The Wrappings of Gratitude

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most-Compassionate, Most-Merciful

Certainty in Uncertainty

This being true, presents us with one of two choices and which one we choose depends on the level of Yakin (certainty) we possess with regards faith, our level of understanding of the Divine Will, our understanding in general, the state of the heart and the level of our sincerity. In other words, as an outward proof of our internal yakin and emaan, we may undertake something of which we have reached the limit of its external proofs but yet we undertake the action with full conviction. This we do, not because we do possess full conviction, or that we seek to replace the certainty we possess with a certainty we have generated in order to make up the difference. But rather we undertake what we know and have established as being good, with conviction, and without seeking to presuppose its outcome. Hence in our example of a prospective spouse, our yakin, our reliance on Divine Will and guidance determines that we approach the matter with absolute conviction whilst also and always allowing there to exist the uncertainty of the outcome of the process.

In other words the process of becoming acquainted with a prospective must be undertaken with conviction irrespective of what the outcome may be because as we have already established the outcome has been veiled from us and so has knowledge of the absolute goodness of the action. Hence, our reliance is based on what is left over which are the outward signs and our emaan manifest in the sincerity of our full conviction of the process, but with the knowledge of the uncertainty of the outcome.

This is a complex understanding which is often over-simplified through a misrepresentation of ‘khair insha’Allah’, for ‘khair insha’Allah’ actually denotes the understanding presented above as opposed to its use to as a preventative and negative term that prevents us from being fully committed to an act of goodness. In other words, if not applied with sincerity its use is more akin to allowing us not to commit to something, to use the principle that, ‘only Allah knows best’, to prevent oneself from fully engaging in and committing oneself to a particular good action.

Now, here some might say in the case of a prospective spouse, to what extent ought we commit our hearts to the process, knowing the outcome is uncertain and knowing that risking the heart in such a way may be painful and/or detrimental? It is true, that with conviction of heart comes the real possibility of pain. But again we have to think this idea through carefully and ascertain exactly what we are referring to. At the outset of considering a prospective partner we do not begin by giving them our hearts and nor do we do that mid-way through and nor at the end. In fact at no point do we commit to giving our hearts to our prospective partner unless and until in the marriage itself. So, with this being the case what do we mean by giving our heart? Giving our heart means that we do not allow the heart to dictate a matter that first requires serious thought. Secondly, giving our heart also means that we are not led nor dictated by what may seem like a pure conviction, or a sign of our sincerity, but is in fact the nafs’ way of preventing us from thinking clearing by presenting false certainty through strong emotion. Hence, the heart being the repository of certainty cannot simply be given away to every stranger.

What we have said so far it that we are fully engaged and committed, without knowledge of the outcome but without what we may describe as giving our heart. Taking this further what this means is that it is not to the prospective person that we seek to give our heart, but in the process of getting to know them with a view to marriage, our hearts remain with Allah. What this means is that we are fully engaged in the process through Allah, seeking His guidance direction, with clarity and for the right reasons. But what it also translates into is that in order to gain His full guidance and blessing our hearts have to fully engage with Him and hence fully engage in the process of getting to know our prospective spouse.

And once we have as far as practically possible determined the goodness of the person, and goodness contained in the action, according to the proofs given to us by Allah, then we commit to the person with sincerity and most importantly, with a desire for the a union between the two people. This view in no way presupposes Divine Will but rather is an indication to Allah that we place our trust in Him, do not fear His wisdom, but rather we trust in it.

However, if one holds in their mind that they should not fully engage in the process because nothing may come of it, is to an extent being insincere with themselves, their prospective and with Allah – seeking to protect themselves rather than rely on Allah to protect them. Seeking to guide themselves rather than relying on Allah to guide them. Hence, the extent to which such a person may receive, and be aware of the Divine Will and Divine Guidance, the extent to which that guidance will be apparent to them, and the extent to which they see it in others, entirely corresponds to how much of their heart they have committed to and with Allah.

In other words, each prospective spouse, after a certain initial period of evaluation through intellect, has to be fully committed to and engaged with, with the acceptance, that by doing so, we demonstrate our faith in Allah to guide us to whatever may be good. It removes the self from the picture to a great extent, increases ones emaan, and demonstrates ones yakin. Indeed, there will always be the possibility of pain caused through acting with conviction towards an unknown end, but in the process and in our belief in khair what we have demonstrated above all else is our desire to be truly guided by Allah. Not fearing the outcome, but only fearing Allah. For fear is a creation of Allah, not worth fearing, which free’s us to risk our heart’s, not for dunya, but for the sake of Allah. There is no greater sign of trusting in Allah, than those that entrsu their hearts to Him, fisibilillah, for the sake of Allah. Hence, if there is khair in an action then let Allah be the judge of that and let us only seek to be guided by His will to whatever may be best, but with the full knowledge that we have for His sake, fully committed to Him, to good and to all that is right, without fear of the unknown or hesitation but with love, awe,  fear and hope in Allah – hope contained in the absolute knowledge in the words of the Prophet (s) when he said, “All goodness is with Allah”. Those that truly believe in this, such hearts are with Allah, and what better place do true hearts seek than to be with Allah? “Allah is with those whose hearts are broken for His sake” (hadith).

Insha’Allah I will mention something about hearts that have been broken for the sake Allah in the next post.