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Free People
I am teaching you words:
Guard (the Commands and Prohibitions of) Allah, He will guard you.
Guard (the Rights of) Allah, you will find Him before you.
When you ask, ask Allah.
When you seek help, seek it from Allah.
Know that if people gather together to benefit you with something, they will not benefit you except with something that Allah has destined for you.
And if they gather together to harm you with something, they will not harm you except with something that Allah has destined for you.
The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.1
This is the human dignity that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) protected and fought for. In word and action, he (pbuh) broke all idols within the heart2 to liberate souls.
You belong to Allah alone, and to Him you shall return.
No one has power over you.
All power belongs to Allah
(Al-Baqarah 2: 165)
No one can forgive your sins.
Benefit or harm you.
Cause you to die or live.
Provide for you from the heavens or the earth.
No one can except your Creator Almighty:
To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And you have not besides Allah any protector or helper
(At-Tawbah 9: 116)
Anything other than Allah is but helpless:
They have taken besides Him gods that create nothing, but are themselves created, and possess not for themselves any harm or benefit, and possess not (power to cause) death, life, or resurrection
(Al-Furqan 25: 3)
He Almighty alone hears. He Almighty alone responds:
Verily, those on whom you call besides Allah cannot create (even) a fly, even though they gather together for the purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to recover it from the fly. Weak are (both) the seeker and the sought
(Al-Hajj 22: 73)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) instilled these beliefs, which have the power of freeing and purifying the souls from any form of Shirk that may pressure people into subjugation to, fear of, or hope in someone or something other than Allah.
It is forbidden to lower, humble, or demean oneself. “Anyone who sits before a rich person and humbles himself before him for some worldly gain, one-third of his religion is forfeited.”3
Any burdens, confessions, or needs should be poured out, in private without mediators, to the Sole Source of Support:
- “Ask Allah of His Bounty. Truly, Allah Almighty loves to be asked.”4
- “Let each of you ask his Lord for everything that he needs, even a lace for his shoe when it breaks.”5
- “If only you rely on Allah with due reliance, He will provide you with sustenance as He provides birds. They go forth hungry in the morning and return satisfied in the afternoon.”6
- “Any servant who says every morning and evening, ‘In the name of Allah with Whose Name nothing on earth or in heaven can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing’ nothing will harm them.”7
- “Shall I teach you a word which is one of the treasures of Paradise: There is neither might nor power except with Allah.”8
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) entered the Masjid one day where he (pbuh) saw there a man from the Ansar called Abu Umamah t.
He (pbuh) said, “What is the matter that I see you sitting in the Masjid at a time other than Salah time?”
Abu Umamah said, “Worries and debts I am burdened with, O Messenger of Allah.”
He (pbuh) said, “Shall I teach you words which, when you say them, Allah will remove your worry and settle your debt?”
Abu Umamah said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.”
He (pbuh) said, “Say in the morning and evening, ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and grief. I seek refuge in You from inability and sloth. I seek refuge in You from cowardice and miserliness. And I seek refuge in You from being overcome by debt or subjugated by men.’”
Abu Umamah said, “I did that and Allah removed my worry and settled my debt.”9
Filled with these feelings of closeness, reliance, and support, the followers of Muhammad (pbuh) lived in this New World free, with no fear of – or for – anything. People who bowed to Allah Almighty with humility and stood with their heads raised before everything else.
(It is You we worship and You we ask for help
(Al-Fatihah 1: 3)
References
- That is, the pens inscribing fate have ceased writing; all destinies are already inscribed and decided. Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas: Sunnan At-Tirmidhy, Book of Sifat Al-Qiyamah wa Ar-Raqa’iq wa Al-Wara‘, Hadith no. 2440; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Ahmad (2537, 2627, 2666).
- All forms of material or spiritual bondage, not just images worshiped as gods.
- Reported by At-Tabarani in As-Saghir and Al-Baihaqi in Shu‘ab Al-Iman.
- Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud: Sunnan At-Tirmidhy, Book of Ad-Da‘wat (Supplications), Hadith no. 3494.
- Narrated by Anas bin Malik: Sunnan At-Tirmidhy, Book of Ad-Da‘wat, Hadith no. 3536.
- Narrated by ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab: Sunnan At-Tirmidhy, Book of Az-Zuhd (Renunciation), Hadith no. 2266; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Ibn Majah (4154) and Ahmad (200, 348).
- Narrated by ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan: Sunnan At-Tirmidhy, Book of Ad-Da‘wat, Hadith no. 3310; a similar version is also reported by Ibn Majah (3859).
- Narrated by Abu Musa: Sahih Al-Bukhary: Book of Al-Qadar (Predestination), Hadith no. 6120; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (2770, 3883, 5905, 5930, 6838) and Muslim (4873, 4874, 4875).
- Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudry: Sunnan Abu Dawud, Book of Salah, Hadith no. 1330.
