Al Hayat Tayyibah (The Good Life)

Winter Series: ال ح ياة ال ط ي بة - Day 4 Thursday, December 26 2013 Lecture by Sister Eman al Obaid www.alhudasisters.wordpress.com Chapter (16) sūrat l-naḥl (The Bees) 16:97 Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. Al Hayat Tayyibah (The Good Life) At Tayyibah has multiple meanings: - The pure life - The clear life When you live in clarity everything is so clear, you are purifying your heart and yourself. Today we look at another meaning of At Tayyibah, Al Hayat Tayyibah (The Good Life) is an easy life. Page 1

An Easy Life The word Tayyibah is from ease and gentleness - smooth, easy and gentle. Someone who is tayyib they are easy going. We all want an easy life. Don t you want this easy and beautiful life? Everyone wants an easy life. Human beings want everything to be easy. Imagine your whole life will be easy. This is one of the requirements and characteristics of Al Hayat Al Tayyibah. Who is the one who knows how to make our life easy? Chapter (67) sūrat l-mulk (Dominion):14 People misunderstand the easy life for some the easy life is that you do whatever you want, there are no restrictions. The One Who created you of course He knows, He is The Most Gentle and the All Aware. Allah subhana wa ta'ala decrees for us. Allah subhana wa ta'ala knows what we don t know. What is the definition of an easy life? To understand this we need to know our description through the Qur an. Chapter (4) sūrat l-nisāa (The Women):28 We need an easy life. Allah subhana wa ta'ala wants to make things easy for you why? Man is created weak. We are weak in everything. Page 2

Ar Rafiq is one of Allah subhana wa ta'ala s names the one who doing righteous good deeds and believes, Allah subhana wa ta'ala will surely give them the Good Life. With belief comes the actions. - Al Quddus the Pure Life - Al Haqqul Mubeen The Clear Life - Ar Rafiq The Easy Life Hadith: Narrated `Aisha: The Jews used to greet the Prophet by saying, "As-Samu 'Alaika (i.e., death be upon you), so I understood what they said, and I said to them, "As-Samu 'alaikum wal-la'na (i.e. Death and Allah's Curse be upon you)." The Prophet said, "Be gentle and calm, O `Aisha, as Allah likes gentleness in all affairs." I said, "O Allah's Prophet! Didn't you hear what they said?" He said, "Didn't you hear me answering them back by saying, 'Alaikum (i.e., the same be upon you)?" The word Rafiq is from the root ra fa qa meaning smooth, easy, gentle, slowly. Ar rifq = the ease. What is the opposite of ease? The opposite of ease is harsh and difficult. Let us live an easy good life under the shade of the Name of Allah Ar Rafiq. All the Names of Allah and every pillar of faith will make you to live a good life. Rafiq is also means a companion a friend or companion who is easy. Living under the Names of Allah gives you satisfaction, happiness, contentment and hope. Page 3

Allah subhana wa ta'ala is so easy and gentle in everything. Allah subhana wa ta'ala in His decree is easy. Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala decrees is so easy. All the actions of Allah subhana wa ta'ala, everything you see in the Universe is easy. All that Allah subhana wa ta'ala legislates is easy. The Universe The whole universe is a sign of Allah subhana wa ta'ala s Gentleness and Ease. All the world is a sign of Allah subhana wa ta'ala s ease and gentleness look at everything Allah subhana wa ta'ala creates, look at everything you see in this Universe. Allah subhana wa ta'ala said in the Qur an when the ships are sailing on the sea they are in ease. Look at the birds when they are flying they are in ease. Look at the planes when they are in the air they are in ease. Everything in the Universe is based on ease. Allah subhana wa ta'ala is Gentle in His Decree. In life there is hardship, difficulties but for the believer the hardship is easy for them. How you react to difficulties will make life easy. Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala decrees it is easy easy for whom who sees it as easy, easy for whom who believes Allah subhana wa ta'ala is the Most Gentle and Allah subhana wa ta'ala is the Most Merciful. Chapter (65) sūrat l-ṭalāq (The Divorce):7 Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala gave you if you are rich, if you are poor, if you have children, if you have no children it is not a burden, it suits you. Whatever you see as hardship, Allah subhana wa ta'ala will make it easy for you. This will console you. For the believer everything is easy because they believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala. Page 4

Chapter (94) sūrat l-sharḥ (The Opening Forth):5 & 6 If you believe and are doing righteous good deeds you are living the Good Life. In life you have hardships, but it is not the way you see things, it is the way Allah subhana wa ta'ala wants you to see things. And Allah subhana wa ta'ala wants you through your faith and good deeds to see the easy life. With one hardship Allah subhana wa ta'ala will give you multiple ease. This ayah is an opening of the heart. Allah subhana wa ta'ala will make it easy. Allah subhana wa ta'ala will not give you a burden more than what He has given you. Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala decrees for you is never a burden. Everything is ease. But the way how you believe, how you use this to do good deeds, this will make it easy. Rely on Allah subhana wa ta'ala When you know that there is an ease this will make you to rely on Allah subhana wa ta'ala. You will ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala for help, you will make du a because you know the ease will come. This is what we want, we want to live the Good Life. We want to live that happy and good life but under belief and righteous good deeds. Allah Ar Rafiq in His decree. Allah subhana wa ta'ala is Easy in His Legislation Chapter (2) sūrat l-baqarah (The Cow):286 Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala ordained is suiting us and Allah subhana wa ta'ala made it easy for us i.e. if you can t fast you can give money. Allah subhana wa ta'ala will never tell us to do anything which is difficult. Islam is an easy religion. The previous religion was a burden for the people. Allah subhana wa ta'ala is teaching us how to make a du a to live an easy life. Say this ayah before you sleep and it will be sufficient for you. The believer is so positive in life, they have hardships but they see the hardships as positives. Page 5

2:185 The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Saum (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days. Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify Allah [i.e. to say Takbir (Allahu Akbar; Allah is the Most Great] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him. To be religious you don t need to make it difficult on yourself. Other religions, the bidah etc. are so difficult because they are manmade. Islam is divine, Allah the All Mighty, Ar Rafiq, the Disposer of All Affairs made the legislation. With the legislation there is always ease. You will live a life full of ease when you realise this. The ease is that whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala legislates. Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala decrees there is ease and ease will come with it. Don t be afraid and don t think there is some difficulty. Difficulty is with the manmade laws. Difficulties are when you think it is difficult. But when you believe Allah Ar Rafiq, Allah subhana wa ta'ala is easy and gentle in the decree and in His legislation and He will not give you more than you can take. Taqwa Chapter (64) sūrat l-taghābun (Mutual Loss & Gain):16 Even with the taqwa - which Allah subhana wa ta'ala vied upon us - we need to have the taqwa as much as we can. Your border is the legislation Allah subhana wa ta'ala has made it easy, you need to do it and believe it is easy. Who said you can do it without the help of Allah subhana wa ta'ala? Allah subhana wa ta'ala is the One Who will help us. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala make it easy for us, May Allah subhana wa ta'ala help us. Ameen Allah subhana wa ta'ala makes things easy for us. Allah Ar Rafiq in everything, in His actions, whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala legislates is so easy and gentle, and whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala decrees is so easy and gentle. Page 6

Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam Is a Mercy to All Mankind Chapter (21) sūrat l-anbiyāa (The Prophets):107 When Allah subhana wa ta'ala sends a messenger, this by itself is ease. Allah subhana wa ta'ala sent our Messenger sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam the Seal of all the Messengers. Chapter (9) sūrat l-tawbah (The Repentance) Allah subhana wa ta'ala describes Prophet Muhammad sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam. Imagine this is the description of Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam - He sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam wants no difficulty for you he grieves for you - He sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam is anxious over you - For the believer he sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam is full of pity, kindness and mercy Aishah RA said about Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam: Whenever Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam was given a choice over two things he would choose the easiest path, but he would not choose a sin. Sometimes people are choosing the difficult path, maybe they want to prove something to themselves. You should choose the easy path, why take a difficult path. In any type of dealing you take the easy way. If you have a choice, take the easy option. The challenge is to follow the Messenger sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam. Page 7

Hadith: Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam said Allah, He did not send me to scold people and to make it difficult for the people. But Allah sent me to be a teacher, an easy going teacher. This is contrary to what people think ease and gentleness will win the hearts of the people. People think a teacher should be harsh, scolding and making things difficult. You don t need to harsh to make the people follow the rules. You need to forgive, pardon and overlook, you need to make it easy. One of the sayings of Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam to the sahabah: Make it easy for the people, give glad tidings and don t make people run away. Who will be destroyed? Those who make it difficult (the Prophet repeated this 3 times). Allah subhana wa ta'ala made everything easy, Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala legislates is easy. Whatever Allah subhana wa ta'ala decrees is easy and Allah subhana wa ta'ala sent Prophet Muhammad sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam to make things easy for mankind This makes life happy and easy for you and for other people. Hadith: The religion is easy. Don t challenge yourself with the religion. You need to believe in Allah subhana wa ta'ala and the Messenger of Allah sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam and that the religion is easy. The religion will overcome you if you challenge it or make it difficult. Take things in the religion slowly, don t make it difficult on yourself. A religion is not a burden, the religion is the way of love. This is an easy religion, very beautiful. If something is difficult it doesn t mean you don t do anything, you have your boundaries, the halal and haram. One who is not following sunnat Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam, one who is doing the bidah, they are making it difficult. The middle path is easy, one straight line. Page 8

Narrated Anas: It was narrated from Anas that there was a group of the Companions of the Prophet, one of whom said: "I will not marry women." Another said: "I will not eat meat." Another said: "I will not sleep on a bed." Another said: "I will fast and not break my fast." News of that reached the Messenger of Allah and he praised Allah then said: "What is the matter with people who say such and such? But I pray and I sleep, I fast and I break my fast, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me." Don t make it difficult on yourself. You are not good by making things difficult. You need to follow the Sunnah of Nabi sallallāahu alayhi wa sallam. The religion and life is so easy there is hardship but to make the difficulties easy is how you look at life. Be easy, don t make things difficult on yourself when dealing with the people, with your worship, don t make it a burden. Don t put a burden on the people, you need to be easy going, forgive, pardon. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala make all our life easy. May Allah subhana wa ta'ala make easy all our affairs, may Allah subhana wa ta'ala make easy our death and may Allah subhana wa ta'ala make it easy for us on the Day of Judgement. Ameen. The Good Life - Purity, clarity and ease. This is a transcript of a lecture given by Sister Eman al Obaid. Anything that is good from these notes is from Allah subhana wa ta ala. Any mistakes & misrepresentations are my own. Page 9