The Peace That Comes with Worship

Our Supreme Creator proclaims in our Exalted book, Quran al-Karim: "Say, “With the grace of Allah and with His mercy (this book has been revealed). So they should rejoice in it. It is much better than that (wealth) which they accumulate.'" (Yunus, 58)

The Almighty Lord bestows great blessings upon the servant who turns towards Him, rewarding them both in this world and in the hereafter. Although the true recompense of righteous deeds shall be given in the afterlife, the servant who turns to their Lord shall partake in the benefit and blessings of worship even in this world.

Glad tidings in the Holy Quran, such as it being a healing and a mercy for those who recite and follow it (Yunus, 57), the tranquility the heart finds in the remembrance of Allah (Ar-Ra’d, 28), prayer preventing one from indecency and evil (Al-Ankabut, 45), and the purification of wealth through the act of giving alms (At-Tawbah, 103), inform us how much worship can uplift and bring peace to a person even in their earthly life.

The servant who turns to the Most High Lord is in a profound state of peace. They are filled with the joy of obeying the divine commands. They are hopeful for their life in this world and the hereafter. They are far from despair and unrest. As revealed both in the Holy Quran (Al-An’am, 125) and confirmed by experience, those distanced from the commands of the Lord of the Worlds are bound to feel oppressed and uneasy in their worldly life.

In his hadiths, our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) describes the tranquility, serenity, and spiritual pleasure that iman bestows upon a person. In one hadith, he states: "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will taste the sweetness of iman: The one to whom Allah and His Messenger become dearer than anything else. The one who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake. The one who hates to revert to disbelief as he hates to be thrown into the fire." (al-Bukhari, Iman 9)

The Muslim is in a state of struggle with their nafs until the time of prayer. Once they overcome it and perform their prayer, they find immense peace. It is possible to see the traces of this peace on the faces of the members of the jamaah who have finished their prayer in the mosque and are dispersing.

A person who does not neglect their worship attains perpetual peace in their personal and social life. Even when they encounter a deeply saddening event, the time for prayer will come soon to soothe them. They will make their wudu, go to the mosque, stand in the presence of their Creator, and then make their supplications (tasbihat), expressing their condition to their Supreme Lord. The deep pleasure and satisfaction of speaking with and taking refuge in the Lord of the Worlds will fill their hearts.

Our Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) explains how prayer liberates the individual from the shackles of Shaytan: "When any one of you goes to sleep, the devil ties three knots at the back of his neck, sealing every knot with, 'You have a long night, so sleep.' If one wakes up and remembers Allah, one knot will be untied. If he performs ablution, the second knot is untied. And if he prays, all of the knots will be untied, and one gets up energetic with a good heart in the morning; otherwise, one gets up lazy and with a mischievous heart." (al-Bukhari, Tahajjud, 12)

It is also possible to witness this state of tranquility during fasting. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) describes the joy the fasting person will experience: "There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting." (al-Bukhari, Fasting, 9) The peace that fills a Muslim at the time of breaking their fast comes not from the act of eating and drinking but from achieving a spiritual delight.

The rewards of piety a person can attain include being granted ways out in their affairs (At-Talaq, 2), provision from where they never imagined (At-Talaq, 3), and the attainment of confidence and satisfaction in Allah sufficing them in every matter. (At-Talaq, 3)

In Makkah and Medina, millions of Muslims are visibly at peace and happy. It's rare to see a single person among millions who appears upset, demoralized, or dissatisfied. Even those wandering the streets and markets of these holy cities can sense this tranquility. Those who have completed their blessed journey and returned home will remember the spiritual climate and the joy they experienced there for a lifetime.

Those visiting the graves of our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), other prophets, companions, or friends of Allah also find a deep peace in these places. The spiritual atmosphere of these locations brings comfort to the soul. It is even possible to feel this in places where these great individuals once resided and have since departed.

Visitors to the cities of the friends of Allah also find themselves immersed in peace. There, time flows in a state of worship; hours chase one another for prayer, and preparations for the next prayer begin as soon as one ends. Worship, remembrance, service, pleasant conversation with friends, and the genuine, brotherly love between people who have just met, all signal to this peace. This spiritual delight reflects on their faces, in their words, and in their actions.

Following divine commandments, fulfilling the requisites of iman, and being among the good servants results in rejoicing as declared in the verses, “give good tidings to the believers" (At-Tawbah, 103), "give good tidings to those who do good" (Al-Hajj, 37), "give good tidings to the humble" (Al-Hajj, 34), and "give good tidings to the patient ones" (Al-Baqarah, 155). These verses promise great rewards for those who serve the Lord of the Universe. Living this life with the hope of these glad tidings, believers will not feel constricted or distressed; rather, they will face life with an indescribable spiritual delight.

May our Lord make us among those who attain divine glad tidings and spiritual peace by fulfilling His commandments.

With His tawfiq and inayah…

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The passage into eternal life of Khadimu’l-Muslimin, Shaykh Sayyid Abdülbaki Elhüseyni, has plunged us all into profound sorrow. Upon hearing of his departure, his followers rushed to the village of Menzil, intending to attend his funeral. Hundreds of thousands attended. To prevent distress or discomfort to the elderly, the sick, and the children, we requested those who wished to pay their respects to defer their visits. Consequently, even more people prayed and recited the Quran for him than those who physically attended the funeral.

The extent of the love he commanded among his followers is a testament to his immense worth in the sight of Allah. According to a blessed hadith, "When Allah loves a servant, He calls out to Jibril saying, 'Allah loves so-and-so, so you love him too!' Jibril loves him and then proclaims to the inhabitants of the heavens, 'Indeed Allah loves so-and-so, so you all love him too.' Consequently, all the beings in the heavens love him, and then acceptance is established for him on earth" (Bukhari, Adab, 41). The love that the believers bear for the friends of Allah springs from this source.

Our revered murshid devoted his entire life to the service of Islam, the Quran, ilm, and humanity. By the grace of Allah, his dargahs brought tranquility to sorrowful hearts, and those in distress found safety; their hunger was sated, and their loneliness alleviated. As in every era, the value of tasawwuf and its service to mankind found embodiment in Menzil. Inshallah, this love, respect, and service will endure eternally.

As his family, we acknowledge the condolences of all our brothers and sisters who attended his funeral, those who were immediately plunged into deep sorrow upon hearing the news of his passing, those who couldn't attend due to their obligations and excuses, those who offered prayers, those who wished mercy for him, and those who shared in our grief. We pray for mercy for their departed. May Allah keep the path of the elders steadfast and their service everlasting.

Sheikh Sayyid M. Mübarek Elhüseyni