In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
We can be overwhelmed when we look at what's happening around us and around the world. The more you watch the news the more likely you can be depressed. As Muslims, we are more likely to be depressed when we watch the news unless we look at the light that Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala has gifted us with. That light is His beloved Messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
يَـٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ قَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَيَعْفُوا۟ عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّـهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَـٰبٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٥[Qur'an, Al-Mai'dah 5:16]
O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam) explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and pass over (i.e. leaving out without explaining) much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a light (Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam) and a clear Book (this Qur'an). (15) Wherewith Allah guides all those who seek His Good Pleasure to ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness by His Will unto light and guides them to a Straight Way (Islamic Monotheism) (16)
The Qur'an manifests guidance and it clarifies guidance. The light embodies that guidance and he shows us how we can live that guidance. The light in itself is luminous and it illuminates the way for all who seek guidance. He defines Allah's message so perfectly, "I am only sent to perfect noble character (human potential)" because he saw the good in people.
If we look at the life of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam and how he responded to crisis, it gives us clarity on how we should respond to the circumstance we are in. His role was not to be a critic or a religious commentator, but to be someone who is building and nurturing the good and responding in the manner that pleases the Creator and how to make things better.
When we look at any crisis, whether it relates to our own life crisis or others, we need to put things in perspective. That perspective has an aspect that relates to Allah and another aspect that relates to Allah's creation. Look at the crisis with the eye of faith. Nothing that happens is independent of Allah.
Allah created us and everything. He is Al-Hayy Al-Qayyum, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence.
قُلْ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّـهِ ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلْقَوْمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفْقَهُونَ حَدِيثًا ﴿٧٨ ...[Qur'an, An=Nisa' 4:78]
... Say, "All [things] are from Allah." So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement? (78)
وَٱللَّـهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٦[Qur'an, As-Saffat 37:96]
While Allah created you and that which you do?" (96)
قُلِ ٱللَّـهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ ﴿١٦ ...[Qur'an, Ar-R'ad 13:16]
Say, "Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Prevailing." (16)
... ٱللَّـهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:255]
Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth...
The second aspect is that this world is the world of responsibility. Others have responsibility and we have responsibility -- we hold others accountable for what they are responsible for and we hold ourselves accountable for what we are responsible for -- which is to conduct ourselves in the manner acceptable to Allah, pleasing to Allah or beloved to Allah. These are the three levels of a believer. You want to be acceptable to Allah, pleasing to Allah or beloved to Allah. This is what life is all about.
We need to look at things the right way. Nothing happens in existence except by Allah decreeing it and in it destiny is unfolding. Yet human beings are responsible and we hold people responsible for their choices and we demand justice and and right conduct from them. At the same time we demand right response from ourselves.
When we put things in this perspective, we can never despair because hope and fear relates to faith. We do not hope from creation but we hope from the Creator. The Prophetic attitude is one of extreme hope, clarity and confidence because his hope was never in his strength, his abilities and his resources (his people, his alliances, etc) but in Allah. He did not fear anyone except Allah.
Don't feel sorrow. Don't despair. Getting frustrated doesn't make something still begin to move. Groaning and complaining is not the Sunnah, rather it goes against faith because one of the pillars of iman (faith) is that you believe in destiny as it unfolds, and that both good and bad are from Allah.
We have no objection to the way things are as they relate to Allah. It is all a test. Allah is the One who created both life and death as trial. You look at situation and ask yourself "What is my responsibility, individually and collectively?"
Stop watching the news. If you are concern, seek to gather some bricks and start building. Come together with your community to raise awareness and have a clear strategy. If you can't do something on your own, assist those who are doing it.
Instead of being a spectator to life, be in the footsteps of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Grab the light that has come to us from Allah.
May Allah guide the ummah and enable us to make things better for ourselves and others and enable us to always pursue the good for others as grateful servants of Allah. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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