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.

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