Learn From Allah's Patience
- Hits: 2372
In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate
"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon you"
Bismillah Wal hamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaykum WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakaatuh
Learn From Allah's Patience
Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"None is more patient in the face of offense than God. People say He has a son, but He continues to protect them and provide for them."(Bukhari)
|
Read Also: |
This hadith tells us about the kindness and patience of God in response to the offense of His servants. When we learn of a characteristic of God, part of our worship is to aspire to exemplify that value in our lives.
Compassion and forbearance in the face of harm is essential to peace, because flaws and corruption will always exist among people. Only when we can transcend the hurt that we may receive from others and respond with compassion are we truly committed to peace.
In facing offense, one should resort to patience before revenge. Patience gives us time to cool down and think through the situation before we do something that we may regret in the future. Patience is a virtue of those who have inner strength and with patience we acquire respect and the ability to control any situation we are in.
Verses and sayings that encourage forgiveness do not imply that we should not seek out justice and solutions to the harm committed by others. To the contrary, there are many teachings encouraging, even requiring, us to do so.
|
Follow the Shari`ah Zone |
|||
|
There is a methodology for resolving problems and seeking restitution. However, there is another aspect that goes hand in hand. While we are working out the problem, we can continue to practice kindness and fulfill our duties to people even in the face of harm. When we are wronged, it does not give us license to abandon someone or attack with a similar injustice, but rather we should resort to the proper methodology for resolving conflict. Meanwhile, the compassion continues. Kindness and basic respect should transcend all social and legal systems.
In order to practice this level of benevolence, we need to invest in our own spirituality and connection with God. It may be difficult to extend kindness to those who harm us—until we remember that we are doing it for God.
The individuals with whom we are conflicted belong to God as well. Among His names is the Most Merciful, and He is also The Just. So when we extend kindness to those who harm us, we are in fact reaching out to the kindness of God.
References
Republished, with kind permission, from the authors' Seeking Peace.
Dr. Hazem Said has been active in the Muslim community in America for over 10 years and held many different leadership posts. Most notably, he was the president of MAS Youth, a national youth organization from 2004 to 2008. He helped establish Ihsan, a non-profit organization based in Milford, OH and is currently the chair of its board. In his professional life, Hazem is an associate professor of Information Technology at the University of Cincinnati.
Maha Ezzeddine has a bachelor degree in Journalism and History from the University of Maryland - College Park and a Master degree in History from Stanford University. She edited several publications for MAS Youth between 2006 and 2008, when she was a member of the national executive team.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAITHFUL SERVANTS OF ALLAH LEARN AND TEACH THE BOOK
[ALLAH’S Quran – 3:79 – Pickthall] “...........Be ye faithful servants of the Lord by virtue of your constant teaching of the Scripture and of your constant study thereof.”
The Prophet (pbuh) has said:
[Bukhari, Book #61, Hadith #545] “ Narrated 'Uthman: The Prophet said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it."
[Bukhari, Book #92, Hadith #419] “Narrated 'Abdullah: Allah's Apostle said, "Do not wish to be like anybody except in two cases: The case of a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and that of a man whom Allah has given religious wisdom (i.e., Qur'an and Sunna) and he gives his verdicts according to it and teaches it." (to others i.e., religious knowledge of Qur'an and Sunna (Prophet's Traditions)."
[Bukhari, Book #3, Hadith #79] “Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet said, "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was hard and held the rain water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, making their animals drink from it and for irrigation of the land. (And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then that land gave no benefits). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge) which Allah has revealed through me (the Prophets and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that of a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed through me (He is like that barren land.)"
[Muslim, Book #035, Hadith #6518] “Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: He who alleviates the suffering of a brother out of the sufferings of the world, Allah would alleviate his suffering from the sufferings of the Day of Resurrection, and he who finds relief for one who is hard pressed, Allah would make things easy for him in the Hereafter, and he who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so long as the servant is at the back of his brother, and he who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah would make that path easy, leading to Paradise for him and those persons who assemble in the house among the houses of Allah (mosques) and recite the Book of Allah and they learn and teach the Qur'an (among themselves) there would descend upon them the tranquillity and mercy would cover them and the angels would surround them and Allah makes a mention of them in the presence of those near Him, and he who is slow-paced in doing good deeds, his (high) descent does not make him go ahead.
[Malik’s Muwatta, Book #9, Hadith #9.18.56] “Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr, that Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman used to say, "Someone who goes to the mosque in the morning or the afternoon with no intention of going anywhere else, either to learn good or teach it, is like someone who does jihad in the way of Allah and returns with booty."
http://al-tanzil.com/Prophet_Explained_Quran_2.html