A Balance Of Hope and Fear
Please pray that Allah grants our brothers and sisters who are suffering ease, victory and that He replaces all they have lost with that which is better, Ameen. Please donate here: launchgood.com
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlah wa barakaatuh.
I have accepted my fate that every Saturday, whatever is left of my non-existent social life will be sacrificed for studying.
I am not complaining o! Instead, I am happy for the opportunity to pause, learn and reflect. This last Saturday was extra special as I sat in class with my dear Ustadha, learning from her wisdom and unique perspectives on how to connect with Allah in Solah.
Ustadha, never disappoints and I am so excited to share my greatest takeaway from class that helped me to rethink what it means to fear Allah.
I am going to be honest here, The fear of Allah as I understood it then, crippled me more times than I can remember. This was really bad in my younger years, when it was wielded as a tool to scare me into performing different acts of worship. It had a such a negative impact on me that it almost chased me away altogether. Alhamdullillahi for Allah’s mercy and guidance.
Back to the gist, Ustadha explained that fear is something that we should be grateful for. She went on to explain, that this is because fear is protective, it is something that Allah has put in us to protect us. Fear prevents us from the things that are displeasing to Allah, because we do not want Him to be disappointed in us.
Think about it, who wants to disappoint the one who you love the most?
She explained further, how the fear of Allah must not be overwhelming and how we must balance it with an emotion that is equally as important, which is hope. She said that we must be weary of letting fear takeover and become overwhelming and crippling. We should instead remind ourselves that when we slip , the same one who we fear is the one that we will go back too. Trusting that he will forgive us.
Fear should not be negative , fear should be protective -Jinan Yousef.
I was just scribbling at top speed during the class, while nodding my head in agreement! It was so comforting to learn about fear in a different way and make sure that it does not take me away from my creator.
Ustadha now wrapped up with a reminder, that Allah loves those who return to Him.
فَفِرُّوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّى لَكُم مِّنْهُ نَذِيرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ ٥٠
So ˹proclaim, O Prophet˺: “Flee to Allah! I am truly sent by Him with a clear warning to you.
She also reminded us that Allah loves those that return to Him. At this point, I could not wait for my head to touch the ground and connect with the one who wants me to return to Him.
It really is an honor to serve Our Creator whose doors are always open..
It is a great source of comfort to know that even in what seems like a scary emotion, there is still His love and mercy.
It is an honor to be a servant of Allah. It really is.
Alhamdullilahi robbil alaameen
May we never be paralyzed by the fear of Allah but instead recognize that it is here to protect us and help us stick to what is pleasing to Him.
Seeing the suffering in Gaza reminded me of the verses in Surah Ali Imran, which ignited in me hope and a sense of peace for all the innocent lives lost. In these verses, Allah reminds us that those who suffer persecution and are driven out from their homes will be admitted to paradise, and their sins will be completely removed. What struck me is the verse which says, "And what is with Allah is best for the virtuous" (3:198). This can also be read alongside the verse in Surah Al Nahl, "Whatever you have will end, but whatever Allah has is everlasting. And We will certainly reward the steadfast according to the best of their deeds" (16:96).
The soil that lasts forever is more valuable than the gold which perishes after a short time- Hammad Fahim
Stumbled on this, this evening and wanted to share. I have not finished reading it yet but wanted to share regardless. It is a blogpost by Yaqeen Institute on Qunut Nazilah: A Guide to Making Dua for the Oppressed in Times of War".
Till Next Week, Insha Allah
We leave you in Allah’s care,
One of us at Ibadahplug