Remembering Allah in Prosperity……Make Hay while the Sun Shines….
Once of the most motivating assurance from the Qur’an that keeps me going:
Faz korooni az kurukum washkuruli wala takfuroon… Remember me and I will remember you. Thank me and do not be unthankful….Surah Baqarah ch 2 verse 152.
Those who forget Allah, Allah will also ignore them, declares Surah Toubah ch 9 verse 67
Two persons are mentioned in the Qur’an and their stories are connected with the depth of the ocean. Their success and failures are testified by their incidents that took place in the depth of the oceans. Pharoah and Prophet Yunus.
Prophet Yunus met hardship in the depth of the ocean and Pharoah too met his hardship in the depth of the ocean. Let us compare them.In Surah Saffat, ch 37 verse 143 and 144… Allah mentions about a big fish swallowing Prophet Yunus…Then Allah says something very important to note….Had it not been that he (Yunus) was not a musabbiheen he would have certainly remained in the belly of the fish till the day of resurrection!!!…. Who is a musbbiheen? One who glorifies Allah regularly, through his action, through his dhikr, through his worship and through Establishing touhid in the hearts and minds of people.
A narration from Ibn Abbas inTafseer Tabari, says: When Prophet Yunus peace be upon him, called upon Allah from the belly of the fish, the Angels inquired from Allah.. O Allah the supplicator’s voice seems familiar.. Allah replied.. “Yes he is Yunus who always remembers me.. “The Angels said ” But his voices seems to be coming from a different place today ?” Allah replied ” Yes he is in the belly of the fish…the Angels requested.. “O Allah ! wont you respond him now that he is in trouble? “Allah said ” Yes….and He responded and saved Yunus. Peace be upon Yunus
Now let us see what happened to Pharoah. When the people of Bani Israel were crossing the sea, the water stood still like a moutanious wall. and non of the Bani Israel got his foot dirty even in the murky mud.. so easy was their exit from the hardship! Pharoah’s drowning is mentioned in many places of the Qur’an. .. At lenght , when overwhlemed with the flood, Pharoah said ” I believe that there is nno god except Him whom the children of Israel believe in” I am of those whosubmit…. The same verse further says.. Allah replied ” Ah Now ! But a little while before, you were in rebellion! and you did mischeif in the land… Look at the miracle of the Qur’an.. this incient is mentioned in Surah Yunus ch 10, verse 90,91!!!
For most of us our hardships reminds us that we are Muslims and we run to Allah crying and praying only when we have no options left…but when Allah gives us a taste of His mercy, we dont even thank him but our skills and talents and influence for our solutions, everybody but Allah. One of the best and the fastest way to Allah’s response is to remember Him during good times too…Thats is what they say .. make hay while the sun shines ….When was the last time we did that?
Author: NisaarNadiadwala speaks and writes on socio-educational topics from Islamic perspective. He can be reached at nisaar_yusuf@yahoo.com