Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

We all have two dimensions:

🎈One that we show to others
🎈One that is only known to us

We assume that if the dimension which we show to others, the outward self, has everything then we will be happy. But in reality what is happiness? How do people define their happiness? It depends on whose definition you are following. The media and social media and advertising industry would define happiness by showing you pictures of things you should buy – they try to sell you happiness.

But people who are happy, do they really have everything? Many people are affluent but they are unhappy. While many are deprived but they will tell you they are happy. The inner and outer dimension can be very opposite at times. Some girls just want to get married, because they think then everything will be alright. This is a big problem in our society – no one tells these girls what happens after marriage.

In the West they do research on everything. I once read an article on 7 habits of happy people. I thought that this is a part of our deen. What do we do when we want peace, contentment in our lives? We ask for something to recite. But we forget that in the life of Nabi sws you will find so many guidelines on how to think, how to feel. There’s a book called “An Optimistic Child”. The author of the book researched why some people go into depression. Everyone has a way to think. Thoughts of some people become their friend and thoughts of some people become their enemy. Some say being optimistic or pessimistic is genetic. No, rather these things are learnt. Anger is also a learnt behavior and so is negative and positive thinking.

The people with positive thinking don’t go into depression even in face of adversity. While those with a negative thinking go into depression quickly. Thought process acts as a vaccination against depression. When our thinking is strong we would not be easily lulled into depression. By the age of 10 this thinking is inculcated in people. But we are still not too old for this! Be positive!

Positive thinking are thinking skills – how you view the world. Some people look at the flowers and dew after rain and some look at the mud and dirt. It's a way of how you view things.

1. Happy People Avoid Comparison

Researchers say avoid comparison. But what do we do? We keep looking at others our entire lives. We keep thinking about what others think about us and what we think about them. We all do observe others, that’s not wrong. But to look with jealousy and desire is called comparing.

Happy people look at their own personal achievements. They look at their own goals, and vision. If they are getting it, they are happy. We are not happy because our happiness is dependent on others. We think if my friend will be happy with me then I will be happy.

Once there was a child who wanted to make friends in a group. He kept doing things with them so they would be happy with him, even though he disliked doing those things. He wanted to jump rope instead, which his friends didn't want. Once he decided he could not take it any longer so he started jump roping. He enjoyed it so much that gradually others also joined him. People want to be with happy people. If you are happy doing something, others will come to you.

2. They Are Not Put Down by Rejection

Many times the successful stories are about people who have faced a lot of rejection in life. They don’t give up – they don’t bow down to  peer pressure. Peer pressure is all around us. It is not just something that happens to young girls, but to older women also.

Quran: (loose translation) Do not look at the belongings of others with desire and longing. These are the things We have given them to enjoy for a little time and through which we test them.

Allah swt will test you with things you intensely love.

Hadith: (loose translation) In matters of deen look at those better than you, in matters of dunya look at those worse than you.

When you stop comparing to others only then will you accept yourself for who you are. You will think howsoever I am, Allah swt made me this way. When a person thinks this way, then Allah swt also gives more opportunity. When you stop trying to be like someone else, you will discover your own talents. Young girls should know they all have some talents. Maybe not something that the other girl is good at, but something else.

Sometimes you have to go against the current. These successful people were the same who were rejected by society – they were told they were not good enough. Steve Jobs was rejected at 30 – that is not a young age. But he worked after that and became successful.

3. They Smile A Lot

Research shows people who are happy smile a lot. Even fake smiling helps. When you have a tough situation – you have to go somewhere – just look at yourself in mirror and give yourself a big smile. In DHA in Lahore it’s written everywhere; smile, you will look better. Nabi sws would smile a lot, I’m sure he sws did not always feel like smiling.

Why are you smiling? If you smile because Nabi sws was a positive person and so you want to be too, then you will be happier and you will get reward as well. When you smile at someone, love increases.

Hadith: (loose translation) When husband and wife smile at one another, Allah swt also smiles at them.

Smiling within relationships is nice. It does not mean you go to a university and smile at a boy and say this is what you told us to do! This is only for halal relations.

Hadith: (loose translation) Smiling is also charity.

Smiling is for free! We can at least give this. Smiling should be a natural habit. Some wives are such even in dispute they start smiling. If a child comes towards you smiling, you would not want to scold him. This is a very strong tool. We need to make this a part of our lives.

Hadith: (loose translation) Don’t think small of any deed.

Smiling is a small thing but it has a deep effect. Even if you have to tell something to the helper, you can tell them with a smile. She will do it also and will also not mind it. Bad feelings will not be there.

4. They Seize Every Opportunity

Research also shows happy people seize every opportunity. They make things happen. They look at the positive in every situation.

Positive thinking in deen is called husn e zann – beautiful thinking. Husn e zann is not just for others, but for Allah swt as well as yourself.

Husn e Zann towards others:
1. Don’t judge others instantly, don’t pigeon hole them. Give them benefit of doubt. Overlook their mistakes. Think: I don’t know the whole story. If you see someone sinning, make 70 excuses. You can barely do 4-5. Think openly and be nice to them. Maybe Allah swt will give you opportunity to see good in them.

Hadith: (loose translation) Nabi sws once asked about a man who passed by what the sahabi ra thought of him. The Sahabi ra praised him. Another man passed by and Nabi sws inquired again. He expressed he had a lower status. Nabi sws said even if the men of the first kind were to fill up this world, they would not equate to the second person who had passed by.

I really like those people who don’t think highly of themselves, and others don’t think anything of them either. Mitta hua. Maybe Allah swt thinks very highly of them.

We should have mercy on people. We should give them a second chance.

Husn e Zann towards Allah swt:

Allah swt says I do with my servant the way he perceives Me. When we get jealous from people, we are thinking they don’t deserve a thing but in reality we are objecting to the division of Allah swt. It shows we are not pleased with Allah swt. What does it mean to be pleased with Allah swt?

A man asked Musa as how would I know Allah swt is pleased with me? Hadrat Musa as asked Allah swt this question. Allah swt said look in your heart, if you are happy with Allah, He is happy with you. Every relation is like this, but with Allah swt it is especially all the more so.

Hadith: (loose translation) Sahabi ra asked asked how to protect oneself from the anger and wrath of Allah swt. Nabi sws replied don’t get angry yourself.

Husne zann towards Allah swt also means to think that whatever has happened is for the best, it helps you let things go. It is an immensely liberating feeling. Many times people are not able to let go. They spend years thinking why this happened to me or that happened to me.

Research shows people who say “if” a lot; if this happened I would be happier; if that happened etc. This makes people less happy. One is to learn from mistakes that we should do. That I did that mistake I will be careful next time.

Husn e Zann towards yourself:

Positive self image. So many women have everything – looks, education, intelligence, financial stability – but they are still unhappy with themselves. They have a low self esteem. Having an I-can-do-it attitude helps; Allah swt has made human the best of creation and I have some good qualities. Every person has some good qualities. Thinking I can do it; Maybe not right now but at some point.

Maybe we have troubles because we make big aspiring duas and have less deeds. So Allah swt accepts the dua and sends trials and tribulations so this girl can do sabr and get that status. Whenever you have troubles think maybe through this trouble Allah swt is teaching me something.

Even through kids, you learn a lot. We get worried we can’t do this or do that. Taking care of kids is not an easy job. 20 years prior to marriage I did not have hilm and sabr like I have now. Some people become more beautiful with age – internally. People can do botox etc but we are all headed on the same path in that we are all ageing. But those who work internally, it’s like cleansing and beautifying our heart; this is something which increases with age. Then outward beauty will not effect you so much.

Once Ibrahim's as hair started getting grey. Hadrat Jibrael as said this is izzat. Hadrat Ibrahim as said ask Allah swt to grant me more of these! Look at how positive Allah swt has made our deen that even ageing is seen as a good thing.

These people who beautify their hearts are attractive to the heart. You would like to sit with these people. You will enjoy their company.

How to become a positive person:

Suhbat: If you spend time with positive people it will rub off on you. Allah swt says be with the truthful. Allah swt did not say listen to them, or read their books. Just being with them has an effect. This side has been proven as well scientifically. Neurocardiology shows that heart has its own thinking process. Everyone’s heart has a magnetic field that goes to several feet.

Some people are always depressed – they are always saying haye haye halaat. This effects others. And women have this a lot in them. Their moods and emotions get effected. When you get nervous you release a hormone which your kids also catch. When you are getting ready, the child cries more. They pick up on these things.

Exercise: This is a habit of happy people. This is also religious. Three things should be taught to children: swimming, horse back riding and..? (archery?)

You can do very light exercise like just walking, it releases endorphins that makes us happier.

5. They Make Friends and Treasure Their Family

Happy people make friends. Your family is your treasure – value them. Happy people have good relationships who support them. Even if they are a few – not the fakebook friends on how many likes I got and how many likes she got. That’s a weird world. Real friendship means an emotional bond.

Hadith: a good friend is like a fragrance seller.

BBC had an article on mean girls. It said mean girls don’t just effect a person emotionally, but also physically effects their health. It can make you ill.

Then treasuring family – so many people damage their relationships with their brothers/sisters on petty issues. When we break ties, Allah swt takes away barakah. Once a woman said I’m not happy everything was going well then we started having problems with this relative and I think they must have done something. I told her maybe try making up with that relative – do sila rehmi. And she did that which did solve her problems.

Your closest friend is Allah swt. Allah swt says He is the closest friend of those who believe. Those who don’t have Allah swt, they don’t have anything regardless of how many amazing friends they may have have.

What does a relationship mean in a nutshell: All our emotions should link to Allah swt – the extremes of our emotions are smiling and crying. If you are not feeling great, still say it, from your heart, Alhamdulillah. You will start feeling great. These are the signs of the wise.  Allah swt says He gave Hadrat Luqman as hikmah so he will be grateful to Allah swt.

Once a boy came to a doctor started crying because he had cancer, despite the fact that he had everything. He complained, why me? Doctor said why not you? We have so much but we still complain.

Our thought process can become very positive and so can be our lives.

6. They Give Charity

Research shows people who give charity are happier people. It’s called helper’s high. It’s a human reaction. When you help someone else you enjoy it too. You feel good. Our religion teaches sadqa makes Allah swt happy too. A person with a giving nature gets more from Allah swt. The one who spends on others, he will be spent on (by Allah). What Allah swt gives to us is way more precious.

Hadith: Nabi sws told Hadrat Aisha ra that whatever you have given away that is baqi (everlasting) and that which you saved for us that is fani (it will come to an end).

This is a completely different perspective of looking at things. If you give something to someone randomly they are pleased but the person giving gets even more happiness.

7. They Do Not Value Money Above Other Things

Happy people are those to whom money is a low priority. It does not mean they don’t need it or don’t have it. And those who give more priority to money they have more depression. Dunya is a place of deception. If a girl has made dunya her priority then she should think I am deceived more than others.

