Pearls of Islam Reminder Series

Jealousy
By Tasnia Khan
So you were number one in your year group at
high school, you were smart, found your lessons
easy, and were friends with many. You were
content with all you had. Now at university and
having met people from many different
backgrounds and with different personalities, you
realise that there are 280 other students similar to
you in many respects. So naturally, you begin to
compare yourself. Perhaps they have things that
you do not. More wealth, the latest designer
clothing, the latest Apple product, more friends and
you cant help but feel envious of them. Jealousy
is an emotion that even the best amongst us may
feel, and granted, we cannot always have
complete control over our emotions. However as
Muslims, we become forgetful of the signicance of
an emotion like jealousy.

Allah says in the Quran,
"Do they envy men for what Allah has given
them of His Bounty?" [Surah an-Nisa (4): 54]
"Do not wish for what we have favoured some
of you over others." [Surah an-Nisa (4): 32]
In Islam, jealousy (hasad) is considered to be one
of the most destructive emotions that a Muslim can
feel towards another human being. When you
resent someone for the wealth they have or are
envious of someone smarter than you, it is as
though you are displeased with Allah. Allah in his
absolute wisdom has bestowed upon who he wills,
what he wills. Jealousy can lead you to feeling as
though what Allah has favoured upon you as an
individual is unfair, wrong even, thus forgetting the
perfection and omniscience of Allah as well as
failing to appreciate the mercy and blessings that
Allah has bestowed upon you. It is an emotion that
can cause anger and is a malady of the heart. Our
prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has warned us against
hasad. He said,
"Beware of jealousy, for verily it destroys good
deeds the way re destroys wood." [Abu
Dawud]
Often it is easy to feel jealous of someone but it is
something that we can all overcome. Humble
yourself, remembering that we live in a materialistic
world and there are millions far worse off than you
have ever been. The favours of Allah are a
blessing and simultaneously a test. We should be
content with what we have and have sabr
(patience). After all, the mercy of Allah in the
hereafter will always supersede the pleasures of
this world. Gaining material possessions will not
make one superior in Allahs judgement. True
superiority lies in Taqwa (righteousness,fear of
Allah).
"Surely, the most noble of you to Allah is the
most God-fearing." [Surah Al-Hujurat (49): 13]
So the next time you feel an inkling of jealousy, just
remember this Dunya is temporary, that our main
goal in life should be to strive to please Allah and
be thankful for what we have, always.
THE PEARLS OF ISLAM
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Pearls of Islam Reminder Series
You Are Never Alone

By Aamir Shamsi

Times will come in the life of a
believer where we will be tested in
this world whether it is through a
"loss in goods or lives or the fruits
(of your toils)" [2:155] but we must
always remember that we are
never alone and that we should
and need to turn to Allah in these
times.

Trials and tribulations can not only
change the course of your life but
also make you feel very down and
lost. Nothing remains the same
and although an oxymoron, those
who have been in such a situation
like I have will understand when I
say life can be consumed by
emptiness. Although it is
important to understand the many
reasons why calamities befall us
and how to cope with them, we
must never forget that we will
always have the one that loves us
more than a mother loves her
child (Muslim) close by to bring
some solace to our hearts. In
order to bring about this comfort
we must make du'a, build a
connection with Allah and believe
that everything that happens is for
the best.

'XD

Du'a is the weapon of the believer
for it can change the fate of our
lives. And it is for this reason, as
well as the fact that it shows our
need for Allah, that it is highly
encouraged in Islam. So we
should ask our Lord to alleviate
our pain, to make things easier
and to grant us peace and
happiness with His decree, even
though in some situations it is
extremely difficult to accept what
has happened and to want to
move on from it, for it is only He
that has the power to make things
better.

Connect with Allah

As the creation of Allah, we are all
connected with our Lord through
our souls. He is our provider, our
sustainer and our support. But it is
our responsibility to nourish this
connection for "Verily in the
remembrance of Allah, do hearts
find rest" [13:29]. We can do so by
reciting Quran, reading our salat
with concentration and regular
dhikr. The stronger our connection
with Allah the greater the comfort
our hearts will receive for it is then
when we truly feel Allah's
protection over us and this will
make the difficult times that much
easier for us.

Everything that happens is for
the best

Allah loves us so much that
everything that happens that is
not a direct result of our own
actions is for the best for us - "but
it may be that you hate a thing
which is good for you, and it may
be that you love a thing which is
bad for you. Allah knows and you
know not" [2:216]. Having this
belief at all times and being
thankful for all that comes your
way is a real test of our faith but
also an undeniable fact. If
adopted in our mindset it will ease
our pain for we will understand it
is for our best and so the true
believer would not want it any
other way than what Allah sees
best.

All the above can be summarised
with my favourite du'a that one
should regularly recite:
"Hasbunallahu Wa'Nimal Wakeel"
Allah is enough for me and
there is no better to look after me.



"When you feel all alone in this world
And there's nobody to count your tears
Just remember, no matter where you are
Allah knows, Allah knows"
- Nasheed by Zain Bhikha
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Monday 31st October 2011 4 Dhul - Hijjah 1432 Volume 4 Issue 1


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