The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

06 Jumaadul Ula 1445/08 November 2024

All praise is due to Allah ‎ﷻ , the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ.

At times we find that we are put through many challenges and difficulties and sometimes all we looking for is an escape and some sort of peace and contentment. The question is where do seek this contentment from? Where do we go and what do we do to free our minds from our challenges and struggles?

We usually search and find contentment and satisfaction in materialistic items of this temporary world however such contentment and satisfaction is only temporary. It lasts for a short period of a time and as time goes by we no longer find satisfaction in those items. From an Islamic perspective there is absolutely nothing wrong with going out with friends and family to relax and have a break as long as it does not distance us from Allah. In actual fact it should be such that as much as we relax, we take out a bit more time to improve our relationship with Allah and get closer to Him.

True contentment of the heart lies in the remembrance of Allah ﷻ. As it is mentioned in Surah Ra’d, verse 28:

أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ

“Without a doubt, by the remembrance of Allah ﷻ the hearts are satisfied (assured).”

The contentment found in the remembrance of Allah ﷻ is an everlasting contentment. No matter how many times we turn to Allah ﷻ in remembrance of Him, the contentment and satisfaction we feel never fades. Every time we strive to gain closeness to Allah ﷻ, Allah ﷻ rewards us by bringing us even closer to Him.

Abu Huraira (R.A) narrates a Hadith Qudsi:

قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلأٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلأٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ بِشِبْرٍ تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً ‏”‏‏.‏

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah ﷻ says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’ ” – Bukhari 7405

Shaykh Muhammed Philander once mentioned that every individual should have a cave, not necessarily a physical cave rather it should be a metaphorical cave even if it is a small corner in a room where one has absolutely no distractions and can escape the fitna of this world. This so called ‘cave’ becomes a place where one can reconnect with Allah ﷻ and find true contentment in His remembrance.

We ask Allah ﷻ to grant us the strength and the ability to seek contentment in His remembrance and to safeguard us from seeking contentment in materialistic items of this world which only take us further away from Allah ﷻ. May Allah ﷻ accept our efforts from us and grant us understanding In Sha Allah!