Thursday, September 2, 2010

If you embrace Islam, there is no reason for you to be sad

Miserable are those souls that are ignorant of Islam or that know Islam but have not been guided to it. Today, Muslims need a slogan or advertisement to be broadcast worldwide, for Islam is a great message that must be conveyed to the masses. The words of this slogan need to be clear, concise, and inviting because the happiness of humanity as a whole lies in this true Religion.
{And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him…} (Qur’an 3: 85)

A famous caller to Islam settled in Munich, Germany some years ago. Upon reaching the entrance of this city, he noticed a large placard. Upon it was written, “You don’t know Yokohama Tires.” He later put up a sign beside it and it was just as large. He wrote on it, “You don’t know Islam. If you wish to know about it, call us at this number.” There was an inundation of calls from native Germans. In one year alone, thousands of people accepted Islam at this man’s hands. He also established a mosque, an Islamic center, and a school.
Most human beings are confused and are in dire need of this great religion. They need Islam so that a peaceful and serene life can take the place of the chaotic one that they are presently leading.

{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].}
(Qur’an 5: 16)
A worshipper who was found living in a remote area, and who never had prior contact with other men, said:
“I never thought that anyone in the world worshipped other than Allah.”

{But few of My slaves are grateful.} (Qur’an 34: 13)
{And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s path.} (Qur’an 6: 116)
{And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.} (Qur’an 12: 103)
One scholar informed me that during the time when Sudan was a colony under the British Empire, a desert nomad came to the capital city, Khartoum. When he saw a British policeman walking in the center of the city, he asked a passerby, “Who is that?” He was told that the man was a foreign policeman and that he was a disbeliever. The nomad asked, “A disbeliever in what?” “A disbeliever in Allah,” was the reply. Living in the desert for so long, this man’s inborn nature, unspoiled by evil ideas, had remained intact, and so, when he heard something so absurd, it made him astonished and sick. He said, “And does anyone disbelieve in Allah!” He then grabbed hold of his stomach and vomited from sheer disgust at what he heard.
{What is the matter with them, that they believe not?}
(Qur’an 84: 20)
{Then, by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, it is the truth [i.e. what has been promised to you], just as it is the truth that you can speak.} (Qur’an 51: 23)
One should think well of his Lord and should seek His favor and mercy. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet (bpuh) said that our Lord laughs. After hearing this, a desert Bedouin said, “We are not bereft of a Lord who laughs well.”

{And He it is Who sends down the rain after they have despaired...}
(Qur’an 42: 28)
{Surely, Allah ~ Mercy is [ever] near unto the good-doers.}
(Qur’an 7: 56)
{Yes! Certainly the Help of Allah is near!} (Qur’an 2: 214)
By reading the biographies of successful people, one finds that they have certain things in common, whether it is in their background, their qualities, or the circumstances that surrounded their success. Here are some of the conclusions I arrived at after having read some of their biographies.
1. A person’s value is based on the good he does. This is a saying of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and it means that a person’s knowledge, character, worship, and generosity are the yardsticks by which we measure his worth.

{And verily a believing slave is better than a [free] Mushrik [idolater etc.], even though he pleases you.} (Qur’an 2: 221)
2. One’s status for this life and for the Hereafter depends on his determination, striving, and sacrifice.
{And if they had intended to march out, certainly, they would have made some preparation for it...} (Qur’an 9: 46)
{And strive hard in Allah c Cause as you ought to strive [with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior].
(Qur’an 22: 78)
Every person, by the will of Allah, is the maker of his own history. He writes his life’s story with his good and bad deeds.
{We record that which they send before [them], and their traces [their footsteps and walking on the earth with their legs to the mosques for the five compulsory congregational prayers, Jihad (holy fighting in Allah’s Cause) and all other good and evil they did, and that which they leave behind]...} (Qur’an 36: 12)
4. Life is short and passes quickly. Do not make it shorter by sinning, by worrying, or by quarrelling.

{The Day they see it, [it will be] as if they had not tarried [in this world] except an afternoon or a morning.} (Qur’an 79: 46)

Things that bring about happiness

1. Good deeds.

2. A pious wife.

3. A spacious house.

4. Sustenance that is derived and earned through honest means.

5. Good manners and a spirit of fellowship with people.

6. Being debt-free and not being a profligate spender.

The ingredients of happiness

1. A thankful heart and a tongue that is moist with the remembrance of Allah (GOD).
A poet said:
“Thankfulness, remembrance, and patience,
In them are blessings and rewards.”


2. Another ingredient of happiness is the keeping of secrets, especially one’s own secrets. Among the Arabs there is a famous story of a Bedouin who was entrusted with a secret for a fee of twenty dinars. At first he remained true to the deal and then suddenly, in a fit of impatience, he went and returned the money, he wanted to unburden himself from the load of the secret. This is basically because secrecy requires steadfastness, patience, and willpower.
A weakness of man, which is just one of his many weak traits, is that he constantly feels the urge to reveal the details of his personal affairs to others. This sickness is an old one in the annals of history. The soul loves to spread secrets and disseminate stories. The connection between this topic and that of this book is that whoever spreads his secrets will inevitably feel regret, sadness, and misery.