str ding in allah s shade

www.fahmedeen.org www.practiseislam.org

Maulana Abdus Sattar


Striding in Allah’s Shade ~ Enriching Lives “O you who believe! Remember Allah abundantly. And glorify Him morning and evening.” [Al-Ahzaab 33: 41, 42] Allah, the most Exalted, is addressing the believers asserting: remember Allah morn and eve and every possible time in between. This, essentially, is a prescription for gilding the entire life of a believer; entailing one lone thing for scores of others. Thus the line of attack, to wipe out all weaknesses and stumbling blocks from a believer’s life is subsequently being specified by Allah in these few words: remember Allah abundantly. Logically employing, it is evident enough that the root of all evils springing in our human domains is nothing save ignorance towards Allah. Watch: Why is a believer not fair in his transactions? That is so because he is ignorant of Allah. Why is he snatching the rights of others? That too is so because he is ignorant of Allah. Why is he ogling at the daughters and sisters of others? Again because he is mindless of Allah. Why is he using his tongue worse than the sharpest blades? Because he is mindless of Allah. Why are these sisters and daughters tarnishing there chastity? Thus it is being affirmed: remember Allah in abundance - loud and proud - that every bone of your body be seen entrenched in His obedience.

A Heart Undivided Fortunately, when the tongue will remember Him much, then naturally the heart too will be stirred in the same course. This will facilitate this heart to be undivided between what matters and what does not. At times a person is so embedded in the eventful, day-to-day grind of this life; be it at work or a classroom, he might be listening to the teacher’s lecture but his mind is engaged elsewhere. And more often than not, the thought that does not leave him is exactly what the focus of his life is. Likewise, in the villages, there are women who carry two, three water pots on their heads. Every so often even four. Their path is crooked, amid highs and lows, but they carry on; even talking and laughing with eachother as they tread along. Nonetheless, their hearts are well acquainted with the primary fact that there is water on their heads. So is the case of a Momin. He is occupied in worldly affairs, but whenever, wherever, he recognizes his connection with his Allah to be weakening, it immediately strikes him: Allah is near, very near. And when Allah is near, how in all the rational spheres, he be the one to lose hope? That’s for those who have nothing to look forward to. So this can never be the approach to which a believer draws on. For in his mind there is this Almighty being. Consequently he never feels lonesome. Instead is, for ever and a day, brimming with trust and belief.



Who loses hope? Now for instance, there is this person who is overwhelmed in tough trials. Incidentally he has a friend who loves him dearly, is always there in his need and to top it all - this friend is also influential and invested in authority to act. Now as soon as he falls in this trial, he says: “Ah, I have that friend; my work will be done by far. No problem at all.” Under no means does he lose hope. And why would he when his friend is there for him. But regrettably, when there are many sins in a believer’s life, many betrayals and embezzlements in dealings, it is inevitable for him to lose hope. He puts down his weapons, feels completely alone and gets frustrated; abandonment of Allah is singularly what he has wretched himself with. It is indeed this absence of Allah’s remembrance from his life, for if it had been there then at the very point in time when surrounded by the most trying trials, he would have acquired exceptional hope, thus enjoying immense repose.

Tranquility through Deprivation When Allah seizes some precious possession from a believer and deprives him of it, the last thing to ensue would be his getting disheartened. A firm believer’s condition would actually not change! Infact, all in and out tranquility reins him. An illustration for this can be when a cherished friend of yours takes your belongings to Quetta, and you too have to leave Karachi to settle in Quetta for good. You even know that your friend who has taken your luggage to Quetta is a very wise man, and has also assured you: “My friend, I’m taking your possessions to Quetta and before you even arrive there, it will be increased manifold.” So what do you think, would you be perturbed or would you be content? Very content, indeed. Voicing the verity in honour of your friend: What a good fellow he is, who reduced my burden; in addition, he is also going to boost my assets multiple times over. So when Allah is remembered then if Allah takes away a son, Allah takes away health, Allah takes away wealth, Allah takes away any other blessing; this person says its my Allah, He has taken it, to keep it secure and return it in the Hereafter which is the permanent abode. What is more: not only returning it as it is but indisputably many times it. Not hopeless and uneasy but certainly very tranquil and satisfied, for has not Allah alleviated my burden?

Being Accountable For All That We Have All praise be to the gracious Allah, Who eased my burden for if the particular blessing which He seized had been granted to me in this World only (ephemeral world), I would have been accountable for it! As soon as the eyes would have closed the angels would have asked me: you had eyes what did you employ of them? You had wealth, where did you spend it?



When Unaware of Allah’s Might But surely, if my assets were taken to Quetta by a person whom I do not even know, do not know his influences and am unaware of his might; then, no doubt there will be disgruntlement inside me ready to tear me apart. Therefore when we are unaware of Allah’s might and are negligent of Him then there explode sparks of awful agitation within us. And then, if Allah takes away something; the heart will definitely ache in disapproval, echoing blows of who took it… Thus the remedy to cure all the harms of this life and the next: remember Allah abundantly; this is the very magic charm for His prestige, His power, His reverence to drill deep inside our hearts and souls. And then whenever the eyes, the tongue, the senses are off-tracked, instantaneously it hits him: Allah is watching!

Is He really watching? The age we live in, where we see countless rampant sins, one is left to wonder: is Allah truly watching over? It serves well to reminisce how Hazrat Luqman is instructing his son to always be mindful of Allah: “O my son!" (Said Hazrat Luqman), "If there be (but) the weight of a mustard seed and it were (hidden) in a rock, or (anywhere) in the heavens or on earth, Allah will bring it forth: for Allah understands the finest mysteries, (and) is well-acquained (with them).” [Luqman 31:16] Therefore no matter where you execute a sin; be it in secrecy or in the pith black shadows of the night, or somewhere in the depths of the deep forest; Allah, the All-aware, will bring them all forth for you. Thus the recommended covenant of honour has been ascribed: infuse Allah effusively in your lives. However, disappointingly, today instead of infusing His remembrance in our lives, we find ourselves in downright oblivion towards Him. To exemplify: if a little kid catches us committing a certain evil, we will refrain from proceeding with it, to not lose respect (he can go out and tell people). However, if Allah is watching, then we least care and so carry on with it. The irrational beings that we have become forget that the approach of His disgracing somebody is as he often enumerates in the Holy Quran: “If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah (alone) let believers put their trust.” [Al-Imran 3:160] Once Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas was with the holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wa sallam when holy Prophet sallallahu alaihe wa sallam gave him some valuable advises. In the end of them all he said, “Be mindful that if the whole world join hands in supporting you yet only that will benefit you which has already been decreed for you. Likewise if all of them get together in harming you then too they can not destroy anything of yours unless it had been written for you by Allah. The pens have been raised and the registers of destiny dried.” (Tirmizi)



But today His true respect in no more in our lives. The basis of all the sins is hence, we are calamitously mindless of Allah. Hazrat Abdullah-ibn-Mubarak rahmatullah alaih once went to Sha’am and borrowed a pen from a person there to write something… forgot to return it, came back to his place in Marom then realized that the pen is still with him. The pen is somebody else’s, the right is somebody else’s, and Allah is Allah, how will life be spent? Hazrat went back to Sha’am covering the distance of three full days. In addition, spent almost three more days at the place where he had taken the pen, so that the very man can be found. Allah’s presence was with him; Allah’s Might he can feel. Why do we backbite today? Only because Allah’s worth has absconded from us. Similar is the case for all other sins by means of which we go about polluting ourselves. The cure is again straightforward and natural: Remember Allah abundantly.

Stealing in His Deen Now picture in your mind a setting where there is vast security. Will the criminals and thieves dare come near that place and carry out their tomfoolery. Instead, certainly they will stay away as the caretakers of law are watching over. But today the Muslims are stealing away in Allah’s Deen. How they are breaching all his laws, attempting to deceit Him. Have the Muslims forgotten the concept of there being a Caretaker and a Custodian for this eternal religion? He too is watching over. Today His realization and consciousness is way beyond our furthest intellects. And the result of all this is obvious: firstly, there are countless sins, and on the other hand even if there is some worship [ibadat], that too, is only mere pretentiousness, having no soul involved. If the worship were done in a manner that my Allah is watching me and I am in the exalted court of my Lord and my Creator, then its regard would be incredibly unusual altogether.

The Garments of the Heart Tell the truth, if there are any stains on our clothes then do we set out for a fine meeting or gathering. Nobody does! We do not even like going there. Today too the garments of our hearts are full of stains. Ever wondered: we are in front of Allah, we need to cleanse and purify them? In reality, the apprehension that these too are being observed by someone is nullified. Each and all the blemishes of our body appear eerie to us for people can see them. We go to doctors; take medicines don’t know what else. And the blemishes of the heart, which are being seen by Allah... who cares! This attitude needs change. The women of the house beautify their houses, making them sparklingly spotless and striking, for guests would be coming over. Infact, that whole day is spent in cleaning only so the visitor can assert that the lady of the house is very refined and cultured. And the same house is also an incarnation of hatred, spite, malice; it never came to mind that Allah too should say something about our hearts being clean and pure.



The Trash-Heaps of Pretentiousness The vim and vigor of the worship [ibadat] is dependent on the worship being done with full respect and regard. Mualana Manzoor Ahmed Nuamani rahmatullah illah used to say that after Holy Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam’s generation the biggest disease that erupted in the masses was that the worship of those people was left for pretension only. Worship is which is done with utter mindfulness of Allah. However, when it is only done as a mere ritual, then even if salah is made then too no change appears, if not read then too no difference. Did Umrah to the house of Allah, but witnessed no change in life; just the same as having not performed it at all. The quintessence of spirit did not change. And how is this possible? How is this possible that we perform acts of worship and they do not reflect in our lives? Thus the position of worship has been hijacked by mere rituals only. The medication again: remember Allah abundantly. And the paramount thing about this is also that it is restricted by no times and means - one can remember Allah in any posture or condition - in ablution or not, while traveling or standing, while resting or working, to be part of our whole and our soul.

When this World is Instilled in the Heart All the same, now that Allah is not there in our lives then certainly when one stands for prayer then Allah does not fill the heart completely. The salah too would be affixed on whatever is the compass of our lives, whatever haunts us during our lives. Therefore, although we take out time for our so-called worship, in effect, we give it away to be squandered off. Or can we recall a prayer which from the beginning till the end was confined only for Allah? Oh yes, from the start till the end the thoughts of our work preoccupied us; this happens many times. The reason being that we have gone through all measures of thoroughness to infuse the love of this world in our lives. Consequently, when the world has been instilled in the heart, and then when it is taken away by Allah, it surely hurts. In reality, Allah was never a part of life; so now it is this bottomless abyss of disgrace we sink into; never treaded along His shade, so now we contract miserable hopelessness.

Aging and Relief; Hand in Hand On the other hand, when a Momin grows old he gets to feel more and more at peace with himself. This time of his life was meant to be analogous to a farmer planting seeds and then anxiously waiting for the time of harvest to reap the fruits of his toils. This is the time when a farmer’s happiness knows no bounds, musing over the many days and nights he spent in watering, seeding, protecting these plants. At last, now is the moment in time that he will harvest and witness the crop of his efforts. Similar is the case with a Momin. When he gets old his contentment is at its pinnacle: my labours are about to yield fruit when I’ll meet my Allah. Then, would not this to be a source of delight for him? That is only likely when Allah is there in our lives by and large.



The Sign of Allah Being There In Our Lives Moreover, the sign of Allah being there in our lives is that come what may, first and foremost the attention goes onto Him alone. Like a child who gets hurts while playing round the avenue and cries out for his mother (although his mother is nowhere near him at the spot). But this is because it is subscribed there in his heart that my safe haven is my mother. Likewise, a Momin too immediately calls out onto Allah, goes in Sajdah, rings the call and makes a connection. That is also what the customs of our predecessors portray that where they heard lightening and thunder strike, they used to assemble in the masjids. Where they foresaw a mishap, they went into prostration. Where they had a storm in their lives they started knocking at the door of their merciful Lord. However, look at us today, instead of having the mind foremost on Allah, it generally goes onto Him in the last. When all our struggles fail and we are certain that no worldly pursuit can bring forth a fine result then we say, “Now Allah will do it”. After getting hopeless from the world over, we last of all come to the court that has the key to all our ills and miseries. What a pity indeed. Well, so is the case of the polytheists. That when they get hopeless from all their idols, then they say, “Now Allah will harbour our boat. Now our sinking boat can not be saved by anyone else but Him”.

The Idols in Our Lives We too have many idols in our lives, which perhaps we fail to discern. They are those in whom we anchor our reliance and fantasize that they will come to our help. However, in the end, after getting disappointed from every other alternative we helplessly utter: Allah will do it. High time we recoil back from this!

