Neediness -- In the Remembrance of Allah Do Hearts Find Rest

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Life brings constant wants and needs. Our hearts ache when we don't get what we want.

Outside the basic needs of food, drink, clothing and shelter, we need to love and to be loved. Sometimes we feel the need to be entertained. Sometimes we feel the need to do something. Even when we want to do “nothing” we’re doing so because we feel the “need” to not want anything.

In truth, we are in constant need of Allah alone. We need Allah to live this life. We need Allah to function in this world and be happy. But most people, ironically, forget this especially when they are feeling happy and self-sufficient. In our times of ease, we tend to forget our constant need of Allah. And that is why many scholars of the past and present have said that the test of ease is a much more difficult test than the test of difficulty.

Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi said,

Know that a man floating on a piece of wood in the sea is not in more need of God and His kindness than a person in his home, sitting between his family and property. When this meaning becomes ingrained in your heart, then rely on God like a drowning man who knows not any other means to salvation but God.

We need Allah as we rise and prepare for each new day. Not everyone wakes up. We need Him as we commute to work, study, shopping, and any social gathering. So many people die on the road every day.

We need Allah to protect our loved ones, granting them health, guidance, and forgiveness, and never letting them wander in the darkness of this world. Many family members of prophets (peace be upon them) died in disbelief. There are so many people, young and old, who are ill and in critical condition.

We need Allah when we are in severe hardship and feel the world suffocating around us. We need Him through problems with our children, our marriages, our relationships, and pain of any kind. We need Him when our loved ones desert us, hurt us, and completely destroy us inside.

We need Allah when we feel forsaken and lose sight of what is real. We need Him when we see injustice and suffering around us but feel helpless to do anything.

We need Him with our struggles, our recovery, and when we are at breaking point. We need Him when we seek love, when we need success. We need Him to guide us when we are lost and find no guide.

We will need Him when our lives are snatched away from us and the life in the grave take its toll.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Remember Allah in times of ease and He will remember you in times of difficulty." [Tirmidhi]

We connect to Allah through our prayers, reciting Qur'an, praise, and constant love. The power of remembering Him lies in our du'a and dhikr.

Allah Almighty says,

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ ﴿٢٨

Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest (are assured).

[Qur'an, Ar-Ra'd 13:28]

May Allah help us remember Him constantly and not leave us alone even for a blinking of an eye. May Allah cure our aching hearts and grant us tranquility. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam