Ramadhan Reflections 9

"And Allah loves the patient." Quran 3:46

Hassan's reflection

We can never know Allah’s plan completely. We can guess, but more often than not we will not quite get it right. This means that most times what we think we want and need will not completely agree with what Allah has planned for us. Thus we need to be patient with our difficulties and have faith that Allah knows best. Along this line of thinking patience would seem to be a large part of faith. Like a child that doesn’t understand what his parents tell him to do, the parents love the child who does as he is told patiently rather than refusing to do it until the reasoning is clear. This is easy to say but oh so difficult to do unfortunately! For me I would say this is probably one of the most difficult things to do out of all aspects of Islam.

Suriya's reflection:

It takes patience to keep doing something when you cannot see immediate results. Exercising is one of the things I could use as an example. When you are struggiling with weak flabby muscles and a fat body, you look in the mirror and hate what you see and all of the exercises are a struggle. You end up with aching muscles for days on end. When you find the will to keep at it, the weak flabby body gains strength and tone. With strength , the muscles no longer ache, you get more energy and your body starts to look trim. This takes months and years of persistent exercising in order to happen as well as more discipline with food and drink.
Yet the rewards are great. How many people actually have the foresight to keep doing it with the certainty in their hearts of the results of their toil? When you farm ..I mean real farming , not virtual farming, it seems really long to wait for the seeds to grown into plants bearing fruits and you keep toiling and tending the plants with patience and the patience pays off. The love Allah gives to us for our patience in doing our worldly tasks is the fruit of our labour . The patience in doing our spiritual practices and prayers , Allah rewards us with inspiration, enlightenment , knowledge peace and joy. More than this, the good works we do is rewarded with an everlasting existence of more growth and joy . "Inna ma al usri yusra", Verily with hardship comes ease.

"Indeed Allah loves the Allah conscious" Quran 3:76 Hassan's reflection For me this one ties in with the last one. We need to be patient at everything that comes our way, but how can we possibly be expected to do this if we do not keep Allah in our mind and thoughts at all times. If we are only thinking about our journey home we will be irritated when we don’t get a seat, or frustrated when someone “invades our space” so to speak. By right if Allah is in our mind and thoughts then we will be more able to keep patience in all that comes our way.

Suriya's reflection

God consciousness is the connection to Allah that keeps us guided in what we toil over. We see so many people busily working all day and sometimes all night and we see they have a lot of patience with what they do certain it will bring results . Invariably , they do get what they work for because it is God's law that what you work for will yield results. Yet doing so in a heedless manner without God consciousness will not bring with it the lasting results that will be with you long after the physical manifestation of what you toiled over is gone. Without God consciousness you may not be guided to your own life purpose , that which would bring you satisfaction to do now and joy everlasting.