2 Powerful Warriors

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Now that Ramadhan is over, the effects of Ramadhan should still linger especially for those who are doing or planning to do the 6 days Shawwal fasting and other sunnah fasting throughout the year.

How different it was in Ramadhan. People were a lot mellow--there were neither shoutings nor fights on the streets or in public transportation. People were more cordial and helpful. There were more bright and smiling faces. How peaceful and how blessed Ramadhan was! SubhanAllah. You wish it stays that way all year.

If we fasted correctly, then we would have benefited from one of the effects of Ramadhan--an increase in patience. One can never have too much patience. Lack of patience can cause lots of problems--to oneself as well as to others. Patience is an acquired trait which many people don't have or many lose it very easily. If you have patience, nothing befalls you disturbs or bothers you. You will go through challenges, difficulties, uneasiness and discomfort in stride.

Patience is waiting--waiting for something to change in your favor. You know everything will change except Allah. So you will be patient because your difficulties, your uneasiness, your discomfort will be relief, ease and comfort sooner or later by the Will of Allah.

Patience is not passively waiting--that is laziness. But to keep going when the going is tough and slow--that is patience. You know all things will pass including the waiting.

Time and patience are two most powerful warriors. In time things will pass. In time all things will change. Only Allah does not change. So, keep going for the sake of Allah and towards Allah. Don't waste time on the sources of distractions--like anger, complaints, arguments and fights. "Truly, Allah is with the patient." (Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:153) إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ

وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ (١) إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسۡرٍ (٢) إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ (٣

"By time, Verily, Man is in loss, except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and join together in the mutual teaching of Truth and of Patience and Constancy." (Qur'an Asr 103)

On the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas, Allah be pleased with them both, who said : One day I was behind the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said to me:

"Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice] : Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried." (narrated by Tirmidhi, who said it is true and fine hadith)

In a version other than that of Tirmidhi it reads:

"..Be mindful of Allah, you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by was not going to befall you; and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship."

May Allah give us and all the Muslims victory. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam