Here is today's reflection from the Quran:

In Sura Maida, the Quran whilst talking about whom to take as a Wali, says:

Your Wali is only Allah, His Apsotle, and the faithful of those who keep up prayers and give alms while they bow. [Quran 5:55]

As we commemorate the occasion of the martyrdom of Imam Ali (as), let us reflect on this verse to remind us of his position as various scholars from all schools of Islamic thought concur that this verse was revealed in response to an act of Imam Ali [as].

Before we begin reflecting on the verse, let us examine a key word in this verse which is Wali:

The word Walī in Arabic has various meanings in English, a friend, protector, guardian, leader, one whom a follower inclines to, to name a few. 

Although it can mean friend, in the context of this verse, Scholars argue that it means something more than an ordinary friend. Scholars explain that it is not possible that Allah would tell us to befriend only those who have these two specific qualities. Therefore, they explain, that Walī here means a leader, both in a physical and a spiritual sense, for the guidance of believers. It must also be noted that no Prophetic traditions are reported for this verse which would support the use of Wali for friend in this verse. 

The verse begins by talking about how the believers should only take 3 entities as one's primary leaders, protectors or guardians:

1.     God: One's primary protector (Wali) is God, one of whose Names is Wali

2.     His Prophet [saw] and then

3.     Other believers as awliya' who are distinguished by two primary and very specific qualities:

a.     they establish salaat and 

b.     they give charity while they bow [that is, in a state of salaat while in the state of ruku]

The verse refers to an incident in the life of the Holy Prophet (saw), which is widely reported by all major schools of Islamic thought.

A companion named Jundub reports: 'Once I performed the noon prayers in a mosque, behind the Prophet (saw) then, a beggar came in but no one attended to him. The beggar extended his hands towards the heaven and said, 'O God, bear witness! Here, in the mosque of the Prophet of God (saw) I asked (to be given something), but no one attended to me.

The Holy Prophet [saw]'s cousin and son in law, Ali (as), who was in the state of ruku', saying his prayers, gestured with his hand, inviting the beggar to take a ring which was on his little finger. The beggar stepped closer and removed the ring from Ali's (as) finger.

This incident took place in the presence of the Prophet (saw)'.

Whilst reflecting on the occasion of revelation of this verse, it is interesting to note that no one heard the man when he called out to the people but when he complained to, and asked God directly, He answered his call through this action of Imam Ali (as)

In the first instance, let us use this verse to remind ourselves to follow worthy leaders, specially those that have been chosen and ratified by God Himself. 

Secondly, we can also use this verse to encourage the practice of giving charity whenever it is required and scholars use it to remind believers to emulate Ali's example by giving charity as soon as one recognizes that someone is in need.

On a broader level, this verse also teaches us that worshipping Him cannot be separated from serving humanity.

In fact, the message of Islam can be encapsulated thus:

Believe and Do Good.

Worship Him and serve His creation.

Connect to Divinity and recognize and attend to the needs of humanity.

Imam Ali (as)'s charity during the act of ritual worship combined the essence of Islam in one single unified action.

How cool is that?

For the next couple of days, we will inshallah explore the following verse from Sura Ale Imran: 

So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Quran 3:159)

There is so much to discuss and learn from in this verse. Today, let us give a bit of background and discuss the segment: So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them.

This verse refers to the Holy Prophet(saw)’s demeanor with his companions after the disaster on the battlefield of Uhud.  

In the battle, Muslims in the Prophet Muhammad's (saw) army defended themselves against the raiding Quraish army. The Muslims had an initial edge under the leadership of the Holy Prophet (saw). In flagrant disobedience to his command, some companions left their posts in the midst of battle and began to celebrate victory. This disobedience cost the Muslims dearly and they suffered a defeat in the battle. 

By all standards of military command and submission to leadership, the expectation was these rogue companions would be dealt with severely. 

The Holy Prophet [saw], however,  did not reproach them harshly.

Here the Quran testifies to the gentle nature of the Prophet (saw) which endeared him to all, and it is reckoned as one of the Mercies of Allah. One of the Prophet's titles is "A Mercy to all Creation." At no time was this gentleness, this mercy, this long-suffering with human weaknesses, more valuable than after a disaster like that at Uhud. He continued on the wise course of action, continued to do the right thing and continued to treat people with kindness.  

We can learn so much from this part of the verse.

In life we often deal with people [in the family, community, at work and beyond] who challenge our ego by not following advice or guidance, who do things that cost them, and sometimes us, dearly. That bruise our ego and lead us to become defensive and aggressive. It is oh so very tempting in that situation [especially if we have more power, resources and influence than them] to act by reacting with the hurt to our ego. Justifying ourselves and telling them “I told you so” are just a couple of examples of unhelpful behaviour in such a situation. 

However, this never works because it will

1.     not help the situation

2.     not help them learn – it will simply divert their energies to defending themselves from our words 

3.     will definitely alienate them from us

4.     we will be reacting based on their behaviour and not our principles or values [meaning we will not be satisfied with our own behaviour]

This verse reminds us that positions of leadership require that we have the emotional maturity and wisdom not to react or retaliate to other’s actions.

So what can we do?

1.     Remind ourselves of our intention

2.     Remind ourselves of our principles and values

3.     Ask ourselves what would help this situation

4.     Consider options for our action based on the above

And, as the verse reminds us:

5.     Pardon them and 

6.     Ask forgiveness for them

And yes, none of this easy AND it is the only path which allows us to exemplify self leadership and qualifies us to lead others.

Continuing with this verse from Sura Ale Imran: 

So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in [some of] the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Quran 3:159)

After appreciating the Prophet [saw] for being lenient with his companions who disobeyed him, the Holy Prophet [saw] is advised to consult his companions. 

Scholars explain that in this verse, “consult them” refers to strategies of war, since the Prophet by definition would not consult them in matters of revelation or in laws and commands decided by Allah (swt). 

The Holy Prophet (saw) often consulted his family and companions. He would consult on military strategy from those who were in the trenches. He also established the seeking of counsel as a role model and encouraged it to nurture the wisdom and insight of his followers. Commentators believe that this quality helped the Prophet (saw) win over people and made him a successful leader.

Consultation has so many benefits, both for those consulting and those being consulted. 

When we are in the midst of a situation or a problem, it is often challenging to see the big picture or reflect on how our behaviour is playing out in the situation. Our own self-interest and ego often results in tunnel vision, which may lead to actions not in our ultimate best interest.

Seeking counsel and consultation from a spouse, a good friend, a trusted colleague or a trained professional at such a time can be hugely beneficial as it can provide us with a sounding board and help illuminate blind spots and errors in thinking.

Seeking consultation becomes even more important when the stakes of a particular decision are high. It is for this reason that many CEOs, leaders and high ranking professionals turn to consultants to think through their decisions and get feedback. Reality is that the higher your status in life, and the more powerful the position you hold, feedback and accountability is generally not forthcoming unless you intentionally seek it out. 

For those who are in lower down on the ladder of power and privilege, the opportunity of being heard and having their ideas listened to is invaluable in building their self-confidence and buy in to the team or group. (The Holy Prophet (saw) exemplified this when he intentionally sought out consultation from his companions). 

When you consult others, you have the support of others in decision making and can fill out the gaps in your thinking. Imam Ali (as) said: Whoever seeks advice of the intelligent ones becomes enlightened with the lights of [many] intelligences. (LOVE this - can you imagine, becoming enlightened with many intelligences? How cool is that?. 

He also said: It is right that the intelligent one should add to his opinion the opinions of the intelligent ones, and add the knowledge of the wise ones to his knowledge. In other words, consulting others in big and small matters expands our own thinking and brings to light things that we may not have considered. 

The likelihood of mistakes becomes less when more people think about a matter. Varied intellects and experiences are less likely to be wrong than one individual one. Imam Ali (a) has said: The Messenger (s) sent me to Yemen and advised me, ‘the one who consults does not regret’.

Consultation also allows people to feel like a party to success and take ownership for results, building a team spirit. 

And at the same time, if the result of a decision is not as desired, a decision taken after consultation will prevent a group or team for putting the blame on a single person. As Imam Ali (a) says: He who acts solely according to his own opinion gets ruined, and he who consults other people shares in their understanding. (Nahjul Balāgha, Saying No.161)

Given that consultation has so many benefits, what stops us from doing more of this? 

Shame, ego and stubbornness are perhaps the biggest barriers to seeking counsel and consultation. We become very attached to our thoughts and desires and simply do not want anyone to tell us that might be a better way. We may feel very pressured to look as if we “have it all together” and see it as a weakness to ask others for guidance. 

Or we really really want to follow a path and suspect that others whom we trust will give us a different suggestion, we may not want to consult them.

Such thinking itself is a huge sign that we need counsel more than ever!

At times like this, we may want to remind ourselves that consultation and counsel are a spiritual injunction from Him and it is a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (saw). 

Far from showing weakness, it is a sign of courage and maturity to consult with others and seek guidance and help when appropriate.

The most difficult part of seeking consultation is the first step. Once we initiate it, though, we experience a huge sense of relief and support. 

Let us pray that we have the guidance to consult with those who had experience, training or wisdom in dealing with what we may be facing. And that we have the courage to ask for help and support and the wisdom to act upon that advice.

Continuing with this verse from Sura Ale Imran: 

So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in [some of] the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (Quran 3:159)

The final part of the verse advises the Holy Prophet [saw] that once you have decided on a matter, have tawwakul or trust in Allah and ends by saying that Allah loves those who rely upon Him. 

Scholars explain that “when you are resolved” or “when you have decided” means that once the step of consultation or decision on his own has been taken, then he should then make his attitude one of trust in God, not in human deliberations

In the Quran, tawakkul is used for a state when man exclusively places his hope and trust upon Allah (swt). 

Scholars explain that a person who has tawakkul takes action and makes an effort to achieve his goals but does not see the result as being from himself. In other words, while someone with tawakkul focuses on the process, on his actions which are within his circle of control, he knows that the outcome and final result of any action is not in his hands but rather in God’s hands. He also believes that since “in His hand is only and all good”, the final result of his effort will be good, even if he cannot see it at the time or even if it does not appear so in the moment. 

Imam Sadiq (as) said this about tawakkul

There are various degrees of trust in God:

– That you put your trust of God in all your affairs. 

– That you are well-pleased with whatever God does to you. 

– Knowing for certain that He does not cease in His goodness and grace towards you. 

– And that the command rests entirely with Him.  (Al-Kāfī, v. 2, p. 391, H 3).

In other words, reliance on Him means to do the very best of our ability, to trust the process, to focus on what is in our control. And then to leave the outcome to Him, recognizing that once you have done your best, it is no longer in your hands. And to have faith that whatever that outcome is, it is best as “He does not cease in His goodness and grace towards you”. 

Tawakkul, then, is what comes after you have done what you can to help yourself, with the resources that He have given you. It is NOT a passive waiting for Divine Help. 

For example, the Holy Prophet (saw) was once asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Should I tie my camel and then place trust in Allah, or should I set it free and then put trust in Allah?” The Messenger of Allah replied: Tie it and then place your trust in Allah. (Mīzān al-Hikmah, 10:684).

Tawakkul also means to keep doing the right thing, even when things appear to be going wrong. To keep doing the hard thing, even when alternate paths seem easier if they will lead us away from His pleasure. 

To have tawakkul is to have faith that if we have acted with truth, sincerity, wisdom and according to what is pleasing to Him, the outcome will always be good for us, even if it does not immediately appear to be so. 

The opposite of tawakkul is to succumb to wrongful action when doing the right thing seems too hard in the moment or when we begin to doubt that doing the right thing will lead us to a good outcome. Or when we do not believe that our actions will amount to anything.

Let us remind ourselves at such moments that part of tawakkul in Him is to use what we have at our disposal to make our lives and situations better. 

And once we have done that, to release our attachment to the outcome [very challenging, this, for some of us!]

The verse ends with a reminder that He LOVES those that trust him. Given that Allah (swt) the Most Merciful has the ultimate good for human beings in mind, it makes sense that once we have done our job, He would love those that trust Him to do His job!

Today’s reflection is verse 9 from Chapter 62, Sura Juma, when Allah [swt] addresses the believers and says:

O you who believe! when the call is made for prayer on Friday, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off trading; that is better for you, if you know. [62:9]

4 important points are made in this verse:

1.    When the call for the Friday congregational prayers is made, rush to attend to it 

In other words, answer the call and join the congregation as soon as possible.

2.    Leave trading and other worldly distractions at this time

Trading and business are particularly mentioned as the time for Juma prayers in right in the middle of the work day and these are also the main distractions for those in the marketplace. Of course, it applies to other distractions as well which stop us from joining the congregation on time

3.    This is better for you

4.    If only you knew

Allah is reminding us that human beings are short sighted and are often unaware of the bigger picture or what lies beyond our immediate experience. Here the Creator is telling us that turning to Him in congregation has more benefit to us that what we immediately perceive in the profit of worldly business. The gain that we will get on a transcendent level [immediately and long term] is far greater than the monetary and material benefit of what is occupying our attention for the moment.

Due to the evolution of our knowledge about mindfulness, pausing and redirecting our attention to something bigger than us, and doing so as a collective, we can now see through scientific studies how this is true. 

Scholars tell us that the day of Friday was named al-Jum‘uah when a group of Muslims in Madīna, before the Prophet [saw] migrated there, decided to assign a day of the week to get together and remember Allah (swt) and thank Him.

The first congregational prayers were held at Masjid Quba, outside of Madina by the Holy Prophet [saw] when he migrated from Macca.  

It is interesting that unlike the Christian or Jewish Sabbath, Friday is primarily the Day of Assembly, the weekly meeting of the Congregation, when we show our unity by sharing in common public worship, preceded by a Khutba, in which the Imam (or Leader) reviews the week's life of the Community and offers advice on connection to the Creator and on living a moral life. 

The Friday congregation, while its primary purpose is worship, is very important in the social structure of Muslims and the interaction of and wellbeing of the Muslim Umma and fits in the gradations of social contact for Muslims with each other in this way: 

(1) Each individual remembers Allah for himself or herself five or more times every day in the home or place of business, or local mosque, or open air, as the case may be. 

(2) On Friday every week there is a local meeting in the central mosque of each local centre,-it may be a village, or town, or a big city. 

(3) At the two Eids every year, there is a large local area meeting in one centre. 

(4) Once at least in a lifetime, where possible, a Muslim shares in the vast international meeting of the Umma at the pilgrimage of Hajj.

By meeting in these expanding concentric circles, the Muslim expands his contact with other believers, find out what ails the Umma and gets introduced to the diversity within the faith. This is, what has been called a “happy combination of decentralisation and centralisation, of individual liberty and collective meeting, and contact at various stages or grades”. 

While we may be meeting in such small and larger congregations throughout our lives [and more so in the month of Ramadan], we need to remind ourselves that the spirit of such congregations is meant to nurture the spirit of unity, brotherhood, acceptance, mutual consultation, and collective understanding and action. 

When we take part in the congregation on Fridays, let us take with us this reminder: that the path to God is inseparable from our connection with, and concern for the wellbeing of, the Umma.

Today’s reflection is from Chapter 23, Sura Muminum where the Holy Quran says:

"It is they who hasten to every good work and these who are foremost in them." [23:61]

In this verse and a couple of verses preceding it, Allah [swt] points out a few qualities of the believers. One of their qualities that they “hasten to do good deeds”. This desire is borne out of a desire to please Allah [swt] and drives them to take quick action towards worthy causes and goals. 

The word the Quran uses is yusāri‘ūna which signifies “racing” towards good actions. It is interesting that while hurry or haste is not considered a virtue, when the haste is in racing towards goodness and virtuous action, it becomes an act of virtue. 

Why is haste recommended in doing good works? Imam Bāqir (as) explains: “When you think of doing something good, rush to do it immediately for verily you do not know what could happen later [to prevent you from doing it]” (The Scale of Wisdom, H. 4002).

In other words, as we have experienced many a time, despite our good intentions, life will get in the way. Things will come up and other things will vie for our time and attention. What is important but not urgent [in a worldly sense] will be put on the back burner. When we rush towards actions, we are taking action before this happens.

Taking action quickly is also an indication of enthusiasm for performing the good deed. Once again, we have all experienced times when we have an initial burst of enthusiasm for doing good, for giving charity, for helping someone, for volunteering for a good cause. When we hear about distress of other humans, our natural empathy and humanness is activated and wants to act to relieve that distress. AND then, our mind begins to second guess ourselves and we have doubts about our initial intention. The doubts can be about our own ability, credibility of the cause, or any number of things. Imam Jaffar Sadiq [as] explains this as a normal human experience. “When one of you intends to do good or join relations then on his right and on his left are shaytāns, so he should hurry so they do not stop him from it” (al-Kāfī, v. 2, p. 143). In other words, we need to remind ourselves it is just Shaytan or our own minds doing their thing and we need to hurry up and take action. 

The Quran uses the word sābiqūna to denote the ones who are foremost or the leaders in the race towards goodness. 

Once again, it is interesting how the Quran picks a quality of humans which is generally not liked, that of competitiveness and turns it into a positive quality when it is used in the right way. 

So while being competitive in worthy causes is recommended, we do need to be careful of a few things:

i)               The desire to compete towards goodness must be driven with the intention to please God and not to look good.

ii)             The mindset is to hurry to the pleasure of God and amongst His closest and chosen people and not to put others down. In fact, helping others along the way is one of the ways we can be in the group of the Sabiqun! 

So let us think of a time when we have had a intention to do something good (give charity, help someone, reach out to someone going through a tough time, visit a loved one) and thought you would do it later but then never got around to it? 

[By the way, ever heard the phrase: the path to hell is paved with good intentions – that never materialized? OUCH!!]

Procrastination is a major human tendency. Our mind leads us to believe that “next week” things will magically work out and we will have the time to do things which are important but not urgent. Research now confirms that the more you delay something, the less likely it is that you will actually do it.

Piers Steele, who won the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in psychology for his work on motivation says that "As the deadline for any task gets pushed further into the future, Delay increases and our motivation to tackle the tasks decreases."

This means that if you have a goal to do something good in the future, no matter how excited we are in the present, it will be hard to sustain this motivation when the goal is in the future. Plus, life, as they say, will certainly get in the way. In other words, the sooner you take action on something, the higher the levels of motivation and the more likely that you will actually do it.

So how about hastening towards good and taking action on those good intentions? Like . . .now!

Let us end with the wisdom of Imam Ali [as] from Nahjul Balagha: 

May Allah have mercy on you. You should hasten towards (the preparation of) houses which you have been commanded to populate, and towards which you have been called and invited. Seek the completion of Allah’s favors on you by exercising endurance in His obedience and abstention from His disobedience, because tomorrow is close to today. How fast are the hours of the day, how fast are the days in the month, how fast are the months in the years and how fast the years in a life (Nahjul Balāgha, Sermon 188).

In Verse 39 of Sura Najm, Allah says: And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for. (Holy Quran 53:39)

For today’s verse, I could not find a better title than the Urdu phrase: Harkat mein barkat, meaning there is blessing in movement/striving. One of the principles of life, taught by experience and by Divinity, is that human beings get what they strive towards.

It is important to note that what the Quran is telling us is that our outcome will be in accordance with our striving. The Arabic word sa’ā which is used literally means to walk fast, to run almost, to walk with effort. It is used to denote hard work and effort as this means moving ahead fast on the path. It is interesting to note that it does not say that man will have nothing but in accordance to his actions, rather in accordance to the efforts behind his actions. What this means is that it the intention and effort behind the action that counts. 

This is quite different to our experience in the material world. Here we are told that winning is everything and that being second best does not count. If we are working towards a goal or project, an admission to a university, a interview for a job, we either get it or not. It does not matter how much effort we put in if someone else beats us to it.

However, in our relationship with God, winning and the outcome does not matter as much as the effort and the intention with which any action is undertaken. Allah [swt] appreciates all the effort that we put in, regardless of how far we get or how close we come to our goal. 

The outcome, of course, is never really in our control in the first place. We can work really hard at something and still not get the outcome we hoped for or worked towards. Or on the other hand, much can be handed to us through no effort on our part, just because we happen to win at the genetic or privilege lottery. 

This verse reminds us that with Allah [swt] things are much more equitable and just. That all our striving towards worthy goals still counts. That even if we do not see the results of our striving, the striving still counts in terms of spiritual progress.

So let us set our intentions straight and put wise effort into things that really matter. Things that will count towards eventual success. Let us make sure that the “ladder of our success is leaning against the right wall” [with a nod to Stephen Covey!]

Today’s reflection is from Sura Balad where Allah [swt] says: Certainly We have created man to be in distress. [90:4]

In this verse, Allah [swt] uses the word kabad for distress. Scholars explain that the word kabad which originally means intensity, also signifies 'a disease in the liver of a person’ and is used for any trouble and misery.

This verse spells out a truth about the human experience during this plane of existence: from the time the human embryo is conceived it will go through difficult stages with pain and toil until the time it is born, and even from then on; during his childhood, the period of his adolescence, and through his mature and senior years, he is and will be faced with many kinds of challenges, stresses and distresses. 

The problem, though is that even though Allah [swt] has explained this to us in the Quran, we human beings expect something different. We LOVE comfort and luxury and are deeply attached to the idea of a life of stability and ease. We feel entitled to such a trouble-free existence, even when we have no proof that it is possible. Even when we may recognize that moments of such comfort and ease move us further away from spirituality and recognizing the purpose for which we are here.

