Between wishes and destiny (I)
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- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by M. U. Ndagi
- Hits: 1645
It is natural for man to, as long as he lives, aspire for things his eyes and heart covet. Apart from primary needs such as food, water, air, shelter, procreation, etc; man is all the time full of wishes. By the virtue of man’s natural disposition which grants him the ability and capacity to explore and manipulate other creatures (animate and inanimate) according to his needs, he stands out more than other creatures as an ambitious animal. Until his last breathe on earth, there is always something for the heart of man to desire. A man without wishes has not been born. The richest man on earth occasionally has something to complain about. “The rich”, they say, “also cry”.
Men of God, too, including Prophets and Messengers of Allah (SWT) had cause to ask Allah for specific favors. Man is not required to strive in the cause of the Hereafter as to forget the legitimate needs of this life. Allah (SWT) reminds us in Qur’an 28:77 “But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the Home of the Hereafter; nor forget thy portion in this world…” Man’s wishes are divided between mundane and spiritual matters. Spiritually, man asks Allah (SWT) for forgiveness, mercy, paradise, etc. His passion, however, for mundane desires is underscored by how much or less materialistic he is. Man turns to Allah (SWT) in asking for worldly needs such as wealth, wife/wives, children, leadership position, knowledge, health, safety, peace, and deliverance from calamities (including famine, hunger and disease).Whether for mundane or spiritual needs, Allah (SWT) enjoins us to call upon Him for all our needs; affirming that He (SWT) is close to us and grants all requests tendered by His righteous servants. He (SWT) states in Qur’an 2:186 “When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me…” Allah (SWT) has different ways of answering the prayers of His servants. Because of man’s limited knowledge, he prays to Allah (SWT) for everything his eyes covet including those things which acquisition may be detrimental to his well being. Man, for instance, could ask for a leadership position which end could be destructive. Allah (SWT) has His own ways of answering such prayers. Allah knows better whether the lady a young man is ardently desiring and insisting to marry would bring peace or ruins to his home. Allah (SWT) has a way of answering the naïve prayers of suppliants who, of course, naturally lack knowledge of the future.
No requests made by a righteous servant as confirmed by Qur’an 2:186 quoted earlier is ever left unanswered by Allah (SWT). It is expected of man to have faith in whichever way Allah (SWT) decides to answer his prayers. The form in which Allah (SWT) answers a man’s prayer sprouts from destiny or fate. Destiny is what Allah (SWT) has planned for you to do or achieve in life. Prayer is what actually inspires you to do it. In order for man to achieve peace and tranquility in life, he is enjoined to accept the result(s) of his supplications and give gratitude to Allah (SWT); whether or not his prayers were answered in the exact form he wanted. Crisis would always set in each time man fails or refuses to reconcile between his wishes and destiny.
One of the ways by which Allah (SWT) answers the prayers of suppliants is to promptly grant the request(s). The request could be a demand for sources to settle debts; recovery from sickness; deliverance from a dangerous situation; etc. Qur’an 21:76, for instance, tells us of how Prophet Nuh (AS) prayed to Allah (SWT) and was delivered along with his family from great distress. Prophet Ayub (Job in Christendom) prayed to Allah (SWT) to deliver him from the calamities that befell him and his request was granted. Ayub (AS) suffered from a number of calamities: his cattle were destroyed, his servants were killed with sword, and his family crushed under his roof. He was, as a further calamity, covered with loathsome sores from head to foot. Qur’an 21:83-84 explains how Allah (SWT) listened to Ayub (AS) and removed the agony that was on him.
Zu-Nun (AS), we are similarly told in Qur’an 21:87-88, also prayed to Allah (SWT) and was instantly delivered from the trouble he was in. “Zu-Nun” meaning “the man of the whale” is the Qur’anic title of Prophet Yunus (Jonah) because he was swallowed by a whale. Apparently disappointed by the response of the people Nineveh to whom he was sent, he went away to a sea and took a ship. The sailors during the voyage threw him out as a man of bad omen in a storm. He was swallowed by a whale and in the depth of the darkness he cried out to Allah (SWT) and was saved.
A second way through which Allah (SWT) grants the request(s) of His servants is to defer actualization to a later date or period, which could be long or short depending on when Allah (SWT), the all-knowing, finds as the best time. Qur’an 14:39 tells us that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) continued to pray for a child but was not blessed with one until when he was old. He was 100 years old when Ishaq (a Prophet also) was born; and was 99 years of age when Ismail (his first son and a Prophet) was 13 years old, having been born when Ibrahim was 86 years old. Let us see the granting of requests at a later date to be the best time for them to happen. “God’s time”, they say, “is the best”.
Allah (SWT), the Omniscient, sometimes also grants other than what was requested. This is a third form of granting the prayers of suppliants. As a way of accepting our prayers, Allah (SWT) who knows what is good and harmful to us gives us something better in place of what we asked for; particularly if He (SWT) discovers that we are asking for something injurious to our wellbeing. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 2:216 “…But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows and ye know not”. Even when Allah (SWT) does not give us something in place of a prejudicial thing we asked for, it must be believed that our prayer has been accepted. It is better that Allah (SWT) denies us an evil without a replacement than to give it simply because we want our prayers answered. If while on a journey your vehicle breaks down making it impossible for you to reach the desired destination on schedule, such should be seen as Allah’s way of accepting your prayers for safety because the vehicle breakdown could have been Allah’s way (SWT) of averting a fatal accident that could have consumed you.
This discourse continues next week insha Allah. May Allah (SWT) guide us to believe in and accept destiny as Allah’s best wishes for us, amin.
Re: Cockerel digs out a Knife
Some of the comments received from readers on the above titled discourse accused me of having poor knowledge of Hausa. One of such is this one that came from a fugitive Bakatsine: “Your Hausa is poor, ‘Kaza’ ya tono wuka” is bad Hausa…. ‘Kaza’ is not Cockerel but ‘Zakara’. Kaza is hen and it should be “ta”. Come to Katsina and learn Hausa” (08024772499)
I could be forgiven since I belong to one of the tribes legendarily categorized by the Hausa as “Banza-Bakwai” Anyway; I apologize to speakers of all other dialects of Hausa with the exception of those who speak Katsinanci. The interaction between Katsinawa and their masters over the years has corrupted the good Hausa language I learnt as a child in Kano. Have a nice weekend!
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Between wishes and destiny (I)
Category: Philosofaith Written by M. U. Ndagi Hits: 1645
It is natural for man to, as long as he lives, aspire for things his eyes and heart covet. Apart from primary needs such as food, water, air, shelter, procreation, etc; man is all the time full of wishes. By the virtue of man’s natural disposition which grants him the ability and capacity to explore and manipulate other creatures (animate and inanimate) according to his needs, he stands out more than other creatures as an ambitious animal. Until his last breathe on earth, there is always something for the heart of man to desire. A man without wishes has not been born. The richest man on earth occasionally has something to complain about. “The rich”, they say, “also cry”.
Men of God, too, including Prophets and Messengers of Allah (SWT) had cause to ask Allah for specific favors. Man is not required to strive in the cause of the Hereafter as to forget the legitimate needs of this life. Allah (SWT) reminds us in Qur’an 28:77 “But seek, with the (wealth) which Allah has bestowed on thee, the Home of the Hereafter; nor forget thy portion in this world…” Man’s wishes are divided between mundane and spiritual matters. Spiritually, man asks Allah (SWT) for forgiveness, mercy, paradise, etc. His passion, however, for mundane desires is underscored by how much or less materialistic he is. Man turns to Allah (SWT) in asking for worldly needs such as wealth, wife/wives, children, leadership position, knowledge, health, safety, peace, and deliverance from calamities (including famine, hunger and disease).Whether for mundane or spiritual needs, Allah (SWT) enjoins us to call upon Him for all our needs; affirming that He (SWT) is close to us and grants all requests tendered by His righteous servants. He (SWT) states in Qur’an 2:186 “When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me…” Allah (SWT) has different ways of answering the prayers of His servants. Because of man’s limited knowledge, he prays to Allah (SWT) for everything his eyes covet including those things which acquisition may be detrimental to his well being. Man, for instance, could ask for a leadership position which end could be destructive. Allah (SWT) has His own ways of answering such prayers. Allah knows better whether the lady a young man is ardently desiring and insisting to marry would bring peace or ruins to his home. Allah (SWT) has a way of answering the naïve prayers of suppliants who, of course, naturally lack knowledge of the future.
