Be The First

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Abu Hurayrah, Allah be pleased with him, reported: I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying: A group of my Ummah consisting of seventy thousand persons would enter Paradise; their faces would be as bright as the brightness of the full moon. Abu Hurayrah said: 'Ukhaashah b. Mihsan al-Asadi then stood up wrapping the blanket around him and said: Messenger of Allah, supplicate (before) Allah that He should make me one among them. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: O Allah, make him among them. Then stood up a man from the Ansar and said: Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah that He should make me one among them. The Messenger of Allah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: 'Ukhaashah has preceded you in this matter. (Muslim)

As we cannot be the first like Ukhaasha to ask the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, to supplicate for us, perhaps we can be the first to remember Allah in places where everybody else are doing things of the world and thinking about everything possible and impossible.

When you are driving in a car and people in the other cars are busy listening to the news or music, or day dreaming, or talking on the phone or to someone next to them, or putting make up on or looking at himself in the mirror, or eating, be the first to say Alhamdulillah for the transportation that Allah provided you. Imagine if you have to ride a donkey instead, you probably will not make it very far!

When you are shopping in the mall, while others are busy choosing their carts or putting stuff in their carts, or in the market and other people are busy looking and choosing what they want to buy, be the first to remember Allah and thank Him for the money He gives you to shop.

When you are in the plane, while people are busy looking for their seats and taking care of their hand luggage or asking for pillows or blankets or drinks, be the first to thank Allah for the blessing of airplanes which had made it easy for you to get from one continent to another within hours.

And you can think of many other instances to be the first. May Allah accept.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was once riding on his camel and he asked Abdullah ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with father and son) to sit with him. After they had ridden for some distance, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned around and said You young man. Abdullah replied, Here I am oh Messenger of Allah, can I do something? Then the Prophet began to talk, and he said the following:

“You remember Allah, Allah will remember you. If you will remember Allah, you will find Him before you under all circumstances. You recognize Allah when you are in peace and comfort, Allah will recognize you when you are in trouble. When you have to ask, only ask Allah. When you need help, seek help only from Allah… And understand it very clearly that the help of Allah is with patience, and comfort with hardship, and prosperity with adversity.”

If we remember Allah in our health, He will remember us in our sickness. If we remember Allah in our youth, He will remember us in our old age. If we remember Allah in our good times, He will remember us in our difficult times.

We hope by His Mercy, He will remember us during the biggest trial of the Last Day and enter us and our beloved ones into Paradise without reckoning.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam