstances with their jilbab.

Since Umm Salamah's feet did show when she was in sajood, the same way a woman who is a niqab might have her face exposed during salat, there is no actual way to say that a foot may never show by accident, by what is "apparent of" as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) her notes that "And let them not show their beauty except that of it which is apparent", "the toe-ring, a silver ring which is [placed] on the toes." [Narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim, as quoted by Ibn Taymiyyah in Hijab al-Mar'ah , p. 17.]ii the foot must be covered by the jilbab. If it peeks out when walking for a slight second, it is showing by what is necessary to expose but should not be left exposed BY the garment for long periods of time. When one is not moving, none of the foot should be seen. If the garment is too short for this, then socks must be worn, covering the feet must be part of the jilbab. This is what was done by the Sahabiyat most sincerly.

And Allah subhanhu wa ta'ala and His Messenger knows best.

TAWWAKUL/TRUST IN ALLAAH COMPLETELY

BY SHAIKH ABDUL QADIR

ALGHUNYA LITALIBI TARIQ ALHAQQ

Concerning absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul].

As for putting all one's trust in the Lord [tawakkul], the basic guidance on the subject is contained in His words (Almighty and Glorious is He) :

And when someone puts all his trust in Allah, He will be enough for him. (65:3)

--and in His words (Exalted is He) :

And put all your trust [in Allah], if you are indeed believers. (5:23)

According to a traditional report, transmitted on the authority of 'Abdu'llah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be well pleased with him), Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

I saw the religious communities [umam] at the gathering place [mawsim], and I noticed that my Community [Ummati] filled both the plain and the mountainside, so I was astonished at their number and their condition. I was asked: "Are you well pleased?" "Yes," said I. Then I was told: "Together with these, seventy thousand will enter the Garden of Paradise without undergoing any reckoning. They do not play with fire. They do not look for bad omens. They do not practice subterfuge. They put all their trust in their Lord."

On hearing this, 'Ukasha ibn Mihsan al-Asadi stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah, appeal to Allah that He may include me among them!" So Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: "O Allah, let him be included among them!" Then someone else jumped up and said: "Appeal to Allah that He may include me among them!" To this he responded (Allah bless him and give him peace) by saying: "'Ukasha has arrived there ahead of you!"

The real meaning [haqiqa] of absolute trust [tawakkul] is delegating all one's affairs to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), making a clean escape from the murky darkness and gloom of personal choice and self-management, and advancing to the arenas where the [divine] decrees [ahkam] and foreordainment [taqdir] are experienced directly.

The servant [of the Lord] must be convinced that there is no possibility of changing the allotment of destiny [qisma], which means that whatever has been allotted to him cannot pass him by, and that he can never obtain what has not been allotted to him. His heart will then become reconciled to this, and he will feel confident in relying on the promise [wa'd] of his Master [Mawla]. He will therefore receive from his Master [Mawla].

Putting one's trust in the Lord [tawakkul] is actually the first of three stages, namely: (1) the basic sense of trust [tawakkul], then (2) the act of surrender or resignation [taslim], and then (3) the act of delegation [tafwid]. The person who is at the stage of basic trust [al-mutawakkil] is one who feels confident in relying on the promise [wa'd] of his Lord. The person who is at the stage of surrender or resignation [sahib at-taslim] is one who is content to rely on His knowledge ['ilm]. The person who is at the stage of delegation [sahib at-tafwid] is one who is happy to accept His judgment [hukm].

There are many wise sayings on this subject, for instance:

"Trust is an initial stage [at-tawakkul bidaya], surrender or resignation is a middle stage [at-taslim wasat], and delegation is a final stage [at-tafwid nihaya]."

"Trust is the attribute of the believers [at-tawakkul sifat al-mu'minin], surrender or resignation is the attribute of the saints [at-taslim sifat al-awliya'], and delegation is the attribute of those who realize and affirm the Divine Oneness [at-tafwid sifat al-muwahhidin]."

"Trust is the attribute of the common folk [at-tawakkul sifat al-'awamm], surrender or resignation is the attribute of the elite [at-taslim sifat al-khawass], and delegation is the attribute of the elite of the elite [at-tafwid sifat khawass al-khawass]."

"Trust is the attribute of the Prophets [at-tawakkul sifat al-Anbiya'], surrender or resignation is the attribute of Abraham [at-taslim sifat Ibrahim], and delegation is the attribute of our own Prophet [Muhammad] [at-tafwid sifat Nabiyyi-na] (may the blessings of Allah be upon them all)."

The point of this last saying is that trust in the Lord [tawakkul], as a complete and perfect reality [haqiqa], was experienced by Abraham, the Bosom Friend of Allah [Ibrahim al-Khalil] (peace be upon him), at the moment when he said to Gabriel [Jabril] (peace be upon him) : "As for recognizing your existence, oh no!" This was because his personal identity [nafs] had vanished without leaving a trace behind, so that he saw nothing together with Allah (Exalted is He), other than Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He).

It was Sahl ibn 'Abdi'llah (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) who said:

"The first stage in absolute trust [tawakkul] is where the position of the servant between the hands of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) is just like that of the corpse between the hands of the ritual washer of the dead [ghasil], who turns the body this way and that, as he wishes, while it has no independent movement or control of its actions. Someone who puts all his trust [al-mutawakkil] in Allah (Glory be to Him and Exalted is He) is therefore in a state where he does not ask for anything, does not wish for anything, does not reject anything, and does not hold on to anything."

In the words of another wise saying:

"Trust in the Lord [tawakkul] is letting oneself go [istirsal]."

It was Hamdun [al-Qassar] (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) who said:

"It is holding fast [i'tisam] to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He)."

Ibrahim al-Khawwas (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) had this to say on the subject:

"The real meaning [haqiqa] of absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] is the detachment of fear and hope from everything apart from Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He)."

In the words of another wise saying:

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] is living one day at a time, and dispensing with concern about tomorrow."

It was Abu 'Ali ar-Rudhbari (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) who said:

"There are three stages in the development of absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul], namely: (1) when he is granted a gift, the recipient is grateful, and when he is deprived, he is patient; (2) as far the servant [of the Lord] is concerned, to be deprived and to be granted a gift are one and the same; (3) deprivation combined with gratitude is what he likes best of all, because he is aware that this is Allah's preference (Exalted is He) on his behalf.

Ja'far al-Khuldi is reported as having said: "Ibrahim al-Khawwas (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) once said:

"'As I was traveling along the road to Mecca, I caught sight of a wild-looking figure, so I said to it: "Are you a jinn' or a human being?" It replied: "I am a jinn', of course," so I asked: "Where are you going?" The following conversation then took place between us:

"'"I am on my way to Mecca," said the jinni.

"'"What," said I, "with no provision for the journey, and without a camel to ride on?"

"'"Yes," said the jinni, "among our kind as well, there are those who travel on the basis of absolute trust in the Lord ['ala 't-tawakkul]."

"'"And what," I asked, "is absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] ?"

"'"It is receiving from Allah," the jinni told me.'"

Sahl [ibn 'Abdi'llah ibn Yunus at-Tustari] (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) once said:

"It is the conscious acknowledgment [ma'rifa] of the Provider of the sustenance of all creatures [Mu'ti arzaqi 'l-makhluqin]. No one is genuinely capable of absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul], until the sky in his sight is like brass, and the earth is like iron, so that rain does not fall from the sky, and plants do not sprout from the earth, yet between these two, he is well aware that Allah will never forget to provide him with the sustenance He has guaranteed to him."

In the words of another wise saying:

"It means that you do not disobey Allah (Exalted is He) on account of your sustenance."

As a certain wise man put it:

"In order to have absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul], it is sufficient that you seek for yourself no helper other than Allah (Exalted is He), for your sustenance no keeper other than Him, and for your conduct no witness other than Him."

It was al-Junaid (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) who said:

"Absolute trust [tawakkul] means that you devote yourself totally to your Lord, and that you turn your attention away from all those who are beneath him."

In the words of an-Nuri (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) :

"It means that you let your self-management become absorbed into His management [tadbir], and that you are perfectly satisfied with Allah as a Trustee [Wakil], as a Manager [Mudabbir] and as a Helper [Nasir]."

Allah Himself (Exalted is He) has told us:

And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee. (4:81)

In the words of another wise saying:

"Absolute trust [tawakkul] is the state in which the humble servant [al-'abd adh-dhalil] is utterly content with the All-Majestic Lord [ar-Rabb al-Jalil], just as the Bosom Friend [al-Khalil] was utterly content with the All-Majestic [al-Jalil], so much so that he took no notice of the attentive presence of Gabriel [Jabril] (peace be upon him)."

To quote yet another wise saying:

"It means abstaining from self-motivated activity, in complete reliance on the Creator [Khaliq] of the earth and the heavens."

Bahlul the Crazy One [al-Majnun] (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) was once asked: "When does the servant [of the Lord] become someone who is absolutely trustful [mutawakkil]?" To this he replied: "When he, as a person [bi'n-nafs], is a stranger among his fellow creatures, and when, in his inner feeling [bi'l-qalb], he is close to the Truth [al-Haqq]."

Someone asked Hatim al-Asamm ["the Deaf"] (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) : "On what basis have you developed this special condition of yours, this absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul]?" To this he replied: "On four particular elements, namely: (1) I came to realize that my sustenance will not be consumed by anyone other than myself, so I should not be concerned about it; (2) I came to realize that my work will not be done by anyone other than myself, so I must be busy about it; (3) I came to realize that death may come suddenly and unexpectedly, so I must waste no time in order to forestall it; (4) I came to realize that I am in the sight of Allah (Exalted is He) in every condition and circumstance, so I must behave with due modesty under His gaze."

Abu Musa ad-Dabili (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) is reported as having said:

"I asked 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Yahya about absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul], so he told me: '[It means that] even if you were to stick your hand into the mouth of the great sea monster [tinnin], as far as the wrist, you would fear nothing other than Allah."

Abu Musa (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) went on to say:

"I then set out to visit Abu Yazid al-Bistami (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him), in order to ask him about absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul]. When I knocked on his door, he said to me: 'O Abu Musa, what did you find unsatisfactory in the answer you received from 'Abd ar-Rahman, that you should come and ask me the same question?' So I said: 'O my master, open the door!' But he said: 'If you were coming to see me as a regular visitor, I would open the door for you. Take your answer from the door!' So I turned away and left [with the answer, which was: 'Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] means that] even if the serpent that is coiled around the Heavenly Throne ['Arsh] were to take an interest in you, you would fear nothing other than Allah.'"

Abu Musa (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) then continued:

"So I kept traveling until I came to [the city of] Dabil, where I took up residence for one whole year. Then I decided it was time to pay a visit, so I set out on the road to Abu Yazid [al-Bistami]. When I reached him, he said to me: 'Now you have come to see me as a regular visitor. Welcome to the visitor! Do come in!' So I stayed as his guest for a month, during which nothing ever occurred to me without his telling me all about it, before I had time to ask him. Then I said to him: 'O Abu Yazid, I now propose to take my leave, so I request you to provide me with a useful lesson.' To this he replied: 'The useful lesson provided by creatures is not a useful lesson!' So I understood this to be a useful lesson, and took my leave."

According to a report from Ibn Tawus al-Yamani (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him), his father, Tawus (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him), told him:

"An Arab nomad [A'rabi] once came [to Mecca] on a riding camel of his. He caused the beast to kneel down, and hobbled its feet with a cord. Then he raised his head toward the sky, and said: 'O Allah, this riding camel, as well as the load upon its back, is covered by Your insurance, until I return to reclaim it.' He then went off and entered the Sacred Mosque [al-Masjid al-Haram].

"Some time later, the Arab nomad returned from the Sacred Mosque [al-Masjid al-Haram]–to find that the riding camel had been taken away, together with the load on its back. So he raised his head toward the sky, and said: 'O Allah, nothing has been stolen from me, for nothing is ever stolen except from You.' "

Tawus went on to say:

"While we were in this situation together with the Arab nomad, we suddenly caught sight of a man descending from the peak of Mount Abu Qubais. He was leading the riding camel with his left hand, while his right hand, which had been cut off, was attached to a cord around his neck. When he eventually reached the Arab nomad, he said: 'Here, take your riding camel, along with the load on its back.'

"I asked the man about his condition, so he explained: 'On the peak of Abu Qubais, I was approached by a rider on a gray horse. "O thief," he said to me, "hold out your hand!" So I held it out, and he placed it on a slab of rock. Then he took another piece of rock and used it to amputate my hand, which he then tied to my neck. "Now go back down the mountain," he told me, "and return the riding camel, along with the load it carries, to the Arab nomad."'"

[The Caliph] 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be well pleased with him) is reported as having said: "Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

"'If you really and truly placed all your trust in Allah [law tawakkaltum 'ala 'llahi haqqa tawakkuli-hi], He would sustain you as He sustains the birds. They start the day with their bellies empty, and end it with their bellies full.'"

According to a traditional report, transmitted by Muhammad ibn Ka'b on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father), Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said:

If it would please someone to be the noblest of men, let him devote himself truly to Allah. And if it would please someone to be the richest of men, let him be more reliant on what is at the disposal of Allah, and less reliant on what is at his own disposal.

'Umar [ibn al-Khattab] (may Allah be well pleased with him) used to quote these two verses [of Arabic poetry] as an instructive example:

Go easy on yourself, for the outcome of all affairs is determined by God's decree.

If something is meant to go elsewhere, it will never come your way, but if it is yours by destiny, from you it cannot flee.

Someone asked Yahya ibn Mu'adh [ar-Razi] (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) : "When does a man become someone who is absolutely trustful [mutawakkil]?" To this he replied: "When he is perfectly satisfied with Allah as a Trustee [Wakil]."

It was Bishr [al-Hafi] (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) who said:

"One of them may say: 'I have put all my trust in Allah [tawakkaltu 'ala 'llah],' although he is actually telling a lie. For, by Allah, if he had really put all his trust in Allah, he would be perfectly content with the way Allah treats him."

Abu Turab an-Nakhshabi (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) once said:

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] means casting the physical body into servitude ['ubudiyya], attaching the inner feeling to the Divine Lordship [rububiyya], and having serene confidence in sufficiency [kifaya], so that one responds to receiving by giving thanks, and to deprivation by being patient."

It was Dhu 'n-Nun al-Misri [the Egyptian] (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) who said:

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] means giving up self-management, and divesting oneself of any personal claim to power and strength."

Dhu 'n-Nun (may Allah the Exalted bestow His mercy upon him) also said, to a man who asked him about absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] :

"It means detaching oneself from worldly lords [arbab], and severing all attachment to material means [asbab]."

The questioner went on to say: "Tell me more," so he added:

"[It means] throwing the lower self [nafs] into servitude ['ubudiyya], and removing it from the position of lordship [rububiyya]."

He also said: "It means the cessation of ambitious designs [matami']."

As for the enterprising activity that is undertaken with the outer being [al-haraka bi'z-zahir]--which is a way of describing material acquisition [kasb] conducted in accordance with the Sunna --this is not incompatible with the absolute trust experienced by the inner feeling [tawakkul al-qalb], after the servant [of the Lord] has come to realize, within his inner feeling, that the power to decide is the prerogative of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He). [There is no incompatibility between the two] because the location of absolute trust [tawakkul] is the inner feeling, and because it constitutes the actualization of faith [tahqiq al-iman]. To reject the validity of material acquisition [kasb] would be tantamount to rejecting the validity of the Sunna, and to reject the validity of absolute trust [tawakkul] would be tantamount to rejecting the validity of faith [iman].

If some difficulty is encountered in relation to the material means [asbab], it is due to the decree of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), and if something is found to be easy in that regard, it is due to His facilitation (Almighty and Glorious is He). The limbs and organs of the physical body, and all the external faculties [zawahir], must therefore be actively involved in the instrumental process [mutaharrika bi's-sabab], in compliance with the commandment of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), while the inner being [batin] remains calmly reliant on the promise of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He).

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) is reported as having said:

"A man once rode into town on a fine she-camel of his, and he said: 'O Messenger of Allah, shall I just leave her unattended, and put my trust in the Lord [ada'u-ha wa atawakkalu]?' So the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told him: 'Hobble her feet with a rope, and put your trust in the Lord [a'qil-ha wa tawakkal]!'"

In the words of one wise saying:

"He who puts all his trust in the Lord is like a baby. Just as the infant is not aware of having anything else to turn to, except its mother's breast, the completely trustful person [al-mutawakkil] feels himself guided in no other direction, except toward his Lord (Almighty and Glorious is He)."

In the words of another wise saying:

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] means the banishment of doubts, and the delegation [tafwid] of one's concerns to the King of kings [Malik al-muluk]."

In the words of yet another wise saying:

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] means relying with confidence on what is at the disposal of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), and expecting nothing at all from what is at the disposal of human beings."

This saying also deserves to be quoted:

"Absolute trust in the Lord [tawakkul] means emptying the innermost being [sirr] of any consideration one might give to the idea of resorting to litigation [taqadi] in the quest for sustenance."

* * * * * * *

CONVERTING TO ISLAAM

It's a beautiful spring evening, the wind is calm, the air is still, the smell of freshness consumes my nostrils as I hear the thoughts of my heart crying out for guidance and my mind pondering over my life walking through my neighborhood in Irvington, NJ. What will I do with the rest of my life, what is my purpose? Without any doubt, I know there’s a God and that heaven and hell are real; I don’t know why I know it, but I know it and when will I know how to get into heaven. Truly, I don’t want to go to hell.

Yet, I don't beleive all that I have experienced in religions, and Lord knows I've experienced my share, are the correct guidelines to worshipping God let alone getting into heaven. Now I wonder what, where and when will the correct religion be opened up to me. So, I began to make a supplication to my Lord, although I don’t know who He is I know He is, "Oh God please show me what is correct and which way I should go and remove me from this confusion I'm in". And, Allaah answers dua'a! I didn’t know that then, but its true.

The next day I traveled to downtown Newark, NJ and happened to be in the area where there were a lot of Muslims. I thought, this may be it and at the same moment I began to remember my past experiences with religions. First, Christianity from my Mother and her people, the Father, Son & Holy Ghost. I had great difficulty understanding this concept, even as a child, because I understood that Father and son were people so I also wondered who were these people we worshipped, why did we worship them and where were they located. The Holy Ghost did not fit because we always watched these TV shows that showed ghosts as transparencies that scared people. I could never figure a ghost to be holy after being taught they were frightening. I was confused and could never believe what my Mother wanted me to believe.

At the age of fourteen I decided to embrace this Christian religion on another level with the Penecostals, well I wanted to impress a boy. They taught me to sing and shout and praise God by saying Hallelujah. The music was loud, pounding in your chest, the people were emotional, crying, testifying and speaking words no one could understand; (speaking in tongues) all because the spirit moves you. Now all of this was fun because we traveled from state to state, city to city with this performance but no one ever explained why and who we were worshipping God in this manner other than the spirit moves you and sometimes they thought that Jesus was God.

Now, Jesus being God was not a concept I could conceive because while growing up Jesus was the son of God. Confused again and unable to believe this concept of worship, the fascination for the boy wore off so did the religion and I moved on.

Two years later at age sixteen, trying to figure out who I am and who I'm going to emulate, any body except Mom, I decided to go to the Temple Number 25 in Newark, NJ where the people went who were in “The Nation Of Islam”. I wanted to see what was all this hooplah Muhammad Ali was talking about. This man Elijah Muhammad, a black man, a Prophet with a religion only for black people and the proof that white people are devils. Oh! and that's not all he has a way for us to get back our land that was stolen from us along with a mule. Plus he's going to teach us "How To Eat To Live". I was enthralled with this concept and with due right. I'm black, I want my land back and my mule, I need to eat to live and my Mom hated the whole idea and she was able to prove that this was not a religion from God with the Bible. But, I needed something that did not emulate her even though she was right. By the way, I couldn't figure out the deal with the land and the mule anyway; I never had any land and/or a mule and if I got it back what would I do with it? I'm from the city, I don't know anything about land let alone a mule. I've never even seen a mule, but I'm going to check it out and I did.

Well, it all seemed good with women covering and having their own vanguard army, raising children, sewing, cooking and being respected by men. The men were soldiers, marrying, building a nation and protecting the women and children. Growing their own foods and raising animals along with owning businesses. Most importantly, we were all happy with the concept that the white man was the devil, we needed every reason to hate the white man. We were once his slaves, although none of us had ever even seen a slave, let alone been a slave. All this under the guise of 'Islam' i.e. "The Nation of Islam".

We had the Quraan and Allaah is our Lord. Then the rhetoric began with mixing the versus of the Bible with the versus of the Quraan and the pictures of Allaah. They depicted Allaah as a little white man, I mean little in stature and apparently he was seen only a little no one could verify where this man was. Now how could this little man be the God of the Universe, the universe is massive and he's so little, not to mention he's a white man. There's no way a white man could be the devil and our Lord at the same time. Well, they lost me with that.

Several years later successful administrative assistant working my way up the corporate ladder for one of the top law firms, I was introduced to Buddhism by a co-worker. Here, I go again, but I got to try, I need to find out how to really worship, get into heaven and be a good person.

Well, they teach you how to chant, to go inside yourself and find your inner strength to overcome that which seems to be hard for you. After the chanting, going inside yourself and reading passages from the handbook/prayer book the offering time came. It was incumbent upon you to leave a gift/sacrifice for the Buddha and he, Buddha is answering your chant through your chi and because of your offering.

The reason I say “the Buddha” is because the session of chanting can be done in a group, in someone's house, in the temple alone or in a group it did'nt matter because they had so many Buddhas. You could take it, Buddha, home with you, put it in your purse and/or leave it in your car. Buddha not only was many but he also had many sizes, from hand holding size to giant size that was tall as a building.

I really couldn't stay here, none of this was getting into my head especially when you had to leave a gift/sacrifice for Buddha; a decent piece of fruit, an exorbitant amount of cash and/or burn an incense for a statute who I knew could not get up and do anything with these gifts/sacrifices he’s a statute. I saw others leaving their gifts/sacrifices and as they did, I wondered who really was taking those gifts/sacrifices. Each night, when we returned the fruit, now rottened, was still there and the incense had burned out, but who, who took that money and those checks? Buddha, I don't think so.

Now, back in the area where I see all Muslims, the muslim ladies fully covered, some with veils on their faces and gloves on their hands and the men with their white thobes, short pants and beards, I decided to ask about Islaam. It was told to me that Islaam is to worship Allaah alone and to believe that Muhammad ibn Abdullaah (s.a.w.) is His slave and Last Messenger and to obey Allaah and Muhammad (s.a.w.), to pray, to fast, to give charity and to make the Pilgrimage/Hajj.

I said; "wow, how do I do that?" Take Shahaadahtain/Bear Witness to the Oneness of Allaah. I knew this was what I was looking for so I took Shahaadahtain and this time I got it right because Allaah answered that dua'a and guided me to His Perfect Religion, Islaam.

So, I took Shahaadahtain and here I am some 15 years later a Muslimah, striving to be a true believer, obeying Allaah and His Messenger (s.a.w.) to the best of my ability and I haven't regretted any of it.

May Allaah forgive me of my sins and bless me with Jannah and save me from Jahannum; AMEEN!!!

May Allaah continue me on the Straight Path; Ameen!!!