STEADFASTNESS IS PATIENT PERSERVERANCE And The Steadfast Is A Winner.

 

Steadfastness Is Patient

Perseverance And The

Steadfast Is A Winner!

(M. Javed Naseem)

“And verily We shall pay those

who are steadfast, a recompense

in proportion to the best of

what they used to do.”

(al-Quran 16:96)

Fidelity and steadfastness are two basic requirements of Islam. A total surrender to the will of God Almighty and then staying on course is the way of a perfect Muslim. It is a hard course, full of all kinds of obstacles and temptations, but it is still achievable. Remember the story of a hare and the tortoise ? We all read it during our school years. The tortoise was slow but steady, and that won him the race.

If you can stay true and faithful to your cause and follow the course with perseverance or steadfastness, you are a winner. But that is not an easy job. You have to give your best or 100 percent to achieve the grade. That means one should always be good – every time and all the time. That’s steadfastness.

Being good to others is charity (Sadaqah) that brings rewards not only in this world but also in the Hereafter. If a person develops a character of being good to others, not harming or hurting anybody, he is earning the blessings of Almighty Allah all the time. This is a very simple case of steadfastness.

God the Gracious commands mankind to be faithful and steadfast. The Almighty says in the Holy Quran :

“O you who believe! Seek help in

steadfastness and prayer. Lo,

Allah is with the steadfast.”

(al-Quran 2 :153)

We should always try to do good – whatever good is in our capacity, and do it continuously. Even if we do a little but do it on a regular basis, that’s fine. That’s being steadfast. We will definitely be rewarded for that. The Almighty will shower His blessings on us. But as they say: Everything comes with a price, so is the steadfastness. When we try to be good and honest in life, we are tested by God. We should make sure that we pass those tests and go through those trials with patience. And don’t quit, ever! Perseverance is the best asset along with faith (Iman) that a Muslim possesses. Allah says:

“And surely We shall try you with

something of fear and hunger, and

loss of wealth and lives and crops;

but give glad tidings to the steadfast.”

(al-Quran 2:155)

The tests and trials are very discouraging and heart-breaking. But then again you have to rise up to the occasion. Show your mettle and prove to the world, with your perseverance and steadfastness, that you are true to your cause; honest in your struggle; and faithful to your Creator. Your conviction only can earn you honors.

There is another very important factor in Islam. All deeds or good work you do, you’ve got to do voluntarily and willingly. If you don’t feel Islam in your actions, they are not Islamic. A Muslim is a volunteer who willingly and knowingly surrenders himself to the will of God. It is a way of life for ‘believers’. You believe in the powers of Allah and, therefore, you are sure that your actions are counted and accounted for. You believe that every action contributes towards the ‘balance sheet’ which will be presented to you in the Hereafter on the Day of Justice. And on the basis of that you will merit Heaven or Hell. But if you don’t believe in the Hereafter, then this world is all you have got because in the Hereafter your destination would be Hell. Allah the Great tells us that at many places in the Holy Quran. Therefore, believe and do good!

There was that saint who was famous for his kindness, sweet manners and highly civilized ways. Somebody asked him:

“Where did you learn these good manners?”

“From the ill-mannered and ignorant people,” he replied. “Everything they used to do, I would not do.”

How simple! But very difficult at the same time. The most difficult thing in our lives is to resist the temptation. This is the real ‘Jihad’. If we succeed in that, we win all the honors; but if we fail, we fall prey to the evil. And evil leads to Hell. In our struggle for good, we always need to seek help of Allah because without it we cannot achieve anything. And don’t forget that Allah helps not the evil-doers.

Here is a beautiful story! Naffia narrates that once Abdullah bin Umar was traveling out of Medina. He was accompanied by his friends and servants. In the afternoon they stopped near a village to have a meal. The servants spread the sheets and fixed the food. Then all of them sat together around it and started eating. Right at that time, a shepherd passed by along with his sheep. Abdullah bin Umar invited him to eat with them. The shepherd replied that he was fasting. Abdullah bin Umar said that it was terribly hot and scorching wind was blowing in the desert. How could he fast in such conditions? The shepherd answered back that he was receiving the reward of his ‘past days’. He was referring to these holy verses of the Quran:

“(And it will be said unto those therein):

Eat and drink at ease for that which you

sent on before you in past days.”

(al-Quran 69:24)

Abdullah bin Umar started enjoying the conversation with the shepherd and decided to test him. He said that he wanted to buy a goat, therefore, he should tell him the price of the goat. He further said that he will slaughter that goat and give the shepherd some meat too, so that he could have a good meal for breaking his fast in the evening.

The shepherd said that those were not his goats. They belonged to his master who was also the chief of his tribe.

Abdullah bin Umar said that his chief would never know. And if he asked, he could tell him that a wolf took the goat away. The shepherd signaled toward the sky and asked:

“And where would Allah go?”

Abdullah bin Umar was very amused by this answer and started repeating shepherd’s words: “And where would Allah go; and where would Allah go?” He told his companions that it was amazing that a shepherd was aware of Allah’s presence and knew that He was watching over everybody. And that kept him faithful and sincere to his master.

Later on, when Abdullah bin Umar returned from his business, he contacted that tribal chief and bought that slave and the goats from him. And then he freed the slave and gave him the gift of those goats. 

Remember! In your struggle in life, when events frustrate you and knock you down, only Faith can lift you up. It gives you hope and strength to stand up to the whole world. In your heart you know that what you are doing is right. Therefore, the Almighty hears your cries and comes closer to help you.

***********

'LOWER YOUR GAZE AND BE MODEST!' Modesty Is A Virtue.

 

'Lower Your Gaze

And Be Modest!'

Modesty Is A Virtue

(M. Javed Naseem)

The Almighty God has commanded all believers in the Holy Quran to be modest. He says:

“Be modest in your bearing and subdue

your voice. Lo, the harshest of all voices

is the voice of the donkey.”

(al-Quran 31:19)

Modesty is a virtue – the virtue of the prophets and the saints. It can only bring good and protect us from evil. It is actually a part of our faith that will lead us to Heaven. Muslims are required to be modest in all walks of life. The true Muslim community always encourages the believers to be modest, kind and generous. Modesty is a virtue the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was keen to stress upon. He himself had a very modest lifestyle and believed to be simple. Modesty is a universally acclaimed virtue and most of the world‟s religions or cultures praise it. In Islam, it is a part of the faith itself. It, not only, promotes simple lifestyle but also eliminates the evil of selfishness from the society. A Muslim cannot be a snob or an arrogant.

In the Western society people sometimes cast an air of disapproval on modesty considering it a weakness. They say that it inhibits a person from claiming what is due to him. They emphasize the need to be assertive so that others do not take advantage of their modesty. It is probably true for a society that has no concept of modesty.

Here is a true story from our modern times. Everybody knows Muhammad Ali, the late heavyweight boxing champion of the world. An incident took place when Ali’s daughters arrived at his place wearing clothes that were not modest. Here is the true account as narrated by one of his daughters:

“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us (great sense of humour!). We exchanged as many hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took a good look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that I will never forget. He looked me straight in the eyes and said:

“Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered by layers and layers of rock.You’ve got to work hard to get to them.”

He looked at me with serious eyes and said:

“Your body is sacred. You are far more precious than diamonds and pearls, and you should be covered too.”

(From the book: “More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali’s Life Lessons Through His Daughter’s Eyes”.)

Now, that is a beautiful piece of advice from an experienced and wise father to his young and aspiring daughters. Indeed, it is a great message of modesty.

Islam has elevated the status of woman by giving her more rights than other nations, but at the same time granting her a lot more respect for her modesty. In the Western materialistic cultures, a woman is an object of physical pleasure. A pretty model or a blonde actress of film/TV can attract big gatherings. But if you ask those people who come to see her, they will tell you that they came because they ‘liked’ her, and not because they ‘respected’ her. It is physical (sexual) attraction. On the contrary, a modest and pious woman is considered a treasure in Islam and men are considered lucky to have such a wife. She is more valuable than all the gold and silver you can possess.

Some people misinterpret modesty. They think it is like poverty. Not at all. Modesty is a great quality that springs from contentment. When you are satisfied and content with whatever God has provided for you, you are modest. There are millions of examples of people living in different eras who had the means and the wealth but they chose a modest lifestyle. Simplicity is a part of modesty. A modest life is a simple life, close to nature and far from material corruption. Living within your means also falls within the limits of modesty.

Here is a beautiful example of modest living. Laith bin Saad was a famous scholar of Islamic studies during the time of Caliph Haroon Rasheed. His daily income during certain period was around one thousand Dinars. But he was never liable for paying Zakat because he never kept the money. He always distributed among the poor and the needy. Amazing! Zakat is payable on the money that you store, invest or keep for one year. His son Shoaib narrates that during certain time his father’s income was around 25 thousand Dinars per year but he was always under debt. Zakat was never due from him. The amount of income kept fluctuating during different periods of time but he always gave away his money in charity. So, at the end of the year he never had a taxable amount.

One day a woman came to Laith bin Saad with a small empty cup and said that she needed some honey. Laith gave her a leather-skin full of honey. Somebody said: O Laith! She was asking for a little bit of honey but you gave her a whole bag. Hazrat Laith replied: She asked for it according to her need and I gave her according to my capacity. Allah has blessed me with His bounties, therefore, I cannot hold back.

Those who understand Islam, they know that modest living can protect them from material problems or corruption. Despite the fact that sometimes they had a lot of money, they used only what was sufficient for their needs. The rest of it they shared with the less fortunate. When you lead simple life, you are modest in your appearance too. Men are not allowed to wear silk clothes and gold jewellery, and women are asked to pay Zakat on their jewellery. Gold and silver utensils are not allowed in a Muslim household.

Muslims should look modest in their clothing too – no luxury robes. And then comes the modesty of character. The Almighty Allah (SWT) directed all believers to be modest. He says in the Holy Quran, Surah Noor (An-Nur), Ayah 30 & 31:

“Tell the believing men to lower their

gaze and be modest. That is purer for them.

Lo, Allah is Aware of what they do.”

(al-Quran 24:30)

“And tell the believing women to lower

their gaze and be modest; and to display

of their adornment only that which is apparent;

and to draw their veils over their bosoms;

and not to reveal their adornment save to their

own husbands or fathers or …..”

(al-Quran 24:31)

The woman gets concession when she is among the family members. Otherwise, both men and women have the lines drawn, the limits or the ‘Hudood’ in this respect. The rules have been laid down, clear as black and white.

I live in a so-called Arab Muslim country and always see the young girls on the beach in their bikinis. Some of them dressed far worse than the non-believing women. Even the young women who wear Hijab, dress in very tight, revealing pants or shorts, skimpy blouses and short skirts. It is a shame to see the city streets full of ‘sexy’ looking objects, and not self-respecting young ladies. There is no doubt that their parents will get their share of punishment for not bringing up their children according to the teachings of Quran and Sunnah. How strange that people feel the heat of summer to dress half-naked and do not feel the heat of Hell that is waiting for them!

It is unfair to blame the society or the surroundings for all the evil in our lives. We are the society; we are the community and we are responsible for the surroundings. As Muslims, we are terrible role-

models for others. It is time to get up and play the role we are supposed to play for the sake of our future generations.

**************