Zakir Naik – How to Attain Contentment in Life
AI: Summary ©
The speaker discusses the importance of contentment and wealth in various aspects of the human cycle. They explain that wealth is not property and that it is a test for individuals. The speaker also discusses the importance of testing individuals for their success and failure in various areas of the cycle.
AI: Summary ©
The other test?
It is contentment.
It's contentment.
And our beloved prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam said,
it's mentioned in Sahih Bukhari.
Wa'm number 8, hadith number 447.
The prophet said
that even if a person owns a valley
of gold,
you would want to have another.
Even if a person owns a valley of
gold, you would want to own another valley
of gold. And the maximum he can take
in his mouth is the dirt of the
grave.
However rich he is, let him be the
richest man in the world.
The person
would want to crave for more wealth.
A person is not content. Most of the
human beings aren't content.
Allah says in the Quran in Surah Nisa,
chapter number 4, verse number 32,
That
do not
ask from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
that which Allah has favored other people.
We say, you know Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
you have given him so much wealth, you
have given him such a good beautiful car.
Don't ask from Allah what Allah has favored
others with.
It will be lost for you.
And our beloved prophet Muhammadu alaihi wa sallam
said, it's mentioned in Sahib Bukhari. Problem number
4. Our beloved prophet said
that, look at those people who are less
fortunate than you.
Don't look at those people who are more
fortunate than you, lest it will divert you
from the remembrance of Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Lest you may be ungrateful to your Lord.
So prophet said, look at those who are
less fortunate.
Then you'll see, okay fine. The person, no,
he doesn't have a car. At least I
have a small
car, Don't look at a person having a
Mercedes.
Oh, why don't I have a Mercedes?
The person doesn't have a car at least
Allah has given me a car. You'll be
thankful to Allah. The moment you compare yourself
with a person who has a Mercedes, oh,
why isn't Allah giving me a Mercedes?
Look at those people,
well it's fortunate.
It will help you to remember Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala. And this is human nature.
And they are saying that there was a
man
who complained
because he had no shoes.
Until he saw a man who had no
feet.
A person used to complain, I've got no
shoes. Complain to Allah,
I've got no shoes. Until he saw a
man who had no feet, then he's thanking
Allah,
at least I have feet.
So
contentment
is a test.
Our beloved prophet Muhammad said, it's mentioned in
Bukhari.
Volume number 8, that
the real wealth is contentment. It is not
property.
The real true wealth
is contentment. Being satisfied, whatever you have, you
say alhamdulillah,
praise be to Allah.
That is a true woman. That's a true
believer. That's a true Muslim. Contentment.
While people ask, then how come Allah
has created some people who are born healthy?
He makes some people born healthy. Some people
are born with diseases.
Maybe congenital disease, heart disease, some are born
handicapped.
So is Allah unjust?
Allah says in the Quran, insurnissah,
chapter 4 verse 40, Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala
is never unjust in the least degree. This
is a test. Allah tests different people in
different ways.
Maybe
it's possible
the children that are born, they are Muslim,
they are sinless.
It's not their fault at all. But as
the Quran says in Suri Anfal, chapter number
8, verse number 28, that your wealth and
your children are a test for you.
And Allah repeats the message in chapter 63,
verse number 9, that do not let your
wealth and your children deviate from the remembrance
of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So maybe possible
that it's a test for the parents.
It's a test for the parents.
There may be occasion
whenever any calamity comes on any individual,
it is either a test or it's a
punishment.
Those people who have deviated from Allah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala, for them it's a punishment. From
those who are on the true path, it's
a test for them.
Maybe the parents are very good Muslims,
offering 5 times salah, may have given the
Zakat, may have gone for Hajj, may be
fasting the month of Ramadan. Now Allah
gives them a child
who has congenital heart disease.
The true Muslim, a true woman will say,
Alhamdulillah.
Thank you Allah.
Allah is testing them.
A person
who is ungrateful
or
may not be able to pass the difficulties,
we say, oh why? He will start cribbing.
He'll complain to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. Why
did Allah give me a child who is
handicapped, who has congenital heart disease?
And more difficult the test,
more high is the reward.
More difficult is the test, more high is
the reward.
For example,
if you sit
for
a BA degree examination,
If you
pass, you're a graduate.
BA, graduate in arts. But if you pass
an MBA examination,
beside being a graduate you get a doctor
in front of your name, doctor.
But to pass examination
is multiple times more difficult than to pass
a B examination.
More difficult the test,
more high is the reward. So maybe Allah
wants to give those parents, not Jannah but
Jannah for those. So even though they're pious,
Allah wants to give them a higher reward.
And that is the reason our beloved prophet,
Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi wa Salam said, it's mentioned
sunnah.
When a person asked
that who had the maximum test in this
world? The prophet replied that all the ambias,
all the prophets of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
they had the most difficult test.
After that, those who were closest to them,
those who were like the prophets.
After that, those who were like them.
And more higher is the faith of a
person, more difficult is the test. I mean,
most a person has, I'd like to use
a difficult test.
So you took admission into MBBS because you
got high marks in 12 standard.
Aye?
So more difficult test to pass MBBS is
difficult. So you are also the prophets
that level cannot be compared with the normal
human beings.
So just because they were prophets of God,
even the prophets were tested.
No prophet was
just led without testing. But because the was
high, the prophets were tested multiple times more
than the normal human being less compared to
you and me. More difficult. So more higher
is the and the faith, Allah will test
you. So true believer, if difficulty come, he
says,
Subhanallah.
Praise be to Allah. Alhamdulillah.
He takes it as a test.
Any calamity comes, it's either
a test or a punishment.
For the prophets of,
it wasn't a punishment, it was a test.
And they pass the test.
When any good things happen
to individual, it's either a reward or a
test.
Wealth can be a reward,
or it can be a test for you.
Any good thing happens, it is either a
reward or a test for you. For those
who have deviated from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
they pray, give me wealth. Allah give them
wealth. And tell them when they fail. So
in this world,
they get what they want, luxury, but in
the akhara,
it's nothing but loss.
Charity, the test. Contentment, the test.
The children are test.