Allah has His Dues If Allah is given His due place in the hearts then before being distracted anywhere else, on Allah the attention will rest. And I’m telling the truth, he never renders us hopeless. Our asking is dire, wide off the mark, but His benevolence has no boundaries whatsoever. So we can not say Allah does not gives, do we even know how to ask? When did we ask Him earnestly? Yes we do ask but ask with utter, bleak despair, being extremely hopeless of His mercy and might. If there were any other lord but Allah then surely he would have deprived us from his court perpetually. It is Allah’s mercy that although we ask so heartlessly still He gives us the chance to ask Him again.

The Ways of Our Beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhe Wa Sallam Now the stimulant for broaching on this intent is very easy and that being: to be always on the stance of asking for something or the other from Allah. Whenever you see somebody virtuous then ask Allah to make you as pious too. Whenever you see somebody in a calamity then ask Allah to save you from it.



Once a Companion radhiallahu anhu asked Rasullallah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , “O Messenger of Allah! What should I do if there is predicament of rizk and debt?” Rasullullah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam told a dua: “O Allah! Save me from haram and make halal sufficient for me. And from Your blessing I become so prosperous that I don’t need to ask from anybody else.” (Mishka’at) On another occasion, Hazrat Ibn-Abbas radhiallahu anhu asked the beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam which Dua he should recite the most. Our Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam told him: “Oh Allah! I seek well-being in this world and the next. O Allah! I ask you for forgiveness and well-being in my religion and in my (life in this) world, in my family, and in my property.” (Abu Dawood) What a lovely Dua! Prosperity in Emaan, prosperity in health, prosperity in children, prosperity in family, prosperity in affluence, prosperity in the Hereafter… When a day is hemmed with such wondrous prayers, is it then likely to work loose and unravel? That is the reason why we find that our beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam on every course of his life, used to beseech Allah with phenomenal prayers. Greeting somebody saying Assalam o alikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, entering the house saying so too. Somebody gives you something you say JazakAllah (May Allah give you better than this). Fulfilling the needs of your body and reciting duas too. While eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, making ablution, entering the house, leaving the house, entering the masjid, leaving the masjid, even while entering the washroom and leaving it. Step via step prayers. So as not to be mindless of Allah and never be driven astray.

No Support in Life But the anguish of it all: proportional to as many ways our beloved Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam enlightened us with to attain nearness of our Allah, as much we are distant from Him today (if not even more). The whole world dwells in our heart; if anything does not then that is Allah. Everybody we are concerned about and the one whom not concerned for - that again - Allah. The harms of this if were for the Hereafter alone then that too was excessively enormous to bear, but simultaneously this world that we are so concerned for also gets ruined. As being mindless of Allah directly implies having no firm support and sustenance in life. Those who dive into the horrendous realms of suicide do so because of being unable to find any support in life. However, the hopelessness of an infidel is understandable but that of a Momin…how to transmit that to the intellect? For a believer has Allah with him, so how can he be poor-spirited. Yet again: remember Allah abundantly. Take out some time in solitude. Also keep entreating from Allah as much as one can. Then, by His grace, our gaudiness in prayers will be changed into genuine worship; finding its missing soul. Then the eyes will have guards of Allah’s remembrance, the ears will have guards too, the tongue, the hands, each part of the body will have screens fortifying them. Nothing else can restrain a man from



sins. For how much will the law fret in securing its spheres of influence? How long can last the pursuit of a man guarding a man?

Celebrating the Praises of the All Praise-Worthy So let us evaluate ourselves and try to figure out how much Allah is commemorated in our lives. If a believer gets the taste of celebrating the praises of his Allah then slowly, but surely, he develops a unique fondness for Him. And then a time comes when without remembrance he cannot exist. This love takes such a strange turn that we find ourselves yearning for it. It has its own sweetness and allure. Like a man loves somebody, he cannot then live without remembering the beloved. Exclusive of the fact that the bond of attachment and love with Allah is so intense that the mortal worldly gears cannot even dare trying to win against it. It is this love that gratifies a believer; only this relishing him. No wonder, for hours on hours our Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam used to stay engrossed in prayers; talking, seeking, supplementing earnestly to Allah. That is why the Sahabah radhiallahu anhum ajma’in notify, “At times he used to stand so long in salah that the souls of his feet used to get swelled up. Staying so long in prostration that it used to appear as if his soul has been seized by the angels.” But we find difficulty in even believing it as we are unaware of its delight; we have not tasted it. We do not realize the significance of our soul and that it needs its nourishment too; and that food full of nourishment for it is exclusively remembrance of Allah.

The Soul and Its Nourishment In present times, actually the soul is not getting this food, thus it is in a very dismal state. It is absolutely wounded and is craving for its food. Akin to a bird inside a cage that does not get its food, so would not it then shriek and yen in agitation? If you take that very bird with its cage in a lovely room or in a beautiful garden or an elite club, would its hunger go away? Only food is what it needs. And when food is provided, then keep it anywhere; even a little cottage will be excessively good for it. The soul inside our bodies, which is restless in fury, is analogous to this bird. Today this bird is not getting that food: what rich, what poor. Who said exquisite houses, luxurious cars, lavish parties are food for the soul. Its provision is something else altogether. Remember Allah abundantly! Then witness how you discover peace.

The Benefits of Being a Beggar at His Door So keep adhering onto Allah; keep asking Him like a beggar. One another lofty dimension of this is that such a person who keeps pleading onto Allah in abundance will be saved from asking from anybody else; for somebody who gets enthused by Allah’s mighty esteem, as a consequence Allah also pours that person’s esteem in the hearts of others. And so we hit upon the ultimate truism that the highest summit of a man lies in his always beseeching Allah. Sovereignty is Allah’s cloak; helplessness towards Him is our due.



“O you men! It is you that have need of Allah; but Allah is the One Free of all wants, worthy of all praise.” [Al-Fatir 35:15]

Giving the Most to Who Asks the Most And where else we can find such a generous emperor who presents the most to the one who asks the most. All other kings give for sometime then get weary and hush away the seeker. Even a mother does not entertain requests all the time. That is what Rasullullah sallallahu alayhe wa sallam also taught us; something or the other, just keep asking, all and sundry. And each dua that he taught appears to be a miracle in itself. How unfortunate of us that we ask Allah only what seems probable to us. Look at who is the One you are asking from, the Lord of all the treasures of all the worlds. If He is to bestow then will He see what is probable and what is not probable? You can feel the blessings of these duas in your lives; only ask, then watch. Far and wide accusations and tribulations inhabit our lives, but the door, which has the cure of all our ills; there we are disinclined to go. And the appalling irony: we go everywhere else! Leaving aside the ways our Prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam had casted for us.

The Gear for Stirring our Lives Allah listens to the Holy Quran when it is recited in an eloquent voice. So make it a habit to recite it. How many are those who do not bother opening the Quran daily, but without fail everyday read the newspaper(s). There has to be a groundwork for our needs. And through the blessings of this, Allah will bestow His regard and love. And that is the very gear for stirring and heartening lives.

The Satan And his Whispers However, every so often, the Satan tries his utmost to instill mischief in our hearts and his echoes hang around us: since ages you have been asking, ages will pass by for Him to give…firstly when a Momin asks something sincerely from his Allah then instantly he feels a certain coolness enfold him, which seems to be reassuring, “Now everything is alright!” And if you do not even get your prayer answered then be heedful of who is the One you are asking, the All-Knower, the All-Wise. It is proven beyond any shadow of doubt that all of Allah’s decisions are based on His encompassing wisdom and knowledge. To that effect, one might deem something as beneficial to him when Allah knows that it is not in his best interest. Ought He hand over something harmful to you only because your little brain perceives it to be right for your ownself?



Approved by The Beloved! As if that is not enough to make a believer buoyant and cheerful, Allah further acquaints us with those blessed people who beseech Him and He takes pleasure in their asking. So maybe He is taking time to answer your prayers because you are one of the fortunate ones whose asking He enjoys and thus wants them to keep beseeching a bit more. The Beloved liked your actions, what more remains? Your bounties are ready and certified! A source for the Momin to regard even the sorrow inflicted upon him by His beloved Allah as being better than any (worldly) happiness. So if you desire an enriched life and redemption from your sins, along with coming out triumphant here and in the Hereafter then, ‘remember Allah abundantly’; He will make you stride in His shade with all the tenderness of someone who had incessantly been in wait to embrace you in His loving warmth. Come fast.


str ding in allah s shade

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