Ask with certainty

Yesterday I got to do a beautiful exercise:

“Imagine if your du’as got answered today. All those things you’ve been praying for. Imagine if Allah has gifted you what you want. You’re enjoying it. You’re seeing it come to life. You wonder how Allah did it. Imagine you have your shukr journal. What would you thank Him for? Future gratitude keeps you in the frame of mind to know that Allah can. What is up to you is taking any action that is within your capacity.”

How would you feel? A range of emotions I’d assume. The reality is they can all be answered. It is that easy for Allah. Allah giving you all that you want will not affect His ability to give the rest of His creations. Allah tells us in the Qur’an that He created the heavens and earth within six days.

Al-Hadid 57:4

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا يَعۡرُجُفِيهَاۖ وَهُوَ مَعَكُمۡ أَيۡنَ مَا كُنتُمْۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

It is He who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne.  He knows what penetrates into the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the heaven and what ascends therein; and He is with you wherever you are. And Allah, of what you do, is Seeing.

Could your wants be compared to the creation of the heavens and the earth? Time and time again, we read stories of trials the prophets went through in the Qur’an. The stories might be different but the central theme is that the help of Allah did eventually come.

“The mindset of the believer shouldn’t be if the help of Allah will come but rather when, because His help will come. Allah does not fail in His promise.” *paraphrasing*

Al Baqarah 2:214

أَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ أَن تَدۡخُلُواْ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأۡتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوۡاْ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۖ مَّسَّتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَأۡسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّآءُ وَزُلۡزِلُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّسُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰنَصۡرُ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصۡرَ ٱللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.

Walk in their shoes. Do not passively read them as stories only, rather ponder on them and realize that these were realities they lived. The help of Allah will come, your du’as will be answered and “your Lord will give you & you will be satisfied”. How that will happen is not up to you to figure out, yours is to take as much as action as you can, make du’a with certainty to Allah, and then leave the outcome knowing whatever is left with Allah is never lost. Do not limit Al Kareem’s generosity. It is not up to you to understand, yours is to ask.

“This means that even the air that we breathe is a form of rizq from Allah s.w.t. With that, we must first of all, begin to appreciate and understand the meaning of rizq with the belief that Allah s.w.t. is the provider, the sustainer and the One who decides.

Based on this understanding, a person who does not have a job should not give up, or sit back and do nothing. Instead, he should strive hard and continue to increase his efforts in finding a job. A person who already has a job but feels that he does not earn much should then strive to upgrade his skills and increase his knowledge through available schemes that are offered by various agencies. This can help him to increase his income or enable him to find a better paying job that is suitable with his new skills. 

Only those who diligently put in effort and do not give up will receive Allah’s help, and this will not be achieved unless there is a sense of taqwa in a person, and he has full confidence that Allah is The Provider and that Allah will help us. Allah says in surah At-Talaq verse 2-3: And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.”  

Al-Isra' 17:20

كُلًّا نُّمِدُّ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَهَٰٓؤُلَآءِ مِنۡ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَۚ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحۡظُورًا

To each [category] We extend -  to these and to those -  from the gift of your Lord. And never has the gift of your Lord been restricted.

And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden. Meaning no one can withhold or prevent them.

Qatadah said,

"(It means) they can never decrease."

Al-Hasan and others said,

"(It means) they can never be prevented."

Hud 11:6

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزۡقُهَا وَيَعۡلَمُ مُسۡتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسۡتَوۡدَعَهَاۚ كُلٌّ فِى كِتَٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ

And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register.

Allah will do it for you. No questions asked, it’s just a matter of time + “be” and it shall indeed be.

Lastly, five minutes of gems💗. Hajar thought well of Allah and so can we. “Let the whole of humanity walk in her footsteps.”