DISCLAIMER: This reminder was originally delivered in Arabic on this Friday. Any meanings lost in translation are not to be attributed to the speaker as reminders are translated by volunteers. The mosque has no official translator and volunteers often have no formal qualifications to translate on the day. Please forgive any errors as they are from our human weakness and any right guidance is from God.
Dear brothers and sisters
One of the keys to success in life is self-confidence and personal strength. Strong personality and high self-confidence are among the most important traits that a person must possess. A strong personality helps you succeed in all fields and will enable you to experience life with its many different experiences without any fear or hesitation. Likewise having self-confidence will greatly help you display faith in yourself, and in your internal abilities.
Our messenger (saw) was intent on teaching the youth and the next generation of Muslims to have these trails of self-confidence and personal strength by teaching them the reality of Imaan [ belief in Allah], and what the creed of our religion teaches.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “One day, I was riding behind the Prophet (ﷺ) when he said,
"O boy! I will instruct you on some matters. Protect [ the rights and commandments of] Allah, He will protect you. Protect [ the rights and commandments of] Allah, you will find him before you. If you ask, ask of Him Alone; and if you need assistance, supplicate to Allah Alone for help. And remember that if all the people gather to benefit you, they will not be able to benefit you except that which Allah had written (for you); and if all of them gather to do harm to you, they will not be able to afflict you with anything other than that which Allah had pre-destined against you. The pens had been lifted and the ink had dried up"”. [ Tirmidhi]
And in another narration, there is additional wording,
“ Get to know Allah is times of ease and Allah will know you in times of difficulty. And know that whatever has afflicted you was never going to miss you. And know what has missed you would never have afflicted you. And if you seek assistance, seek assistance from Allah. And know that victory is with patience. And know that relief is with sorrow, and with hardship is ease. And know that the pen already wrote what will happen.
When you believe firmly and strongly, and when your heart is sure that if you guard Allah by guarding your faith in your heart so it is strong and sound, and if you kept within the limits of Allah did not exceed them, and guard the religion of Allah and his Shariah [ laws]; the he (swt) will protect and guard you.
If you obey the commands of Allah and obey what He has enjoined on you, and do not neglect the matters of religion, then you will not worry not be afraid of what the Creator does or decrees. The good and the harm will be done by Allah’s will, and no one in the world has anything power or control over anything other than him (swt). Allah (swt) said ,
“ Say it is all from Allah."
When you firmly believe that no one can cause you harm that Allah did not decree for you, but rather you trust Allah will defend you with his will and power. Likewise if someone tries to tempt you with some kind of benefit, then you know that this person has no ability or power to benefit you if Allah (swt) has not intended for you to benefit. Allah (swt) said :
“ No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah, is easy - In order that you not despair over what has escaped you and not exult [in pride] over what He has given you. And Allah does not like everyone self-deluded and boastful. “
It is narrated that the messenger (saw) said ,
“ Indeed everything has a reality. And the reality of belief is not reached until you know that you is going to afflict you will never miss you, and what will miss you will never afflict you. “ [ Musnad Imam Ahmed ]
Allah (swt) says in Surah At-Tawbah,
“ Say, "Never will we be afflicted by except by what Allah has decreed for us; He is our protector." And upon Allah let the believers rely. “
Qatada said: “Whoever fears and obeys Allah, then Allah will be with him. And whoever has Allah with him, then he is on the side that cannot be defeated, and has a guard that does not sleep, and a guide who never goes misguides.
Your faith in Allah and your trust in Him is the source of your strength. It is the source that fills your heart with confidence and certainty; it is the source that strengthens your personality, and increases your confidence in yourself. It makes you become brave and courageous, not fearing any situation or circumstance you find yourself in. This is Allah due to your certainty that everything is in the hands of Allah, the most powerful, the most wise. And that no person or creation can harm you expect if he allows it.
This gives you the feeling of comfort, stability, calm, tranquillity, , satisfaction and trust in Allah and makes you feel great a power is with you and supporting you and help you and protect you from the evils and harm.
So teach your children these beliefs and these values. We all know that it is our responsibility to our children to educate and nurture them on the foundational aspects of Islam and the realities of faith. We are responsible before Allah (swt) to make them a strong generation of good.
The Messenger (saw) said ,
“ And a man is responsible for his family and will be accountable for how he fulfilled his responsibility. And a woman is responsible for the household of her husband and his children and she is accountable for them. Indeed everyone is responsible and everyone will be questions about how they fulfilled their responsibility. “ [ Sahih Bukhari]