IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL
Many of us forget that we are in this world for a purpose, and that one day, we will be accountable to Allah for all of our actions. Islam literally means completely submitting to Allah. When we declare our commitment in our shahadah
“Ash hadu allaa ilaaha illa Allah”
We literally made a commitment and a promise that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. This implies that we shall be obedient to Allah at all times and submit to Him in all affairs.
Allah even Reminded us:
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا ادخُلوا فِي السِّلمِ كافَّةً وَلا تَتَّبِعوا خُطُواتِ الشَّيطانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُم عَدُوٌّ مُبينٌ
“O you who believe! Enter perfectly in Islam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily! He is to you a plain enemy.” 2: 208
We must leave behind whatever things which we may have done either out of ignorance or out of our lack of Taqwa (God-consciousness) and be the best Muslim as we can inshaAllah. So, if someone was a practising Christian and embraced Islam he or she should leave behind the old practices of Christianity such as celebrating Christmas or Easter. In the same verse, Allah Warned us not to follow shaytan who only wishes us to follow him to enter hellfire with him.
The main hadith
Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah Almighty but that Allah will replace it with something better.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 22565
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَدَعَ شَيْئًا لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَّا بَدَّلَكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْهُ
22565 مسند أحمد باقي مسند الأنصار
2/734 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في السلسلة الصحيحة
Reference and Authenticity
This Hadith is recorded by Imam Ahmad (rahimahullah) in his Musnad a few times, vol.5 pgs.78, 79 & 363 with a reliable chain, as stated by ‘Allamah Haythami (rahimahullah).
(Majma’uz Zawaid, vol.10 pg.296. Also see Kitabuz Zuhd of Ibnul Mubarak, Hadith: 1168 & Kitabuz Zud of Bayhaqi, Hadith: 875)
Meaning
Some versions of this Hadith have the following words at the beginning:
You will never leave something out of the fear of Allah…
This Hadith refers to when a person abandons sin for the sake of Allah, he/she will be rewarded by Allah Ta’ala with something better. Allah alone Knows whats ‘better’ for each person. It could be the same item being acquired via halal avenues, and it could also be anything else that Allah Ta’ala deemed as ‘better’ for this person.
‘Allamah Sindhi (rahimahullah) writes that ‘what is better’ is sometimes given in this world and sometimes in the Hereafter.
(Hashiyatus Sindhi ‘alal Musnad)
This hadith speaks about three matters:
1- He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said “you will never leave something” It is a general statement of leaving something – acts that Allah has made it impermissible and forbidden.
2- for the sake of Allah means, you, turning away and putting an end to something for Allah first before anyone else. Not for your parents, kids, partners as your main reason. For the sake of Allah means that you are doing it solely for Him, for His pleasure.
What happens when you gain Allah’s pleasure? You get a place that He prepared for you in which there is that which no eye has seen no ear has heard and it has never crossed the mind of man. [bukhari] you will have there whatever your heart desire [Tirmidhi] [an-Nahl 16:31]
3- Ultimately, Allah will give something better in return. Allah has given a promise that, whoever leaves something for Him, He will give something better in return. It is a reward and compensation for His servants, that they give something up for Allah.
Our lord’s Compensation may be from the same kind of the thing that the person leaves but which is better. Or in another kind. Of these kinds of compensations is the heart yearns for Allah. Thus getting close to Allah, attain His pleasure, and gain the comfort of the heart, leading to happiness in this world and the hereafter.
It has been the system of Allah that whenever anyone forsakes anything for the pleasure of Allah, Allah will then replace it with something better.
Wallahi, Allah’s promise is true. And by Allah, nothing that He forbids His servants except that they are harmful to themselves. Alcohol for instance. The sins you commit shall never affect your Lord – He only wants to keep you (away) from (your own) harm. That, is the beauty of Islaam. He loves when you return to Him even if your sins were to reach up to the clouds in the sky and nearly as great as the earth, you were to ask for His forgiveness, He would forgive you and think nothing of it.
He who gives up them sincerely for the sake of Allah will not find it difficult to give them up except at the beginning. This is for him to be tested – is he sincere in giving them up, so if he bears this hardship for a short period patiently, it turns to pleasure. The greater the desire for the forbidden, the greater the soul is desirous to do it, and the more the reasons are there to commit it; then, the greater the reward is when applying self-restraint, getting rid of desires & abandoning it.
How do we then stop the things that we are used to?
1- Mentality. It’s all about the mind. Ward off thoughts whenever it crosses the mind. Avert those thoughts to something else, don’t succumb to your desire for it will lead in doing those acts. Make a firm determination, as days passed, you’ll see it’s been days, weeks, months you’ve left them.
Ward off passing thoughts, for if you do not, they will become ideas.
Ward off ideas, for if you do not, they will become desires.
Fight the desires, for if you do not, they will become resolve and determination.
And if you do not ward them off, they will become actions.
If you do not resist them with its opposite, they will become habits.
And it will be difficult for you to get rid of them. – Ibn al-Qayyim
2- Effort. YOU have to put in the effort and Allah will help you. Self-restraint is key. Bearing patience from committing the forbidden. To endure and restrain something you love for Allah’s love. He will compensate you with something more than you can ask for and imagine.
3- Make du’a regularly, sincerely hoping your du’a will be answered by He who responds His servants calls.
A du’a taught by the messenger of Allah:
يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
اللَّهُمَّ مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوبِ صَرِّفْ قُلُوبَنَا عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ
O Turner of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your Religion.
O Allah, Turner of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience. [Muslim]
It is only called the heart (al-qalb) because it changes so rapidly (yataqallib). May Allah make our hearts steadfast in adhering to the straight path.
May Allah ease us in safeguarding our ‘awrah (parts that is needed to be covered) properly and unrevealing, one that is not tight. Also in our speech from foul speech, lying and backbiting. Our eyes and thoughts. Our bodies from smoking and intoxicatants. And also from bad akhlaq(manners).
By Allah, the pleasures of this worldly life are sweet and tempting, but the sweetness in the hereafter are sweeter and everlasting. Therefore be mindful of Allah, and He will be mindful of you.
This topic inshaAllah is a good way to prepare for Ramadan which is less than 3 months away.
Continue the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) who is well known for his sacrifice. Practice sacrifice in your day to day life, with the following 9 suggestions:
9 things to give up for the sake of Allah
1. Wealth
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise…” (Quran 9:111)
Allah has given us wealth in different forms, such as, money, property, and jewellery. He instructs us to sacrifice those in exchange for paradise. We purify our wealth by giving Zakat, but we can also choose to give Sadaqah. We can choose to give from what we have in order to build wells, fight sickness, and support those fleeing wars. We give up our money for the sake of Allah and in return, Allah offers us Jannah. What a beautiful promise!
2. Arguments
Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I guarantee a house on the outskirts of Paradise for one who leaves arguments even if he is right, and a house in the middle of Paradise for one who abandons lies even when joking, and a house in the highest part of Paradise for one who makes his character excellent.” (Abu Dawud)
It’s always difficult to back down in an argument. It’s very nature makes us want to prove the person in front of us wrong, and Shaytan is egging us on. It’s even more difficult to back down from an argument when we know we are right. The Prophet (PBUH) provides an incentive in this hadith for us to back down from an argument even if we are right: a house on the outskirts of Paradise.
3. Lies
Some people tell big lies. Some people tell what they call “little white lies.” Others lie while joking and don’t consider these to be lies at all. The Prophet (PBUH) used to refrain from telling lies, even while joking, and in order to encourage us to follow this beautiful Sunnah, he tells us that if we refrain from lying even while joking, Allah will reward us with a house in the middle of paradise. What a valuable reward for a small sacrifice! Allah is truly Al-Kareem, The Most Generous.
4.Bad character
The two things listed above, arguing and lying, are both part of bad character along with other bad traits, such as cheating, treating people with contempt, and being unkind to poor people and orphans. Leaving behind these vices and making the intention to purify our hearts and consequently, our actions is an act of worship that is greatly rewarded by Allah.
When we make the intention to purify our character for the sake of Allah, we are essentially choosing the hardship of self-rectification over the comfort of remaining in old unhealthy patterns of behaviour. It is easy to be selfish, it is difficult to be generous. It is easy to cheat someone, is more difficult to make an honest living. That is what makes it a sacrifice. And in return for this sacrifice, we get a house in the highest part of Paradise. Allahu Akbar!
5. Nafs
The nafs is our lower self/ego, which causes bad character. The nafs commands us to evil.
إِنَّ النَّفسَ لَأَمّارَةٌ بِالسّوءِ إِلّا ما رَحِمَ رَبّي ۚ إِنَّ رَبّي غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ
“Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” 12: 53
It wants us to sin. It wants us to argue with others. It wants to win no matter the cost. Ego can easily make us arrogant and selfish, and it can stop us from accepting the truth. If we make the decision to tame our egos for the sake of Allah, He makes the path to self-rectification easy for us. When we take the first step, He comes to welcome us onto the path.
6. Desires
The nafs is also the part of us that wants us to fulfil our desires. Allah commands us to give up fulfilling our desires in a haram way and instead commands us to fulfil them in a halal way. Desires can manifest in a variety of different ways, and many are permissible within Islam, in the right context. So follow the sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and to do that which is permissible in moderation and within the boundaries set by Allah.
7. Relationships
Sometimes people are in relationships that they should not be in. They might be in a premarital or extramarital relationship. Or they might be in a friendship that is detrimental to their akhirah. To give up such relationships for the sake of Allah is a way to earn Allah’s mercy and pleasure.
8. Food and drink
This is a simple one to understand. When we fast (in Ramadan or otherwise), we give up our food, drink, and desires for the sake of Allah. We endure long periods of hunger and thirst simply for His sake. And that is why the reward for fasting is so special that Allah rewards it personally on the Day of Judgement. The Day of Arafah falls during the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, and it is a day that every one of us should take advantage of by fasting, in order to expiate for the past year and the coming year.
When asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah, the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “It expiates the sins of the past year and the coming year.” (Muslim)
9. Something you love
Sometimes we have to give up something or someone we love for the sake of Allah because it is leading us away from Allah. Whether it’s our dream job or a person we love, sometimes the things we love can come between us and Allah. In these cases, difficult choices have to be made. There is good news for the person who takes this difficult step, however:
Abu Qatadah reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Verily, you will never leave anything for the sake of Allah Almighty but that Allah will replace it with something better.” (Aḥmad)
This hadith is full of hope and reassurance. Allah is so Merciful. Not only does Allah give you the equivalent of what you left for His sake, but He gives you BETTER. This principle applies not only to this last point on the list, but to every single one. Whenever you give up something for the sake of Allah, Allah gives you something better. Allahu Akbar!
10. Dunya
We may never truly understand just how much our hearts are attached to the dunya until we decide to give it up for the sake of Allah. We can sacrifice the dunya through the simplest acts; give up some of the time you may spend on social media or watching a movie to read Quran and learn about Islam. How about sacrificing some of your sleep and wake up on the time of Tahajjud to talk to Allah subhana wa ta’ala.
May Allah grant us all the ability to have strong faith like Hajar and Ibrahim (AS) and the strength and willingness to give up whatever comes between us and Allah so that we may gain nearness to Him. Ameen!
