HOPE FOR THE BEST AND PREPARE FOR THE WORST!!!

By

SANNIE MOHAMMED GIBRIL

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE BENEFICENT, THE

MERCIFUL. ALL PRAISE IS DUE TO ALLAH.WE PRAISE HIM
AND SEEK HIS HELP AND FORGIVENESS. WE SEEK
REFUGE IN ALLAH FROM THE EVILS OF OUR OWN SELVES
AND FROM OUR WICKED DEEDS. WHOSOEVER HAS BEEN
GUIDED BY ALLAH, THERE IS NONE TO MISGUIDE HIM.
AND WHOSOEVER HAS BEEN MISGUIDED BY ALLAH,
NONE CAN GUIDE HIM. I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS
NO DEITY WORTHY OF WORSHIP EXCEPT ALLAH WHO
SHARES HIS THRONE WITH NO ONE AND IS NOT WEARY
OF CONTROLLING HIS CREATURES AND IS NOT IN THREE
PERSONS. AND I BEAR WITNESS THAT MUHAMMED IS
HIS SERVANT AND MESSENGER. MAY ALLAH THE
EXALTED BESTOWS HIS PEACE
AND BLESSINGS ON THE PROPHET MUHAMMED, UPON
HIS GOOD AND PURE FAMILY AS WELL AS UPON ALL THE
NOBLE COMPANIONS AND UPON THOSE WHO FOLLOW
THEM IN RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTIL THE DAY OF
JUDGEMENT. AMEEN.

The topic for discussion is basically realities of life

experiences and I hope it would still be an advice for
me and some of you who have not yet experienced
them, depending on how realistic we would like to be.

The topic is:

HOPE FOR THE BEST AND PREPARE FOR THE WORST!!!

The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said when it is in the morning

don’t expect to live up to the evening and when it is in the
evening don’t expect to live up to the morning take from your
health your sickness and from your sickness your death.
He also said seek for the world as though you will never die
and seek for hereafter as though you will die tomorrow.

How do we juxtapose these two sayings of the greatest person

ever to live on the phase of the earth i.e. Prophet (s.a.w)
especially the second saying?

The answer is giving in the greatest book ever to touch the

earth i.e. ALQUR’AN…
Allah said in the Qur’an 2:143: that:
Thus We have made you a Balanced Community that
you might be witnesses to all mankind and the
messenger a witness over yourselves. It is We who have
appointed the Direction that you have now adopted (O
Messenger!) in order to distinguish him who follows the
messenger, from him who turns about on his heels. In
fact, it has been a momentous change except for those
who follow God’s guidance. It is never God’s purpose to
let your faith go to waste. God is Compassionate and
Merciful to all people.
As middle nation as Moslems are or are suppose to be,
we cannot turn our back completely to the world as a
means of gaining the face of Allah, else we will lose the
good things in this life. Likewise we cannot be
engrossed in the life of this world and forget about
hereafter. There is no celibacy in Islam.

Also we cannot be busy pilling all the riches in this life

and forget about death as Allah said in:
Qur’an 102:1-8: that:
1) The relentless greed of material gains distracts you
(from the real purpose of life).
2) Until you go down to your graves.
3) Nay! But you will come to know!
4) Again, Nay! You will come to know.
5) Nay, only if you could have certain knowledge.
6) You would see it now, the Insurmountable Barrier (in
the way of your personal development).
7) Finally, you will see it with sure vision.
 Then, on that Day you will be questioned what you did
8)
with the gift of life.

Also as the parable of three people in the time of the

Prophet (s.a.w) depicts:
Three people were sitting one day and arguing among
themselves.
The first person said he would never marry because he
does not want to commit himself in marital problems.
The second person said he would pray all night without
sleeping.
The third person said he would fast every day without
ceasing.
When the news got to the Prophet (s.a.w), he said:
He being the Prophet (s.a.w) with a sublime and
exemplary life marries.
He Prophet (s.a.w) who’s past and future sins have
been forgiven prays at some portion of the night and
also sleeps.
Finally the Prophet (s.a.w) said, he fast during some
days of the week and also breaks his fast.
After the Prophet (s.a.w) corrected their extreme
nature or poor understanding of the AQIDA of ISLAM,
the Prophet (s.a.w) said anyone who does not long for
his SUNNAH is not part of his UMMAH.