And so, when we are experiencing challenges and distresses, instead of reminding ourselves that this is, quite simply, the nature of this world, we tell ourselves that “something has gone wrong” and that “it is not meant to be this way” and a number of such things which actively resist the acceptance of this truth. 

And then, of course, we look at others. We see the edited versions of their lives which are apparent to us in real life or in the virtual arena. And then we compare our distresses and challenges to the snippets of their apparently-distress-free life, to the abundance of peace and joy that we think they are enjoying, and we think that somehow they have managed to escape this reality. 

I really love how Phil Stutz explains this truth in a hard-hitting way in his great book: Lessons for Living: What Only Adversity Can Teach You.

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Phil starts his book by telling us: "Our culture denies the nature of reality. It holds out a promise that you can live in an ideal world where things come easily, a world in which unpleasant experiences can be avoided, where there is never a lack of immediate gratification. Worse, it suggests that if you do not live in this world, something is wrong with you. This ideal world is a realm of illusion. No matter how promising this world seems, it does not exist."

He continues by saying: "Be honest. Your own life experiences have been far from ideal. But what you have experienced is what is reality, not what you would like to experience. In short, the nature of reality is this:

1.    "Life includes pain and adversity." 

2.    "The future is uncertain."

3.    "Accomplishment of any kind requires discipline."

4.    "You are not special. No matter what you did, you cannot avoid these aspects of life."

5.    "This will never change."

In short: Life is hard. [or as the Quran puts it, we are created to be in distress]

Denying and resisting this simple fact of existence and telling yourself the story that life “shouldn’t” be hard is, arguably, THE greatest obstacle to your enjoyment of life.

When we quit arguing with reality and stop thinking something must be wrong with us because we’re experiencing life’s inevitable challenges, we can change our relationship to all the pain and uncertainty and hard work inherent to a meaningful life. In other words, when we stop resisting the truth that God has spelled out for us, we can fundamentally and permanently change our lives.

Of course this does NOT mean that there is no joy or happiness or even moments of bliss on this earth. It does mean, as Stutz reminds us: “There is love, joy, surprise, transcendence, and creativity as well, but these never occur separately from the above five points." 

In other words, once we accept that life is hard, that we “are created in distress”, we can stop spending all our energy on resisting the reality of our circumstances and carve out a meaningful, and yes even happy, life for ourselves. We can learn to make peace with an imperfect life and focus on making the best of an imperfect life.

Yesterday we reflected on a truth about this life from the Quran: that life is full of challenges.

Today, let us look at a promise of Allah [swt] that gives us confidence that we have what it takes to succeed in these challenges and find our way through these distresses. 

At the end of Chapter 2, Sura Al-Baqara the Quran tells us:

Allah does not task any soul [impose a duty on, place a burden on] beyond its capacity. [2:286] 

This brief selection from a longer verse suggests many important points of reflection:

The word Quran uses for soul is “Nafs”, the struggling part of ourself. The part that struggles to be better and yearns to actualize. 

In order not to burden us beyond our capacity or capability, He knows what that capacity is. So many times when we are facing challenges, they seem insurmountable and we feel completely overwhelmed and inadequate to deal with them. At times like these, it is important to remind ourselves of this verse. Even if we are unsure of our own potential, He is in His infinite knowledge and wisdom knows what our capacity is.

We need to understand of course, that human capacity is not a static thing. That we grow by stretching ourselves. We experience this in all sorts of ways in the daily course of life in any case. When we go the gym, we do not lift Styrofoam weights that we can swing easily. We lift weights beyond what we think we can lift, thereby stretching our perceived capacity. 

And in hindsight after going through a period of stress or challenge, we may look back with surprise and wonder at our own abilities to handle the situation. We realise that even though we may have thought we would DIE in the challenge, we actually didn’t!

Now, without Divine intervention, given that we prefer a life of comfort and ease [even though this is not ultimately good for us, nor why we are created], human beings would very likely pass away “full of potential”.  His expectation from believers, however, is that they will live on the outer edges of their potential and fully realise and actualize it – not die with it. 

And so we are given trials and distresses according to the measure of our ability and resources to actualize this potential. 

When we go through and come out on the other side of such bespoke challenges, we are changed forever. There is no going back to “before”. We may have heard of the term “resilience” as the ability to “bounce back” after a set back. Let us deepen our understanding of our options in dealing with challenges. 

Psychologists explain that people can react in three different ways to challenges and setbacks: we can be fragile and break easily. Or we can be resilient and withstand more stress before breaking down (and then bouncing back a little quicker than most). OR… we can be the OPPOSITE of fragile. Which means, the more challenge we face, the STRONGER we get. This is what Nasem Taleb calls being “Antifragile” in his book of the same name. Taleb gives us a great metaphor to bring the point home. Imagine the wind. It’s a strong wind. It is wind that will extinguish a candle. But it is the same strong wind that will fuel a fire and make it stronger. 

In terms of this verse, Allah knows that we have the potential to be that fire and the challenges of life are meant to fuel this fire to bring it to its full blazing potential. 

Our faith in Allah’s knowledge of our ability [beyond our recognition] can give us unshakeable confidence that we have what it takes.

Let us do a little teaching on confidence. 

Etymologically, the word confidence comes from two little Latin words: con and fidere.

The word literally means "with intense trust." This is Intense trust in what? Not that everything will go perfectly. That is unrealistic of course and not in line with what we have been reflecting on. It is intense trust in Allah’s promise that it doesn’t matter what happens because we know we have the resources and the ability to handle these challenges. How do we know this? Because these challenges have shown up in our lives and because He has promised us that He will not place a burden upon us beyond what we are capable of. 

Does this make sense? How will we think, feel and act differently the next time life throws us a curve ball?

As We Wrap Up The Blessed Month Of Ramadan, We May Be Feeling A Mix Of Emotions: A Tinge Of Sadness At The Ending Of The Month Of Blessings, Mercy And Forgiveness, A Sense Of Relief That We Were Able To Fast And Pray [And That We Can Eat Again!] And Maybe Some Regret That We Did Not Or Could Not Do More During The Blessed Minutes And Hours Of This Sacred Month Of Allah [Swt] When We Were His Guests.

Many of us have been deeply impacted by the news from Palestine and our sense of helplessness to stop the atrocities. Please let us remind ourselves that we have the huge weapon of Dua at our disposal. And though the month of Ramadan may be coming to an end and our eyes may not water quite so much at every Sahoor and Iftar, thinking of our brothers and sisters starving while we are blessed with an abundance of food and drink at our tables, we cannot and must not forget that we have an ongoing duty to do what little we can which includes turning to Him in prayer to ease their plight and to grant them peace and freedom Ameen. 

No matter what level of closeness and spirituality we attained during this month, we may be wondering of how to make it stay with us a little bit longer.

For many of us, this is the only time in the year when we change the focus of our attention from worldly matters and at least cast a glance at matters of the spirit. During the rest of the year, although we may profess love and belief in Allah, we may think of Him or call on Him only in times of distress and rarely find time to turn to Him in extra prayer or gratitude.  During this awesome month, however, we have tasted of the Divine Banquet of Mercy, we have developed some good habits and feel a bit forlorn that we will lose this sense of spirituality again until next year.

As we approach Eid, it is a good idea to reflect on some tiny steps that we can take to maintain the spirit of Ramadan alive so that the spiritual gains that we have achieved are not lost. So that we may start next Ramadan inshallah at a slightly higher plane of spirituality than we did this year. 

Just as gains in health are only maintained if one continues with some good habits after time at a health spa, the spiritual gains achieved during this Spiritual Spa time can be maintained with some simple baby steps.

Here are some actions that we took during this month which helped us nurture our spiritual bond to Him, and some ways that we can continue these practices:

1.    Establishing Salaat

Ramadan is a time when we are most conscious of Salaat and its’ timings, especially the fajr and maghrib prayer.

Regular and timely prayer is the most basic and vital way to maintain our connection to Him. Salaat is designed by the Almighty to be an intentional and consistent detachment from the world and an invitation to turn inwards, to connect to the Source at regular intervals to fuel our spirit. We are invited in the Quran to establish Salaat, not just to pray the occasional Salaat. This means that this act of worship has to be a pillar of our life, a structure of our existence.

Baby steps:

• Make a commitment to start praying at least one Salaat exactly on time, every day.

• “Adorn” the Salaat by adding recommended actions to the basic prayer. Start with something small and do it consistently before adding the next piece.

2.    Reading the Quran

To succeed in any area of life, the first step is knowledge about the rules that govern that area. We do not expect to excel at academics or in the workplace without reading the texts that govern the particular field. Similarly we cannot expect to succeed in this world, get to know the system of cause and effect, to know ourselves or figure out how to achieve ultimate success in the hereafter without looking at the manual gifted to us by the Creator of the system.

Although we may have spent much time in recitation during the month of Ramadan, an ongoing relationship with the Quran necessitates understanding, contemplation and action. Only with understanding and reflection can we use the wisdom in of the Book to improve our life here and beyond.

Baby steps:

• Read and reflect on one ayat of the Quran every day. Once again, it is important to start small so that it is sustainable in the long term. One verse a day means that we will have read and understood 365 verses at this time next year. Small steps add up.

• When reading a verse which calls to action, make a note of how you could respond through action. If you acted on this verse, what would you be doing differently?

• Please join our community of Quran study where we do exactly this. If you are getting this newsletter, you are already a part of it. If you would like someone else to join, please send them this link. 

3.    Giving generously

Many of us plan our yearly giving, Sadaqa, Khums and Zakat, during the month of Ramadan. We actively seek out those that are needy and reach out to them with giving in cash and in kind. We experience the deep sense of gratitude, humility and sense of satisfaction that comes from reaching out and helping fellow human beings. It reminds us of the human connection that we share, of our responsibility to the whole and of the necessity of enabling the flow of wealth rather than the hoarding of it.

Throughout the Quran, the acting of giving Zakat (literally means to purify wealth through giving) comes hand in hand with establishing prayer. Allah swt constantly reminds us that our relationship to Him through prayer is complemented by our relationship to humanity through giving.

Baby steps:

• Be aware of need all around you. When the urge to giving strikes, do not second guess it or talk yourself out of it. Take action to meet the need in whatever way you can.

• Start a small but regular contribution to a cause. By automating it, it ensures that it will happen even if you forget or feel strapped for resources.

4. Dua

One of the most special things about Ramadan are the moments of connection to Him through Dua or supplication. The process of turning to Him and asking from Him enriches us beyond measure and gives us spiritual strength.

Whereas sharia applies to our outward actions and its job is to regulate human action in order to create the basis of social justice, dua is the training the heart to love the Creator, to experience His love and to understand that the more you love Him, and have a personal relationship with Him, the more you understand that the laws of sharia are to help you reach your full potential. The duas that we have been reciting during this month all emphasize the personal quality of Allah’s relationship with us and His all-encompassing love. Dua is therefore a vital practice to cultivate spirituality and nurture our connection to Him.

Baby steps:

• Look through a compilation of dua such as the Sahifa Sajjadiya or the Duas of Imam Ali (as). Pick one that calls to you.

• Pick a longer Dua and spend a few minutes after Salaat reading and reflecting on a few verses of it at a time. Feel free to make notes of your reflections or to mark passages that speak to you at this time. Endeavour to use those passages to communicate with Him at various times of the day.

5.    Maintaining Family Relationships

The month of Ramadan finds many of us trying to reach out to family, by an invitation for iftar or sending food and gifts. As the nights of Qadr approach, we are reminded about making amends with those members of our family whom we have issues with. Through prayer and supplication, our hearts become soft, through closeness to Him, we begin to recognize the big picture and may be more amenable to forgive and overlook the small grievances that we may have been holding.

While reflecting on the Quran, we are reminded to pardon people, to manage our anger, to repel evil with good and to maintain relationships with our blood relations. We begin to recognize, once again, that He is happy with us if are human connections are in order.

Baby steps:

• Regularly reach out to long forgotten family members through a phone call, email or text.

• Consider inviting family to share meals with you, even if the house is a mess and even if your cooking is not perfect! You will reap the rewards in increased love and attachment.

Let us pray to Allah swt to help us to continue the good deeds that we may have started during this month and to continue staying away from that which displeases Him.

Let us wrap up with an extract from Imam Sajjad as 's  Supplication in Bidding Farewell to the Month of Ramadan  (Supplication ­ 45)

O God, with the passing of this month make us pass forth from our offenses, with its departure make us depart from our evil deeds, and appoint us thereby among its most felicitous people, the most plentiful of them in portion, and the fullest of them in share!

O God, when any person observes this month as it should be observed, safeguards its inviolability as it should be safeguarded, attends to its bounds as they should be attended to, fears its misdeeds as they should be feared, or seeks nearness to You with any act of nearness-­seeking  which makes incumbent upon him Your good pleasure and bends toward him Your mercy, give to us the like [of that] from Your wealth and bestow it upon us in multiples through Your bounty, for Your bounty does not diminish,

Your treasuries do not decrease but overflow, the mines of Your beneficence are not exhausted, and Your giving is the bestowal full of delight!

Ameen

Thank you for joining me on this small effort to reflect on His word and do what we can to live the Quran in our modern lives. Much gratitude and appreciation for your warmth and support and kind messages which fuel me and keep me going. 

Please accept a warm Eid Mubarak from myself and my family to you and your loved ones. May our deeds be accepted, may we counted amongst His friends and may we all be gathered together under His Protection and Mercy always. Ameen.

And they who say, “Our Lord! Grant us in our spouses and our offspring the joy [comfort, coolness, delight] of our eyes and make us imams [leaders] for the God-conscious” [25:74]

The last quality mentioned of the Ibad ur Rahman is that they have a fervent prayer consisting of two parts: 

Firstly for Allah [swt] to grant them delight in their closest relationships of marriage and children and secondly to make them leaders amongst the God-conscious people. 

This is such a beautiful supplication that we can all commit to memory!

The word that the Quran uses “Qurrata ayun” is challenging to translate into English. One explanation is that these are “tears of joy” or deep delight in your spouses and progeny. Scholars explain that  “coolness of the eyes” is understood to be of a spiritual nature, not mere worldly enjoyment of children and spouses [which in itself is a beautiful gift]. In other words, seeing your children following your values and the path that you have taught them. What the Ibad ur Rahman are praying for essentially, is that their families will join them in worship and obedience to God. This “coolness of the eyes” will come to fruition and be perfected when they join their families in the Garden in the Hereafter. It also means that the Ibad ur Rahman experience joy in seeing their worship God and perform acts of obedience. 

And this is asked as a “hablana”, from hiba which means a gift that you didn't expect. Ya  Allah, they pray, give us the unexpected and undeserved gift. 

This part of the dua is a reminder that while we can do the process and make the effort to role model, teach and inspire our children and our families towards God, the outcome is not guaranteed and if our efforts bear fruit, this is a gift from Him. 

The second part of the prayer of becoming the “Imams of the God-conscious” also has many layers of meaning: It may mean that the Ibad ur Rahman desire to achieve a level of devotion that will become a standard for others.  Fakrudin Razi for example, cites the words of Nabi Abraham [as] in 26:84, “And make for me faithful renown among later generations”, and notes a desire to be exalted in matters of religion can be a positive thing, since such leadership or renown comes through both true knowledge and righteous action.

Secondly, since parents are Imams or leaders of their flock, their family, a prayer to become Imams or leaders of the righteous implies that their family is counted among the muttaqqin or God-conscious. 

Thirdly, such a prayer shows our desire to leave a legacy that maintains faith and practice in the future generations. This is such an important consideration for us. Many of us see that even if parents practice, children may choose a different path for themselves and that faith and practice may be “watered down” over the generations [they can also be revived and strengthened of course, though it is more common to see it devolve]. The prayer of the Ibad ur Rahman is that this does not happen and that faith and practice are firm in future generations. 

Being leaders in this context also means another thing: when we are praying for such a family, that we make the effort to back up the prayer. That we work to have the kind of relationship with our families that would make the home a safe haven and where “delight of the eyes” can happen. It also means that we inspire faith and practice through relationship and role modelling and back that up with fervent prayer that our efforts bear fruit inshallah.

The verses we have been considering the last few days lay out the qualities of His special servants or the Ibad ur Rahman, some of which are the following:

They are those who:

Are humble in their demeanour [25:63]

Do not engage with the ignorant [25:63]

Worship at night [25:64]

Seek forgiveness continuously [25:65]

Avoid falsehood and vanity [25:72]

Attend to His communication [27:73]

Adopt balance in your spending [25:67]

Pray for family and future generations [25:74]

Verse 76 of Sura Furqan goes on to say:

It is they who shall be rewarded with the lofty abode for having been patient/constant, and they will be met therein with salutations and [greetings of] peace.

People such as this whose knowledge, speech, thought, power, and writing all function for guiding people to the path of the Truth are paragons and examples of the humane society. They are counted as examples for pious persons. They are like guiding lights and lamps in deserts and seas, which call those who are lost to them and save them from falling down and sinking.

In many narrations we read that this verse is about Imam Ali (as) and family of the Prophet (S) and Imams (as). Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“The purpose of this verse is us.” (Nūr uth-Thaqalayn, following the verse)

Without doubt, the beloveds of The Merciful are the most prominent examples of Ibad ur Rahman and of course this does not limit the concept of the verse nor does it negate the idea that that pious believers can be imams and leaders of others in various degrees, starting within their primary sphere of influence, which is the home.

Because these people are so elevated, their recompense is also elevation, in Heaven, where they will be received in a “lofty abode” with greetings, to an eternal life in peace.

While these verses serve as a checklist of what we can aspire to, we can also remind ourselves that the key is constantly and perseverance. While we may exhibit some of these qualities some of the time [during Ramadan for example], the Ibad ur Rahman are embodiments of these virtues on a constant basis and that is what we pray to aspire to inshallah.

Sura Maidah verse two says: O, You who believe . . . help one another in goodness and piety. [5:2]

Cooperating with others in goodness is one of the basic principles for a society build on spiritual and ethical values. When people of faith work together, they motivate and provide encouragement and enthusiasm for each other. The energies of the universe synchronize to further a cause which is thus initiated.

Why? 

1.     The law of synergy: All of us have different and complementary talents. When we cooperate and work together as a team, we create synergy, which is an interaction of multiple elements to produce a result greater than the sum of their individual effects. 

To put it simply, when two people combine different talents to cooperate on a worthy project, their efforts produce the equivalent not of four people but rather the work of twenty two or more. This is simply the scientific law of synergy which is apparent in the world of nature [such as the flight of geese].

Every act of goodness, no matter how small, contributes to creating positive change in the world. Whether it's advocating for social justice, protecting the environment, or uplifting marginalized groups, cooperating with others in pursuing common goals adds up and amplifies and compounds the impact of our efforts.

2.     When believers cooperate in goodness, they also attract the help and blessings of Allah [swt]. The Holy Prophet [saw] has said: People will continue to be blessed so long as they invite each towards good, discourage each other from evil, and cooperate in goodness and piety. (Tahdhībul AHkām, 6:181)

3.     Being part of a group is fulfilling and validating to the human spirit. We are encouraged and inspired when we see people working towards something positive and we are motivated to put in a little bit more effort ourselves. Working towards worthy goals strengthens the bonds within communities. When people come together to support each other, whether it's through volunteering, charity work, or simply offering a helping hand, it builds trust, solidarity and a sense of belonging and a supportive network. By cooperating with each other in acts of goodness, we can inspire a culture of empathy, compassion, and altruism that spreads far beyond our immediate circles. 

How: Sometimes we want to go it alone, either because we find it difficult to work with others, or because we want the limelight of good actions on ourself. Or we may have become habituated to become critical of what others are doing.

At times like this, let us remind ourselves of this verse. Here are just some ways we help each other towards piety and goodness: 

By collaborating on Community Projects: Working together on community projects such as clean-up initiatives, food drives, or educational programs allows us to combine resources and expertise for maximum impact.

Supporting Each Other's Initiatives: By lending support to each other's charitable endeavors, volunteering efforts, or advocacy campaigns, through money, effort or simply sharing with others, we amplify the reach and effectiveness of our actions.

Sharing Skills and Resources: Sharing skills, knowledge, and resources such as professional expertise, providing financial support, or sharing relevant information, collaboration enhances our collective ability to enact positive change.

Building Alliances with Like-minded Groups: Forming alliances with like-minded individuals and organizations allows us to pool our strengths and work towards common goals. By joining forces, we can tackle larger-scale issues and advocate for systemic change.

Promoting a Culture of Cooperation and Solidarity: Encouraging cooperation and solidarity within our communities fosters a culture where individuals are motivated to support each other in acts of goodness. By promoting empathy, understanding, and inclusivity, we create an environment where cooperation thrives, and collective action becomes commonplace

So let us 

1.     Look around and see what good is already happening. Let us ask ourselves how we can help. What skills, talents and resources do we have that might be of use here? And then reach out and ask how we can support these initiatives from those that are on the ground doing the work.

2.     Offer our skills, resources and connections to others who may be struggling to get a project started or funded.

3.     Share our ideas with others and request help and support in starting projects of our own. 

There is something uniquely satisfying in cooperating in good actions and becoming part of a force for goodness.