The Bounties of Allah

All praise is due to Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Generous, the Beneficent, the Merciful. He endows His favours upon whomever He wills of His Servants, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty. I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah, having no associates. I also bear witness that our Master and Prophet Muhammad is the Servant of Allah and His Messenger. He has given him wisdom and graced him with the gift of Jawamia Al Kalim (words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning) and taught him that which he did not [previously] know. Indeed, Allah's favour upon him was ever great. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad, his family and all of his companions and those who follow them till the Day of Judgment.

As to what follows,

I urge you, O servants of Allah, and myself to be aware that you are asked to obey Him the Most Exalted, in line with His orders: "O you who have believed, if you fear Allah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allah is the possessor of great bounty." (Al-Anfal: 29).

O Muslims,

There is no doubt Allah, the Most Exalted, is the Possessor great bounty and Bestower of countless favours. He is vast in His generosity and encompasses all the people with His kindness. In His Book, the Almighty reminds His servants of this fact for He says, "and Allah is full of bounty to the people." (Al-Baqara: 243). He also emphasises that His bounties engulf His servants in the entire world as He says, "but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds." (Al-Baqara: 251). Allah further assured the true believers of attaining His great bounties, so He has commanded His Messenger Muhammad pbuh to give them glad tidings of such attainment. The Most Exalted says, "and give good tidings to the believers that they will have from Allah great bounty." (Al-Ahzab: 47).

In return, the believers show gratitude to Allah the Almighty for His favours, thank Him for His giving, and do all that which He has ordered them to do, seeking to draw closer to Him and attain His satisfaction. The Most Exalted says, "and they pursued the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is the possessor of great bounty." (Al Imran: 174). In response, Allah the Most Generous bestows his favours and show mercy upon them in abundance, imparting thereby delight and pleasure to their hearts. The Almighty says, "say, 'In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy' - in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate." (Yunus: 58).

Having known this, let us, now, advise each other on the aspects of the bounty of Allah the Almighty. Allah's bounty means His generosity and kindness that He grants to whomever He wills. The Most Exalted says, "and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (Yunus: 107).

Amongst the favours of Allah the Almighty is that He rewards His servants in multiples for their good deeds. The Messenger of Allah pbuh said, "Every good deed of the son of Adam will be multiplied manifold. A good deed will be multiplied ten times up to as many as seven hundred times." In addition to that, Allah the Most Merciful increases the doers of good in favour. He says, "and as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, He will give them in full their rewards and grant them extra from His bounty." (An-Nisaa: 173).  

This brings us to a question on how do we attain the bounty of Allah the Almighty? The answer to this question is that the means of winning the satisfaction of Allah are many. One of such means is by obeying Allah the Almighty and following the guidance His Messenger pbuh. These are of the reasons of attaining the great bounty of Allah the Almighty and being admitted to His Paradise in company of the Prophets and the righteous as Allah has promised in His holy Book. The Most Gracious says, "and whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. That is the bounty from Allah, and sufficient is Allah as Knower."  (An-Nisaa: 69-70).

One other way of attaining the bounty of Allah the Almighty is by holding firm to His noble Book. Allah, the Exalted is He, accentuates this for He says, "O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light. So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path." (An-Nisaa: 174-175). That is to say: believe in Allah the Almighty, hold fast to the holy Quran and follow the example of the Prophet pbuh. 

Furthermore, seeking Allah's forgiveness and turning to Him in repentance are amongst the other causes of being granted the favours of Allah, the Most High. On this account, the Almighty says, "and [saying], 'Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favour his favour'." (Hood: 3).  

O Worshipers,

The bounties of Allah the Almighty can also be attained by drawing nearer to our Lord through performing acts of righteousness. The Exalted is He says, "and those who have believed and done righteous deeds will be in lush regions of the gardens [in Paradise] having whatever they will in the presence of their Lord. That is what is the great bounty." (Ash-Shura: 22). In this sense, amongst the good deeds that one can perform is observing prayer at its prescribed time, paying Zakat and remembering Allah often. The Exalted and Sublime says, "[are] men whom neither commerce nor sale distracts from the remembrance of Allah and performance of prayer and giving of Zakat. They fear a Day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about. That Allah may reward them [according to] the best of what they did and increase them from His bounty. And Allah gives provision to whom He wills without account." (An-Noor: 37-38).

Reciting the holy Quran is another great act of obedience for which the Muslim gets rewarded in abundance. Allah, the Most Generous, has promised those who recite His holy Book to bestow upon them His favour. The Almighty says, "indeed, those who recite the Book of Allah and establish prayer and spend [in His cause] out of what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, [can] expect a profit that will never perish. That He may give them in full their rewards and increase for them of His bounty. Indeed, He is Forgiving and Appreciative." (Fatir: 29-30).

One other good deed that is conducive to draw the believer closer to their Lord and attain increased bounties is spending in charity for the sake of Allah the Almighty, for He says, "O you who have believed, spend from the good things which you have earned and from that which We have produced for you from the earth." (Al-Baqara: 267). Allah, the Most Beneficent, has ordered the believers to spend and promised them of His forgiveness and increased favours in return. The Almighty says, "while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." (Al-Baqara: 268).

More to the point, the believers can also achieve the satisfaction of Allah the Almighty and His bounty by working hard to earn living in lawful manner. Allah the Almighty says, "and when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah." (Al-Jumaa: 10).

With this in mind, let us pray to Allah the Most Generous to continue blessing us with His favour and admit us to His Paradise.

May Allah guide us all to obey Him and obey His trustworthy Messenger Muhammad and obey those He has commanded us to obey in line with His orders: "O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." (An-Nisaa: 59).

May Allah direct us all to the blessings of the Glorious Quran and the Sunna of His Messenger pbuh.

I say this and ask Allah for forgiveness for me and you, so invoke Him for forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful

Reference/Source:  https://www.awqaf.gov.ae/en/

Reason why du'a are not answered

Allah is the best of protectors

All praises are due to Allah, the All-Protecting, All-Knowing. Who protects all of His creation and is indeed the Best of Protectors. And I bear witness, with every facet of my being, that there is nothing worthy of absolute love and adoration, except Allah, the Uniquely One, having no competing second in that One-ness. And I bear witness that our Leader and Master, our Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), is the perfect example of servanthood unto Allah, and His sent Messenger unto the entire universe.

To Continue: I advise you, dutiful servants of Allah, and myself, to adhere to a heartfelt consciousness (Taqwa) of Allah. For He, the Most Gloriously Transcendent, states: وَاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allah . Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly. [Qur'an:2:281]

O Muslims:

Allah states in His blessed Book: وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their protection tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.  [Qur'an: 2:255]

So Allah is the Protector of all. Elsewhere He states:

وَرَبُّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ

And your Lord, over all things, is Protector.

[Qur'an: 34:21]

Thus Allah protects all of His creation through His Qudrah (Omnipotent Power) and guides them with His Hikmah (Widsom). The protecting of something implies its being guarded, maintained and preserved. So Allah is the best of Protectors, this is what Jacob (peace be upon him) established in the hearts of his sons, so he said to them:

فَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

And Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful." [Qur'an: 12:64]

The name "Hafidh" is a Name of Allah, from His most beautiful Names. So nothing is absent from His preservation. He protects the Heavens and the Earth, as He says: إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَنْ تَزُولَا

Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease ." [Qur'an: 35:41]

In other words He preserves them from being damaged or shifted from the orbits they occupy. This 'protection' does not tire Him, and His guiding them does not lead to fatigue. All of this is easy for Him, effortlessly facilitated for Him (since He is the creator of everything). Hence the believer is someone who is certain that Allah is fully capable of preserving the Heavens and the Earth, for Allah protects His creation in their selves, in their provision and in their deeds. As Allah says: أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قَائِمٌ عَلَى كُلِّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ

Then is He who is a maintainer of every soul, [knowing] what it has earned, [like any other]?

[Qur'an: 13:33]

So slaves of Allah, this is Allah, this is His  manifesting Himself as the Protector. He has deputized His noble Angels as Protectors too, as He says:

وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً

And He sends over you guardian-angels  [Qur'an:6:61]

The great companion Abdullah ibn Abbas in his interpretation of this verse states: "These are the angels, protecting human beings through the command of Allah". Testifying to the truth of the statement of Allah:

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ

For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah. [Qur'an:13:11]

O You Who Pray:

Indeed the Muslim is the one who avails of the Protection of Allah and His guidance. He does this through his sincere faith and by his piety, his worship, his devotion, and through other acts of virtue. Through all of this Allah protects him and his children, his family, and his wealth. As one of the Scholars said: "Indeed Allah's special protection is for the believer, protecting his children and grandchildren, protecting all of his family, such that they remain in His protection and welfare (as long as they remain in this world)." One of the Tabi'in (the generation after the Sahaba) once said to his son: "I will increase and beautify my prayer for your sake, in the hope that [through it] He [i.e. Allah] will protect you". He then recited this verse: وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا

And their father had been righteous. [Qur'an:18:82]

This noble verse speaks about the protection of Allah for two young orphan boys, protecting and preserving their wealth, as a direct result of the righteousness of their father. In this verse is evidence that a righteous believer is protected in his children as a result of his righteousness. In other words, the Baraka and grace of the parents' sincere worship will envelop and encompass their children too. This is usually manifest in a moral upbringing of children on upright character, with their having honorable values. In this regard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَائِلٌ كُلَّ رَاعٍ عَمَّا اسْتَرْعَاهُ، أَحَفَظَ أَمْ ضَيَّعَ

Indeed Allah will question every shepherd with regards to their flock [and parents are shepherds of their children]. They will be asked: "Did they protect them or did they fail them ?" [Ibn Hibban]

And if you wish that Allah preserve you in your selves and your property, and your family and possessions, then hand them all over to Allah, because He never betrays a trust. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا اسْتُوْدِعَ شَيْئًا حَفِظَهُ

Indeed Allah, whenever entrusted with something shall protect it. [Musnad Ahmad]

Allah protects anyone who protects their limbs from the haram, and utilizes them in that which  is pleasing to Him. This was from the parting advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he spoke to Ibn Abbas by saying: يَا غُلَامُ إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ، احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ

O young boy! I will instruct you in some matters. Be protective of Allah (i.e. the Commandments of Allah), and He will protect you. Safeguard His Rights, He will be ever with you. [Tirmidhi]

The way a person protects himself for his Lord, is by guarding his eyes and ears, controlling his tongue and his heart. Whosoever is able to do this will find that Allah ennobles him with His protection and that He encompasses him with His guidance.

Slaves of Allah:  Indeed the speech of the Merciful (Rahman), is the best by which Allah preserves a man (Insan). Singled out from such Divine speech, is the Ayat-ul-Kursi (The verses of the Throne). For it is the greatest of verses in the Qur'an in this regard. Whoever recites it in the evening shall find it continually protects him, and that the Shaytan does not draw near to him until dawn comes. Similarly whoever reads the last two verses from Surah al-Baqarah every night, shall find that Allah protects him thereby from every evil, protecting him from the evil of both jinn and men. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said:

الْآيَتَانِ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ مَنْ قَرَأَهُمَا فِي لَيْلَةٍ كَفَتَاهُ

Whoever recites the last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqarah at night, that will be sufficient for him [as protection]. [Bukhari and Muslim]

So we advise you to persevere in the recitation of these verses and the recitation of the Mu'awidhatayn (Surah al-Falaq and Surah al-Nas). Teach them to your children. Increase and immerse yourself in the dhikr (remembrance) of your Lord. For know that whenever you remember Him truly, you will be protected thereby from the Shaytan, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

الْعَبْدُ لَا يُحْرِزُ نَفْسَهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ إِلَّا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ

The servant [of Allah] does not protect himself from Shaytan except by the remembrance of Allah. [Tirmidhi]

From such remembrance are the words that a Muslim should utter whenever he leaves his house for his daily affairs:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

 'In the Name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, there is no might or power except by Allah' 

Whoever says this will find it said to him:

كُفِيتَ وَوُقِيتَ. وَيَتَنَحَّى عَنْهُ الشَّيْطَانُ

'You have been sufficed and protected', and Shaytan will be made distant from him. [Tirmidhi]

In this regard we should pay particular attention to the supplication of the best of creation (peace and blessings be upon him), through which they can avail the protection of Allah. For Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) continued to recite in the morning and evenings the words:

اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيَّ، وَمِنْ خَلْفِي، وَعَنْ يَمِينِي، وَعَنْ شِمَالِي، وَمِنْ فَوْقِي

O Allah, give me protection in front of me and behind me, on my right and my left and above me. [Bukhari: Adab al-Mufrad]

O Allah, protect us through Your gaze that does not sleep, protect us through Your protection and guide us through Your guidance. And assist us all in the way of piety and obedience. Piety towards Your trustworthy Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the ability to be dutiful towards those You have commanded us to be dutiful towards, in accordance with Your words: O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. [Qur'an: 4:59]

May Allah bless me and bless you with the Noble Qur'an and with the Way (Sunnah) of His Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I say this, and I seek forgiveness for me and for you, so seek His forgiveness, for He is the All-Forgiving and the All-Merciful.

Reference: https://www.awqaf.gov.ae

When Will the Help of Allah Come?

Trials. At times they are overwhelming. As soon as we get through one, another one seems to simply be waiting for us. Time and time again they pull us backward, and sometimes they slam us flat on our faces not even allowing time for our hands to flail as we fall. They seem never ending, and sometimes it’s just hard to even comprehend why we are going through such things. At the end of the day, we are left in a daze, asking the only question that seems fit: ‘When will this all be over?’ And then we sit, waiting for the answer, hoping that it will come soon.

In the Book of Guidance, which is unlike any other book, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) speaks to us about such trying times. He knows what is in our souls and He knows the tests and trials that we go through. He knows how we feel in these trying times and He knows exactly what we are thinking, what we are asking.

Allah (swt) says:

“Do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you?” (Qur’an 2:214). 

Believe it or not, this is not something new. Throughout history, our ancestors have faced trials and have had to fight through tests. They had goals and visions and wanted to see them through, just as we do. They had family problems and life problems. They failed and they had to figure out how to pick themselves back up after falling. And even though at times we feel that maybe they were stronger than us, perhaps they just knew how to handle things better and they weren’t so affected by the rollercoaster of life; the truth is, it affected them too. Allah (swt) tells us that it did:

They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When will the help of Allah [come] ?” (Qur’an 2:214)

They were shaken to their core. They wanted the help, or victory, of Allah to come. They were so tired of going through the tests they were facing. They knew they were weak and that their pain and hurt would not be alleviated until Allah (swt) helped them out of their predicament. And so just like us, they asked, “When will the help of Allah come?”

They wanted to know when all this pain and hardship would be over. And Allah (swt) answered them beautifully. Not only did He answer them, but He also answered you and me. He directed his statement to all of us, letting us know that we too have hope:

“Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” (Qur’an 2:214). 

Don’t give up. Hold on tight, and realize that the help of Allah (swt) is nearer than you realize. Turn to Him, ask of Him and He will answer.

Reference: Reehab (Ramadan) Aref https://www.virtualmosque.com/

Allah will make a way out

“...And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide for him from sources he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.” (Surah At-Talaq 65:2-3)

This is one of my favorite ayahs of the Quran. Allah can make a way out for you from every difficulty. And He can provide from sources you never could have imagined.

Allah is Al-Qadir, the Able. He is Al-Muqtadir, the All-Powerful. He can do what we cannot imagine. He is Al-Fattah, the Opener. He can open doors we could never imagine being opened for us. He is Al-Wahhab, the Giver of Gifts. He can give us things we could not even have imagined.

Do not limit Allah’s Power by your imagination. Ask Him with your hands open towards the sky. Ask Him for the big and the small, the possible and the impossible. When you see no way out from the difficulties you are in, fear Him, keep your duty to Him and ask Him to make a way out for you. And you will see doors opening and provisions coming that perhaps you could never have imagined yourself. Have trust in Him. He will make a way out for you, He will get you out of your troubles and He will grant you things you never knew you could ask for.

Musa’s (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام) mother did as she was commanded and Allah not only reunited her with her baby, but the circumstances were turned in her favor in a way that instead of living in fear for the life of her baby, she was paid to take care of her own son. It couldn’t have gotten any better than this. Allah gave her more than He promised her. She was reunited with her son and she had both physical and financial security.

Reference: "As the heart heals" (https://astheheartheals.com)