Encouraging the Seeking of Lawful Sustenance
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The Shaykh : Love is mutual; if you love a person, he loves you. But to love someone intensely while he hates you intensely is something wondrous. For this reason, he said: .
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : This is a natural love, not a love based on faith. They are all believers who love one another for the sake of Allah, but this is a natural love. A person is not blamed for natural love or natural hatred. Now, my point in saying this is that a person should, when he hears the command of Allah and His Messenger, not ask whether it is obligatory or recommended. He should say, "We hear and we obey," and he should be glad that Allah has commanded him to do something so that he may draw near to his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic. He should not say, "Is this obligatory or not?" Yes, if a person falls into disobedience, then there is no harm in asking. He can say, "If it is obligatory, then he must repent from it. If it is recommended, then the matter is easier." But before that, I see that a person should not ask. He should say, "We hear and we obey." This, by Allah, is the reality of servitude.
How much time is left? Because after the prayer, there are no questions. How much? A third of an hour. Shall we keep it for questions, or shall we leave?
What I want to repeat is that a person is commanded to work. And if he works, and Allah knows from his intention that he is sincere and devoted to Allah, following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then Allah will make things easy for him. I say, "Be glad, my brother." If you see that Allah has made righteous work easy for you and facilitated it for you, and your soul finds peace in it, then be glad for good news that Allah has made things easy for you. And if you see the opposite, what is the solution? Treat yourself. There is a cure for every disease. Treat yourself. Turn to Allah more. Remember Allah more. Read the Qur'an more. Pray more. Keep the company of the righteous, and so on. And in a hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that sustenance is also written. Your sustenance is written: from where? From selling, buying, gifts, inheritance? From where? It is written. But here is a matter we must be aware of: every believer, if sustenance is written, should work for that sustenance. Earn it. Do not stay on your bed sleeping and say, "By Allah, if my sustenance is coming to me, it will come." This is not correct. Work and earn. But how do you earn? You seek the decree of Allah, which is sustenance, by the Shari'ah of Allah. Be careful: you seek the decree of Allah, which is sustenance, by what? By the Shari'ah of Allah. It is not that you earn money in whatever way you like, through riba (usury or interest), deception, fraud, or trickery. No. Earn your sustenance by the Shari'ah of Allah. Do not seek the sustenance of Allah through His disobedience. For Allah says:[At-Talaq 65:2-3].
If someone were to say, "We find people who have taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) as far as we can see, and knowledge belongs to Allah; He knows the hearts. And yet, their sustenance may be restricted. And Allah says:[At-Talaq 65:3]" We would say to him: Do not think that sustenance is only the sustenance of the body. The sustenance of the body will end, and the person will die, and his wealth will be destroyed. Sustenance is the sustenance of the heart. Whoever Allah makes rich in his heart, that is the one who is truly provided for. For this reason, remember the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nahl 16:97] Complete the verse: [An-Nahl 16:97] It did not say, "So We will give him much wealth and give him a good life." Rather, it says he will be a person whose heart is glad, whose mind is at ease, and whose soul is at peace. Even if he eats only once a day and night, he is glad and joyful. This is the life, a good life. This is the one who believed and did righteous deeds; Allah the Exalted will make him successful in a good life, and his chest will expand. He will not see anyone in a higher state of bliss than the bliss he is in. For this reason, some of the Salaf (the earliest generations) said, and listen to this: some of the Salaf said: "If the kings and the sons of kings knew what we are in, they would fight us for it with their swords."
Glory be to Allah. They are poor, yet he says: "If the kings and the sons of kings knew what we are in, they would fight us for it with their swords." They would fight us, fighting, wanting to reach what we have reached. They want to reach what they have reached, but how can they do that?
How many people have a great deal of wealth, but their hearts are in sorrow, and I seek refuge in Allah, in anxiety and distress. Their state is worse than the state of the poorest of Allah's servants, because the criterion is the joy of the heart, the peace of the soul, contentment with Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and satisfaction with what Allah has given. This is wealth. So we ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you independent of what is other than Him by His grace, and to fill our hearts with contentment with what He has given us, and not to let our hearts deviate after He has guided us, and to bestow upon us from Him mercy. Indeed, He is the Bestower.
