DON'T BE 'Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-qarni Translated by: Faisal ibn Muhammad Shafeeq INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC PUBLISHING HOUSE
List of Contents ABOUT THIS BOOK 18 PUBLISHER'S NOTE 19 TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD 21 INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION 24 O' Allah! 27 Contemplate and be thankful 28 The past is gone forever 30 Today is all that you have 31 Leave the future alone until it comes 33 How to deal with bitter criticism 34 Do not expect gratitude from anyone 35 Doing good to others gives comfort to the heart 37 Repel boredom with work 38 Do not be a mimicker 39 Pre-ordainment 40 Verify, with hardship, there is relief 41 Convert a lemon into a sweet drink 43 Is not He [better than your gods] Who responds to the distressed A4 Enough for you is your home 45 Your recompense is with Allah 46 Faith is life itself 47 Extract the honey but do not break the hive 49 Verify, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest 50 Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His Bounty? 52 Accept life as it is 53
List of Contents Find consolation by remembering the afflicted 54 The prayer... the prayer 55 Allah [Alone] is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs [for us] 56 Say [O' Muhammad]: Travel in the land... 58 Patience is most fitting 59 Do not carry the weight of the globe on your shoulders 60 Do not be crushed by what is insignificant 61 Be content with that which Allah has given you and you will be the richest of people 63 Thus We have made you a just nation 66 Being sad is not encouraged in our religion 67 Take a moment to reflect 72 Smile 73 Smile - Pause to reflect 79 The blessing of pain 80 The blessing of knowledge 83 The art of happiness 84 The art of happiness - Pause to reflect 88 Controlling one's emotions 88 The bliss of the Prophet's Companions 90 Repel boredom from your life 93 Cast off anxiety 95 Cast off anxiety - Pause to reflect 98 Do not be sad - Everything will occur according to pre-ordainment 102 Do not be sad - Wait patiently for a happy outcome 104 Wait patiently for a happy outcome - Pause to reflect 105 Do not be sad: Seek forgiveness from Allah often, for your Lord is Oft-Forgiving 106 Do not be sad - Always remember Allah 107
Dont be Sad 7 Do not be sad - Never lose hope of Allah's mercy 109 Grieve not over unworthy things 111 Do not be sad - Repel anxiety 112 Grieve not when others blame and disparage you 114 Grieve not over being poor 114 Do not feel sad over fears for what may happen 115 Grieve not over criticism from the jealous and the weak-minded 115 Stop to reflect 118 Do not be sad - Do good to others 121 Jealousy is not something new 124 Stop to reflect 125 Do not be sad from the want of ample provision 128 Appreciate that, compared to others, your trial is light 129 Do not mimic the personality of others 130 Isolation and its positive effects 131 Do not be shaken by hardships 133 Pause to think about hardships 134 Do not be sad - The fundamentals of happiness 135 Why grieve when you have the six ingredients? 136 The fundamentals of happiness - Verses upon which to reflect 138 Your best companion is a book 139 Sayings that deal with the virtues of books 140 The benefits of reading 141 Pause to reflect 142 Do not grieve - There is another life to come 143 Do not feel overly stressed when work piles up 144 Grieve not and ask yourself the following questions 145 Do not despair when you face a difficult situation 145 Contemplate these verses 146
8 List of Contents Depression weakens the body and the soul 147 Depression: A cause of ulcers 147 Some other effects of depression 147 What depression and anger do 148 Bear your hardships with serenity 149 Hold a good opinion of your Lord 149 When your thoughts wander 150 Embrace constructive criticism 150 Most rumors are baseless 152 Gentleness averts confrontations 152 Yesterday will never return 153 This life does not deserve our grief 154 Ponder these points 155 As long as you have faith in Allah, don't be sad 156 Do not grieve over trivialities for the entire world is trivial 158 This is how the world is 160 Strive to help others 160 Do not feel deprived as long as you have a loaf of bread, a glass of water and clothes on your back 161 Blessings in disguise 161 You are created unique 162 Much that in appearance is hannful is in fact a blessing 165 Faith is the greatest remedy! 167 Do not lose hope 168 Don't be sad - Life is shorter than you think 169 As long as you have life's basic necessities - Don't be sad 170 Contentment repels sadness 171 If you lose a limb, you still have others to compensate for it 173
Don't be Sad 9 The days rotate in bringing good and bad 174 Travel throughout Allah's wide earth 175 Contemplate these Prophetic sayings 176 In the last moments of life... 177 Do not let calamity shake you 178 Do not grieve - This world is not worth your grief 179 Don't be sad: Remember that you believe in Allah 179 Pause to reflect 180 Despair not - Handicaps do not prevent success 181 If you embrace Islam, there is no reason for you to be sad 182 Things that bring about happiness 185 The ingredients of happiness 186 You will not die before your appointed time 187 'O' Allah, Who is full of Majesty and Honor...' 188 Pause to reflect 192 Steps to take if you are fearful of a jealous person 192 Good manners 193 Sleepless nights 193 The evil consequences of sinning 194 Strive for your sustenance, but don't be covetous 195 The secret of guidance 196 Ten gems for a good and noble life 197 Don't be sad - Learn to deal with your reality 200 Don't be sad - Sooner or later everything in this world perishes 206 Depression leads to misery 206 Depression may lead to suicide 207 Asking Allah for forgiveness opens locked doors 212 People should depend on you, and not you on them 214 Prudence 215
JO List of Contenis Do not cling to other than Allah 217 Doing those things that bring you peace 217 Pre-ordainment 219 The sweet taste of freedom 219 Dirt was the pillow of Sufyan ath-thawri 220 Do not pay attention to the tell-tale 221 The curses of the foolish are of no consequence to you 221 Appreciate the beauty of the universe 222 Avarice is of no avail 224 Bearing hardship atones for sins 224 Allah [Alone] is sufficient for us, and He is the best Disposer of affairs [for us] 225 The ingredients of happiness 226 The fatigue and stress that come with an important position 227 And come to the prayer 227 Charity brings peace to the giver 229 Don't be angry 231 Supplications of the morning 232 Pause to reflect 233 The Qur'an: The blessed book 234 Don't aspire to fame, or else you will be taxed with stress and worries 235 The good life 236 Bear trials patiently 237 Worship Allah by surrendering your will to Him 237 From being a governor to becoming a carpenter 238 Mixing with people whose company is heavy and dull ruins a person's peace 239 For the calamity-stricken 240
Don't be Sad 11 The positive effects of having true Monotheistic faith in Allah 242 Take care of your outside as well as of your inside 246 Seek refuge with Allah 248 I place my complete trust in Him 249 They agree on three points 250 The wrongdoing of the transgressor 251 Khosrau and the old lady 252 A handicap in one area can be compensated for by excellence in another 253 A few words about the foolish 257 Faith in Allah is the way to salvation 259 Even the disbelievers are at different levels 261 An iron will 263 The inborn disposition upon which we were created 264 Whatever is written for you will unerringly come to you 265 Work hard for the fruitful end 266 Your life is replete with priceless moments 270 Pause to reflect 274 Performing noble deeds is the way to happiness 275 Beneficial knowledge and fruitless knowledge 276 Read more, but with understanding and contemplation 278 Take account of yourself 279 Three mistakes that are common in our everyday lives 279 Plan your affairs and take proper precautions 280 Winning people over 281 Travel to different lands 282 Perform the late-night voluntary prayers 282 Your reward is Paradise 283 True love 284 The shari'ah is made easy for you 286
12 List of Contents Tranquility and peace 287 Beware of ardent love 287 Some cures for ardent, unbridled love 289 The rights of brotherhood 290 Two secrets regarding sinning (even if you know them, don't sin) 290 Seek out sustenance but don't be covetous 291 Pause to reflect 292 A religion that is full of benefits 292 Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand 293 Stay away from the following four... 294 In order to find peace, turn to your Lord 294 Two great words of solace 295 Some of the positive effects of experiencing hardship 296 Knowledge 296 Happiness is a Divine gift that does not distinguish between the rich and the poor 297 Being remembered after death is a second life 297 Invoke Allah with the following 298 A Lord Who wrongs not 298 Write your own history 299 Listen attentively to the words of Allah 300 Everyone is searching for happiness, but... 301 Prepare for bad times by being thankful when all is well 302 Bliss versus the Fire 303 Have We not opened your breast for you [O' Muhammad]? 304 A good life 305 What then is happiness? 307 To Him do the good words ascend 310 Such is the Seizure of your Lord 311
Don't be Sad 13 The supplication of the wronged The importance of having a good friend In Islam, security is a must Fleeting glory Performing virtuous deeds is the crown on the head of a happy life Everlastingness and Paradise are there, and not here! Enemies of the Divine way The reality of this life The key to happiness Pause to reflect How they used to live What the wise say about patience The importance of a positive attitude A few words on patience Pause to reflect Don't grieve if you are poor, for your true value is not determined by your bank balance A word on reading Don't be sad, and study Allah's signs in the creation 0' Allah! O' Allah! Don't grieve, for change must take place Do not give pleasure to your enemy by displaying grief Optimism versus skepticism O' son of Adam, do not despair Pause to reflect Blessings in disguise The fruits of contentment Being pleased with Allah For the malcontented there is wrath The benefits one reaps by being contented 314 314 315 316 318 321 322 323 326 326 327 328 330 331 332 333 333 334 338 340 340 341 343 345 346 350 351 351 352
14 List of Contents Do not challenge your Lord 353 A just decree 353 Resentment yields no return 354 Safety is in contentment 354 Dissatisfaction is the door to doubt 355 Satisfaction is richness and safety 355 The fruit of contentment is thankfulness 356 The fruit of discontentment is disbelief 356 Dissatisfaction is a trap of the devil 357 Another word on contentment 358 Overlooking the faults of one's brothers 359 Take advantage of health and free time 361 Allah protects those who believe 361 Signposts on the seeker's highway 364 Being blessed with honor is also a test 365 The enduring treasures 366 Determination can overcome insurmountable barriers 367 Reading in order to learn wisdom 367 And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me 368 Take your precautions 370 Verify the facts yourself 370 Resolve to do something and then do it 370 The life of this world 371 Hiding from evil is a temporary solution 372 Remember that you are dealing with the Most Merciful 374 Optimism 375 Life is toil 375 Pause to reflect 376 Treading the middle path saves one from destruction 376 One is judged by one's dominant characteristics 377 One's inborn character 378
Dont be Sad 15 It is not enough to be merely intelligent: One needs true guidance as well 379 If one has inner beauty, he will discern beauty in the universe 381 Relief after hardship 382 You are above jealousy 383 Pause to reflect 384 Knowledge is the key to serenity and ease 385 The wrong way to go about things... 385 The noblest human being 386 One step at a time 387 Whether you have a little or a lot, learn to be thankful 388 Three plaques 389 Pause to reflect 389 Be free from worry and fear 390 Deeds of charity 391 Recreation and relaxation 392 Pause to reflect 396 Contemplate the universe 397 Follow a studied plan 397 Do not be disorderly in your affairs 399 Your value is determined by your faith and character 400 The bliss of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) 402 The wretchedness of the disbelievers 403 Pause to reflect 403 Be gentle with womenfolk 404 A smile every morning 404 An obsession for revenge is poison that flows through a diseased soul 407 Pause to reflect 407
16 List of Contents Do not melt into someone else's personality Waiting for relief from Allah Pursue work that you enjoy Pause to reflect Guidance: A natural consequence of belief The middle course Avoiding extremes Pause to reflect Who are the righteous ones? Allah is Most Kind to His slaves And He will provide him from [sources] he never could imagine An early recompense When you ask, ask Allah Precious moments Divine pre-ordainment Death Allah Alone is All-Powerful Unexpected relief Allah allows miracles to occur for His righteous slaves Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs Everything in the universe glorifies Allah Be pleased with Allah A call from the Nakhlah valley The first generation of Muslims Contentment even after being ruined Be resolute in making a decision The believer is firm and resolute The tax on being an eloquent speaker Perfect comfort and rest are in Paradise 408 409 410 411 412 414 415 416 416 417 419 421 423 424 426 426 428 430 430 432 434 436 441 442 444 445 448 449 451
Don't be Sad 17 Gentleness helps you achieve your goals 452 Anxiety does not help 454 Peace of mind is in having the basic necessities of life 454 Be prepared for the worst-case scenario 455 You are doing well if you are healthy and have enough food 457 Extinguish the fire of enmity before it spreads 458 Don't belittle another person's efforts 459 Deal with others as you would have them deal with you 462 Be fair 463 Avoid being artificial 463 If you really cannot do something, leave it 464 Do not be chaotic in your life 465 CONCLUSION 467 GLOSSARY 469 TRANSLITERATION CHART 474