The Help of Allah Cannot Be Compared to the Help of Man
Today, the world feels foreign to the Muslim. It seems as though he is a resident of a forsaken land. His boat has broken upon the flowing stream; he is battered by the waves of a storm, helpless and far from the shore, witnessing his own sinking with no one to save him. His garden has burned to ashes, leaving behind nothing but dust and blood. The scenes that once filled his gaze with familiarity are now blurred. The order of day and night is disturbed, every moment has grown rebellious, the reflection of hope has faded, and emerging from distress has become near impossible. The minaret of knowledge and light has become enslaved to ignorance and darkness. He who once taught the lesson of truth and justice is now prey to deception and trickery, and accustomed to tyranny and oppression. O, how tragic his decline and downfall—he has become a tale of the past, no longer of interest to the nations of the world, neither in his story nor in its title. Alas, there is no one left to enquire about his condition.
Today, the Muslim is terrified by a few ominous, darkened faces—those who trace their lineage to Nimrūd and Firʿawn, drunk on the delusion of their own self-deception. Their giant idols are erected at every crossroad. They arrogantly claim mastery over the present, while hiding in the ambushes of the past, invoking the injustices of long-lost eras. They constantly preach which customs are ugly and which are noble. These are the narrow-minded ones who cannot bear a beautiful sight, who seek to strip the earth of its colours and fill the bright halls of the world with darkness. Their command is for the wise and the learned to remain silent, for peaceful settlements to be deserted, homes abandoned, populations diminished, and graveyards to expand.
O bearer of the torch of a meaningful life! Do not fear them, and do not complain of your troubled state to helpless creation. O inheritor of the kingdom of spiritual richness! Do not be anxious over profit and loss. Do not stretch your begging bowl before others. Cease this begging and dependence. Have you forgotten that you are a fruit of the Muḥammadan orchard, whose every branch rises to the heavens, and whose every tree is a sanctuary for nations and peoples?
Alas! You seek help from people—who will tell you that their power is exceedingly limited? They are incapable of aiding you. And even if they could, they would never meet your expectations. Their knowledge is finite; they do not know whether their assistance would benefit you or harm you. They can offer you crutches, but they cannot heal your limp, nor would they be pleased to see you stand on your own feet.
Never forget that no human can help you again and again. And when they do help, they look down upon you, walking with arrogance and pride before you, flaunting their favour, demanding in return compound interest for their supposed charity. They leave you more broken and desperate than before. Then you lament that trusting others has only increased your pain and sorrow. Alas, your swift regret disappears like lightning, while your weakness of resolve robs you of memory, and you soon long once more to be trapped in the chains of lowly favours.
O dream-bound soul! Do not waste your life in vain pursuits. Do not make sloth your companion. Do not form bonds based on dependency. Sever your hopes from creation—they cannot show you the way to the land of tomorrow. Your future lies in your own hands. Let the light of gnosis be your guide. Befriend determination and resolve. Make use of the strength of thought and action. Befriend the solitude of night. In the day, adopt the way of striving, toil, and endurance. Let there be no noise or commotion, no publicity or drama—only action in the field of life, continuous effort, and constant struggle.
Turn to your Lord and place your full trust in Him. His power is without limit. He is the Master of the Throne and the green canopy of the heavens. He is Majestic, Glorious, and Sublime. His knowledge is boundless. You have no idea how easy it is for Him to help you. He is pleased when He helps. The more you ask of Him, the dearer you become to Him. He teaches you skills by which you no longer remain in need of others. Rather, the entire cosmos becomes in need of you and reliant upon you.
Allah Most High takes nothing in return for His help. His aid is pure and free from all ulterior motive. Turn to that All-Knowing, All-Powerful One. Come under the shade of kindness and mercy of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, whose love surpasses even that of parents. He can never abandon you in difficulty. In the darkness of night, He is with you. In the depths of the ocean, He is your hope. In the deserts and wastelands, He is your companion. When the wise are confounded by a problem, seek His protection—He will create a solution and eliminate the difficulty altogether.
He who has Allah—what worry can he have? Mawlānā Yaʿqūb Mujaddidī (raḥimahu Allāh) once said:
A pious old woman would often visit my father and complain of her sorrows. She would always recite the same tale of woe. One day, again, she began telling her story, describing her pains and tribulations. She said, “I have no one but Allah.” I said, “You have spoken well! Imagine the king has seated me in his lap, and I complain bitterly saying, ‘I have no one but the king.’ Would that be praise of the king—or mockery?”
O servant of Allah! Light the lamp of faith and prepare a gathering of beautiful certainty. Awake—for you are the mu’adhdhin of the radiant dawn of this universe. Build a relationship with the One who reads the beating of your heart. Do not pause out of fatigue, do not be ashamed of your state of distress, and be unconcerned by the displays of material power. March forward with renewed spirit. Soon you shall be granted permission to soar in the open skies. You shall inherit a kingdom whose vastness will shame the breadth of the heavens and the earth. You shall receive a gift of eternal life that cannot be measured by the months and years of this world—for even the number of light-years will be but a mere dot compared to it.
Disclaimer: This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/6674
