“…And hold firmly together to the rope of ALLAH, and do not be divided”.
{Holy Qur’an 3:103}
Mu’aadh bin Jabal (RadhiyALLAHU Anhu) reported; ALLAH’S Messenger
(SalaLLAHU Alayhi Wa Sallam) said, “Verily Satan is a wolf amongst humanity, like the wolf
that seizes the sheep wandering and staying from the flock. Beware of the winding mountain
paths. You must stay with the wider community”. [Musnad Ahmad 22107]
ALLAH is always closer to us than we could ever imagine, and knows what is in our hearts.
“And We have already created man, and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are
closer to him than his jugular vein”. {Holy Qur’an 50:16}
The Masnoon (Sunnah) Du’aa, “Our Lord, give us the best in this world, the best in the
hereafter, and save us from the fire” (of Jahannam), to be recited at the most Mubaarak of
places, Masjid-ul-Haram, while making Tawaaf of the Holy Kabaa, lends full credence to the
fact that ALLAH is the best of Well-wishers, in what is best for us.
Deeply ingrained within our nature is the pursuit of what we perceive to be best for us in
this world. Most certainly, great favour of ALLAH is upon those whom He keeps on a “tight
leash”, as they passionately pursue their pleasures. To me, this is reminiscent of how the
owner of pit-bull (dog) firmly holds onto the leash as his pit-bull stubbornly tugs away, in
whichever direction its’ heart desires. If it were not for the firm hold of the owner, surely
disaster could unfold. If the pit-bull broke loose, an innocent child could be savagely
mauled, the pit-bull could get run over by a bus, or it could sustain serious, to fatal injuries
in a dog fight. The latter is exactly what happened to my neighbour’s pit bull when it ran out
of the yard, far down the road. It came back after long while, limping with serious injuries to
it’s face and neck. Injuries which eventually proved fatal. It was a pity for the “pitti”
Among us, there are those who aggressively pursue the pleasures of this world, without
much control, straight into impending danger. Sometimes they find themselves being
“viciously attacked”, by world which takes no prisoners. At first they may appear to be large
and in charge, always seeming to have the upper hand, but the rule of reality is that
somewhere out there, there is always someone who is stronger than you, smarter than you,
and even prettier than you. Without strategically cautious maneuvering, they may suffer a
smack in the head by reality. Most fortunate are those who, when bashed up by the world,
still manage to limp back to ALLAH through repentance.
Pursuing the finer things in life is not haraam.
Jaabir (RadhiyALLAHU Anhu) reported: ALLAH’S Messenger (SalaLLAHU Alayhi Wa Sallam)
said, “ALLAH is beautiful and He loves beauty. He loves the loftiest of affairs and disapproves
of pettiness”. [al-Mu’jam al-Aswat lil Tabrani 6906]
What could be more petty than to use ALLAH’S bounties to display pride and arrogance?
Most noble and lofty traits of a believer would be to humbly submit before ALLAH in
gratitude for the many bounties that have reached you through the Mercy of ALLAH.
I C A N (29 Safar 1448 / 14 August 2026)