Remember Me; I’ll Remember You

Source: blog.islamiconlineuniversity.com

By: Aishah Ahmed

Khaled walked down the street unaware of his surroundings. There was a tightness in his heart. Tears tugged at his eyes but would not flow. Just then the athan filled the air. He looked at his watch. It was Maghrib. How long had it been since he had prayed.  How long had it been since he had a connection with Allah.  Suddenly he knew it! He knew what was causing this unbearable uneasiness and grief. He knew what was missing in his life – ALLAH.

Allah says in the Qur’an,

“So remember Me, I will remember you…” (Al-Baqarah 2:152)

Modernists claim that material benefits along with great relations are enough to keep us happy.  If that were the case, then why are the suicide rates increasing to such an extent? The answer lies with Allah .  The only way to be content and at peace in our lives is by getting close to Him.

The only way to be content and at peace in our lives is by getting close to Allah.

So, how do we find eternal happiness?

1. Be not sad, Allah is with us:

“Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.”  (Surah At-Tawbah 9:40)

For a moment, it may seem like your world is collapsing. But if you have unwavering faith in Allah  and His decree, you can greet every situation in your life with a smile. You know that it is from Allah  and He alone knows what is good for you. You will have a sense of security and calmness once you place your trust in Him.

2. Do righteous deeds:

“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer, We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do.” (Surah An-Nahl (6):97)

Pray in congregations, do not sever ties of kinship, observe voluntary fasts, tasbeeh, tahmeed, and many more.  There is a whole lot of good deeds. Single out a deed for a day to begin with.  See the difference for yourself.

 3. Seek knowledge:

The deen of Allah  is vast.  No matter how much you study, there is still more to learn. Instead of filling yourself with negativity and sadness, keep yourself busy with the lives of the prophets, the sahabas and the knowledge of the deen. Get inspired and be happy!

4. Share the Khair:

Sounds cliché, but it’s the truth.

Allah says,

“And do good. Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good.”(Surah Al-Baqarah (2):195)

It doesn’t have to be something big. It could simply be a kind word, a helping hand, or even a smile. What does it take? Nothing! But Allah  doesn’t ignore it – He will take your worries away and replace them with happiness.

 5. Live for Today:

Don’t let the past haunt you or the future bother you. Do you have any guarantee that you will live to see tomorrow? Or can you change the past by dwelling over it? The answer is a big NO! Then why spoil you and your loved ones’ present by brooding? Never let the ‘if only’ bug enter your mind. By doing so you are handing over the keys to shaytan to flood you with negative and evil thoughts.

Learn from your mistakes, beautify your present!

6. Dhikr of Allaah:

Allah  says,

“…Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” (Surah Ar-Ra’d (13):28)

Need I say more?

7. Trust Allah:

“And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose.” (Surah At-Talaq (65):3)

This is the statement of Allah . Who can be a better guarantor than the Disposer of our affairs?

8. Allah Does Not Burden a Soul Beyond its Capacity:

You can take it! Allah , your Creator knows that you can take it. Look at the ones who are suffering with much more. Didn’t Allah show mercy on you by afflicting you with far less?

 “So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?” (Surah Ar-Rahman (55):21)

 9. Seek forgiveness:

“Seek forgiveness of your Lord and repent to Him, [and] He will let you enjoy a good provision for a specified term and give every doer of favor his favor…” (Surah Al-Hud (11):3)

Allah  mentions repeatedly in the Qur’an to turn to Him for forgiveness, so that He can beautify our lives and our aakhirah. What more assurance are we seeking, when the Lord of the Worlds is consoling us?

What more assurance are we seeking, when the Lord of the Worlds is consoling us?

10. Befriend the Qur’an:  

Make the Qur’an your friend. If it is lying on the topmost shelf with dust accumulating on it, then literally, the dust is accumulating in your heart. Don’t just read it like a parrot! Allow the Qur’an to talk to you. Every page you open will answer something that was bothering you; it will remove the darkness that has surrounded your heart. Allah  is conversing with us, but why aren’t we paying attention?

 11. Remember Allah:

“And whoever turns away from My remembrance – indeed, he will have a depressed life…” (Surah  Taha, 20:124)

Stern, yet clear words, but why don’t we understand?

Ya akhi! Ya ukhti! Allah’s doors are wide open always welcoming us. We don’t have to knock or wait for His permission. All we need to do is turn to Him with utmost sincerity.  All our desires rest with Allah, so seek Allah and experience the bliss of life!