Being pleased with Allah (God)

This week we start with ayat 62-64 of Sura Yunus:

Unquestionably, for the allies of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will       they grieve.

Those who believed and were fearing Allah.

For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change is there in the words of Allah. That is what is the great attainment.

Dear brothers and sisters, we have discussed many times of the desire to have Allah SWT pleased with us. And rightly so, after all He is the master and we are his Slaves. This is the underlying theme in the Glorious Quran.

So is it apt, that we can have a discussion about us being pleased with Him? Being pleased with Allah SWT takes nothing away from the relationship we have with Him.

However, what the essence of this khutba is, is about being content with our lives. In a hadith, it is narrated that the Prophet Muhammed SAWS said:

The person will taste the true flavour of Faith is the one who is pleased with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion and Muhammed as his Messenger.

Dear brothers and sisters, it is natural to have ups and downs in faith. Nobody can claim that this life is without tests. However, to be pleased with Allah SWT is understanding the point to this life.

Once one gets a grasp on the reality of this existence, they will find that the trials and tribulations of this life are tests sent to enable us attain the best we can in the hereafter.

And to achieve that comes great reward as is mentioned by the Prophet SAWS in the following hadith:

Whoever is pleased with Allah as his Lord, Islam as his religion, and Mohammed as his messenger, paradise is guaranteed for him.

Dear brothers and sisters, the reward clearly is massive so what can we do to ensure that we are of those who fit into this category?

It all begins with saying Alhamdullilah. Translated is: All praise and thanks is for Allah SWT.

This is how Muslims show gratitude to Allah SWT and this is how one demonstrates being pleased with Allah SWT.

Practically though, how does one implement this?

It’s as simple as making dua to Allah SWT for the things that go right in your life. The only thing that Allah SWT asks in return for all the blessings in your life is gratitude.

Since we already say it in our prayers, we should apply it to our lives as well. Utter Alhamdullilah often, with sincerity and from the heart. Really embrace the meaning of the word into our hearts every time we say it.

Each time you say Alhamdullilah, visualise the blessing that you are praising and thanking Him for. With that process will come sincerity as it’s no longer lip service but it’s attached to an emotion and an event.

Make it a habit to say Alhamdullilah at every turn in your life. Not to forget that even if we don’t understand the outcome, it is for the best for us as it is from Him.

Also, in seeking to thank Allah SWT, not only are we pleasing Him, but we are also ensuring continued success in return. We must remember that Allah SWT loves those who thank Him. Be grateful throughout the day. When you wake, when you eat, drink, when you are with family, friends, work or school. All opportunities to recognize the blessing of the moment and to thank Him for making it so.

Of course, we can also express this in actions through recitation of Quran, voluntary prayers and prayers at the masjid. However, the key is to express with sincerity to He who gives us all that we are happy with, our thanks and praise at those things.

And as mentioned earlier, the reward for this frame of mind is immense, the khutba ends with a hadith in which the Prophet SAWS said:

Whoever says when they hear the call to prayer, I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion and Mohammed as my Messenger, his sins are forgiven.

Dear brothers and sisters, we cannot underestimate the importance of this week’s khutba.

Our Glorious Quran begins with Alhamdulliah and so we need to adhere to its message and its teachings.

Let’s be of those who fit into the category defined by our Prophet SAWS and lets start by having the Praise and Thanks of Allah SWT on the tips of our tongues and within our hearts.

May Allah SWT enable us to be content with the life he has given us. May Allah SWT enable us to express gratitude to Him. And may Allah SWT reward us for our efforts in expressing gratitude to Him.

Ameen wal hamdullilahi rabilalameen.