Methods by which one would please allah
- To be mindful of Allah and seek his forgiveness. For most of the calamities which befall man are from the sins that he commits. Allah says: (And whatever strikes you of disaster – it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.)
(42:30)The Prophet (s) clarified the importance of seeking forgiveness continuously. He (s) said: ‘Whoever continuously seeks forgiveness, Allah would grant him relief from every worry, and respite from every tension and provide him from places he expects least.’
(Haakim)Allah has informed us that continuous repentance is a cause for receiving provision, reward and waiving punishment. Allah says: (And I have said: ‘ask for forgiveness from your Rubb, indeed He is the Most forgiving. And He will send rain to you in abundance. And He will bestow on you wealth and sons, and provide for you gardens, and will make for you rivers.)
(71:10-12)Allah has made repentance among the major factors that would waive calamities. Seeking forgiveness alone through speech is not enough though. This should be accompanied with a firm determination and belief, which would cause one to leave the sin, feel sincere regret for doing it, and a lead to a determined effort not to return to it. Allah says: (And [Younus], when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darkness, “There is no deity except You; how perfect are You above all that they falsely associate with You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”)
(21:87) - One should be mindful of Allah during times of ease, by being grateful to Him for all the graces and bounties He has bestowed upon us, by remembering Him, and worshipping Him appropriately.
Abu Hurairah said that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: ‘Whoever wishes to be answered while in distress, should excessively supplicate Allah in times of ease.’
(Saheeh al-Jaam’i) -
The Prophet (s) said in the Hadeeth that is narrated by Ibn Abbas: ‘Be mindful of Allah in times of ease, and Allah will aid you in times of hardship.’
(Tirmithi)The Messenger of Allah (s) said: ‘Whoever helps a believer who is in hardships, Allah would aid him through the hardships of the Hereafter. Whoever aids a person in debt, Allah would aid him in this life and the hereafter. Whoever conceals a believer’s faults in this world, Allah would conceal his faults in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah would aid his servant, as long as he aids his brother. Whoever seeks a path in which he would gain knowledge, Allah would make easy for him a path to Jannah
(Heaven)A people would not gather in a house of the houses of Allah and recite and study the Qur’an, except that they would be tranquil, and the mercy of Allah would descend upon them, and Allah would praise them (in the presence of the angels) and reward them. Whosoever does not put forth good deeds, his lineage would be of no avail to him.’
(Muslim) - Giving out charity and doing righteous deeds. By the will of Allah, this would waive the calamities. Anas Malik said that the Prophet (s) said: ‘Charity would lessen the anger of the Rubb and would safeguard one from an evil death.’
(Ibn Hibban)Mu’adth Jabal said I accompanied the Prophet (s) on a trip, and I was close to him and while we were traveling, I asked him: ‘O Messenger of Allah (s) inform me of a deed that would admit me into Jannah and safeguard me from the Fire.’ He said: ‘You have asked about a great thing! And it is easy for one who Allah makes it easy for. Worship Allah, and do not associate any partners with him. Perform prayers, give out the Zakat, fast Ramadhan and perform Hajj.’ He then said: ‘Shall I not inform you of the ‘gates of goodness’? Fasting would safeguard one from the Fire and charity would efface one’s sins just as water would extinguish fire and a man’s prayer during the night. He then recited the words of Allah: (They forsake their beds as they call on their Rubb in fear and hope, and they expend of that We have bestowed upon them. No soul knows what joys of the eye have been kept hidden for them as reward of their deeds.)
He then said: ‘Shall I inform you of the most important aspect of the Deen, its pillar and its highest point?’ Mu’adh said: ‘Certainly O Messenger of Allah!’ He said: ‘The most important aspect of the Deen is Islam (i.e. the two testimonies of Faith), and its pillar is prayer and its highest point is Jihad.’ The Prophet (s) then said: ‘Shall I inform you of a thing which would secure for you all of this?’ Mu’adh said: ‘Certainly O Messenger of Allah!’ He said: ‘Be mindful, and guard your tongue.’ Mu’adh said: ‘Would we be held accountable for what we say?’ He exclaimed with surprise, ‘May your mother lose you! Would people be thrown into Hell on their faces, or their noses, except on account of what they say?’
(Tirmidthi) - Maintaining the relations of Kith and Kin by visiting them and helping them in their needs. Allah says: (So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship? Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision. Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts? )
(47:22-24)The Messenger of Allah (s) said: ‘There is no good deed whose reward is granted more rapidly than tying relations of kith and kin. There is no sin whose doer is punished more rapidly than harlotry and severing the relations of the kith and kin.’
(Baihaqi) - One should abstain from wronging or harming people. The Prophet of Allah (s) said: ‘The Da’wah (supplication) of the one who is wronged is carried above the clouds and the gates of the heavens are opened for it, and the Rubb would say: ‘By My might, I will grant you victory even after a period of time.’
(Ibn Hibban)No matter how delayed the punishment of the oppressor may seem, he would indeed meet his fate. Abu Musa al-Ash’ari said that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: ‘Allah gives respite to an oppressor, but when He decides to seize him, He never releases him.’ Then he recited: (And thus is the seizure of your Rubb when He seizes the cities while they are committing wrong. Indeed, His seizure is painful and severe.
(11:102)) - Seeking refuge with Allah, by continuously supplicating him and humbling himself before Him. Allah says: (And your Rubb says: ‘Call upon Me and I shall answer you. Surely those who arrogantly disdain to worship me shall enter Hell utterly humiliated.)
(40:60) The Prophet (s) said: ‘There is nothing more beloved to Allah than supplicating Him.’
(Tirmidthi)Thobaan said that the Messenger of Allah (s) said: ‘Man would be affected by a limitation in his provisions due to a sin which he commits, and nothing would prevent a calamity from befalling except Du’aa (supplication), and the goodness in one’s life would not increase except if one does deeds of righteousness.’
(Ibn Majah)Al-Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘If it is said, what is the benefit of Du’aa (supplication) when the preordained cannot be prevented? Know that among the preordained things is the prevention of calamities through supplication. Du’aa is a cause for the prevention of calamities, and is a source of mercy. Similarly the seed is a cause for the growth of vegetation from the earth, as armor safeguards its wearer from arrows.
Thus does Du’aa prevent calamities.’ The Du’aa is the weapon of the believer. With it, he would be granted goodness in his provisions. With it he would prevent calamities from befalling him before they occur, or lighten their effect after they have occurred, or completely remove it.