Remembering Allah in Times of Hardship and Success
Discourse of His Eminence Pir Sahib, may Allah have mercy on him,
delivered on 4th October 1986,
Discourse # 60
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
فَنِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلٰی وَ نِعۡمَ النَّصِیۡرُ
رَبِِّ اشۡرَحۡ لِیۡ صَدۡرِیۡ وَیَسِّرۡ لِیۡۤ اَمۡرِیۡ وَ احۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَۃً مِّنۡ لِّسَانِیۡ یَفۡقَہُوۡاقَوۡلِیۡ
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِ عَلٰی سَیّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اٰلِ سَیِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اَصْحَابِہٖ وَعَلٰی اَذْوَاجِہٖ اَجْمَعِیْنَ وَبَارِکْ وَسَلِمْ وَصَلِ عَلَیْہٖ
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ
All Praise be to Allah Almighty
A million thanks are due to Allah Almighty, the Exalted, that the Master of the Kingdom has once again granted us the opportunity and the privilege to gather here in His remembrance and in His love, seeking His pleasure. Millions upon millions of blessings and salutations upon the Leader of the Prophets, the Beloved of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, through whose blessed mediation this grace has been bestowed upon us.
Respected listeners! There are two occasions when a person faces a great trial: one is a time of hardship, and the other is a time of happiness. At both times, Allah Almighty commands us to remember Him, seek His forgiveness, proclaim His greatness, and praise Him.
At the Battle of Uhud, when the Muslims faced a time of extreme hardship and suffering, Allah commanded them not to let their grief and anxiety cause them to lose sight of His blessings. Rather, believers should seek Allah Almighty’s help in times of such adversity. Through steadfast faith and remembrance of Allah, not only will this hardship be transformed into joy, but you will also be granted the strength to endure and bear this trial and suffering.
يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اسْتَعِيْنُوْا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ ۭاِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ
( آیت نمبر 153 : سورۃ البقرہ)
The second occasion is one of immense success and joy. When all the hardships of the Muslims had come to an end, and they were restored to the homes from which they had migrated hundreds of miles away, those very emigrants returned and entered them with great dignity as their rightful owners. The enemies of Islam, who had once considered themselves so powerful, were now hiding in their homes in disgrace and humiliation. And those upon whom Allah Almighty had bestowed His mercy repented of their false beliefs after witnessing the triumph of truth with their own eyes. Thus, people began entering the religion of Allah in great numbers. Then the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, was commanded that…
اِذَا جَاۗءَ نَصْرُ اللّٰهِ وَالْفَتْحُ وَرَاَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُوْنَ فِيْ دِيْنِ اللّٰهِ اَفْوَاجًا فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ اِنَّهٗ كَانَ تَوَّابًا
( آیت نمبر 1تا 3: سورۃ النصر)
At such a moment of great triumph, praise Allah Almighty, seek His forgiveness, and turn to Him. This command was, in fact, meant for the entire Muslim Ummah, and it remains so. Whenever a person is granted victory and success by Allah, is delivered from hardship, and is blessed with honor and status, the first thing he should do is glorify Allah, saying, “Holy is the One who has bestowed this grace upon us.” We are His servants, we repent before Him, and we place our hopes in His grace. This practice is such that it brings an increase in Allah’s mercy and helps preserve His blessings. Those who are not accustomed to this practice become so overwhelmed in times of hardship that they engage in such actions and utter such futile words that they may even fall outside the bounds of faith. As a result, the hardship becomes a cause of loss for them in both their religious and worldly lives and may become even greater.
Likewise, if a person fails to remember Allah Almighty in times of happiness, he may soon either be deprived of Allah’s blessing, or that very blessing may become a source of calamity for him. History bears witness to this. It is a blessing from Allah that our spiritual guide, may Allah have mercy upon him, showed us great kindness by teaching us this lesson: to live our lives in the remembrance and praise of Allah, regardless of the circumstances. These blessed supplications are the means of glorifying Allah. Everyone in this world is inevitably in one of two states: either in sorrow or in happiness. In both conditions, one must engage in righteous practice. That is why this gathering is filled with great blessings. We should attend it with this very intention.
May Allah Almighty grant us relief from the sorrows and worries of this world and the Hereafter, and may He preserve and perpetuate the favors and blessings He has bestowed upon us. Those who come with this aspiration are truly fortunate servants of Allah.
By attending this gathering with this very intention, you return with your hearts filled with the fulfillment of your prayers. With a little effort, but with the right intention, you attain a great treasure that cannot be acquired even through centuries of striving.
Therefore, the purpose of this gathering is to give thanks to Allah, seek forgiveness for our sins, and ask for His grace and mercy at the time of supplication. We should leave our homes with this purpose in our hearts, come here with this intention, and keep it in mind while we are here. Indeed, we should spend the entire week preparing ourselves to participate in this gathering so that all of this time may be spent in worship.
Be careful! Do not allow this precious time to be wasted through your own negligence and heedlessness, which are caused by Satan and the lower self. Therefore, it is essential to guard your actions and thoughts during this time.
Now, let us begin.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
In the blessed name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
The Awrād-e-Naẓīriyyah Sharīf were recited, and supplication was offered.
