Sweetness of Iman #RamadanReflection (Personal Notes)

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Thursday - 27/April/2020

There was a quote which read:

مَزَجْتُ مَرَارَةَ العَذَابِ بِحَلاوَةِ الإِيمَانِ، فَطَغَتْ حَلاوَةُ الإِيمَانِ

"I mixed the bitterness of the torture with the sweetness of Iman, and the sweetness of Iman conquered." - Bilal Ibn Rabah (May Allah be pleased with him)

The speaker then talked about how she'd finished her studies, made her career, got married and was still questioning herself "This is it?" She used to attend lectures, tafseer classes and all that. One day, one of her teachers asked "Do you have problems (in life?)" she replied "Yes, why'd you ask so?" and her teacher said "If you knew (or have) Allah in your life, you'd not have problems."

To say the Speaker was shocked would be an understatement, "I don't know Allah?" I've been a Muslim for like so and so part of my life, I pray Salah, read Qur'an, do this, that and you're saying "I don't Know Allah!" She expressed, it felt like a slap on her face.

Her teacher replied, "All of that is external of Islam but the real thing is Faith, You've to know Allah"

After that she really felt the void, and she started praying to Allah, "Oh Allah, show me who you are. I'm starting on this path to you. Please help me find you."

Every time she ran into her teacher, she'd ask her 'please tell me how to find Allah' and the teacher would suggest to find it herself and sometimes give a clue like this verse below.

"... Indeed Allah will not change the condition of believers (people) until they change what is in themselves." - Qur'an 13:11

She describes feeling awful about not having known Allah. She'd pray for it and search for answers. She describes this path does not have direct answers but clues here and there like a treasure hunt and we'll have to unravel them by each passing day in the course, one by one.

Then she came across this

تَفَقَّدُوا الحَلاوَةَ فِي ثَلاثَةِ أَشْيَاء: فِي الصَّلاةِ، وَفِي الذِّكْرِ، وَفِي تِلاوَةِ القُرْآنِ. فَإِنْ وَجَدْتُمْ؛ وَإِلا فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ البَابَ مُغْلَقٌ

"Beseech sweetness in three things: in salah, in remembrance (Zikr) and in reciting the Qur'an. If you achieve it, that is it. But you don't, know that the door is closed." - Al-Hasan Al-Basri

All these three things, especially Dhikr. It shouldn't just be formal dhikr, but rather you talking to Allah, all the time, in every situation be it distress or ease.

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith:

1. The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else.

2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake.

3. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire."

Sahih al-Bukhari 16

You know why reverts are so strong in connection with Allah? Cause they don't have any other support like us (family or friends) They are alone and somehow Allah becomes their only anchor. This first condition is hard, really difficult for us to prioritize Allah & His messenger above all our loved ones and dunya.

She also talked about "How she always asked women in her circle for their goal in life? They'd be like 'You know nurture our kids, get them married and .......'Nothing else. (Idk where this particular point was mentioned but added it here).

إِنَّ فِي الدُّنْيَا جَنَّةً، مَنْ لَمْ يَدْخُلْهَا لَمْ يَدْخُلْ جَنَّةَ الآخِرَة

"There is a Paradise in this world, whoever fails to enter it, will not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter." - Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah (May Allah have mercy on him)

You see people like Bilal (May Allah be pleased with him), He'd survive all the tortures yet never gave up his faith, why? Because he had tasted that sweetness of Iman.

He had found out that Joy, that nothing else matters in this world anymore. There are so many instances, so many companions who went through all the harsh tortures and they'd feel nothing.

It takes one word, one verse, one point and our whole world transforms.The cases point of Musab Ibn Umair and Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) (My Addition here - Fudail bin Iyyad's story, Mam also related story of an egyptian man which will be added as *extra* notes next chapter Insha Allah)

In Surah Al-Anfal, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, describes the true believers (and you are one of them) as:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّـهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ * الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ * أُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَحَقًّا لَّهُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

"true believers are those whose hearts tremble with amazement at the mention of Allah, and whose faith grows stronger as they listen to His revelations. They are those who put their trust in their Lord, who pray regularly and give in alms out of what We have provided for them. Such are the true believers. They have a high standing with their Lord, His forgiveness and an honourable provision made for them." - Qur'an 8:2

When people are asked about trials "They say we will suffer here and reap reward in Jannah" (Insha Allah) but you don't have to do that - You've to be patient, yes. But if you have love of Allah in your hearts, you'll not feel the suffering, the torture, the trial - instead a joy will replace it, Hence why you've to taste sweetness of Iman (Faith).

Note - As said before this is from my personal notes of the course 'Ramadan Reflection' I'd attended last Ramadan, and I am sharing this here as reminder, hoping it would benefit anyone of you and not to portray a holier picture of myself nor are these words written by me, like you I am also in dire need of Hidayah. 

"And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers." - Qur'an 51:55