HOPE FOR THE BEST AND PREPARE FOR THE WORST!!!

By

SANNIE MOHAMMED GIBRIL

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL.

ALL PRAISE IS DUE TO ALLAH.WE PRAISE HIM AND SEEK HIS
HELP AND FORGIVENESS. WE SEEK REFUGE IN ALLAH FROM
THE EVILS OF OUR OWN SELVES AND FROM OUR WICKED
DEEDS. WHOSOEVER HAS BEEN GUIDED BY ALLAH, THERE IS
NONE TO MISGUIDE HIM. AND WHOSOEVER HAS BEEN
MISGUIDED BY ALLAH, NONE CAN GUIDE HIM. I BEAR WITNESS
THAT THERE IS NO DEITY WORTHY OF WORSHIP EXCEPT
ALLAH WHO SHARES HIS THRONE WITH NO ONE AND IS NOT
WEARY OF CONTROLLING HIS CREATURES AND IS NOT IN
THREE PERSONS. AND I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMED IS
HIS SERVANT AND MESSENGER. MAY ALLAH THE EXALTED
BESTOWS HIS PEACE
AND BLESSINGS ON THE PROPHET MUHAMMED, UPON HIS
GOOD AND PURE FAMILY AS WELL AS UPON ALL THE NOBLE
COMPANIONS AND UPON THOSE WHO FOLLOW THEM IN
RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT. AMEEN.

The topic for discussion is basically realities of life experiences and I hope it
would still be an advice for me and some of you who have not yet experienced
them, depending on how realistic we would like to be.

The topic is:

HOPE FOR THE BEST AND PREPARE FOR THE WORST!!!

The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said when it is in the morning don’t expect to
live up to the evening and when it is in the evening don’t expect to live up to
the morning take from your health your sickness and from your sickness your
death.
He also said seek for the world as though you will never die and seek for
hereafter as though you will die tomorrow.

How do we juxtapose these two sayings of the greatest person ever to live on
the phase of the earth i.e. Prophet (s.a.w) especially the second saying?
The answer is giving in the greatest book ever to touch the earth i.e.
ALQUR’AN…
Allah said in the Qur’an 2:143: that:
Thus We have made you a Balanced Community that you might be
witnesses to all mankind and the messenger a witness over yourselves. It is
We who have appointed the Direction that you have now adopted (O
Messenger!) in order to distinguish him who follows the messenger, from
him who turns about on his heels. In fact, it has been a momentous change
except for those who follow God’s guidance. It is never God’s purpose to
let your faith go to waste. God is Compassionate and Merciful to all people.
As middle nation as Moslems are or are suppose to be, we cannot turn our
back completely to the world as a means of gaining the face of Allah, else
we will lose the good things in this life. Likewise we cannot be engrossed in
the life of this world and forget about hereafter. There is no celibacy in
Islam.

Also we cannot be busy pilling all the riches in this life and forget about
death as Allah said in:
Qur’an 102:1-8: that:
1) The relentless greed of material gains distracts you (from the real
purpose of life).
2) Until you go down to your graves.
3) Nay! But you will come to know!
4) Again, Nay! You will come to know.
5) Nay, only if you could have certain knowledge.
6) You would see it now, the Insurmountable Barrier (in the way of your
personal development).
7) Finally, you will see it with sure vision.
8) Then, on that Day you will be questioned what you did with the gift of
life.

Also as the parable of three people in the time of the Prophet (s.a.w)
depicts:
Three people were sitting one day and arguing among themselves.
The first person said he would never marry because he does not want to
commit himself in marital problems.
The second person said he would pray all night without sleeping.
The third person said he would fast every day without ceasing.
When the news got to the Prophet (s.a.w), he said:
He being the Prophet (s.a.w) with a sublime and exemplary life marries.
He Prophet (s.a.w) who’s past and future sins have been forgiven prays at
some portion of the night and also sleeps.
Finally the Prophet (s.a.w) said, he fast during some days of the week and
also breaks his fast.
After the Prophet (s.a.w) corrected their extreme nature or poor
understanding of the AQIDA of ISLAM, the Prophet (s.a.w) said anyone
who does not long for his SUNNAH is not part of his UMMAH.

Another story is told of a man who was always in the mosque praying, the
Prophet (s.a.w) enquired as to who takes care of him? The companions
said his brother. The Prophet (s.a.w) said the brother is better than him in
the sight of Allah.

Allah said in the Qur’an that He does not change the situation of people
until the people change what is in their heart or their nature.

With these in mind let’s try to tackle some realities in life which we turn to
ignore or don’t want to face.

In every football match there are three possible results win, draw or loose.
But immediately you tune your mind to only win neglecting draw or loose
which you never factored into your life is likely to results negatively in your
life because you did not prepare your mind for such result. We hear of people
committing suicide over bad results in sports they never thought would ever
happen. Another could be said of those whose teams get relegated at the end of
each league.

Business men and women always hope their businesses to be on the ascendancy
without knowing that a change in Government for instance could bring about
decline in their business due to bureaucracy, bad governmental policies, coup
d’etat, heavy taxation, natural disasters etc. A critical analysis will lead us to
the truth in every change in government bring about some businesses declining
where as others experience ascendancy.

Every couple who love one another wish they die on the same day. When they
happen to be rich too, they hope to remain in riches till the end of time. They
hardly factor a day will come when one will lose the other, leaving children
behind or the husband especially losing his job. Many at times, couples don’t
prepare their minds for this reality of life and as such it leaves a devastating
effect on them. Some lead to broken marriage or suicide in some cases.

A man took his sick wife to the hospital. He goes to visit her twice everyday.
Terror broke when the man was also admitted in a different hospital under
serious condition. The woman always asks of the husband’s where about but
was told the husband was going to search for money. All this while, the wife
taught the husband bolted away because he couldn’t stand the heat. The family
could not bring themselves to tell the woman that the husband was sick. One
faithful day, the man die and four days later the wife followed. They died and
left behind four orphans in a spate of four days. Who could have taught such a
feet could have been chalked?

A man died and left behind a wife and a son. The boy went to abroad to read
medicine. A week after completion, the boy complained of headache, and that
was what sent him to his early grave. The family were informed of the incident.
The mother was sitting one day when a casket with the remains of his beloved
and only son was finally brought. She wept so much and was consoled over her
loss. She entered the room fell down and died too. In a couple of hours the
mother and the son joined their father. These are some of the realities of life
which we seems not to reflect over.

Parents hoping for their children to bury them when they die forgetting that
they may end up burying their children. How many of them survive especially
when the child is the only child or a lot of investment has been made on that
child or they went through serious measures before getting that only child
amidst insult from families and friends. Some suffer stroke, heart attach or even
commit suicide all because they never factored burying their children or child
before they eventually follow them someday.

Student on the other hand:

a) Hoping to pass all their exams without any failure,
b) What happens when you fail a paper?
c) What happens when you loose your bread winner?
d) Will your world come to an end?
e) Will you join the computer hacking group, which has become norm of the
day?
f) Will you join a bad company and make money at all cost?

God willing you have finished your schooling either the hard way or easy way:
a) Are you ready for the challenges in life?
b) Are you ready to stay home for some years after doing everything possible
within Islamic limit to get a job?
c) Will you turn your back on Allah and make money through any means even if
it is against Islam? These are things you should prepare your mind for upon
completion of your education.

All these are to get us prepared for uncertainties and realities of life and
know that no condition is permanent. Everything is subject to change except
change itself!!!

They said “Glory be to ALLAH! We have no knowledge except what

ALLAH have thought us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
(Qur’an, 2: 32)

I end hear with the Islamic greetings ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM.