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Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘alameen, wa salatu wa salamu ala ashrafil anbiya wal mursaleen, Muhammadur Rasulullah ﷺ, tasliman kathiran kathirakum.
My brothers and sisters, I was listening to one of my shuyukh and he said this very beautiful thing, which of course is something which we have heard many times before, which we know, but alhamdulillah, may Allah have mercy on us, and I speak for myself, we need reminders. He said this very beautiful thing: “Don’t worry about the future because that is in the hand of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and He is Ar-Razzaq; He provides with His power.”
He said, “Worry about and think only and only about pleasing Allah because if you please Allah then everything falls into place.”
We have the Hadith of Rasulullah who said that when Allah loves a slave, He calls Jibreel and says to him, “I love so-and-so,” and Jibreel says to him, “I love so-and-so,” and you also love so-and-so. May Allah make us and include us among those who He will mention in this way, Inshallah.
And Nabi said, Jibreel then loves that person, and he announces in the heavens that Allah loves so-and-so, so you also love so-and-so, and the love for that person is established to the heavens and the love for that person is established on the earth and this person becomes influential and people love him. Conversely, if Allah dislikes somebody, Allah calls Jibreel and says, “I dislike so-and-so” and you also dislike him. And Jibreel dislikes that person and he announces in the heavens that Allah dislikes so and so and the dislike for this person is established in the heavens and the same thing is established on the earth and this person is disgraced even though this person may be sitting in the lap of luxury. When you look at it I remind myself and you: let us not be distracted by the appearances of the world; true honor is only in the rida of Allah; true honor is only when Allah is pleased with you.
If you look around us today, if you look at the people who have wealth, who have power, who have authority, and you see that they are engaged in all kinds of evil— unimaginable evil, evil that is so evil that even shaitan runs from it—then you are looking at people who, may Allah have mercy, if they do not get hidayah, if they do not make istighfar, if they do not seek forgiveness of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, if they do not seek to redress the evil that they have done, then these are the people who will face the punishment of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala even though today they may be sitting in the lap of luxury, even though they may have private planes, even though they may have thrones of gold. It makes no difference; you are looking at people who will one day become the fuel of the hellfire unless Allahﷻ saves them, unless they seek forgiveness, unless they make amends. We do not—we do not shut the door of Allahﷻ’s mercy and forgiveness on anybody; that is not our job. I just remind myself that it is very easy to get distracted and to see and ask these questions and say, “Why is it that if these people are evil that they have so much power and so much authority and so much wealth and nothing seems to touch them? Instead of being punished, they’re being given awards.”
Please understand that if you have a gang of thieves, the biggest thief will get the award.
But that does not mean that the thief is a good person. He’s getting an award because he’s in that company.
As I was listening to this, I heard a very beautiful song which I want to share with you because this is the essence of Tawheed, the essence of Ubudiyat, the essence of the honor of being a slave of Allah, the essence of Tawakkul, of total and complete trust and faith in Allah.
And the song is—I have no idea who wrote the song—but it is a beautiful song. And this person says the poet says:
“I spent too long trying to map every mile asking for answers before I would move.
Wanted the ending before the beginning.
Wanted a sign before trusting in You.
But You never promised a road without shadows.
Never said faith would explain every turn.
You only asked me to stay close behind You.
So now I am learning and now I have learned: I don’t need the whole road; just tell me where You are.
Where You go, I go.
Where You stay, I stay.
If You lead through the fire, I’m walking that way.
Where You call, I come.
Where You send, I’ll run.
I don’t need to know what tomorrow becomes if You are there; that’s enough for my soul.
Where You go, I go.
Where You stay, I stay.”
I used to pray, “Lord, make everything easy.” Now I pray, “Lord, just keep me with You,” because I have learned that a beautiful highway can still be the wrong road if You never chose it. So close every door that would pull me away. Break every plan I was scared not to save. I’d rather have nothing and walk in Your presence than own everything and be miles from Your face. No backup plan, no second throne. If You are moving, I am leaving my own. Where You go, I go. Where You stay, I stay. If You lead through the fire, I am walking that way. Where You call, I come. Where You send, I’ll run. I don’t need to know what tomorrow becomes. If You are there, that’s enough for my soul.
“Where You go, I go.
Where You stay, I stay.
Even if it costs me comfort.
Even if it costs my name.
Even if the road gets narrower and everybody walks away, I will not confuse Your silence with You leaving me alone.
You have carried me too many times for me to turn back now.
Your people, my people.
Your way, my way.
Your will above mine every day.
No halfway, no maybe.
No only if I know; if You say go, then I go.
I don’t follow feelings; they change with the weather.
I don’t follow crowds; they can scatter together.
I follow the one who was there in the desert, there in the valley, and there under pressure.
If I lose what I wanted but gain what You wanted—if I lose what I wanted but gain what You wanted—then nothing was wasted; the loss was an offering.
If I walk through the dark with Your hands still upon me, then darkness is only a road You’re crossing with me.
So take my ambition, take my control, take every place I still call my own.
One life, one road, one yes from my soul.
Where You go, I go.
Where You go, I go.
Where You stay, I stay.
If You lead through the fire, I’m walking that way.
When You where You call, I come.
Where You send, I’ll run.
I don’t need to know what tomorrow becomes.
Through the high, through the low, through the joy, through the sorrow, I am Yours today, I am Yours tomorrow.
If You are there, that’s enough for my soul.
Where You go, I go.
Where You stay, I stay.”
Just think about that: what a beautiful song, right? This is the attitude that we—we need to develop in ourselves to be the rida of Allah. What do you want? I want what my Rabb wants for me; that’s it. That is the position of the slave. The position of the slave is not to say, “I want this and I want that.” The position of the slave is to say, “Whatever You want is what I want.” Nothing more, nothing less.
I remind myself and you: let us develop this. Let us develop this wonderful attitude of being pleased with what Allah Subh’anaHu Wa Ta-A’la chose for us.