Which of You Is Best in Deeds?

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Three things, if you have them, by Allah's grace, will open up everything for you, inshaAllah.

Serve Allah and His creations for His sake only (seeking His pleasure with gratitude and humility)
Patient and persevere in the face of difficulties, problems or hardship
Content with everything--what you have or don't have, what comes your way--little or much, good or bad

The Arabic name for Egypt is Misr. It's Arabic letters are م ص ر. Each letter is said to have the beginning of an Arabic word that can be understood to have the above-mentioned words/meanings.

If you have lived or seen Egypt, you can understand how particularly important this is. Egypt is not like many countries I have been. Some people called this place a factory of knowledge. Indeed, there is a lot of truth to this. But people who come to Egypt or live in Egypt for something else other than to know Allah miss the abundant knowledge that Allah is putting before them in each and every moment.

If you want good, you can find abundant good in Egypt, more than anywhere else I have been, and you feel the compassion and mercy of Allah everywhere. You are thankful for any good and you overlook the bad.

"With Him are the keys of the Unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth, and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is written in a Clear Record." Qur'an An'Am 6:59

Bottom line, wherever you go, wherever you are, whatever you encounter in your daily lives, you should constantly feel the compassion and mercy of Allah. He is Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim. You yourselves invoke these Names many times a day--e.g. before you eat, before you take your wudu', before reciting any surah of the Qur'an, and before many of your mundane actions. You should be the same to His creations, especially to the people around you and especially to your parents, your children and your spouse.

The Creation we see around us is not idle sport or play, or whim on the part of Allah. It is the medium through which we develop our spiritual life. This life is our testing time.

"And He it is Who has created the heavens and the earth in six days and His Throne was on the water, that He might try you, which of you is the best in deeds..." Qur'an Hud 11:7

Yesterday, my son and I had to travel to downtown Cairo (my son lost count on how many times we had to do this) in order to try to resolve my son's college admission matters. We wound up having to walk from one place to another or stand most of the 8 hours we were out. We have gone through this similar experience many times before for the past almost 3 months for the same reason. So, I decided not to fast yesterday (Thursday) because I haven't been well and didn't want to worsen my condition with dehydration. At one of the many stops to ask for directions, I saw a fresh juice stand, so I asked my son if he would like a glass of fresh sugar cane juice, his favorite. And of course his answer was "yes." It was a hot day and he was sweating! As I was ordering, I saw from the corner of my eyes, a middle aged woman in all black dress and hijab, who was sitting on the sidewalk next to the store and reciting Qur'an. She looked poor and weak. I ordered another glass of sugar cane juice and offered it to her. But she politely refused and said she was fasting. MashaAllah. I looked at her again. I could see the light in her face. SubhanAllah. I then asked my son to give her some money and he did. May Allah have mercy on the lady.

My son was quiet all throughout the rest of our journey and made my job so much easier.

May Allah shower us with His Light and have mercy on us and all the Muslims. Ameen. Please keep us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam