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By Sufyan Ath-Thowri

3 Pieces of Advice that can Change your Life Forever

By Sufyan Ath-Thowri

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قال سفيان الثوري :  أَصلحْ سَرِيْرَتَك يصلح اللهُ علانيتَك , وَأَصْلِحْ فِيمَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ اللهِ يَصْلُحِ اللهُ فِيمَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ , وَاعْمَلْ لِآخِرَتِكَ يَكْفِكَ اللهُ أَمْرَ دُنْيَاكَ

Correct your private affairs and then Allah will correct your public affairs. Rectify your affairs between you and Allah and He will rectify your affairs among the people. Work for your Hereafter and Allah will suffice your worldly affairs.[1]

How does one rectify his private affairs? By being conscious of Allah when Allah. The prophet (ﷺ) said:

اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ

Fear Allah wherever you are.

 Ibn Rajab said this includes publicly and privately.[2] These words tell us to fear Allah wherever and whenever we. When we are alone, we are aware that Allah sees us. To fear Allah is to do His commands and stay away from His prohibitions being mindful of Him and not heedless in public and when secluded.

Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا

“Verily Allah is a Watcher over you”

Whenever a person fears Allah publically and privately he is sincere towards Allah. This kind of behavior places one in the lofty moral spirit aware from hypocrisy, showing off, and wanting to seen and praised by people.

The Muslim who fears Allah wherever he is understands that Allah is with him through His knowledge.

Correct your private affairs and then Allah will correct your public affairs. Included in the public affairs that Allah will correct are; your economic affairs and your social affairs. The economic affairs are everything related to your financial situation. The social affairs make up everything related to how you are in society among people, your spouse and neighbors. 

Rectify your affairs between you and Allah and He will rectify your affairs among the people. How can we rectify ourselves with Allah? There are several steps we can take to begin this process. The first path is by doing acts of worship as legislated. The prayer for example. Offer it in its proper time, regularly. Allah said:

 وَيُقِيمُونَ الصلاة

They establish the prayer.

Allah didn’t mention the believers as those who pray the prayer. He said those who establish the prayer. This means they offer it correctly. Establishing the prayer is also done by performing it in its proper time. The Most High said:

  إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ كانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتاباً مَوْقُوتاً

The prayer has been prescribed on the believers at fixed timings.

All acts of worship must be performed sincerely to Allah and as legislated. This is the key to opening the door of correcting our relationship with Allah. Other acts of worship we can do is fasting. Fasting is among the best acts worship that disciplines the souls to be patient by abstaining for the soul’s desires. Reading the Quran and maintaining the morning and evening Thikr of Allah are both acts of worship that allows the servant to have a strong connection to his Lord.

  The second path is by abandoning Haraam acts for Allah’s pleasure. Allah said

 إِن تَجْتَنِبُوا كَبَائِرَ مَا تُنْهَوْنَ عَنْهُ نُكَفِّرْ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَنُدْخِلْكُم مُّدْخَلاً كَرِيماً

 If you avoid the major sinswhich you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from you your (small) sins, and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise).[4:31]

Staying form major sins are those which Allah promised a punishment for, earns His anger, the doer is cursed and can enter into Hell. Any sin mentioned with those 4 admonitions are among the major sins. The 3rd path to mending our relationship with Allah is when sin we repent immediately. Allah said:

وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَى مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ(135) أُوْلَئِكَ جَزَاؤُهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ العَامِلِين(136)

And those who, when they have committed Fahishah (illegal sexual intercourse etc.) or wronged themselves with evil, remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their sins; – and none can forgive sins but Allah – And do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.136. For such, the reward is Forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath (Paradise), wherein they shall abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous deeds according to Allah’s Orders)

Rectify your affairs between you and Allah and He will rectify your affairs among the people. A person’s good relationship and interaction with the people is based on his relationship with his Lord.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدَافِعُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا

Truly, Allah defends those who believe.

Work for your Hereafter and Allah will suffice your worldly affairs. Allah said:

فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنا آتِنا فِي الدُّنْيا وَما لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلاقٍ (200) وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنا آتِنا فِي الدُّنْيا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ

Allah saidBut of mankind there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us (Your Bounties) in this world!” and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter.And of them there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!” [ Al-Baqarah 200-201]

The Prophet (ﷺ)said: “Whoever makes the Hereafter his goal, Allah makes his heart rich, and organizes his affairs, and the world comes to him whether it wants to or not. And whoever makes the world his goal, Allah puts his poverty right before his eyes, and disorganizes his affairs, and the world does not come to him, except what has been decreed for him.”[3]

This hadith teaches us that whoever pursues the life of this world becomes preoccupied with it. Whereas the one who pursues the life in the Hereafter is provided for easily. The man busy running behind this life then Allah causes his affairs to be in a disarray to the point he is immersed in thoughts. This world consumes him to point he doesn’t know if he’s coming or going at times. Although he has money in hands his heart senses poverty. He fears that what he possesses will finish.

بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا} (2) {وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى

Nay, you prefer the life of this world;17. Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting

The one who makes the next life his objective finds his affairs easy by being content in heart with his possessions. He doesn’t desire to much from this life. He is satisfied with what Allah has given him. The world comes to him whether it wants to or not; as Allah has already written what he’ll receive so he pursues what is lawful and Allah give it to him.

Some of the Salaf used to say: You are in need of this world, and you are more in need of your share in the Hereafter. If you start with your share in the Hereafter, pass over your share in the world your worldly affairs will be kept it in order[4]
 
Work for your Hereafter and Allah will suffice your worldly affairs.
 
Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyah said: Whoever places wealth in his heart has succeeded, and whoever does not, then this world will not benefit him.[5] 
Prepared by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha,Qatar1444©
 

[1] Hilya vol7/pg35

[2] Jamu vol1/pg 407

[3] Collected by At-Tirmithi (2465), Ibn Majah (4105) by way of Anas ibn Malik(Radi Allah anhu), and Ahmed (5/183) by way Zayd ibn Thabit (radi Allahu anhu). Shaykh Al-Albani in Silsilah Saheehah (949) graded it as being Sahih, like Shaykh Muqbil did in (الجامع الصحيح مما ليس في الصحيحين ) ,(1/39).

[4] Majmou vol10/pg 663

[5] Ilam vol2pg 168

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