Ramadhan Nuggets #1

This is heavily referenced from Mufti Menk's Contentment Series. Some I quoted entirely because he delivered it so well and the words really impacted me. I encourage you to watch the series to get the full experience. This is my personal notes and to be honest, I’m slightly worried if my summaries might mislead the messages. I urge you to take it with a pinch of salt (or a tonne) and explore deeper in the topics and ayahs.

1.   Let Go of Love To Experience Love

“Nobody can achieve Contentment until they spend from what they really love.”

 

It could be in the form of materials or non-tangible materials like time.

To realise what He has been abundantly blessing us with are meant to be shared with the people in need  is very liberating. I believe, ultimately, we are meant to help and bring good to the world with the rizq and the unique talents that He has blessed us with. It doesn’t have to be in the traditional form of donation, it can be as simple as being helpful to others.  It puts into a perspective that our life is beyond us and has a greater purpose and meaning behind it.

“When attachment to something becomes too much, you will lose the Contentment”

 “Contentment is the ownership of Him. He gives it to those who are close to Him”

“Don’t get too close to something besides Him, it should not exceed the love of Him”

When we hold onto something fleeting that can be gone the next day, discontentment and anxiousness are expected. Thus, let us hold onto The One that will always be there no matter what. Build our relationship with Him. Sustain it. Do things that will grant us His blessings and insyaAllah, we will be contented.

Al-Imran 3:92

“Never will you attain the good [reward] until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.”

2.   Problems – Punishment or Elevation?

When we are faced with difficulties in life, we tend to wonder if this is a punishment to the wrongdoings we’ve done. He said if you ask for His forgiveness every day, it can never be a punishment. It is impossible to be punished while one is seeking forgiveness.

Al-Anfal 8:33

“But Allah would not punish them while you, [O Muhammad], are among them, and Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.”

Instead of it being a punishment, it is a test to elevate us.

“be relax, be satisfied, be content and keep on developing our relationship with Him and understand whatever we’re going through is to elevate our status”

“Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went through the most but he was never upset, hurt, saddened. He said “For as long as you’re happy with me, it’s okay, I am fine.” He sought forgiveness for 100 times a day”

MashaAllah.

3.   Follow What is Right Even When The World is Saying Something Else

“just because the whole world engages to something bad doesn’t make it good.”

“good will remain good.”

“Not always is what is right with the majority”

Al-An’am 6:116

“And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of Allah. They follow not except assumption, and they are not but falsifying.”

4.   Comparing with Others

“He favours us in a unique way. We do not know what is taken from and given to others”

“Praise Him in all conditions. When you start wishing what they have, automatically your contentment is diminished because you are not happy, rather than concentrating on what He has bestowed upon you”

“Some lose sleep when they’re rich, some sleep well when they’re poor”

“Find tune in our thinking to realise that we are gifted, do a lot of thinking and make do of what we have”

It is very true. We have no idea what a person is losing to have what he has. It could just be we’re looking at something that we don’t have, and the person is looking back at us at something that he doesn’t have. Again, everyone is blessed uniquely. Be happy and grateful for what we have and be happy for what others have for truly we are all blessed.

An Nisa 4:32

“And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of his bounty. Indeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing.”

“Iblis sworn he will lead us astray because he was jealous”

“Never become jealous of others otherwise you’ll lose contentment – a lifelong misery that you entered into as it has no ending. From being jealous of one person, you’ll continue to be jealous of another person and it continues”

“Be happy with what others have been blessed with be it status, knowledge or looks, to grant Contentment.”

5.   Power of Silence & How Words Can Haunt Us.

More often than not we regret the moment we vent when we are angry. Sometimes we speak too much. Nasty, abusive, vulgar words come out. We say things that bring discontentment to others. These words will haunt us. We are in control of the words we utter, but once it is uttered – the words are in control of us and we lose sleep because of it.

Depending on the situation, if speaking will make a problem bigger, then choose silent. Speak good words all the time and when we’re angry, take a moment to remember Him, remember that justice is in His hands and that humans are flawed creatures.

                          

Al Imran 3:41

“He said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He Said, "Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning."

6.   He Doesn’t Take Away the Good Until It Makes Us Bad.

“If He’s given us something good. He will not take it away unless and until we’ve changed our habits and ways until we become a bad person”

“If we become bad “You deserve this to be taken away” . That’s why He takes gifts away from people”

“If you haven’t become a bad person but you lose something good that you had. That’s not punishment, that’s a bigger gift for the long term from Him.”

Al-Anfal 8:53

“That is because Allah would not change a favor which He had bestowed upon a people until they change what is within themselves. And indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”

“He does not remove or change the good/gift that He bestowed on one person unless and until they have changed themselves in a way that they deserve for that thing to be snatched away from Him”

“Just like when we’re in a bad situation, He will not improve it until we improve ourselves”

“if we’re in a good condition, He will not take it away until we deteriorate”

“thus, when He has blessed you, be closer to Him, you will be content”

“How many of us lose contentment because we’re wealthy? Not pray because we’re healthy?”

“get acquainted with Him during times of ease and He’ll get acquainted with us during times of hardship”

“Do not take it for granted, take it seriously. Get closer to Him."

7.   Do Not Judge Beyond The Incomprehensible

People tend to judge a person that seemingly are not following His ways. Maybe not apparent in the words, but their side looks conceal everything but judgments. But we need to remember,  it could just be that in His eyes that person is much more “holy” and respected than us. Beauty is in the eyes of the Beholder. We do not know how much a person has done and not done but He does. Do not judge, do not devide. Do not ridicule and dismiss but kindly remind.

Al Imran 3:103

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.”

Essentially, I believe it’s very important to learn and understand the Quran because it allows us to get to know our Creator, it helps us to realise how Amazing He is and ultimately realise that what He has been directing us to do is for our own goodness. It’s very interesting, it almost sounds  as though we are selfish because at the end of the day we are getting the ultimate reward for us. But what’s beautiful is in order to get there, you’ll have to do kindness to others. Ultimately, we’ll realise that He is sufficient and His words are enough. I’ll see you in the next installment  :)