Sunday, October 21, 2012

Grateful when happy, patient when sad.

In our lives, we experience so many things. Some are happy, some are sad. Some are enjoyable, some are painful. The pleasant ones always make us feel happy. The pleasant experiences are, to us, good.

Or are they?...

I'd like to share one of my favourite hadeeths, perhaps my most favourite hadeeth. I first read it in Makkah when I was performing my Haj in 2007. I was reading a biography of Abu Bakar As Siddiq RA when i came accross this hadeeth on a page:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.” (Narrated by Muslim, 2999)

Rasulullah SAW said that everything that happens in the life of a Muslim is good, regardless it's a happy/pleasant one, or a sad/unpleasant one. What matters is not the happening itself, but rather how we react to it. A true believer is someone whose heart is pure and clean. Who appreciates that everything in his/her life is actually from Allah. Who strongly believes that Allah loves His servants very much. How can something from someone who loves us be bad?

When someone sees something through his/her pure heart, what he/she sees will not be prejudiced. When Allah gives us something, it's actually a test. It's always either a test of gratitude, or a test of patience. If we get something that we love and makes us happy, it's a test of gratitude. If we get something we dislike and makes us sad/unhappy, it's a test of patience. What matters is how we react to it. Do we react emotionally? Or does it make us think of Allah more?

Easier said than done :) True with all 'theories' in the world. But try to think of it... Let it sink. Does it make sense?

Personally, whenever I experience something that I dont like, naturally my reaction will be quite negative. But whenever I ponder on it, it does make me realise, that whatever happens to me on this life, is so insignificant compared to the life in the hereafter. What is the puny test of discomfort on this temporary world to the immortal life of akhirat? When i think that way, my problem would automatically seem irrelevant and... insignificant. So what if Allah gives me some sadness/unhappiness? It's just a test of my patience. If i pass the test. i.e. if i remember him and be patient, the reward in the hereafter is much bigger and better to anything we would every know in this mortal life of this world.

So brothers and sisters, just remember... If something good happens to you, just be thankful for that is good for you. If something bad happens to you, bear it with patience for that is good for you :)
Allah knows best...