What Has Missed You and What Has Hit You

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

If you are walking to the masjid and a dog jumped on you and you get hurt, you don't curse at the dog. You don't start throwing rocks at every dog you happen to see next time. If your best friend runs off with your wife, or if you lose a child, or if you are stricken with a serious illness, or if your spouse likes to yell at you, or someone is rude to you, you are not bitter.

Know that what has missed you was not going to hit you; and what hit you was not going to miss you. We don't have the bitterness on something that is not within our control. This is destiny. We believe in destiny. Destiny from Allah is good. We take it and bear it with strength. We are patient, grateful and content. Allah doesn't give us burden we cannot handle.

We have the best opinion of Allah. Everything good is from Allah and everything from Allah is good. We don't have a bad opinion of Allah about anything. The greatest blessing is that Allah shows our weakness and susceptibility because the one who is conscious of his/her own weakness and susceptibility he/she is the one who turns to Allah. All of Islam is based on our acknowledging that we are weak and needy of Allah.

On the authority of Abdullah ibn Abbas, Allah be pleased with father and son, 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 guide us and grant us patience, gratitude and tranquility. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam