Reminded

أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ، بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

Sometimes alhamdulillah, social media does have a way to transmit meaningful messages across time and space. A handful of beautiful lessons from a couple of treasured bros who became shuyukh in the purest sense imo: AbdulRehman Murphy and Mikael Smith. The former I first learned about from one of my beloved, and the latter I will remember forever as he lead our Hajj group last decade.

The first transmitted lessons from Sh. Murphy:

It is with the acceptance and understanding of how our Rabb prevents us from finding or reaching something we desired to reach, but not being upset or angry at this prevention. Being hurt with the deprival, yes, but letting it pass with knowledge that this is how destiny manifests itself for us, and destiny is a thing Allah fully weaves for each creation. Obviously I should know this lesson vis a vis my Moon, since decades, and alhamdulillah that iteration has long been accepted and redirected into its most perfectly-conceivable form. But in the past year a number of new and first-time-for-me situations arose, and with hindsight I saw how my Rabb taught me lessons. Investing in dunya is not dissimilar from investing in akhirah, and tbh I had separated the two mentally at first. Eventually I saw that I'd have to do both in the same way, seeking my Rabb's aid and khair in both respects fully. Mind has digested many avenues of "ifs", for my choices left a ton on the table that I did not materially gain from, and the heart has gradually been able to accept the costs of learning and growth and inevitably coming back to who I am and how I walk this road...with knowing where it ends, while hoping the how is with khair with Him iA. Another truth Br. Murphy passed along, that no human was ever judged on how much they were given, rather what they did with what they had, each of us, in our own unique levels and respects. This is the basis for each human's personal judgment. So curious the state of being human, of consistently reaching out for something that we never truly know if we will find. So much like the wind.

The second lesson, from Sh. Smith:

Gratitude is never about what you have, in terms of job or wealth or spouse, etc...rather it is fully a matter of making a choice to be grateful to Allah. That's all. This explains how those of my people most oppressed can wake up day after day and still manage to truly mean "alhamdulillah". It boggles my mind, but this lesson does explain it, along with my own reflections over the past couple years. Shukr is a choice, first and foremost. It does not and should not vary based on what material things have been gained or lost, because then the degree of our acceptance of truth also wavers in accordance to levels of material rizq....which is mad trifling considering that blessings so often take other than material shape. It would be highly neglectful and a supreme disservice to our Rabb, kind of putting in the same boat as those in the ayat that talk about those who when they have been given much say "I have been honored" while those who have been given less complain about their "disgrace". These measures based on material sight are unworthy for a slave to have. Our shukr is a choice, that only remains beneficial if we let ourselves make it, positively, regardless of circumstance. 

Alhamdulillah for both these bros, may Allah grant them khair now and Then, ameen.