LESSON OF THE DAY 558

Ayah of the Day:
And do not occupy yourself with what you have no knowledge of; for listening, looking, and the impulse of the heart will all be questioned. [17: 36]

Hadith of the Day:
Of the good fortune of man is his contentment with what Allah has decreed for him. [Tirmidhi]

Wise Quote of the Day:
Other than good there is no other result which comes from tawakkul (reliance upon Allah), and it is granted to those who busy themselves in worship and good pleasure of their Lord. [Sahl bin Abdullah]

Guidance of the Day:
Contentment: This consists of total submission and contentment with the Decree. One should neither by word or deed object to fate. Contentment (rida) develops to such a lofty degree that its domination permeates one's being. In this high state of contentment, hardship recedes and is not considered as such. The state of contentment in which even pain is not felt is called "natural contentment." The state in which contentment prevails along with the sensation of pain is called "intellectual contentment." The fist state is a physical condition whose acquisition is not obligatory.The second state is an intellectual condition whose acquisition is obligatory.

Contentment with fate is commanded and exhorted so as to inculcate in one the qualities of perseverance and satisfaction when afflicted by adversity and hardship. When contentment has been inculcated, adversity is taken in stride and pleasure and without feeling any undue hardship. This is so because the intelligence alerts one to the superior results of such contentment in the face of adversity. The result of such contentment is future reward.

This will be better understood by means of an illustration. A physician prescribes a bitter remedy to a patient or may even insist on an operation. The patient, bearing in mind his future recovery and health, willingly submits to the treatment. He is not only pleased with the physician but feels indebted to him. [The Path to Perfection]

Food for Thought:
It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.