“To be honest…”

” To Be Honest”… By Xenia

We hear it every day in conversations ” To be honest I/we…”

Well to ” be honest” I always wonder why the person(s) I have the conversation with need to use this certain expression. What does it mean? Does it mean that on this instance they are honest but at others they are not?

In our days and I am sorry if  I sound negative, I am not totally surprised.

For many but Insha Allah not the majority , dishonesty, lies and the decline of all that is pure and honest is the norm…

What makes it worse is that the decline of this beautiful virtue called honesty or that total  absence of it, is not considered  by many something worth “writing home about”. But I have read that Muslims are  the Best of nations because  Allah (swt) made a statement  honoured us and said:

Holy Qur’an

“Thus We have made of you a just and the best nation that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Apostle (Muhammad) will be a witness over yourselves.” (2.143)

And Honesty descended for us from the Heaven as we see in the following hadith

Narrated Hudhaifa:

Allah’s Apostle said to us,

“Honesty descended from the Heavens and settled in the roots of the hearts of men (faithful believers),

and then the Quran was revealed and the people read the Quran, (and learnt it from it) and also learnt it from the Sunna.”

Both Quran and Sunna strengthened their (the faithful believers’) honesty . Sahih Bukhari (Book #92, Hadith #381)

So if we read the Holy Qur’an and The Sunna of the Prophet (saw) , and we understand  implement what we read, why then we  do not remember ? Is it because  our hearts  are now so hard that the most beautiful teachings can not penetrate them?

Do we not care if we are of the people mentioned in the following hadith?

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, “The signs of a hypocrite are three:

1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie.

2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise ).

3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it.)”  Sahih Bukhari  (Book #2, Hadith #32)

Some of us have the policy ” If you can not beat them join them” .

Meaning?

If everybody else does it, we might as well be like them otherwise we might be considered backwards, simple, naive, or we might be taken advantage of.

I am asking you: ” So???” What we should be concerned about is that  Allah (swt) watches everyone of us. He  (swt) knows Everything.

Please do not give short measures .

Not in Feelings including your love and care

Not In  Goods

Not in your Time

Not in ANYTHING.

Following are some sayings . I hope we will all get motivated and start making the changes NOW!!!

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

Jazak Allah Kheir for reading

Xenia

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.