Contentment with Allah as Lord

First Sermon: All praise is due to Allah, Who has decreed destinies with His perfect wisdom, and has written for those who are content with His decree the reward of entering His Paradise. We bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, and we bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. May Allah’s peace, blessings, and mercy be upon him, his family, his companions, and all those who follow him in righteousness. To proceed: I advise you, servants of Allah, and myself to have taqwa of Allah, indeed, “Allah loves the righteous.”   ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ﴾ O believers: Contentment (ar-riḍā) is a form of worship that resides in the heart, a spiritual act of devotion, and a high level of faith. Whoever is guided to it attains the pleasure of the Most Merciful (Ar-Rahman) and tastes the sweetness of faith. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:  “He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is content with Allah as his Lord, with Islam as his religion, and with Muhammad as his Messenger.” «ذَاقَ طَعْمَ الْإِيمَانِ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولًا». Do you know what this contentment we are discussing truly means, O servants of Allah? It is the heart's calm acceptance of destiny and its reassurance during times of tribulation. This comes from trusting in Allah’s grace and mercy and having complete conviction in His knowledge and wisdom. For Allah is the ultimate manager of all affairs; He is the Most Gracious, fully aware of what is truly right for each individual. Once a person firmly believes this, they will never desire anything but their Lord’s choice for them, nor will they seek anything contrary to what He has decreed. This is among the highest levels of faith, a quality embodied by the Prophets, peace be upon them, who prayed for it for themselves and for their descendants.  Prophet Zakariyya, peace be upon him, when asking his Lord for a child, prayed, “And make him, my Lord, one with whom You are well-pleased.” ﴿وَاجْعَلْهُ رَبِّ رَضِيًّا﴾. So, how then do we attain this level of contentment, O servants of Allah? We attain it by being certain that what Allah chooses for us is far better than what we choose for ourselves. This leads us to surrender to His will through prosperity and adversity, in moments of deprivation and in moments of abundance, keeping in mind His statement, Glory be to Him: ﴿وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ﴾ “It may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you”. Our Lord, may He be glorified, only decrees that which is good, and He ensures that goodness is found in accepting His decree. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “Verily, all that is good is found in contentment.” إِنَّ الْخَيْرَ كُلَّهُ فِي الرِّضَا.  O servant of Allah, among the things that help you to attain the station of contentment is to: “Know that what has befallen you was never meant to miss you, and what has missed you was never meant to befall you.” As our Prophet ﷺ said. «وَاعلَمْ أَنَّ ‌مَا ‌أَصَابَكَ ‌لَمْ ‌يَكُنْ لِيُخْطِئَكَ، وَمَا أَخْطَأَكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَكَ». So glad tidings to the one who understands what Allah intends for him, finds peace in His decree, and thus reaches the ranks of those who are content and ascends the degrees of the patient. ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “If you are patient, destiny will run its course upon you while you are rewarded; and if you are impatient, destiny will still run its course upon you, but you will be sinful.” إِنْ صَبَرْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ القَدَرُ وَأَنْتَ مَأْجُورٌ، وَإِنْ جَزِعْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ القَدَرُ وَأَنْتَ مَأْثُومٌ. So be among those who earn reward through Allah’s decree, not among those who bear the burden of sin because of it. Do not grieve over wealth or a job that has passed you by, for provision is already apportioned — determined by perfect wisdom and a known decree. Allah the Exalted said: ﴿نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾. “We have apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world.”  Purify your heart from constant sorrow and fear of the future, for such feelings drive you toward pessimism, negativity, and the postponement of family goals and endeavors. Free yourself from excessive complaints, criticism, and failure to appreciate the efforts made by others. Beware of harboring bad thoughts about your Lord, and of looking at what others possess. For whoever keeps extending his gaze toward what others have will never be content with what he himself possesses, he will fall into envy and harmful comparisons. Our Prophet ﷺ said: «انْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ، وَلَا تَنْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكُمْ، فَهُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَلَّا تَزْدَرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ». “Look at those who are below you and do not look at those who are above you, for that is more likely to prevent you from belittling the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you.” The believer lives a life filled with contentment, strives to embody praiseworthy character, and views all matters with a heart that is pleased with his Lord, and he thanks Allah for the blessings that surround him, the blessings of faith, health, wealth, family, and homeland. O servants of Allah, Among the things that help a believer attain the station of contentment is knowing that being pleased with his Lord draws him nearer to Him and opens the doors of divine blessings upon him. The Prophet ﷺ said: «مَنْ رَضِيَ بِمَا قَسَمَ اللَّهُ لَهُ، بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَهُ فِيهِ». “Whoever is content with what Allah has apportioned for him, Allah will bless it for him” And indeed, contentment is a path to Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ also said: «مَنْ رَضِيَ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا، وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ». “Whoever is content with Allah as his Lord, with Islam as his religion, and with Muhammad as his Prophet — Paradise will be guaranteed for him.” Glad tidings, then, to the one whose heart affirms these words and whose tongue proclaims them, for he may rejoice in the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: «مَنْ قَالَ إِذَا أَصْبَحَ: رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا، فَأَنَا الزَّعِيمُ لِآخُذَ بِيَدِهِ حَتَّى أُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ». “Whoever says in the morning, ‘I am content with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad as my Prophet,’ I guarantee that I will take him by the hand until I admit him into Paradise.” ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ﴾ “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you.” I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and for you, so seek His forgiveness, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. Second Sermon: Praise be to Allah, besides whom there is no other deity. Blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, after whom there is no other prophet, and upon his family, his companions, and all who follow his guidance To proceed: O believers, Turning to Allah Almighty in supplication and sincerely seeking Him with true hope are among the greatest means of attaining contentment with His divine decree. Among the supplications of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Seal of the Prophets, was: «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ ‌الرِّضَا ‌بَعْدَ ‌الْقَضَاءِ». “O Allah, I ask You for contentment after the decree.” So, O Allah, make Your pleasure our provision; make us content and be pleased with us. Grant us success in all that You love and are pleased with. O Allah, we seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger, and in Your pardon from Your punishment, And we seek refuge in You from You. We cannot praise You enough. You are as You have praised Yourself. O Allah, send Your peace and blessings upon our Master and Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Messengers, and upon his family, companions, and those who follow them in righteousness. O Allah, be pleased with Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, and all the noble Companions. O Allah, make us firm believers in You, sincere worshippers of You, content with You, and submissive to Your decree. Grant us dutifulness toward our parents and have mercy on them as they raised us when we were young. O Most Merciful of the merciful. O Allah, O You Who answer every supplication forgive us, relieve our worries, and turn all evil away from us. O Allah, grant success to our children who are students, decree excellence and success for them, and make easy the affairs of those approaching marriage. O Allah, leave not amongst us anyone deprived of offspring without granting them offspring, nor anyone in debt without settling their debt, nor anyone afflicted without relieving them, nor anyone sick without healing them, nor any widow without aiding her, nor any orphan without comforting them, nor any deceased without showing them mercy. O Allah, fill our homes with tranquility, affection, and mercy, and aid and grant success to the mothers and fathers in raising their daughters and sons. O Allah, protect our homeland, enhance our prosperity, bestow peace upon the world, and spread love and harmony throughout its lands. O Allah, protect the state of the Emirates, take it under Your care, and surround it with Your providence, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, protect Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the President of the State, grant him perpetual guidance and wisdom, and grant success to him, his deputies, his brothers the Rulers of the Emirates, and his trustworthy Crown Prince, in all that You love and are pleased with. O Allah, have mercy upon Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Rashid, and all the Sheikhs of the Emirates who have passed into Your mercy. Admit them, by Your grace, into Your spacious Gardens, and encompass the martyrs of our nation with Your mercy and forgiveness. O Allah, have mercy upon the Muslim men and Muslim women, the living among them and the dead. O Allah, You Who are Vast in Mercy and Great in Benevolence, send down upon us blessed rain, and do not make us among the despairing. O Allah, grant us rain; O Allah, grant us rain; O Allah, grant us rain. O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness, indeed You are ever-Forgiving, so send down upon us abundant rain from the sky. O Allah, bless us with rescuing rain, wholesome and pleasant, with which You revive the land, have mercy on the people, and make it a source of strength and provision. O servants of Allah: Remember Allah, the Great, the Majestic, and He will remember you. And thank Him for His blessings, and He will grant you more.   And establish the prayer.