Question:
What is your advice in this month (Ramadhan) with the abundance of fitan?
Answer:
The advice is to embark upon the worshiping of Allāh and utilizing the blessings, this month is a blessing by Allāh, a blessing to be utilized.
“والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: انظروا إلى من هو أسفل منكم لا تنظروا إلى من فوقكم لا تزدروا نعمة الله عليكم”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Look at those below you and don’t look at those above you and so belittle the blessing of Allāh upon you.”
So the blessings if they are met with lack of consideration to them, it is considered belittlement, whether it be this month or the blessing of being free from afflictions, or the blessing of Islām, or the blessing of seeking knowledge or any blessing. It’s not allowed to belittle them, they’re to be met with Shukr (gratitude) of Allāh and du’ā to him to preserve them, and to acknowledge them.
So the one who becomes tight chested from acknowledging the blessings which are upon him, his chest becomes tight, he sees the people have and the people did and so on, so his chest becomes tight and he becomes stressed.
If you want things to go according to what you intend then this is the cause of your ruin, and a cause of your destruction, but rather things go according to what Allāh intends. You ask Allāh for His bounties and His success and His guidance.
Allāh said;
“قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُۥ لِلَّه”
Say you: “Indeed the affair belongs wholly to Allah.”
And He said:
(إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَٰذِهِ ٱلْبَلْدَةِ ٱلَّذِى حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُۥ كُلُّ شَىْءٍۖ)
“I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city (Makkah), Him Who has sanctified it and His is everything.” [Nahl, 91]
And you want things all to go according to what you intend? Otherwise the affairs of the people go according to the intent of Allāh, you take the means in your affairs. Allāh said:
(وَلِلَّهِ غَيْبُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ ٱلْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُۥ فَٱعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُون)َ
“And to Allāh belongs the Ghaib (unseen) of the heavens and the earth, and to Him return all affairs (for decision). So worship Him and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unaware of what you (people) do.” [Hud, 123]
And we mean: That the blessings are met with acknowledging them like this affair, you know that you’re in a blessing; Don’t waste it, not with idle-talk or staying up late at night, busy your time with the obedience of Allah, and fill the likes of this season with the obedience of Allah, you will profit in it a great profit.
And the one deprived is the one whom this month ends and he is not forgiven, deprived and far, two narrations (رغم أنفه وبعد) both of them, and the meaning ‘not forgiven’ i.e. that he didn’t give importance to obedience of Allah, the month went and he is neglectful, uncaring, so we ask Allah to aid us upon His obedience and His dhikr and His gratitude, and we seek refuge in Allah from the means of being forsaken, say like this in one’s lifetime and in all situations.
O brothers success is from Allah, success in all things from the affairs of the people, if Allah doesn’t grant him success then he is exposed to harms and dangers of destruction.
And verily managing time, self-management with dhikr of Allah and the sittings of dhikr are life!, life!, life! which distances you from having a hard heart, life! which distances you from heedlessness, with the power of Allah, life which distances you from stress which has destroyed the people, and falling into the plots of Shaytan and his promptings, for their hearts and minds are filled with what there is no major benefit for them, and your time is filled with dhikr of Allah, from fasting and standing in prayer and recitation, and paying attention to revision every day, like this you will finish the Mushaf more than once.
It’s not befitting for anyone that Ramadhān finishes and he hasn’t complete the Qurān more than once, at least like this he looks in it, so utilizing and investing for this time.
This by Allah is the express profit and in the long run for the likes of this month, and the best one can spend his time is in fasting and standing in prayer and recitation of Quran and maintenance upon Adkhar, giving charity with what is large or small, what Allah makes easy for the likes of this, ‘I’tikāf was not legislated except for the likes of these intents, fasting and standing in prayer and recitation of Quran and giving importance to dhikr.
The Salaf may Allah be pleased with them used to dedicate in this month, in these affairs, fasting and standing in prayer and recitation of Quran and giving importance to dhikr of Allah.
Staying away from fitan, and continuous indulging in it, you will reach a point with it until you die and Allah knows best what your fate will be! Yes the Dunyā has fitan, but you should flee from it, hide from it, so whoever finds a refuge or sanctuary then let him seek refuge in it, don’t be seeking every fitnah, for it’s likely to seek you i.e. destroy you, no doubt fitan are many, but know that you are embarking upon seeking knowledge and researching and on the Quran and on worship, and that you’re in a state of seclusion according to the level of your dedication to this good, in seclusion from evil, legislated great praiseworthy seclusion, you don’t enter evil upon yourself or stress or fitan from WhatsApp or the likes, before you know it you become tight chested and you’ve entered worry upon yourself and problems and whisperings in your mind and you’ve become busied even from reciting Quran.
In some cases it’s as if Allah is testing the slave, will he embark upon the obedience of Allah? Or will he be diverted? So if he is patient upon these tests and embarks upon the dhikr of Allah, Allah repels those tests from him, and removes from him that stress and worry, and if he reacts and turns it into showing strength in affairs and what is the likes of that and shouts at this one wanting the affairs to be as he pleases, he will not increase except in stress, and will be diverted, and his chest will become tight and he will not be able to revise the Quran.
Answered by: Shaykh, the Allamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu Abdirrahman Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri – may Allah preserve him
Source: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/8655
Translated by: Abu ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi