Dealing with Difficulty #24 Sin Of Comparison

Comparison

is almost a sin,

especially

when we're comparing what we have with others

in a way that is belittling of what

we have.

In a world of social media, it's become

so difficult, everyone showcases

things they don't even have at times.

And then

people who see it

are looking at this perfect image

of some perfection that didn't exist because it

was either photoshopped or it was just a

video shoot

for a purpose.

And yet we begin to think what I

have is nothing.

I don't have a spouse like this. I

don't have children like this. I don't have

a home like this. I don't have holidays

like this, I don't have money like this,

I'd

a lot of it is material.

The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him helps

us

dealing with this difficulty of comparison by telling

us that

look at those who have less than you

in terms of worldly

material

items.

It will help you to appreciate what you

have. Live in contentment.

The minute you're going to compare with those

who have more

or those whom you and I presume have

more because of the deception of the gram,

the deception of social media,

then we're going to struggle.

So when you look at those who have

less than you, what happens?

You appreciate, I

have a house.

Alhamdulillah,

these people are living in a hut.

We have a road,

a tarred road, a narrow one.

They have a gravel road,

we have water

from the tap twice a week.

They have to take a bucket and walk

5 miles before they can fill dirty water

from the river into that bucket and bring

it back home.

But when you look at those who have

more than you, even if you have your

vehicle, you look at another one, you're not

happy. You have your phone, you look at

a better one, you're not happy.

You have your spouse, you look at another

one, you're not happy. It goes

far beyond all of that

until you lose

every point of your happiness. So if you

don't know how to use social media,

it will cause

a lot of stress and even depression because

you will feel like you have nothing.

You will feel like you've missed out. In

fact, people are finding it difficult to get

married because

it is said that the demands have become

so high that those people who can meet

those demands are non existent.

So you're looking for someone who is not

on earth,

or very few of them might be on

earth. You're looking for someone who can use

social media

to con the people into believing they have

things.

Remember this. So therefore,

many couples who show themselves

online,

Some are blessed,

they teach a lot of goodness,

kudos to them, and we must congratulate them.

But

there are so many who are struggling in

their relationships,

yet online they don't show you that.

Many who have divorced, many who have had

ugly breakups,

sometimes we get to hear about it and

sometimes we don't. It's none of my business,

to be honest with you. But

the way

it was shown,

many other people's lives were broken

because they were comparing

their lives with

the life you never lived. But you didn't

tell us about all your issues.

We didn't know. We saw a hypocritical

side that covered up the real life issues

and showed people perfection that was non existent

in your own life. So it broke so

many homes,

and now yours is broken.

It can happen.

It has happened. It does happen. Be careful.

My brothers and sisters,

not everything that glitters is gold, as they

say.

Because to be honest with you,

when you look at things and you want

to compare,

only compare with those who have less than

you, Inshallah, you will never go wrong. Follow

that coping mechanism.

Dealing with the difficulty of comparison

is such that if you follow the prophet

Muhammad, peace be upon him's guidelines, it won't

be difficult at all.

And then when you come to piety

and got consciousness, taqwa, and closeness to Allah,

then you compare with those who are above

you. So that you're encouraged

to do more.

I prayed all night.

This person prayed all night, every night.

I fasted

3 days a week.

Should I say 3 days a month?

This person fasted

Mondays and Thursdays as well.

Mashallah, I read the Quran in 1 month,

this person read it in thrice a month

and so on. I've been in the masjid

and I come quite early, well this person's

been first every single Friday,

SubhanAllah.

I dress appropriately. Well this person's

been in a place

worse than where you were and they've come

out better than where you are, it should

be encouraging.

Like I say, Allah knows your struggles, we

congratulate you as you walk

through the paces and as you build and

grow

in your closeness to Allah, congrats because you

will be an inspiration to so many others.

You will. And when you're an inspiration,

impiety and God consciousness to others,

then congratulations

you get a full reward for those who

followed suit.

For example, it was not easy for you

to wear the hijab. People saw your journey,

you showed it to them with the idea

of helping them.

And as they grew,

seeing you grow, you get a reward for

that growth of theirs. And nowadays on social

media, there could be 1,000,000 that you don't

even know about, so you get a good

reward.

But when you show your backward movement,

some people have done it

online.

They've

very few, but they've done it. They've taken

off their hijab and thrown it away and

said, that's it. Very few have done it,

but

why do that online?

When you're a believer deep down, it's going

to be tough for you to deal with

that because

if others were inspired by this action, they

would be few in number but it's still

one is damaged.

And if they followed suit after they were

on the right path,

then you led them astray. And if that

was the case, then perhaps

if you're a believer like I am, you

would believe

that you would earn a sin for that.

But,

if you're not a believer at all, then

that's between you and Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

I know because people have argued that I

don't believe. So what's the point? Well then

we can't, we're not addressing you SubhanAllah.

So what I'm saying, if you want to

set an example, set a good example.

If there is a bad thing to be

done, at least don't be proud of it.

Don't show off

something bad. The Hadith speaks about people remaining

in goodness for as long as

they do not commit that which is displeasing

to Allah openly,

and they're not proud of it,

still you remain in goodness. The minute you're

proud of it and you expose it and

you're showing it and everyone is excited about

the sins they're committing and whatever, as believers,

and Allah says, now you've entered red territory

because,

the goodness

is void. May Allah Almighty strengthen all of

us. Going back to the issue of comparison.

So

when you compare, remember those two things. Do

not compare with people because you even if

it were true about them, you would lose

the contentment you have.

You would always be wanting more and you

may never get to that level. To be

able to adjust your life

to exactly what you own and what you

have

is a gift of Allah.

Be happy with it. I have my little

home, we eat the same thing every

day. And on the weekend, it changes once.

People don't have food. People can't eat. People

don't have

a meal. SubhanAllah, we have one meal a

day. Well, some people have

no meals. Some people eat once every 2

days. They just drink a bit of liquid

and fluids.

We have water.

We don't have juices and drinks. They don't

even have water,

Again, look at our brothers and sisters in

Palestine,

and so many other places on earth. How

they are struggling, Allah alone knows.

I've always said we as an Ummah have

failed them.

May Allah forgive us for that failure.

Nonetheless,

if you want to compare,

compare your lives with theirs,

and see how thankful you become,

and see how small your problems

become, if any at all.

May Allah Almighty strengthen us.

Remember comparison

is almost sinful

if you are going to compare in a

way that is destructive.

So don't ever look at someone else and

destroy your life. What you have is a

blessing from Allah.

Feel it, understand it, appreciate it, be grateful

Insha'Allah.

Insha'Allah.