Ibn Umar (RadhiyALLAHU Anhu) reported: Nabi (SalaLLAHU Alayhi Wa Sallam said,
Whoever among you has the door of supplication opened for him, the door of mercy is opened for
him as well. ALLAH is not asked for anything more Beloved to Him than to be asked for wellness.
Supplication benefits by what is sent down and what is not sent down. O servants of ALLAH,
you must supplicate. [Sunan at-Tirmidhi 3548]
In the corporate world, an open door policy is indicative of management’s willingness to constantly
engage workers on labour related matters. Management’s accessibility and readiness to listen to
the employees’ fosters good relations and increased productivity within a company.
ALLAH is our kind Master Who not only Hears our every plea, but also fully Understands every
situation that we face in life. He is As-Samee, Ul-Aleem. (The All Hearing, The All Knowing).
No matter at which juncture we find ourselves in our lives, be it at our lowest lows, or even at our
highest highs, we should always keep open some door or accessibility with ALLAH. There is a
thought provoking and somewhat motivational story about a band of brigands (ambushing robbers),
that lessons can be drawn from.
The band of robbers had ambushed a group of travellers, and as they were ransacking their
possessions, one of the brigands came upon some juice in a traveller’s bag. He offered the juice to
his leader, who declined, stating that he was fasting. Quite surprised at this, the traveller who was
being robbed asked him, “You are robbing us, yet you are fasting?”
The head brigand replied: “I always keep one door open between myself and ALLAH”.
Years later, when the same traveller was making Tawaaf around the Kaabah, he saw the head
brigand in the the crowd making Tawaaf. He approached him and in amazement, asked him,
“Is it really you?” The repentant brigand responded, “I have always kept a door open between
myself and ALLAH. He has let me in”.
When it comes to creating distance between ourselves and ALLAH, we potentially become our own
worst enemy when we allow shaytaan to beat us down through evil wiswasaa (whisperings).
On account of our many transgressions we are made to feel unworthy of ALLAH’S Mercy and
forgiveness, not realising that a repentant slave is most beloved to ALLAH.
Narrated Abu Hurairah (RadhiyALLAHU Anhu): ALLAH’S Messenger (SalaLLAHU Alayhi Wa Sallam)
said, “By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, were you not to commit sins, ALLAH would replace you
with people who commit sins and then seek forgiveness from ALLAH, and ALLAH would forgive
them”. [Sahih Muslim]
It is most virtuous to stay away from sin, to abstain from those things which lead to sin, and to
avoid the company of those who entice us towards sin. However, being the fallable mortals which
we are, we are prone to slip up from time to time. When this does happen, take one from the play
book of a pious person who was asked, “How is relationship between you and your Deen?”
The pious person replied: “It is shredded by sins, and I patch it with seeking forgiveness” (istighfaar)
O muslim, it is in your best interest to maintain an open door policy with your Rabb (Lord).
Among the best of open doors is the door of repentance (istighfaar).
i.c.a.n. (Zhil Qadha 1446 / 16 May 2025)