Finding Beauty in The Storm

PAHROL MOHAMAD JUOI

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FINDING BEAUTY IN THE STORM First Print September 2024 ISBN 978-629-7665-30-6

Printed by : Mihas Graf ik Sdn Bhd No 8, Jalan SR 4/18, Taman Serdang Raya, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

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At Peace With Dhikr A single line can calm someone down, if the meaning is understood deeply.

Volumes of du'as that are compiled will not be able to drive away anxiety, if it only remains on the lips, and not internalized in the heart.

That is the wisdom of being in remembrance of Allah SWT. Find peace, in dhikr.

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Peace is found through the remembrance of Allah SWT. But which dhikr can leave an effect and impact the heart? Many make dhikr but are not at peace.

Some say, “When I am trapped by debts, fall ill, was insulted or slandered, I make dhikr. I recite subhanallah, alhamdulillah, and Allahuakbar hundreds if not thousands of times, but why is my heart still not at peace?”

Dhikrullah is not just arranging and reciting words.

There is a difference between making dhikr and reciting the words of dhikr.

Dhikr that makes an impact involves three dimensions - tongue (qauli), heart (qalbi) and action (fi'li).

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When the tongue says subhanallah - Glory be to Allah, the heart needs to feel that Allah SWT is free from imperfection and is above any wrongdoing in His essence (zat), attributes (sifat), and actions (af’al).

Everything that we know about Allah’s Glory and Perfection needs to be understood, not just known.

Dhikrullah needs to be elevated to the third dimension. The one making the tasbih (saying subhanallah) needs to ensure his actions are glorifying Him. This means that he does things that are in line with the commands of Allah SWT, the Glorious One, and abandons what He forbids.

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Even For A Blink Of An Eye

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As a human being, our knowledge is limited, and our ability is constrained. It is not possible to face this difficult life while only relying on our own strength.

This is why Rasulullah SAW reminded us to surrender and submit our hearts and our very selves to Allah SWT. We don’t know what is best for us. We are mere receivers. The One who gives is Allah SWT, and Allah SWT emphasized that what He gives to us is the best.

However, our minds cannot comprehend the secrets behind the bitterness, the hurt and the pain.

If what we hope for comes true, then be grateful.

But if what we never imagined or anticipated happens, then be patient. It is not necessarily a bad thing. Very often blessings, goodness and success are wrapped in a destiny together with bitterness, loss and failure.

Usually we fail to see this reality while in the thick of it, but after some time passes, we then realize that Allah SWT destined for us to take a few steps back only to propel us higher and further ahead.

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This is the reality of the life Allah SWT has chosen for us. We have to continue thinking positively of Allah SWT. Trust that He will heal and grant ease and victory behind everything He’s destined.

Yes, we will not know everything because the scope of our knowledge is so minuscule. But once Allah SWT, The Most Loving, has chosen a matter for us, then have confidence that His love always prevails over His wrath. The bitter will become a medicine.

The painful will become a cure.

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16

When Allah Loves Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet SAW said, “When Allah loves a slave, He calls out to Jibril and says: ‘I love so-and-so; so love him.’

Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so-and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him.”

(Riyad as-Salihin 387)

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Why must we love Allah SWT? The answer is because Allah SWT loves us the most. Allah SWT loves us more than anyone who has, does currently, or will ever love us. Anybody who loves us was created by Allah SWT, and He is also the one who planted that feeling of love into that person. Therefore, the source of any love that is expressed by a human being to someone else is from Allah SWT. Allah SWT loves us, so He created us from nothingness into existence. Every day we need Allah SWT to live and to enjoy this life with the blessings and mercy that He has given us. Allah SWT grants us blessings not once in a while, but in every moment of our lives!

His blessings for us are so abundant that we are incapable of counting them. Allah SWT says:

�َ ْ ُ​َُ �� � ُ َ َ َ ‫ِّلُك َ​َما َ​َس َأُتۡلُ ُ​ُموُۚه�ۚ ِإَون َتُعُّد وْا‬ ِ ‫َوَء اَتٰىُٰكم ِّمِن‬ � َ َ ُ ‫َ َ ِهَّلل� اَلا‬ ٞ‫م‬ٞ‫نَٰس َ​َن َلَ َ​َظُلُو‬ ٰ � ‫ٱِإۡل‬ ۗ ‫َّن‬ ‫ِإ‬ ‫ۗٓا‬ ‫ۡحُت�ُۡص‬ ‫وَه‬ ِ ‫ِنِۡعَۡمَت ٱ‬ ِ ِ َ​َ ٣٤ ٞ‫ر‬ٞ‫َكَّفا‬

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“And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favours (i.e., blessings) of Allah, you would never be able to number them. Indeed, mankind is (generally) most unjust and ungrateful.”

(Surah Ibrahim, 14:34)

Perhaps we love someone because of their beauty, goodness or kindness towards us. If our love is because of those reasons, then Allah SWT is The Most Beautiful, The Most Kind, and The Most Generous towards us. Allah SWT is The Beautiful and The Generous. Allah SWT is beautiful in His attributes, names and actions.

Truly, every human heart naturally loves and longs for Allah SWT. Allah SWT is the true beloved and most fitting love.

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21

Be Mindful Of Allah

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Oh Allah I complain of everything to You. About what still shackles my heart.

I am disappointed in myself. At how the test I’m going through is so constricting.

Oh Allah, help me.

Help me to remember You, so that this heart is able to always remember You with my entire soul.

Oh Allah, I need to be connected to You. To feel tied to You. Help me. Help me.

When we look back at the stories of the Prophets and Companions, we wonder how they endured the trials, giving their all and sacrificing their lives to attain the love of Allah SWT. The truth is, they were able to do so as their faith was solid and unwavering.

Their ultimate strength was only from Allah SWT. The Companions of Rasulullah SAW, Sumayyah RHA, Mus‘ab bin Umair RA, Hanzalah RA, Ja‘far bin Abi Talib RA, Abdullah ibn Rawahah RA, to name a few, were all martyred in the path of Allah SWT. How did they come to the point of martyrdom? They truly lived by the hadith of Rasulullah SAW: 98

On the authority of Abu Abbas Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah SWT be pleased with him) who said: One day I was behind the Prophet SAW (riding on the same mount) and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words (of advice): Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah (alone); and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah (alone). And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”

(Hadith 19, 40 Hadith An-Nawawi)

They felt joy for enduring the suffering and honoured to sacrifice their lives. It was easy for them because Allah SWT had softened their hearts. Their will and desire were, in truth, driven by Allah SWT. It is also true for us; if we truly want something, we

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will work for it and find a thousand ways to make it happen.

For that, ask for Allah SWT to have sympathy for you and to make it easier to come closer to Him. How do you seek His sympathy? There is no other way but to supplicate to Him. Supplication is the weapon of the believer. This means that it is the tool or the medicine that is most potent or effective in obtaining a soft heart toward Allah SWT. Supplicating means we submit and surrender to Allah SWT. We deny any special abilities. What we are admitting is only the awe and greatness of Allah SWT. And we only want His help. We ask for His sympathy, pity and forgiveness.

Ask for Allah SWT’s help in mujahadah (spiritual striving). Only by experiencing all the qualities of servitude will we gain strength, nobility and benefit in going through the arduous path of mujahadah. Be confident in the promise of Allah SWT that has no doubt to it.

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Be strong by nurturing our relationship with Allah SWT. The strongest person is the one who admits to being weak before Allah SWT. Prostrate and come closer, because the distance between our problem and the solution is only as far as our forehead and the place of prostration.

Dissolve and melt away our ego by placing that noble forehead on the ground.

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The Strong One

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Maybe there is one moment in our lives that we think of as our lowest point; we felt truly weak at that time.

Maybe our self-esteem was very low too. Even so, Allah SWT says:

‫اَلا َ �ا اَلا‬ َ َ َ � ُ ُ َ َ ‫َ ُ �ا‬ ‫َ​َو َت ِ​ِه ُ​ُنو َ​َو ۡحَت�َۡز ُنو َوَأنُتُم ٱَأۡلۡعَۡلۡوَۡن ِإ ِن‬ ُ ‫ُ​ُك‬ َ ‫نُتم ُ​ُّمۡؤۡ ِ​ِمِن‬ ١٣٩ ‫َِني‬ “So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.”

(Surah Ali ‘Imran, 3:139)

َ ‫ )ِإ‬and aman ( ‫ )أمان‬are from the same Iman ( ‫يَمان‬ ِ

root word. When we have faith (iman), insha-Allah we have peace (aman). When we have faith, we have hope.

That is why even if our faith is only as big as a mustard seed, it is still there deep within us. Faith towards Allah SWT that can strengthen a person.

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