I was reflecting on one of Shaykh Kishk’s (ra) sayings when he said;

‘How do I ask you O Allah, and I am I?

I am ashamed to ask you, and I am I.

But how do I not ask you O Allah, when you are you!?’

We sometimes get so caught up in this world and its limitations. We have many things which worry us or cause us to be upset, whether it’s finances, family, our sins, world affairs etc.

But one thing which comes back to the essence of this life, is that Allah (swt) is in *total* control. He (swt) decides who is honoured and who is debased. He decides who will be successful and not successful. He decides who will be happy and who is sad in this world and the hereafter, all for a wisdom known only to him.

Once we understand this, we realise that Allah is the goal. His pleasure, pleasing him (swt), living our life for him is what we need to condition ourselves towards and that is why the Prophets (as) reached the rank they did.

It is narrated in a ḥadīth considered sound, “Whoever makes the world his sole focus of concern, Allah will scatter his affairs and make poverty appear before his eyes and he will not receive anything from this dunya except what has been decreed for him. 

[However], whoever makes the Hereafter his most important matter, Allah will gather his affairs and grant him contentment in his heart and the world will come to him though he does not want it” (Ibn Mājah).

For those who may be struggling or facing difficulties in their faith or personal life – Allah is All Knowledgeable and Powerful, the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing. As long as we humble ourselves before him and keep him (swt) in the foremost of our hearts and minds, in intention and action, even if we struggle or slip up, Allah will be there.

If you take Allah as your true friend and your protector, then nothing (man or otherwise) can hurt, harm or upset you.