Diligence upon the Reasons that bring about Happiness and Avoiding the Reasons that bring about Misery

In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

Beware! Oh my brother of this horrified spectacle (The Day of Resurrection)!
Beware that your scale will be lightened (due to your lack of good deeds)!
Beware that you will be given your book in your left hand!
For indeed, that is a terrible affliction.

Be diligent upon attaining the means that bring about happiness and safety; that your scale be heavy (with good deeds), that you receive your book in your right hand and be amidst the successful and happy people (on that day).

This abode (i.e. The Dunya), is the abode of reckoning (i.e. of the self). So call yourself to account! Look at your actions day, night and forever until you expire. Thus, if you are upright and steadfast then praise Allaah and thank Him and be patient and persevere and ask your Lord for success and stability. However, if you have been disregardful and lethargic in many affairs then you must check yourself!

Repent to Allaah, be upright, and repair that which you have been sluggish in, be steadfast upon the commandments of Allaah and stay away from the prohibitions of Allaah with a sincere intention solely for Him, yearning for what He possesses with Him accompanied with truthfulness.

Therefore there must be truthfulness found in the individual.

(Again) Allaah says: {Oh you who believe! Have taqwah of Allaah and be with those who are truthful}. [9:119]

And He says: {Then if they had been true to Allaah, it would have been better for them}. [47:21]

Allaah also says at the end of Surah al-Maaidah: {This is the Day on which the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness; they will have Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise) they shall abide therein forever. Allaah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is the great success (Paradise)}. [5:119]

This is the state of the truthful ones, those who are truthful with Allaah in implementing the haqq (truth), leaving off what Allaah has forbade, striving against the soul with good, racing towards the good, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, encouraging one another with the truth and good advise to Allaah and to His slaves.

Whoever strives against his own self will find a praiseworthy outcome and he will reap the benefit of that in the Dunya and Aakhirah. But whosoever is careless and negligent of this affair (i.e. striving against one’s self) then he will regret the outcome.

So, it is a must to be cautious (of this matter). And you must examine yourself day and night asking: “What have I done”? “What have I been neglectful in”?! In order for you to know what is for you and what is against you.

Furthermore, beware of accompanying the wretched ones! Those who hinder you from doing good and aid you in doing evil. It is upon you to accompany the upright persons, those who when you recollect about an affair they assist you, when you forget they remind you with the good, those who strive with you, who are patient with you and they help and support you upon the good.

(Again) it is mandatory that you befriend the best of the people. Because a person is on the deen of his companion. He is going to be upon what his companion is upon. Thus, be eager in befriending the righteous and decent people. Those who help you upon the good and remind you when you forget and goad you when you become lazy.

You must accompany the honorable and avoid accompanying the wicked; those who impede you from what is correct and lead you to falsehood. Be cautious of associating with them. Because the believer, according to his condition, if he advises for Allaah and for His slaves and sticks with the upright persons he will achieve the utmost happiness and success. But if he abandons and neglects (what was just mentioned) he will have the utmost remorse.

Thus, oh you slave of Allaah; you must adorn yourself with the mannerisms of the Believers and abide by them. Allaah He says: {The Believers, men and women, are Auliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends etc.) of one another, they enjoin the good and forbid the evil, they perform the Salat and give the Zakat and obey Allaah and His Messenger. Allaah will have mercy upon them. Surely Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise}. [9:71]

And the Messenger, sallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: “All of my nation will enter Paradise except those who refuse. It was said: Oh Messenger of Allaah! Who will refuse?! He, sallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys me then he has refused.” [1]

Hence, whoever obeys Allaah and His messenger, sallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, enters Paradise and achieves the greatest success. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His messenger, sallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, then he has refused and exposed himself to the anger of Allah and His punishment. So, it is imperative to be alert and to fight against the soul.

Allaah, The Most High, says: {As for those who strive in Us (for Our Cause), We will surely guide them to Our Paths (Allaah’s Religion). And verily, Allaah is with the gooddoers}. [29:69]

And He says: {And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard (for the cause of Allaah) and the patient ones, and We shall test your facts (i.e. the one who is a liar and the one who is truthful}. [47:31]

Hence, striving is incumbent and bearing patiently is also incumbent.

Allaah, The Most High, says: {And whosoever strives he only strives for himself. Verily Allaah is free of all wants from the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists}. [29:6]

Therefore strive against yourself! So that perhaps you will be saved. Because you are in danger, this abode is an abode of danger, an abode of deception, an abode of tribulations. Allaah He says: {And what is the worldly life except a deceiving enjoyment}. [3: 185]

And He says: {Your wealth and your children are only trials, whereas Allaah! With Him is a great reward (Paradise)}. [64:15]

You are in an abode of deceptions, trials, lusts, and an abode of allurement to commit what Allaah has prohibited. You have to be heedful as long as you are present in this life. Fight against your soul, be forbearing upon the obedience of your Lord and be mindful of His disobedience. Cling to those who are upright and watch out for the evil ones. This is the path to success. This is the path to salvation and the road to good.

The Prophet, sallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: “Whoever Allaah wants good for He gives him understanding of the Religion.” [2] So it is upon you to learn and seek understanding and insight of the Religion.

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Footnotes:

[1] Collected by Bukhaari: Hadeeth of Abee Hurayrah.
[2] Collected by Bukhaari and Muslim: Hadeeth of Mu’aawiyah