And we ask Allah the Exalted not to make what we have learned a burden upon us, and to grant us the ability to act upon what we have learned. Indeed, He is Generous and Kind. And now to the questions, because I apologized to you after the prayer that it would not be possible for me to stay here, except perhaps for a minute or two. Allah knows best. Yes.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and may the prayers and peace be upon the best of Allah's creation, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows his path and is guided by his guidance.
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The questioner : On behalf of the people of Taybah al-Taybah (Madinah) and the students of knowledge therein, we welcome you, O honorable Shaykh, asking the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, not to deprive us and you of the reward and recompense, and to gather us with you in His abode of honor and in the abode of His mercy.
The Shaykh : Amen.
The questioner : In fact, O Shaykh, there are questions from women and there are questions from men. Shall we divide them according to the Shari'ah?
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.[Al-Ma'idah 5:50] And Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:11].
Do you not wonder at...?
ألا تعجبون من ؟The student: ... .
The Shaykh :
Mu'ayth's love for Barirah and Barirah's hatred for Mu'ayth
حب مغيث لبريرة وبغض بريرة لمغيثHow much time is left? Because after the prayer, there are no questions. How much? A third of an hour. Shall we keep it for questions, or shall we leave?
What I want to repeat is that a person is commanded to work. And if he works, and Allah knows from his intention that he is sincere and devoted to Allah, following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then Allah will make things easy for him. I say, "Be glad, my brother." If you see that Allah has made righteous work easy for you and facilitated it for you, and your soul finds peace in it, then be glad for good news that Allah has made things easy for you. And if you see the opposite, what is the solution? Treat yourself. There is a cure for every disease. Treat yourself. Turn to Allah more. Remember Allah more. Read the Qur'an more. Pray more. Keep the company of the righteous, and so on. And in a hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), it is mentioned that sustenance is also written. Your sustenance is written: from where? From selling, buying, gifts, inheritance? From where? It is written. But here is a matter we must be aware of: every believer, if sustenance is written, should work for that sustenance. Earn it. Do not stay on your bed sleeping and say, "By Allah, if my sustenance is coming to me, it will come." This is not correct. Work and earn. But how do you earn? You seek the decree of Allah, which is sustenance, by the Shari'ah of Allah. Be careful: you seek the decree of Allah, which is sustenance, by what? By the Shari'ah of Allah. It is not that you earn money in whatever way you like, through riba (usury or interest), deception, fraud, or trickery. No. Earn your sustenance by the Shari'ah of Allah. Do not seek the sustenance of Allah through His disobedience. For Allah says:
And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out (3) And will provide for him from where he does not expect.
وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُIf someone were to say, "We find people who have taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) as far as we can see, and knowledge belongs to Allah; He knows the hearts. And yet, their sustenance may be restricted. And Allah says:
And will provide for him from where he does not expect
وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُWhoever does righteousness, whether male or female
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَىWe will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.
فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَGlory be to Allah. They are poor, yet he says: "If the kings and the sons of kings knew what we are in, they would fight us for it with their swords." They would fight us, fighting, wanting to reach what we have reached. They want to reach what they have reached, but how can they do that?
How many people have a great deal of wealth, but their hearts are in sorrow, and I seek refuge in Allah, in anxiety and distress. Their state is worse than the state of the poorest of Allah's servants, because the criterion is the joy of the heart, the peace of the soul, contentment with Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and satisfaction with what Allah has given. This is wealth. So we ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you independent of what is other than Him by His grace, and to fill our hearts with contentment with what He has given us, and not to let our hearts deviate after He has guided us, and to bestow upon us from Him mercy. Indeed, He is the Bestower.
And we ask Allah the Exalted not to make what we have learned a burden upon us, and to grant us the ability to act upon what we have learned. Indeed, He is Generous and Kind. And now to the questions, because I apologized to you after the prayer that it would not be possible for me to stay here, except perhaps for a minute or two. Allah knows best. Yes.
The questioner : In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and may the prayers and peace be upon the best of Allah's creation, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and whoever follows his path and is guided by his guidance.
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The questioner : On behalf of the people of Taybah al-Taybah (Madinah) and the students of knowledge therein, we welcome you, O honorable Shaykh, asking the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, not to deprive us and you of the reward and recompense, and to gather us with you in His abode of honor and in the abode of His mercy.
The Shaykh : Amen.
The questioner : In fact, O Shaykh, there are questions from women and there are questions from men. Shall we divide them according to the Shari'ah?
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.