Milestones on the path to stability | Episode (11) | One of the means of stability: contemplating stories

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

0:03 Milestones on the path of steadfastness.

0:08 Reflecting upon stories.

0:12 Among the greatest means of steadfastness

0:18 is reflecting upon the stories of the early prophets and messengers,

0:22 as well as the scholars and the righteous.

0:25 The most important of these are those found in the Book of Allah

0:28 and the Sunnah of the trustworthy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:32 For in them lies the greatest lesson,

0:35 as the Almighty said:

0:37 "And each [story] We relate to you from the news of the messengers is that by which We make firm your heart."

0:47 "And there has come to you, in this, the truth and an instruction and a reminder for the believers."

0:57 Al-Sa'di said in his Tafsir:

1:00 When He mentioned in this Surah

1:02 what He mentioned of the accounts of the prophets,

1:05 He mentioned the wisdom behind relating them,

1:07 saying:

1:09 “And all that We relate unto thee of the story of the messengers is in order that thereby We may make firm thy heart. And herein hath come unto thee the Truth and an exhortation and a reminder for believers.” (11:120)

1:16 meaning, your heart,

1:17 so that it may find tranquility and remain steadfast,

1:19 and be patient just as the messengers of determination were patient.

1:23 For the soul finds comfort in following examples,

1:26 is energized toward action,

1:28 and desires to compete with others.

1:31 The truth is further supported by mentioning its evidence

1:34 and the multitude of those who upheld it.

1:37 The Qur'an has related to us

1:39 stories of those who remained steadfast

1:40 among the prophets, messengers, and the righteous,

1:43 which serve as a model for every steadfast person

1:46 until the Day of Resurrection.

1:48 Here is the Messenger of Allah, Nuh (Noah), peace be upon him,

1:52 who remained among his people for a thousand years,

1:54 except for fifty years,

1:56 calling to Allah the Almighty,

1:58 and remaining steadfast.

2:00 “(Thus it was) till, when Our commandment came to pass and the oven gushed forth water, We said: Load therein two of every kind, a pair (the male and female), and thy household, save him against whom the word hath gone forth already, and those who believe. And but a few were they who believed with him.” (11:40)

2:03 The Almighty said:

2:05 "And We certainly sent Nuh to his people,"

2:09 “And verily we sent Noah (as Our messenger) unto his folk, and he continued with them for a thousand years save fifty years; and the flood engulfed them, for they were wrong-doers.” (29:14)

2:11 "except for fifty years,"

2:20 "and the flood seized them,"

2:22 "while they were wrongdoers."

2:24 And here is the Messenger of Allah, Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him,

2:28 who called to the worship of Allah

2:30 and abandoned the worship of idols.

2:33 His people denied him and showed him hostility,

2:36 to the point that they gathered firewood,

2:38 ignited a massive fire,

2:41 and threw him into it to burn him.

2:43 Yet he remained steadfast,

2:45 and placed his trust in Allah,

2:47 so Allah saved him from their plot and their scheme.

2:51 Similar to this is the steadfastness of the People of the Cave,

2:55 when they remained firm upon their creed,

2:58 and fled with their religion to the cave.

3:01 The Almighty said:

3:03 “We narrate unto thee their story with truth. Lo! they were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.” (18:13)

3:09 “We narrate unto thee their story with truth. Lo! they were young men who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.” (18:13)

3:13 "And We increased them in guidance."

3:15 "And We bound upon their hearts"

3:18 "when they stood up and said,"

3:20 “And We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We cry unto no Allah beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity.” (18:14)

3:24 "when they stood up and said,"

3:26 “And We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We cry unto no Allah beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity.” (18:14)

3:30 “And We made firm their hearts when they stood forth and said: Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We cry unto no Allah beside Him, for then should we utter an enormity.” (18:14)

3:35 "We would have certainly spoken an excessive transgression."

3:39 “These, our people, have chosen (other) gods beside Him though they bring no clear warrant (vouchsafed) to them. And who doth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah?” (18:15)

3:46 “These, our people, have chosen (other) gods beside Him though they bring no clear warrant (vouchsafed) to them. And who doth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah?” (18:15)

3:52 "And who is more unjust than one who invents"

3:56 "a lie about Allah?"

3:58 "And when you have withdrawn from them,"

4:00 “And when ye withdraw from them and that which they worship except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread for you of His mercy and will prepare for you a pillow in your plight.” (18:16)

4:03 "then retreat to the cave."

4:07 “And when ye withdraw from them and that which they worship except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread for you of His mercy and will prepare for you a pillow in your plight.” (18:16)

4:12 “And when ye withdraw from them and that which they worship except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread for you of His mercy and will prepare for you a pillow in your plight.” (18:16)

4:20 Among the greatest stories of steadfastness

4:24 is the story of the People of the Ditch,

4:26 for they were patient and preferred to be thrown into the fire rather than turn back from their true religion.

4:32 The Almighty said:

4:34 "By the sky containing great stars,"

4:40 "and the promised Day,"

4:43 "and the witness and the witnessed,"

4:47 "cursed were the companions of the ditch,"

4:51 "the fire full of fuel,"

4:55 “When they sat by it,” (85:6)

4:58 “And were themselves the witnesses of what they did to the believers.” (85:7)

5:04 “They had naught against them save that they believed in Allah, the Mighty, the Owner of Praise,” (85:8)

5:12 "to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth."

5:17 "And Allah, over all things, is Witness."

5:23 “Lo! they who persecute believing men and believing women and repent not, theirs verily will be the doom of hell, and theirs the doom of burning.” (85:10)

5:34 "Then for them is the punishment of Hell,"

5:37 "and for them is the punishment of the Burning Fire."

5:40 "Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds"

5:45 "will have gardens beneath which rivers flow."

5:55 "That is the great attainment."

6:00 These people are those who truly tasted the sweetness of faith,

6:06 as it came in the two Sahih collections from Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

6:12 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

6:16 "There are three qualities which, whoever possesses them, will taste the sweetness of faith:"

6:21 "That Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anything else,"

6:26 "that he loves a person only for the sake of Allah,"

6:31 "and that he hates to return to disbelief after Allah has saved him from it,"

6:36 "just as he would hate to be cast into the fire."

6:39 Milestones on the path of steadfastness.

Milestones on the path to stability | Episode (11) | One of the means of stability: contemplating stories

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