The seasons in life!

I was reading a Hadith the other day:

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Take benefit of five things before five other things :

your youth before your old age,

your health before your sickness,

your wealth before your poverty,

your free-time before your preoccupation,

and your life before your death.”

(Hakim)

Spring

New Life. The whispering promise of a bright future ahead. Everything is so new and wonderful. We have the time and the energy.  Old age seems trillions of years away. What next?

Summer

Full of energy.Slightly less time though. But we are ready to harvest. Nothing seems difficult. Study hard, work hard. Make friendships, meet people, make money, travel, spend money.Get married , have young families.  No time to stop and think and contemplate. We are so busy...We are bringing  our young ones  up, helping with homework, running mum's taxi service, watching football matches, attending open evenings... What next?

Autumn.

We have more time now but our energy levels decline. Our hearts might still feel young but the body is slowing down.  We  need rest after the busy summer. Some ailments appear, signs of age and the the quick passing of time become more evident. We start to notice and feel a loss and maybe regret. What next?

Winter

Everything is getting ready  to hibernate. Old age has now caught up, loss of health, loss of wealth maybe, forgotten dreams, loneliness.  Where did all these years go? Where all these dreams go? How did we use our youth,  wealth, our health, our free time, our LIFE?

What next? No matter in what stage in life we are

lets go back and read  the Hadith in the beginning:

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Take benefit of five things before five other things:

your youth before your old age,

your health before your sickness,

your wealth before your poverty,

your free-time before your preoccupation,

and your life before your death.”

(Hakim)

InshaAllah, all your seasons will be  wonderful!

Oh Allah please give us what is good in this life, and please give us what is good in the Hereafter!

Ameen

Do not expect gratitude from anyone

Excerpt from the Book: Don't Be Sad

Do not expect gratitude from anyone

Allah, the Almighty, created His slaves so that they may worship and remember Him, and He provided sustenance for them so that they may be grateful to Him. Nevertheless, many have worshipped other than Him and the masses are thankful not to Him, but to others,because the characteristic of ingratitude is widespread among human beings. So do not be dismayed when you find that others forget your favors or disregard your kind acts. Some people might even despise you and make you an enemy for no other reason than that you have shown them kindness.

And they could not find any cause to hear a grudge, except that Allah and His Messenger had enriched them of His Bounty. (Qur'an 9:74)

From among the ever-repeating pages of history is a story of a father and his son: the former raised him, fed him, clothed him and taught him; he would stay up nights so that his son could sleep, stay hungry so that his son could eat, and he would toil so that his son could feel comfort. And when the son became older and stronger, he rewarded his father with disobedience, disrespect, and contempt.

So be at peace if you are requited with ungratefulness for the good you have done. Rejoice in your knowledge that you will be rewarded from the One Who has unlimited treasures at His disposal.

This is not to say that you should refrain from performing acts of kindness towards others: the point is that you should be mentally prepared for ingratitude.

Perform acts of charity seeking Allah's pleasure, because with this attitude you will assuredly be successful. The ungrateful person cannot really harm you: praise Allah that that person is the transgressor and that you are the obedient servant. Also, remember that the hand that gives is better than the hand that receives.

We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.   (Qur'an 76: 9)

Many people are shocked at the nature of ingratitude in others, as though they had never come across this verse and others like it:

And when harm touches man, he invokes Us, lying down on his side, or sitting or standing. But when We have removed his harm from him, he passes on his way as if he had never invoked Us for a harm that touched him? (Qur'an 10: 12)

Hence do not be in a state of agitation if you give someone a pen as a gift and he uses it to satirize you, or if you give someone a walking stick to lean upon and he strikes you with it. As I pointed out earlier, most human beings are ungrateful to their Lord, so what treatment should you and I expect?


Xenia's note: This is so true. If we do everything for the sake of Allah (swt) and we do not expect anything from anyone else, we will not get upset or disappointed if others give us no thanks for all our hard work. Insha Allah we will find our reward with Allah (swt) , Who knows what  each heart hides and Sees and Hears our suffering.