In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The story of Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran.
Peace be upon her.
Maryam shakes the date palm while she is in the throes of childbirth.
Usually, a woman immediately after childbirth is in her weakest physical state.
Even carrying her newborn may be difficult for her.
She is in need of care during this period.
Until she recovers her strength.
And the people who support a woman most during this critical time are,
Her mother and her sisters.
This is why it has been the custom in some societies
That a woman, immediately after childbirth,
Spends her postpartum period at her mother’s home so she can assist her with what she is going through,
And teach her from her life experience,
How to care for the newborn.
As for the case of Maryam, peace be upon her,
She lacked all of what we have mentioned.
In fact, the situation was far more difficult than that.
She was suffering psychologically from the prospect of facing her people with her newborn.
She was not thinking now of who would serve her or help her with the pains of childbirth and the postpartum period,
But rather, she was thinking of how to face her people and what she would say to them.
Thus, the first remedy for the psychological state of Maryam, peace be upon her,
Was to remove sadness from her soul by looking at the blessings around her.
As Allah the Almighty said in His Book:
“Then (one) cried unto her from below her, saying: Grieve not! Thy Lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee,” (19:24)
“Then (one) cried unto her from below her, saying: Grieve not! Thy Lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee,” (19:24)
And the presence of water around her was a great blessing.
Then He said to her:
“And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee.” (19:25)
He asked her to shake the date palm,
The very tree she had been leaning against just a moment before during her labor,
Due to the strength of its trunk, its solidity, and its firmness in the ground.
He asks her to shake it.
How can Maryam, peace be upon her, shake the trunk of a date palm?
A date palm whose trunk cannot be moved even by a strong, powerful man.
Furthermore, she is in a postpartum state,
Meaning she is in the most severe state of weakness a woman can experience.
Add to that,
That dates do not usually fall just by shaking the tree,
Rather, a farmer must climb up and pick them directly from the tree.
Yet, despite all this, He says to her:
“And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee.” (19:25)
Al-Shinqiti, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
Some scholars derived from the words of Allah the Almighty in this noble verse,
"And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree,"
That striving and taking the means to obtain provision
Is a matter commanded by the Sharia,
And that it does not contradict reliance (tawakkul) upon Allah the Almighty.
This is a matter known as a necessity of the religion,
That taking the means to obtain benefits and ward off harms in this world
Is a matter commanded by the Sharia,
And it does not contradict reliance upon Allah in any way.
Because the accountable person engages with the means in compliance with the command of their Lord,
While knowing and being certain that nothing happens except what Allah wills to happen.
So, they are reliant upon Allah,
Knowing that nothing will befall them except what Allah has decreed for them of good or evil.
And if Allah had willed for the effect of the means to be separated from their outcomes, they would have been separated.
Among the clearest proofs of this is the saying of Allah the Almighty:
“We said: O fire, be coolness and peace for Abraham,” (21:69)
The verse.
The nature of burning in fire is a single concept that cannot be divided into different meanings.
Yet, it burned the firewood,
Turning it into ashes with its heat,
At the same time that it was "coolness and peace" for Ibrahim.
This is definitive proof that the actual effect
Is only by the will of the Creator of the heavens and the earth,
And that He causes whatever outcomes He wills through whatever means He wills,
And that nothing has any effect except by His will, the Almighty.
Among the clearest proofs of this
Is that He may make a thing a means for something else,
Even though it is contrary to it.
Like His making the striking of the dead man of the Children of Israel with a part of a slaughtered cow a means for his life.
Striking him with a dead piece of a dead cow is contrary to his life,
Since life is not gained by striking with a dead thing.
This clarifies that He, the Almighty, causes whatever outcomes He wills
Through whatever means He wills,
And no effect occurs at all
Except by His will, the Almighty.
Among what clarifies that engaging with the means does not contradict reliance upon Allah
Is the saying of Allah the Almighty about Ya‘qub:
“And he said: O my sons! Go not in by one gate; go in by different gates. I can naught avail you as against Allah. Lo! the decision rests with Allah only. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him let all the trusting put their trust.” (12:67)
He commanded them in this statement to engage with the means,
And He caused that by commanding it,
Because he feared for them that people might strike them with the evil eye,
Since they were eleven men, sons of one man,
And they were people of beauty, perfection, and physical stature.
So their entering through one gate was a cause for them to be struck by the evil eye.
Thus, he commanded them to disperse and enter through separate gates,
Engaging with the means for safety from being struck by the evil eye,
As more than one of the scholars of the salaf have said.
And despite this taking of means, Allah said about him:
“And he said: O my sons! Go not in by one gate; go in by different gates. I can naught avail you as against Allah. Lo! the decision rests with Allah only. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him let all the trusting put their trust.” (12:67)
“And he said: O my sons! Go not in by one gate; go in by different gates. I can naught avail you as against Allah. Lo! the decision rests with Allah only. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him let all the trusting put their trust.” (12:67)
“And he said: O my sons! Go not in by one gate; go in by different gates. I can naught avail you as against Allah. Lo! the decision rests with Allah only. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him let all the trusting put their trust.” (12:67)
So look at how he combined taking the means in his saying,
"Do not enter from one gate," and reliance upon Allah in his saying,
“And he said: O my sons! Go not in by one gate; go in by different gates. I can naught avail you as against Allah. Lo! the decision rests with Allah only. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him let all the trusting put their trust.” (12:67)
This is a known matter that is not hidden except from one whose insight Allah has blinded.
Allah the Almighty is capable of making the dates fall for her without shaking the trunk,
But He commanded her to take the means of making them fall by shaking the trunk.
Some have said regarding this:
Do you not see that Allah said to Maryam,
"And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree, it will drop upon you fresh, ripe dates,"
And had He willed for her to gather them without shaking it,
She would have gathered them, but everything has a cause.
This means, my dear sister,
That sitting and lamenting our state and situation without taking the means
Is contrary to the Sharia.
It is not enough for us to sit and talk about the deviation of girls today,
And the efforts of the people of corruption in that,
Rather, we must work with the legitimate means that resist such deviations,
At the forefront of which is calling to Allah,
And spreading the truth with which Allah destroys falsehood.
Likewise, the injustice occurring against women in some societies
Due to Jahili (pre-Islamic) customs and traditions
Cannot be changed by weeping and silence,
But it is changed by denouncing it,
And clarifying the truth that Allah the Almighty has legislated for women in such issues
In which they are wronged,
Such as preventing them from inheritance in some societies,
And the male relatives seizing their wealth,
And some guardians consuming their dowries,
And forcing them to marry someone they do not want,
And other forms of injustice
Stemming from Jahili customs that contradict the Sharia.
Also, my dear sister,
Marital problems are not solved without taking the legitimate means for a solution,
The most important of which is changing oneself,
According to His saying:
“For him are angels ranged before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah's command. Lo! Allah changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts; and if Allah willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him.” (13:11)
Then consulting specialists early before the problem escalates.
And the girl who has not yet married,
And wishes to marry,
She also needs to take the legitimate means
To attain what she wishes,
Among which is supplication (du‘a),
Which is at the forefront.
It is not among the legitimate means to display one's beauty (tabarruj),
Or to get to know young men through social media,
Nor is mixed-gender work.
For what is with Allah is not attained by disobeying Allah.
And know, my dear sister,
That one of the greatest means that helps you in your goals in life
Is the strength of your connection and relationship with Allah the Almighty,
In times of ease and hardship.
This relationship between you and Allah the Almighty
Is manifested in your obedience to Allah,
And your drawing near to Him through various types of worship.
And contemplate the state of Maryam, peace be upon her,
How she was before her pregnancy.
She had prepared for herself a special place for her worship and drawing near to Allah,
And she was frequent in prayer and intimate conversation with Allah the Almighty.
So when her Lord tested her with pregnancy,
He did not leave her alone in this trial,
But rather, He helped her through it in every respect,
As passed by you in a previous episode,
And as we will mention in a coming episode, if Allah wills.
This relationship with Allah,
Its effects are manifested for you in situations where material means are cut off
Regarding the matter you are going through,
Like what happened to the Companions of the Cave,
Who were trapped in the cave,
And could not move the rock from its place,
Even though they were three men.
So they resorted to seeking nearness to Allah through the most hopeful deed they had, which they thought they had performed with sincerity.
When they did that, Allah relieved them.
Indeed, your steadfastness, my dear sister, upon the truth,
In a time of trials that surround people today from every side,
Requires taking the legitimate means,
Such as the abundance of supplications narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him, regarding the turning of hearts.
For on the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to frequently say:
"O Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion."
He said: We said, "O Messenger of Allah, we believe in you and in what you have brought,
So do you fear for us?"
He said: "Yes, for the hearts are between two fingers of the fingers of Allah the Almighty; He turns them."
Narrated by Ahmad.
This is one of the means.
Among them also is righteous companionship,
According to the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him:
"A man is upon the religion of his friend,
So let one of you look at whom he befriends."
Narrated by Abu Dawud.
Among them is staying away from places of trial and not approaching them,
For you do not know how they will affect your heart.
Among the most dangerous places of trial
Are fields of mixing with men,
Such as mixed universities,
And mixed workplaces.
Do not let those who beautify mixing for you deceive you,
Under the pretext of calling to Allah and learning religious knowledge,
For this is one of the ways Iblis enters upon the righteous.
Among the places of trial
Is exposing oneself to doubts under the pretext of refuting them,
Before one's feet are firmly planted with deep knowledge and correct creed.
These are means, do not be heedless of them, my dear sister,
For you are commanded to take them,
Just as Maryam was commanded to shake the palm tree to eat.
It is not conceivable in our religion
That taking the means is required in seeking provision,
And neglected in seeking guidance and steadfastness upon it.
I ask Allah to keep us firm upon the truth until the day we meet Him.
We will continue in a coming meeting, if Allah wills.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.