What is “hope” and how important it is in our lives? Why do we need hope? How can we cultivate moments of hope in our lives and honour our hope in small ways even through hard times? In other words, How hope makes us successful? And what is the importance of hope for a believer?
A seed of hope is the beginning of every good thing in our livesHope gives birth to ?! life. It always believes for the best, even in the face of the worst circumstances.
For believers in Allah, hope is much more than a wish or a positive outlook; it is based on the promises of Allah found in His Word. They are promises to move on our behalf.
We can have hope in life no matter what surrounds us because we serve a mighty Allah who cares about us as knows us by name, and understands the desires of our hearts. “He knows whatever there is in the heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose, and Allah knows best what is in the hearts”.[1] He who had known us before we were even formed in our mother’s womb. “Indeed the knowledge of the Hour (Resurrection) is with Allah. He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed Allah is The All-knowing, The All-aware”.[2]
Perhaps you are facing setbacks with your job or relationships. Maybe you are struggling financially or the pressures of life is just overwhelming you. If it applies to you, there is still hope! Allah is for you, not against you. His resources are endless As He says, “There is not a thing but that its sources are with Us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure”. [3] His power and love know no boundaries. Allah is on your side. Do not let the enemy, Satan, your thoughts, or anyone else tell you anything different. Keep hope alive and never give up! “Satan frightens you of poverty and prompts you to [commit] indecent acts. But Allah promises you His forgiveness and grace, and Allah is The All-bounteous, The All-knowing”. [4] Allah is a God of more than enough as He does not have any lack. He always has a solution and is ready to speak to you, encourage you and for some, to rescue you. Let me ask you where your hope is today. Is it in people; in your capabilities; in your occupation? Be encouraged and build your hope on nothing less than Allah himself. And put your trust in Him; He suffices as trustee “and He is an excellent trustee”. [5] He is your solid rock in which all other ground is sinking sand.
Hope today, hope now! Know that whoever hopes in Allah and trusts in Him, will never be/get disappointed. This is the right path and this is the way of salvation. Always remember this verse of the Holy Quran, “Say, nothing will befall us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our master, and in Allah let all the faithful put their trust”.[6]
references
- (The Qur’an; 64:4)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 31:34)
- (The Qur’an; 9:51)
Whoever loves my daughter, Fatima (AS), will be with me in heaven, and whoever holds grudges against her will reside in hell.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.27, p.116.
Fatima (AS) is the best companion in the path toward serving and worshiping Allah.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.43, p.117.
Fatima (AS) is the dearest of people to me.
Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, Al-Amali, p.259.
Fatima is of my flesh, who is the light of my eyes and the warmth of my heart.
Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, Al-Amali, p.486.
Woe to whoever does wrong to my daughter, Fatima (AS), after my death.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.73, p.354.
Visiting Fatima (AS) equals to visiting me.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.43, p.58.
O’ Fatima (AS)! You are part of me, and I part of you.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.43, p.32.
O’ Fatima (AS)! I’m ready to give my life for you!
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.22, p.490.
Fatima (AS) is an angel who smells like heaven.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.87, p.112.
Verily, Allah has poured faith and belief into the veins of Fatima (AS); thus, she is consistent in worshiping Allah.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.24, p.74.
I did not give permission for Fatima (AS)’s marriage until I received Allah’s command as to her marriage.
Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, Uyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha, vol.2, p.59.
My daughter’s light is of Allah, and her status is higher than heaven and earth.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.15, p.10.
Heaven looks forward to four women: Mary, the daughter of Joachim, Asyia, pharaoh’s wife, Khadija, Khuwailad’s daughter, and Fatima (AS), Muhammad (PBUH&HP)’s daughter.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.43, p.53.
O’ Fatima! I give you the glad tiding of holding a high status in Allah’s regard, which provides you with the power to ask pardon for other people.
Bihar al-Anvar, vol.76, p.359.
All of us as human beings desire a peaceful and easy death; some people consider euthanasia as a way to achieve this end. The word Euthanasia comes from Greek origin (eu: well, good- Thanatos: death) and is commonly known as the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering. It is classified into three types: voluntary (with the consent of the patient), non-voluntary (the approval of the patient is unavailable) and involuntary (against the will of the patient). Voluntary euthanasia has been legalized in some countries such as Netherlands, Belgium and some states of America. It seems that proponents of euthanasia developed a strictly materialistic view of life and death; in other words, the existence of God and the value of human life are ignored. Moreover, the patient’s condition when consenting for euthanasia is not considered at all.
The first issue that can be argued against euthanasia is that being terminally ill does not seem to have a precise definition. There is no way to determine the life expectancy of a person even if he/she is diagnosed as terminally ill. There are cases in which the patient healed miraculously and without any explanation; the proponents of it seem to ignore the God’s will in the human’s life and death.
What's more, the consent that a patient who is suffering severely gives to end his/her life is not really of much validity. Obviously, due to the health condition of the patient, he/she is in a depressed mood and cannot think clearly. In some cases, such as an older adult who has lost his common sense, the consent given by him/her is apparently not valid. On the other hand, in non-voluntary in which a patient’s relative gives permission, the patient’s will is not included; it seems more like murdering rather than helping that patient.
Euthanasia activists ignore the value and importance of human life and the fact that the more you fight for life, the more precious your soul becomes. People who support this, often say that it is already considered permissible to take human’s life under some circumstances such as self-defense -e.g., in the case of wars- while, they miss this point that when one kills for self-defense, they are saving innocent lives either their own or someone else's. With euthanasia no one's life is being saved; life is only taken [3]. Human beings have the instinct for survival and immortality; euthanasia is clearly against the nature of human being. Somehow, it overlooks the spiritual side of human beings. Besides, it is an absolute act of suicide which many religions including Islam do not approve of [1].
Finally, the decision to take someone’s life is not for anybody even that person to make; God has given life to us, and He will take it as He wishes [2]. The proponents of Euthanasia have ignored moral issues and the spiritual side of human beings. Even in the hardest situations still, we can find hope if we have faith. By committing it, we lose the opportunity to see our unpredictable future; there may be a chance to embrace a beautiful life!
References:
- Euthanasia
- 5:32, 6:151, 4:29.
- what is Euthanasia