This world is a place of enjoyment and deception. The child who plays with their pretend toys, they know it’s not real. They will play with their pretend kitchen set, but when they are hungry they will go to their mother. You can enjoy dunya but don’t make it a purpose of your life. Those who make this world their only priority are never happy. If you get something be grateful and enjoy it. We have seen people who don’t love this world they enjoy this world more. Those who love it, even if the have it, are always worried about getting more of it, or fearful of losing it.

-

May Allah swt grant us all of these qualities and make us a positive person like Nabi e Kareem sws.

Qur'an for Young Adults Day 17,18,19 - Surah Israa 23-40

17:23

to top

Sahih International

And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.

17:24

to top

Sahih International

And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."

17:25

to top

Sahih International

Your Lord is most knowing of what is within yourselves. If you should be righteous [in intention] - then indeed He is ever, to the often returning [to Him], Forgiving.

17:26

to top

Sahih International

And give the relative his right, and [also] the poor and the traveler, and do not spend wastefully.

17:27

to top

Sahih International

Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils, and ever has Satan been to his Lord ungrateful.

17:28

to top

Sahih International

And if you [must] turn away from the needy awaiting mercy from your Lord which you expect, then speak to them a gentle word.

17:29

to top

Sahih International

And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck or extend it completely and [thereby] become blamed and insolvent.

17:30

to top

Sahih International

Indeed, your Lord extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. Indeed He is ever, concerning His servants, Acquainted and Seeing.

17:31

to top

Sahih International

And do not kill your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin.

17:32

to top

Sahih International

And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.

17:33

to top

Sahih International

And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by right. And whoever is killed unjustly - We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed limits in [the matter of] taking life. Indeed, he has been supported [by the law].

17:34

to top

Sahih International

And do not approach the property of an orphan, except in the way that is best, until he reaches maturity. And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned.

17:35

to top

Sahih International

And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with an even balance. That is the best [way] and best in result.

17:36

to top

Sahih International

And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.

17:37

to top

Sahih International

And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth [apart], and you will never reach the mountains in height.

17:38

to top

Sahih International

All that - its evil is ever, in the sight of your Lord, detested.

17:39

to top

Sahih International

That is from what your Lord has revealed to you, [O Muhammad], of wisdom. And, [O mankind], do not make [as equal] with Allah another deity, lest you be thrown into Hell, blamed and banished.

17:40

to top

Sahih International

Then, has your Lord chosen you for [having] sons and taken from among the angels daughters? Indeed, you say a grave saying.

 These verses can be called the Quranic version of the ten commandments.
Immediately after Allah mentions shirk, he mentions the rights of parents. In just one word. One word commands have a lot of impact and mean business e.g. SILENCE, QUIET. They have big impact. We need to be kind to parents especially in old age when they often become more irritable. That's when they need more attention and we need to be patient with them. Value their duas. Earn their duas. Our mothers almost died giving birth to us but we cannot even respond to her call/ We don't make our parents feel important although we are the most important thing to them. They carry that pain daily that they are worthless for their children and not worth their time.

Uff is an Arabic word for the sign of frustration. Uff is not even a word. It is an expression e.g. saying something under your breath, the faces you make, the rolling of your eyes. Don't you dare show even a sign of frustration. Speak in a noble, gentle, respectful tone and manner. Go out of the way and be extra nice to them. Apologize for being ungrateful, for talking back, for our disobedience. Lower the wings of powerlessness before them. Humans are being compared to birds, we have the power to raise our wings and show what we are made of and not submit to them. But we lower our wings and don't talk back and we submit to them. The older parents become, the more they act like children. We need to be understanding. You have the power to respond but you don't.
Lowering wings also means to protect them just like a bird protects their nest.

We do this out of love and care(Rahmah).
Allah created human beings with the ability to show love and care. Human beings have the capacity to care for others. This is an innate part of being human.
The second meaning is to show love and care to them because our parents showed love and care to us all our lives. It is reciprocal,
The third meaning has to do with our relationship with Allah. If you want love care and mercy of Allah then you need to show it to your parents.
My gardeners were my parents. A seed can do nothing on its own. It needs to be planted,watered,nourished,taken care of etc. So Allah, have mercy on them as they had mercy on me.

Your Lord knows better what is within yourselves. We have a habit of defending ourselves mentally and verbally and we rationalize and justify our actions by thinking that what we are doing is good enough. This makes us inflexible so we don't take advice and we think we are already doing good enough. Remember, you are never doing enough because there is no limit to how much effort you need to make in Allah's path. We often justify ourselves based on the compliments other people give us. We need to be honest. Learn to admit you are wrong. Allah is exceedingly merciful and forgiving for those who are awwabeen. But we need to mean it when we apologize. Sorry means we make an effort not to do it again. You need to bring a serious change in yourselves. It can happen again by mistake but you should not plan on doing the sin again.
True athletes never give up on themselves when they lose. But there are some people who listen too much to what other people say about them. You shouldn't let people's compliments or insults affect you.

Give the relative/everybody close to you, their right. We often forget relatives and give to fundraisers instead. Miskeen is someone who is stuck in a situation and does not have the ability to get out of it. Some people cannot handle money so you can help them by investing for them in the right place. SO be careful while giving sadaqah. Help the son of the road, the traveller. We need to be more welcoming as hosts.

Don't mindlessly spend all over the place. Israaf is when you need something but you go overboard and take more than you need. Tabzeer is when you spend on something you don't even need. You just spend mindlessly and aimlessly. Rich people set high standards and the poor try to follow them and spend beyond their income. It sets the wrong trend in society.

Sometimes it might happen that somebody is really needy and they suppress their dignity and ask you directly for a favour, and you are not in a position to help them. Then, you must turn them away very softly and not in a way that might hurt them.
Some people are so cheap with money that it kills them to reach their pockets and spend. Don't have your hands chained to their necks. Some people, on the other hand, have their hands spread open so they spend unnecessarily even on those things that are not needed. Everything comes in their way and they don't think before spending.

Do not kill children out of fear of poverty, before birth or after. Don't go near zina(illegitimate relationships). The Quran doesn't say don't do zina. Zina is often mentioned with qatl so that shows the magnitude of this sin. Imagine this sin being in the middle of a circle, and there is a gravitational pull around it which is invisible, and if you get too close to it then you will be sucked in . Since it is invisible, you can never tell where this gravitational field begins, and by the time you realize the pull, it is probably too hard to resist the force and you get pulled into sin. That is why Allah tells us to not even go near it. The society of Makkah was immersed in this sin but the Qur'an transformed them into a society full of haya. We usually start illicit relationships through innocent gestures and actions. We try to draw the opposite sex and rope them in, bit by bit. We don't realize what we are getting into and we just act upon the feelings we feel. In Islam, when men marry women, they bring them into their fort. They become Muhsin and they protect the women in every way.

Another negative of getting into these relations is that we often get scarred by these relationships and then we are unable to give anything to real relationships. We become incapable of giving where its needed. We get into relationships just to fulfill our lust and the more relationships we get into, the more animal we become. If we really think someone is suitable as a match for us then we should just tell our parents instead of doing anything wrong. In the story of Musa AS, the daughter expressed that Musa AS was a good man so her father should hire him, and her father got the hint and asked Musa AS to marry her.

Do not kill anyone unjustly, unless it is your right(by law,authority etc.). Don't go overboard even when taking Qisas. Do not take from the wealth of orphans. People often take care of orphans but they use their wealth often but they need to know that they are only custodians and they can only spend ON the orphan. Give their money to them when they develop a sense of responsibility.

Fulfill every commitment. Everything you say, pledge,sign, and commit to, every law, your job, your duties, every pact, you HAVE to follow it. We are answerable to Allah for EVERYTHING. Even if nobody can see you cheating, Allah can. And when you give people weight, give them justly. We often exaggerate and give the wrong information while buying and selling. When we are dishonest, we get short term benefits but people will run away from that businessman eventually. And if you are honest, then people will come to you just because of your reputation and you may earn less per person but you will have many more customers. We should be honest even if it goes against our own relatives.

Do not pursue that about which you have no knowledge. We have a habit of gossiping and spreading rumours about other peoples lives. We don't even try to confirm anything. We too easily give in to conspiracy theories, gossips, rumours and superstitions. Even in deen, we follow things without authenticating them. We need to develop an educated ummah who has basic knowledge of deen, so that we can ask intelligent questions from scholars. We need to know the difference between scholars and daaes.

Qalb comes for taqallub which means to change. Heart is constantly changing physically and emotionally and spiritually. Fuad is used for heart in strange situations. Fuad means something that is being roasted. Sometimes our heart becomes really excited so it is like it's on fire. It happenes whenever we experience extremes of emotions. Prophet SAWW job of doing dawah was also overwhelming and needed a lot of motivation. We run out of steam too, often we start with a lot of motivation but then we burn out. How do we maintain that? Keep turning back to Allah through prayer so that you remain in the state of fuaad and enthusiasm constantly and you never burn out, The Prophet SAWW was given Quran little by little so that he never lost the enthusiasm. This is one of his miracles because the Quran was revealed directly on his heart.

 We often become very overwhelmed by our emotions.We snap when we are angry or do things we shouldn't be doing or say things we shouldn't be saying. And we often justify this negative state of fuad and we think we are not responsible for whatever we do in those extreme states. Allah says that He will ask about the state of fuaad. We need to watch out.

Allah used the word oolaaiyka for hearing,sight and hearts which are things and NOT people. This shows that on judgement day these things will be given the power to speak and testify.

Do not work on Earth with Marra(arrogance). It is about the attitude,body language and how you carry yourself. Don't look down on others. Don't be weak and powerless either. Be firm. All of these are detested evils in Allah's sight. Do not make anyone equal with Allah. Do not worship your own nafs or your desires or any other worldly idol, basically don't give anyone preference over Allah.

People used to bury daughters alive in those dark times and used to consider them a source of shame and inferior. They used to shun them or disown them or kill them. The Prophet SAWW raised the status of women so much that  anybody who took care of them would enter into Jannah! Daughters became a ticket to Jannah. Allah basically says to the pagans that they do not prefer daughters for themselves so why do they associate them with Allah? Why are their preferences different? It shows the attitude that the jews had developed. They wanted the best for themselves and only liked giving the leftovers to God. Their lives were dedicated to their ownselves and they only gave the bare minimum to Allah. We do the same now in our ibadah. We only do the bare minimum and plan our lives around our worldly obligations. We are supposed to do everything for the sake of Allah and go out of the way. We should identify our talents and use them for the sake of deen InshaaAllah. If you make your objective to serve deen, then Allah will give you dunya like nothing. The dunya will come at your feet. If we do what Allah wants, then Allah gives us what we want.

Qualities of Ibaad ur Rahman (Surah Furqan 61-77)

One of the signs of hypocrisy is that when we hear ayahs of the Qur'an regarding character, we don't do muhasabah of our own selves but we try to look for weaknesses and faults in others. We should always analyse our own selves and look in the mirror, instead of trying to fit ayahs of Quran to the lives of others. The Qur'an is first and foremost for our own betterment and guidance. It is a healthy exercise to make a list of the good and bad character traits mentioned in the Qur'an, and see where you need betterment. Let us reflect on the following ayahs with the niyyah of self reflection and purification of our own selves.

تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجًا وَقَمَرًا مُّنِيرًا25:61

Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp and luminous moon.

سماء (translated as "sky" or 'heavens') is used for two different

meanings. It is sometime used for the great mass of the sky, and

sometimes for every thing which is above us in the direction of the sky?,

including the atmosphere between earth and sky and the space. The Holy

Quran has used this word for both these meanings in different verses.

When it speaks of the sky as a huge mass having gates guarded by

angels which are opened at particular times, it takes the word for the first

meaning. But when it describes the rain coming down from the sky, it

takes the word 'sky' for the second sense.

Allah mentions the stars, sun and moon as they contain signs for us. When we ponder and contemplate over the creation, the movements and the resulting phenomena, we gain an insight and recognition of the One who created everything. 
Our prayer times are associated with the movement of the Sun, and our Islamic calendar is associated with the movement of the moon. So, the sun and moon will also be a witness to our ibadah on the Day of Judgement.  

وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا - 25:62
And it is He who has made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude.

منير is reflected light. Allah specified the source of the moon's light much before it was scientifically proven. This is one of the miracles of the Qur'an

Allah mentions that the night and day are created for those who want to remember Allah or to show gratitude. There are two reasons people pray: some pray to remember Allah  at the times they were instructed to pray, and some feel so much appreciation for Allah that they feel compelled to offer gratitude. Praying to offer gratitude is of a higher level.

When we reflect and ponder upon the Universe around us, the sun and the moon, the night and the day, it will increase us in awe and appreciation of Allah. When we think about these blessings, we will feel an inherent gratitude towards Allah. All of the creation points towards the Supreme and Magnificent Creator. It is not possible for such a flawless universe to exist without a designer.

Realities of the universe and Qur'an

It is vital that we clear our thinking on the subject matter of the Holy

Qur'an. It should be clearly understood that Qur'an is not a book of

philosophy or astronomy. It does not deal with the subject of realities of

the universe or the form, positioning and movements of its components

e.g. stars, planets etc. But at the same time it does mention repeatedly

about things on the earth and in the sky and in between them, and

invites to ponder over them to set one's beliefs right. 

On going through all such verses one can make out clearly that the idea behind them is to set

right the beliefs of the people or to help them draw benefits for their

religious or mundane needs. For instance, Qur'an has repeatedly

mentioned about the earth and sky the stars and planets and their

movements and the effects of these movements for man to ponder over in

order to comprehend and understand that this spectacular phenomenon

has not come into being on its own but there is someone who has created

all that, and that someone is Almighty Allah. 

For the ordinary man it is not necessary to acquire knowledge of astronomy and related sciences

but instead it is sufficient for him to observe the alternation of day and

night, their shortening and lengthening of duration, the change in the tilt

of sun bringing different seasons, the rising and waning of the moon, the

eclipses of the moon and the sun, which every individual see happening.

A common man sees them happening with perfect precision and knows

that it is going on without the slightest alteration for centuries. Then he

can draw the conclusion that there is some Power who has created it, and

is running and holding it. That "someone" or that "Power" is none else but

Allah. To arrive at this conclusion one neither has to acquire any

special philosophical knowledge or any research data nor the Quran has

asked to do so. All that Qur'an has asked in this regard is to pay attention

to these phenomena which one can see by simple observation.

Also the Holy Prophet and his companions did not make any arrangement to

study astronomical or cosmic theories or to collect data and information on

the shape and form of celestial bodies. Therefore it is

abundantly clear that the Qur'anic verses inviting people to ponder over

the cosmological signs did never intend that the space travel and the

efforts to conquer the moon and other planets are the basic objectives of

the Qur'an.

The fact of the matter is that the Holy Qur'an neither invites people's

attention towards any old or new philosophical thesis or scientific research

nor does it deal with them, nor does it reject them. The plain and simple

manner in which the Holy Qur'an deals with the subjects concerning

universe and His creation is to confine their mention only to the extent

they are related to the man's religious or worldly needs, and what man

can comprehend and learn easily. On the other hand Qur'an does not

involve itself in complicated philosophical discussions and researches

which are beyond the comprehension of common man and which

sometimes create more confusion in the minds of people for their ever

changing nature because of the unending discoveries and inventions

being made with the passage of time. The Holy Qur'an however does make allusions

at certain places toward some realities covering subjects like astronomy,

space, atmosphere, meteorology, oceanography, geology etc. but to the

extent it is needed for human life here or in the Hereafter.

Qur'an makes references about His creatures on earth related with

botany, zoology, petrology and social sciences including trade, agriculture,

industry etc., but again to the extent it is required to guide the man to

fulfill his religious and worldly duties.

Criteria of acceptance or rejection of scientific and philosophical

theories in the commentary of the Holy Qur'an

The classical and modern religious scholars are unanimous on the

point that if a statement is lucid and unambiguous in the Qur'an but it

contradicts with any old or new theory, it is not permissible to try to twist

the Qur'anic version to try to bring in it line with the modern theories. In

such a situation the related theory would be regarded as based on some

misconception. However, in the matters in which Qur'an does not give

any express statement and where more than one interpretations are

possible from the wordings of the Qur'an, then in that situation the

interpretation closer to observations and evidence would be regarded as

correct.

It is, therefore, clear that all the modern researches and discoveries

cannot be held to be the exact objective of the Qur'an, as suggested by

modern scholars. Similarly, these discoveries cannot be held to be

repugnant to the Holy Qur'an, as observed by some conservative scholars.

The fact is that these issues are not the subject matter of the Qur'an

which is silent about them. If a reality is proved by experiments or

observations, it cannot be taken as contradictory to the Qur'an, and that

which is not yet'proved no effort should be made to impose it on the

Qur'an through fanciful interpretations.

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا - 25:63

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,

The slaves of the Extremely, Ultimately merciful, loving and caring عباد الرحمان. This is the highest honour Allah has given to His special slaves. Allah mentions the qualities of Ibaad ur Rahman in the following ayahs.

The first quality: 

We are عباد slaves of Allah. Slave is someone who is the property of their Master, and their whole life is dedicated to their Master. We have a negative connotation of slavery and immediately think of "forced" slavery. The slavery of Allah is beautiful as we willingly submit ourselves to Allah, without any coercion. It is to surrender completely before Allah and to make all deeds and desires conforming to His pleasure with one's own choice. A recognition of Allah through His attributes and His creation inspires awe, reverence and submission in us. The slavery of Allah frees us from the slavery of people!

Note that Allah has specifically associated His Ibaad with the Sifah of 'Rahman'. Rahman is the one who is unbelievably and extremely loving, caring and merciful, and His mercy extends to all creature. We should emulate this attribute and spread love, mercy and kindness to everyone.


The second quality:

We should be humble like the Earth beneath us, as we've come from the Earth and will be returned to it. A person's humility is reflected in the way they walk, speak and interact with others. The Ibaad ur Rahman walk humbly, without any pride and without being intimidating and condescending. They don't try to put other people down. The ayah does not refer to merely the way they walk, but to their entire attitude towards others. This does not mean that we should walk slowly, without any vigour,  like a sick person. That is also against sunnah. Rather, we should adopt a balanced approach and walk at a normal pace.

The third quality:

The Ibaad ur Rahman walk away from جاهل people and respond with "Peace". Either they literally respond with words of peace, or their attitude is peaceful i.e. they do not let their emotions get the better of them, and they respond with that which is better. Their voice does not raise in response to someone else raising their voice, and they do not become overwhelmed by their emotions. If people treat them badly, they don't come down to their level. They can control their temper and handle difficult situations.

جاهل is someone who has no self control, and no restriction of his emotions, and such people are usually loud and obnoxious. They try to put others down and ignite their emotions.  Our test is in maintaining self control and not being of the جاهلون. If we control ourselves and do not become offensive, that is the best response. If somebody tries to arouse negativity in us, we need to stay relaxed and respond with dignity and calmness. In any relationship, both partners should never get mad at the same time. One person should remain calm if the other person is being emotional and angry. 

Notice that these are the people Allah truly loves, and notice how Allah does not emphasise first on prayers, but he first emphasises on dealings with others. It is a very important part of deen to have good ikhlaq towards others and be the best in character.

وَالَّذِينَ يَبِيتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمْ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا - 25:64

And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer]

The fourth quality:
They spend a part of their night praying to Allah. They give up their sleep for the sake of Allah. Special mention of night worship is made here firstly, because this time being a time of rest, requires extra effort, and secondly because it rules out the possibility of showing one's worship to others.

Allah mentioned huquq ul ibaad before this huquq Allah. This shows the value of huquq ul Ibaad in the eyes of Allah. We do not have to have ALL of these qualities to get Allah's love, but Allah loves every single one of these qualities.

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا - 25:65
And those who say, "Our Lord, avert from us the punishment of Hell. Indeed, its punishment is ever adhering;

إِنَّهَا سَاءَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا - 25:66
Indeed, it is evil as a settlement and residence."

The fifth quality:
Allah has special love for people who are fearful of Hellfire.  When a child is afraid of something, he runs to the one he loves e.g. his parents. Similarly, this fear drives us towards Allah as Allah is the only protection and refuge from it. Allah loves it when we ask Him for protection from hellfire. When we have a genuine worry of disappointing Allah and entering Hellfire, it is drive us to do good deeds and have taqwa. So, we should never be lazy in seeking protection from Hellfire. We should memorize this dua and recite it regularly. We should not be content with our good deeds and assume that we are automatically protected from Hellfire, but we should continuously make dua for acceptance of our deeds and steadfastness of Imaan. We should always be fearful of deviating from the right path.

Hellfire is terrible as a temporary مستقرا and a permanent abode مقاما. Muslims who had Imaan will not remain in Hellfire permanently but they will be taken out of the fire after they have served their punishment. But, we should not be mentally prepared to be in hellfire even for a few seconds. Some people continue to do sins because they think they will eventually be purified and be taken into Jannah. Some people make a mockery of Hell. Hellfire is so horrifying that the people who see Hellfire will wish for death. They would not be able to bear even a moment of punishment. Allah has given us such graphic descriptions of hell so that we take measures to protect ourselves from it. May Allah protect us all!

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ قَوَامًا - 25:67
And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate

The sixth quality:
Allah loves those who spend money on their needs, but they neither commit excess اسراف nor spend money sparingly بخل. Israaf means to cross limits, and here it refers to overspending on things that we actually need e.g. expensive restaurants, branded clothes, huge mansions, expensive cars etc. It also refers to spending on futile and sinful things. Allah did not define overspending because the threshold is different for different people according to their circumstances. We should not buy things we cannot afford and end up getting buried under debt and loans.

Iqtaar means to spend with miserliness. In Islamic jurisprudence it means to be tight fisted where a believer is directed to spend. In case one does not spend at all at a place where he has been directed to spend, then that is the worst situation. We should adopt a middle, balanced path. قواما is someone who stands straight, and does not lean in either direction. It is a standard that one does not deviate from.

It was narrated from Abu Al-Ahwas, from his father, :

That he came to the Prophet [SAW] wearing shabby clothes. The Prophet [SAW] said to him: "Do you have any wealth?" He said: "Yes, all kinds of wealth." He said: "What kinds of wealth?" He said: "Allah has given me camels, cattle, sheep, horses and slaves." He said: "If Allah has given you wealth, then let the effect of Allah's blessing and generosity be seen on you." (Susan Nasai)

Unfortunately, people who have been blessed with money begin to act like they own the whole world. Money should not be in the heart but it should only be in the hands. Allah distributes wealth and resources unequally between people so that they learn to share and care for one another. 

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا - 25:68
And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.

يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا - 25:69

Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated -

The seventh, eighth and ninth quality:
Allah was just describing Ibaad ur Rahman, the people he loves! Why did Allah mention the one who refrains from the  most basic major sins here? Refraining from shirk, murder and adultery is one of the primary fundamentals in deen.  Murder and adultery are often mentioned together because they are equally grave sins in the eyes of Allah. قتل is physical murder and زنا is spiritual murder. 

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect. (Sahih Muslim)

 اثاما refers to punishment of sin, and according to some, it is the name of a valley of Hell where the punishment will be severe. 
Allah says that He will multiply their punishment for them, and such sinners will abide in Hell permanently. In the context of these verses it is certain that this punishment will be exclusive to those who were infidels (Mushrikeen) and also indulged in adultery or homicide. It is clear that no believer will be condemned forever in the Jahannam, no matter how big a sin he has committed. Muslims will be taken out of the Jahannam when they have completed their term there.

إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَٰئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا - 25:70

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

The point here is that if any one does any of these mistakes, they begin to think that they can never be a good person. They begin to lose hope in themselves and in Allah. Allah is giving people hope of forgiveness. We should renew our Imaan, go back to Allah and make tawbah if we did any of these actions in the past.  Allah loves those who turn to Him, repent and follow bad deeds with good deeds.  

On the authority of Abu Dharr Jundub ibn Junadah, and Abu Abdur-Rahman Muadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

Have taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people.(Tirmidhi)

Essentials of Tawbah:
Having remorse in the heart
Repenting to Allah
Making a resolution to never commit the sin again
If the sin was related to a person: Seeking their forgiveness and trying to set things right

When people repent sincerely, they rejuvenate their Imaan. A sign of acceptance of tawbah is that their life begins to change and they find the strength to refrain from sins. Allah  erases their bad deeds so this leaves only good deeds in their record. Another interpretation is that Allah converts their mountain of bad deeds to a mountain of good deeds, based on sincere repentance.


وَمَن تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَتَابًا - 25:71



And he who repents and does righteousness does indeed turn to Allah with [accepted] repentance.

Allah also gives hope to those believing sinners who may not have committed the above mentioned major sins but they committed other mistakes. Allah states that whoever repents and does good deeds, will be appreciated by Allah. Allah values the tawbah of everyone, whether their sin was small or huge, so all of us should turn to Him over and over again.

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Allah, Blessed is He and Most High, said: ‘O son of Adam! Verily as long as you called upon Me and hoped in Me, I forgave you, despite whatever may have occurred from you, and I did not mind. O son of Adam! Were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky, then you sought forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you, and I would not mind. So son of Adam! If you came to me with sins nearly as great as the earth, and then you met Me not associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness nearly as great as it.’” (Tirmidhi)

But, this does not give license to us to do sins with the hope of forgiveness. Do not try to tricks Allah through insincere intentions. But know that if you genuinely faltered without knowledge, Allah is forgiving.

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا - 25:72
And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.


The tenth quality:

That is they do not participate in the meetings where lie and falsehood

is common. The biggest falsehood is the kufr (disbelief) and shirk, and

the next in order comes the common lies and acts of sin. In other words the

blessed and favoured servants of Allah avoid attending such gatherings. This could refer to any gathering of disobedience e.g. non muslim festivals, concerts, dance and alcohol parties etc.

Another meaning could be that they do not give false testimony i.e. they do not testify to falsehood. It is a well known fact that both Holy Qur'an and Sunnah declare the false evidence as a great sin and an enormous evil

The eleventh quality:
After making tawbah, we need to protect ourselves from even the minor things that have the potential to lead us away from Allah. To protect ourselves, we might need to change our environment or the company that distracts us from Allah. We need to stay away from even the path that can lead us back to sin.

لغو is useless talk and activity, and all frivolous things. When the Ibaad ur Rahman see lagw happening around them, they keep on walking. They walk away from such situations in a dignified, graceful manner without making a huge deal out of it. They do not feel a sense of arrogance and superiority for not indulging in لغو.  

When we turn back to Allah, we feel agitated that others haven't turned back to Allah. We begin to pass blind judgements on others. We want guidance for other people so badly that we find it hard to restrain our frustration around them. Have hikmah and don't be a dawah warrior or part of righteous police.  Know where to speak and what to speak. Handle situations with wisdom. If you have given up a sin and made tawbah, don't try to impose it on others by force. 

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمًّا وَعُمْيَانًا - 25:73
And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind.


The twelfth quality:
Allah was describing those that He loves. In between, Allah mentions an essential quality of those He love: They reflect upon the lessons of the Qur'an, pay heed, and do not become deaf and blind to the advice being given.  They internalise the message of the Qur'an and strive to be of the Ibaad ur Rahman. They do not ignore the truth and follow their own whims and desires. 

Self-study of religious precepts is not enough but they need to be

acted upon in the light of interpretation given by classic scholars

As it is condemned in the verses under study that Divine message is

ignored. It is also pointed out with equal emphasis that it is listened and

acted upon without due diligence, that is without comprehending the

intent and spirit of the precept and according to one's own sweet will.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that there is a new tendency among

the younger generation and modern educated people to study the Qur'an

but to achieve this purpose they often deem it enough to study the Qur'an

and try to understand it through the translations of the Qur'an on their

own. This practice being against the correct principles of learning

something, often makes them fall into misconceptions. It is a well-settled

fact that education and knowledge cannot be imparted only through

books unless guidance of a teacher is available for explaining the

intricacies of the subject which normally go unnoticed by an ordinary

reader. It is rather strange why people feel that this basic rule does not

apply to Qur'an and its related subjects and try to indulge in interpreting

the Holy Book according to their own wishes.

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا - 25:74
And those who say, "Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous."

The thirteenth quality:

This verse contains a prayer for one's spouses and children.

What is alluded here is that the righteous servants of God do not care

about correcting themsehes only, but also take care of the virtuous

actions of their children and spouse, and keep trying for their

improvement, and it is a part of their efforts that they pray Allah to make

them take the right path.

هبه is a gift. A gift is something that is given because of rahmah, not because we deserve it, and not due to our own efforts. These people make dua: Give us the gift of the coolness of the eyes. 

What does قرة اعين coolness of the eyes mean? 

1.Tears of immense joy

Make us so happy with our spouse and children that when we look at them, it brings tears of happiness in our eyes.

2.Finding refuge & relief from a storm

The world outside is like a raging storm, and is full of stress, problems and difficulties. When we come home, we find peace and refuge in our homes, through our spouses and children.

The Arabs when travelling in the desert would wrap their face as a protection from sandstorms. But they couldn’t afford to cover their eyes without losing their vision, so they would say “My eyes are becoming warm.” And when they finally found a cave, they would say “My eyes are becoming cool.”

3. When something stays in one place قرار : not being able to take your eyes off someone because you are mesmerized by them. 

Make me so in love with my spouse that when I look at them, I don't want to look at anyone else. Make us so pleased with them that our eyes don't wander. 

When you're happy with your spouse and children, you don't compare to others or wish for someone better. 

Sometimes, dua does not literally change the reality but makes reality more beautiful for us. Dua can lead us to contentment and sukoon.

Make us leaders over متقين. Taqwa is to take precaution and seek protection. Every person is the Imam or head of their family and dependants. If the family has taqwa of Allah, the person automatically becomes the Imam of the muttaqeen. So, the purpose of dua was not to seek a high status, but to have a family that follows the right path and emulates righteousness. We make dua that Allah grants us such taqwa, that it inspires those around us to have a consciousness of Allah, and to emulate our good deeds. We make dua that Allah makes us a leader over those who have taqwa and protect themselves in every situation. 

أُولَٰئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيُلَقَّوْنَ فِيهَا تَحِيَّةً وَسَلَامًا - 25:75
Those will be awarded the Chamber for what they patiently endured, and they will be received therein with greetings and [words of] peace.

خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا - 25:76
Abiding eternally therein. Good is the settlement and residence.

غرفة: Upper story/ large, high ceiling rooms.

It will be for those who had patience. Patience is to exercise self control, stay away from sins, hold on to the truth and strive to do good deeds, and to deal with people in a beautiful, patient manner. Allah will receive the people of Jannah with Salam. They will be in a state of absolute peace in Jannah. It will be a beautiful place to live in, temporarily and for long term. 

Why did Allah mention temporary? Temporary means that some people will get upgraded repeatedly within Jannah. Different people will be on different levels in Jannah.Every level would appear perfect to them. But in Jannah, if we want to meet our family we will move to higher levels with them and get upgraded permanently. But, we cannot pull someone out of hellfire into Jannah. We should try to get to the highest place in Jannah.

'Ubadah bin As-Samit narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said:

"In Paradise, there are a hundred levels, what is between every two levels is like what is between the heavens and the earth. Al-Firdaus is ts highest level, and from it the four rivers of Paradise are made to flow forth. So when you ask Allah, ask Him for Al-Firdaus." (Tirmidhi)

قُلْ مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلَا دُعَاؤُكُمْ ۖ فَقَدْ كَذَّبْتُمْ فَسَوْفَ يَكُونُ لِزَامًا - 25:77
Say, "What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?" For you [disbelievers] have denied, so your denial is going to be adherent.

Your Master does not care for you at all, had it not been for your dua. If you do not care about Allah and do not make dua to Him, then Allah will not care about you.  You would have no value or importance in the sight of Allah, if you do not make dua to Him. This was a reference to the Mushrikeen who had rejected Allah and refused to call upon Him. 

This shows that Allah cares for people who make dua to Him.  If you do not care to make dua, Allah does not care about you. Allah made us recite duas in these ayahs so that means that Allah cares for us, and wants us to turn to Him!  We should continuously make dua to Allah and turn to Him at all times.