Winning Allah's Pleasure

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah has given us the recipe to win His pleasure. All we need to do is follow the recipe. The noble Companions of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam are blessed with Allah's pleasure. This is the supreme triumph.

Someone asked Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, 'what do you say about the Companions (Sahabah). He said the Sahabah, 'all of them, are in Jannah -- irrespective of whether sins or mistakes may have been committed by some of them.' The man again asked him, 'on what basis did you say that?' He said, 'Read this verse of the Qur'an (... وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ ... Surah Tauba 9:100) This tells us that the revered Sahabah, all of them, without any condition or restriction or exemption, stand in honor as recipients of Divine pleasure.

Allah Almighty says,

وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّـهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ ﴿١٠٠

As for the first and foremost of the Emigrants (Muhajirin) and the Supporters (Ansar) and those who followed them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Allah, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow where they shall live for ever. That is the supreme success. (100)

[Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:100]

The Muhajirun were those who immigrated from Makkah and other places to Madinah to be with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. The Ansar were those who received the Muhajirin, who were willing to sacrifice everything for them. Allah describes them as those who give preference to someone else over themselves.

Al-Bara reported it from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, that he observed with regard to the Ansar, None but the believer loves them, none but the hypocrite hates them. He who loved them loved Allah and he who hated them hated Allah. I (the narrator) said: Did you hear this hadith from al-Bara'? He said: To me, he narrated it. [Muslim]

Allah testifies that the Companions as a category of people who He is pleased with. Allah gives us a chance to be included with them. How? By following their way. And their way is the way of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. This is the success. Not just success, but supreme success. Part of that is having a good opinion of Allah.

All of us can reach this supreme success, inshaAllah. Don't let this dunya stop us from reaching the highest. Strive everyday to pick yourself up and be better than the day before. We fall down, we make mistakes but that's okay. Allah created us that way and that's why He created tawba (repentance). Get up and do better than yesterday.

May Allah make us love the Companions and give us the tawfiq to follow them. Ameen.

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

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam