Suhaib Webb – Lesson Eight Contentment
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Assalamu alaikum
Warahmatullahi
Wabarakatuh. Welcome back to the Sanitation of the
Soul
season 1 alhamdulillah and we are reading of
course from this text:
Al Kharida
al Bahiyyah
the glimmering or shiny pearl.
And we've been talking about the 10 foundations
of a life of faith and devotion
as recognized by
our tradition,
our faith,
our religion,
our practice.
Last time we talked about the idea
of resilience
and how do we create that capacity
Al Qadar,
which is related to the Iradah, the divine
will,
and Qadr, which is related to Al Ijed
Ijed.
The Sheik now he moves on to the
4th foundation which
is intrinsically linked to those things. And he
says
We're gonna talk about the first part of,
this line now. He says
meaning
B
to Allah Subhanahu WA Ta'ala
in submission.
So that you will be successful. You'll be
safe in this life in the next.
But underneath all of this is something called
a real law.
A real law.
A real law means commit contentment,
sometimes translated as happiness, but at a deeper
level,
it's contentment.
And it is
exhibited by the choices that we make.
So that's why after the call to prayer,
we say that beautiful supplication,
I am content with Allah
as my sustainer and creator.
I am content with Islam as my way
of life, my religion. And I am content
with Muhammad
as a prophet and a messenger
The shaykh he says
The 4th
foundation on the path
is
to be content.
Then he defines it he says
it is to
you know,
means to go out. Right? To evict yourself.
So the idea here is
You Allah
It's very beautiful in Arabic.
He says that this idea of contentment religious
contentment
is to evict
ourselves
from our
own pleasures
and being content in the things
that we may, you know, be attracted to,
which are evil or
unworthy
of the servant of Allah
by entering into a state where we are
content with Allah.
So evicting ourselves from, like, selfishness,
narcissism,
hubris,
ignorance,
and evil,
and finding contentment in good.
Right to pull away from evil and to
enter good.
But here also it has another very important
kind of lesson that is linked to resilience
and that is what if the KaDaah of
Allah
what Allah has decreed for us and then
it manifests to Qadr.
What if it violates
say what's right or good? It is possible
that Allah could decree for us things which
are counter to what are identified as good
and revelation
can happen
that's the test
as he said earlier
that is the idea of being resilient.
So we understand that when that happens there's
3 things that we need to think about.
Number 1 is the Qada of Allah.
Number 2 is the umr of Allah. And
number 3 is our choices that Allah has
given us.
The Qada of Allah
and the emra of Allah. The emra of
Allah is found in the Quran. The commands
of God are found in the Quran.
And through the sunnah of the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wa sallam and through the auxiliary sources
of guidance and shari'at that we talk about
in Usulufik.
The Qada of Allah may contradict that. For
example, Allah
has commanded that we all believe,
but he decreed that Abu Jahl would be
a Kafir.
Do I now use
the fact that Abu Jahl was a disbeliever
as an excuse to give up on the
command of Allah,
this is the essence of rida.
That when the entire world is going against
what Islam identifies
as being right and faithful,
do I surrender
to the world
or do I adhere
to the dictations of the dictates of Islam?
This is a riddle.
And that's why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says
about the sahaba
that Allah is pleased with them and they
are pleased or content with Allah They don't
need anything else through poverty, through success, through
failure,
through through incredible moments of opportunity and and
achievement.
Whatever the situation
or all do
they are pleased
with what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has decreed
for them
So, in the face of when Qadah
contradicts the command the believer sticks to the
command. This is the height of Ihsan. This
is the height of taslim to Allah
that's why we are Muslim
the Muslim is the one who surrenders to
that command
in the face of whatever is popular
whatever
encourages evil that does not justify
giving up or surrendering.
To Allah.
So the says
so be
a Muslim in submission to Allah
Use your free will to choose what's right.
Be isn't Allah
and you will be successful and and succeed.
Sheikh Ahmed,
Dardir he says
The 4th is contentment
That
is to
exit any notions of kind of selfish pleasures
and contentment
by entering into
what is pleasing to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Be taslim. How do you do that? Be
taslimi
lal akamil azaliyah.
By surrendering
to whatever Allah has decreed. And I mentioned
if that decree counter
contradicts
the commands
we are commanded to do our best
to to to use the command of Allah
to counter this. So we see injustice happening
around us, we see evil happening around us
we don't submit to that in that way
we say yes this is what Allah has
decreed Alhamdulillah
but Allah has commanded me in the face
of what I see to submit to something
else.
So that's submission in that moment so if
the qada and the umr align
I submit Alhamdulillah
without any opposition
if the kadah and the emir
are contradictory if the decree and the command
are in contradiction
I am commanded to go to the command.
SubhanAllah.
That's what it means.
And to realize that in reality we have
no real control.
Right? That everything is under the command and
administration of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala I'm ordered
to do my best, I'm ordered to try,
I am ordered to make effort because Allah
commands that but ultimately the outcome rests with
Allah alone Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Without any opposition
or disgust,
right? If
the command and the Quran
align. If the command and the Quran
are contradictory,
then it's allowed to be
upset in the sense of this is evil
and I have to oppose it.
What he lay, he, Sharabi,
Right? So he
says, after talking about resilience
and after talking about,
I think is what he says. Yes.
After talking about everything that has been decreed
you can't escape it
so therefore
submit to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala we talked
about what that means
So seek this contentment with Allah
And again, we defined this
one more time.
The idea is to submit to the plans
of Allah and the decrees of Allah. But
if those decrees violate
the commands of God, we are commanded
to repel that with his commands.
So that way, you know, sometimes you see
people say well, all these dictators,
this is the qada' of Allah, just be
satisfied. This
goes against our aqeedah.
George Floyd was murdered, people continue to be
killed, we just have to stop Palestine, Kashmir,
all these things,
challenges in our life. No, no, no, no,
no. We are commanded to be resilient
with the command of Allah
if the Kaaba of God
contradicts it. This is the essence of Sabrin.
Right? The death and life are a test.
You will be safe
and protected
from any of the shortcomings
and difficulties
and harms that await someone in the hereafter.
We ask Allah
and we're gonna build on these concepts in
the future to help us
become
mashAllah those who are content. Sheikh Alai Salih
used to tell me that
He used to say that contentment with Allah
is the paradise of the believer in this
life. Masha'Allah.
And we know that Sayyidina Musa
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala said
that my pleasure with you is in your
pleasure with what I have decreed for you.
Showing that pleasure means 2 things. If the
Qada and the Umr coincide and align, we
submit.
If the Qadha and the emir contradict one
another, we go with the emir the command
of Allah. We ask Allah