Another story is told of a man who was always in the

mosque praying, the Prophet (s.a.w) enquired as to who
takes care of him? The companions said his brother. The
Prophet (s.a.w) said the brother is better than him in
the sight of Allah.

Allah said in the Qur’an that He does not change the

situation of people until the people change what is in
their heart or their nature.

With these in mind let’s try to tackle some realities in

life which we turn to ignore or don’t want to face.
In every football match there are three possible results win,
draw or loose.
But immediately you tune your mind to only win neglecting
draw or loose which you never factored into your life is likely to
results negatively in your life because you did not prepare your
mind for such result. We hear of people committing suicide
over bad results in sports they never thought would ever
happen. Another could be said of those whose teams get
relegated at the end of each league.

Business men and women always hope their businesses to be

on the ascendancy without knowing that a change in
Government for instance could bring about decline in their
business due to bureaucracy, bad governmental policies, coup
d’etat, heavy taxation, natural disasters etc. A critical analysis
will lead us to the truth in every change in government bring
about some businesses declining where as others experience
ascendancy.

Every couple who love one another wish they die on the same
day. When they happen to be rich too, they hope to remain in
riches till the end of time. They hardly factor a day will come
when one will lose the other, leaving children behind or the
husband especially losing his job. Many at times, couples don’t
prepare their minds for this reality of life and as such it leaves
a devastating effect on them. Some lead to broken marriage or
suicide in some cases.

A man took his sick wife to the hospital. He goes to visit her
twice everyday. Terror broke when the man was also admitted
in a different hospital under serious condition. The woman
always asks of the husband’s where about but was told the
husband was going to search for money. All this while, the wife
taught the husband bolted away because he couldn’t stand the
heat. The family could not bring themselves to tell the woman
that the husband was sick. One faithful day, the man die and
four days later the wife followed. They died and left behind four
orphans in a spate of four days. Who could have taught such a
feet could have been chalked?
A man died and left behind a wife and a son. The boy went to
abroad to read medicine. A week after completion, the boy
complained of headache, and that was what sent him to his
early grave. The family were informed of the incident. The
mother was sitting one day when a casket with the remains of
his beloved and only son was finally brought. She wept so
much and was consoled over her loss. She entered the room
fell down and died too. In a couple of hours the mother and the
son joined their father. These are some of the realities of life
which we seems not to reflect over.

Parents hoping for their children to bury them when they die
forgetting that they may end up burying their children. How
many of them survive especially when the child is the only
child or a lot of investment has been made on that child or they
went through serious measures before getting that only child
amidst insult from families and friends. Some suffer stroke,
heart attach or even commit suicide all because they never
factored burying their children or child before they eventually
follow them someday.

Student on the other hand:

a) Hoping to pass all their exams without any failure,
b) What happens when you fail a paper?
c) What happens when you loose your bread winner?
d) Will your world come to an end?
e) Will you join the computer hacking group, which has become
norm of the day?
f) Will you join a bad company and make money at all cost?

God willing you have finished your schooling either the hard
way or easy way:
a) Are you ready for the challenges in life?
b) Are you ready to stay home for some years after doing
everything possible within Islamic limit to get a job?
c) Will you turn your back on Allah and make money through
any means even if it is against Islam? These are things you
should prepare your mind for upon completion of your
education.
All these are to get us prepared for uncertainties and
realities of life and know that no condition is
permanent. Everything is subject to change except
change itself!!!

They said “Glory be to ALLAH! We have no knowledge

except what ALLAH have thought us. You are the All-
Knowing, the All-Wise.” (Qur’an, 2: 32)

I end hear with the Islamic greetings ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM.