← Back to The Art of Having Good Expectations of Allah
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In the previous episode, we focused on the first foundation of these foundations, which is contemplating the names and attributes of Allah. The second foundation that we will contemplate and strive to acquire, with Allah's permission, is contemplating the blessings of Allah that He has bestowed upon us in our past and present, so that we may feel that even if we are deprived of some blessings, we have enjoyed many other blessings but have forgotten them, and we still have many blessings but we do not feel them. Let us start today with the first episode on this great topic that softens the hearts: the blessings of Allah.
There are beautiful expressions that humans say to each other: "You have overwhelmed me with your kindness," "I will never forget your goodness as long as I live," "My love for you has reached a stage of no return; no matter what you do in the future, I will continue to love you and I will not allow anything to shake my love for you." These expressions are said to those who do good to us time after time, without any worldly motives, but because their affection is sincere, their soul is noble, and their heart is big.
When we live these expressions and revolve them in our minds, we also love and respect ourselves, because we are pleased to be loyal, affectionate, appreciative of goodness, soft-hearted, and refined in our feelings.
I remember that once, these expressions echoed within me towards my older brother after one of his visits to me during my imprisonment. My older brother has been good to me all my life, and when I was imprisoned, he did not rest until he tasted the peace of mind, and he devoted himself and strove in every direction to lift the injustice from me. He excelled in filling the void for my children, and he would come to visit me burdened with worries from the shock of what he saw during his efforts in my case from injustice and disrespect for human dignity. However, he would control himself and put on a smile, and choose his words and recall good news to keep my morale high.
After one of his visits to me in prison, as he smiled with a farewell smile and said to me, "Take care of yourself, God willing, relief is near," I looked at him as he left me and went away, and I said to myself: "I will always love you, I do not deserve all this from you, I will be loyal to you as long as I live." I felt happiness and self-satisfaction as I thought about these expressions.
Then suddenly, an important question occurred to me: Who first said such expressions? Who first said such expressions? Is it not Allah, the Most High?
Has He not overwhelmed us with His goodness? Has He not proven His care for us and His honor for us by making us Muslims, addressing us with His words, guiding us to Himself, and making us know His attributes, and enveloping us with His blessings at every moment? And He informed us about Paradise that He has prepared for us and guided us to its path, and made us love Him with His words, blessings, forgiveness for our slips, and His joy at our repentance?
How many times have you asked Allah and He gave you? How many times have you fallen into distress and He saved you? How many years has He concealed your faults from people and showed them your virtues? How many times has He directed your love to the heart of one of His creatures? How many times has He saved you from the gloating of enemies? Even the trial, does it not please you if Allah chooses you for His side in the abode of His honor and wants to purify you to be worthy of this status? Instead of purifying you with fire, will we remain every time Allah tests our love for Him with a worldly trial, will this love be shaken and the purity of our affection be disturbed? Will we continue to fail the test?
When will you say: "O Lord, You have overwhelmed me with Your goodness, I will never forget Your favor upon me as long as I live. O Lord, no matter what You test me with and no matter what You afflict me with, I will remain loving You, rather, my love for You will increase, and I will not allow anything to disturb the purity of my love for You"?
Brother, O you whom Allah has blessed with much in your past and present, but you will not remember the past and feel the present unless you are loyal and appreciative of the goodness after this divine blessing. If your love for Allah has not reached the stage of "no return," when will it reach? And what will bring it after this divine blessing?
It is beautiful to be loyal, modest, grateful, affectionate, appreciative of goodness and gratitude with humans. But the most beautiful, the first, and the most right is to be like this with Allah, the Most High, the Creator of humans, who has not done good to us except by His will, mercy, covering of our faults, and making us love His creation. So be like this with Allah: love without return.
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.