No requests made by a righteous servant as confirmed by Qur’an 2:186 quoted earlier is ever left unanswered by Allah (SWT). It is expected of man to have faith in whichever way Allah (SWT) decides to answer his prayers. The form in which Allah (SWT) answers a man’s prayer sprouts from destiny or fate. Destiny is what Allah (SWT) has planned for you to do or achieve in life. Prayer is what actually inspires you to do it. In order for man to achieve peace and tranquility in life, he is enjoined to accept the result(s) of his supplications and give gratitude to Allah (SWT); whether or not his prayers were answered in the exact form he wanted. Crisis would always set in each time man fails or refuses to reconcile between his wishes and destiny.
One of the ways by which Allah (SWT) answers the prayers of suppliants is to promptly grant the request(s). The request could be a demand for sources to settle debts; recovery from sickness; deliverance from a dangerous situation; etc. Qur’an 21:76, for instance, tells us of how Prophet Nuh (AS) prayed to Allah (SWT) and was delivered along with his family from great distress. Prophet Ayub (Job in Christendom) prayed to Allah (SWT) to deliver him from the calamities that befell him and his request was granted. Ayub (AS) suffered from a number of calamities: his cattle were destroyed, his servants were killed with sword, and his family crushed under his roof. He was, as a further calamity, covered with loathsome sores from head to foot. Qur’an 21:83-84 explains how Allah (SWT) listened to Ayub (AS) and removed the agony that was on him.
Zu-Nun (AS), we are similarly told in Qur’an 21:87-88, also prayed to Allah (SWT) and was instantly delivered from the trouble he was in. “Zu-Nun” meaning “the man of the whale” is the Qur’anic title of Prophet Yunus (Jonah) because he was swallowed by a whale. Apparently disappointed by the response of the people Nineveh to whom he was sent, he went away to a sea and took a ship. The sailors during the voyage threw him out as a man of bad omen in a storm. He was swallowed by a whale and in the depth of the darkness he cried out to Allah (SWT) and was saved.
A second way through which Allah (SWT) grants the request(s) of His servants is to defer actualization to a later date or period, which could be long or short depending on when Allah (SWT), the all-knowing, finds as the best time. Qur’an 14:39 tells us that Prophet Ibrahim (AS) continued to pray for a child but was not blessed with one until when he was old. He was 100 years old when Ishaq (a Prophet also) was born; and was 99 years of age when Ismail (his first son and a Prophet) was 13 years old, having been born when Ibrahim was 86 years old. Let us see the granting of requests at a later date to be the best time for them to happen. “God’s time”, they say, “is the best”.
Allah (SWT), the Omniscient, sometimes also grants other than what was requested. This is a third form of granting the prayers of suppliants. As a way of accepting our prayers, Allah (SWT) who knows what is good and harmful to us gives us something better in place of what we asked for; particularly if He (SWT) discovers that we are asking for something injurious to our wellbeing. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 2:216 “…But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows and ye know not”. Even when Allah (SWT) does not give us something in place of a prejudicial thing we asked for, it must be believed that our prayer has been accepted. It is better that Allah (SWT) denies us an evil without a replacement than to give it simply because we want our prayers answered. If while on a journey your vehicle breaks down making it impossible for you to reach the desired destination on schedule, such should be seen as Allah’s way of accepting your prayers for safety because the vehicle breakdown could have been Allah’s way (SWT) of averting a fatal accident that could have consumed you.
This discourse continues next week insha Allah. May Allah (SWT) guide us to believe in and accept destiny as Allah’s best wishes for us, amin.
Re: Cockerel digs out a Knife
Some of the comments received from readers on the above titled discourse accused me of having poor knowledge of Hausa. One of such is this one that came from a fugitive Bakatsine: “Your Hausa is poor, ‘Kaza’ ya tono wuka” is bad Hausa…. ‘Kaza’ is not Cockerel but ‘Zakara’. Kaza is hen and it should be “ta”. Come to Katsina and learn Hausa” (08024772499)
I could be forgiven since I belong to one of the tribes legendarily categorized by the Hausa as “Banza-Bakwai” Anyway; I apologize to speakers of all other dialects of Hausa with the exception of those who speak Katsinanci. The interaction between Katsinawa and their masters over the years has corrupted the good Hausa language I learnt as a child in Kano. Have a nice weekend!