May You Be Among the Winners!

May You Be Among the Winners!

When the Prophet, (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) went to Madeenah, he found the people celebrating two festivals, so he said: “Allaah The Almighty has given you instead of them two better days: ‘Eed Al-Fitr and ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha.” [Abu Daawood and An-Nasaa’i]

These two great Islamic rites come after two seasons filled with all kinds of acts of worship, which make the Muslim feel happy for having completed some of his religious duties: {Say, "In the Bounty of Allaah and in His Mercy - in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate."}[Quran 10:58]People usually greet each other and supplicate for each other on the occasion of the two ‘Eeds and on other happy occasions. One of their supplications on such occasions is: May you be among those who witness ‘Eed year after year … May you be among the winners!Since the season of ‘Eed is approaching, it is good to remind ourselves of some deeds that make this supplication effective and help us become among the winners whose efforts bear fruits, by the permission of Allaah The Almighty.The Noble Quran is our constitution, and it guides us to many ways that make us among the winners and those who are successful, drawing our attention to the true meaning and essence of success.Let us head to that pure spring of wisdom and contemplate the Quranic Verses that refer to the winners and the successful people, may Allaah make us among them with His mercy and bounty.·       Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {The ones who have believed, emigrated, and striven in the cause of Allaah with their wealth and their lives are greater in rank in the sight of Allaah. And it is those who are the attainers [of success].}[Quran 9:20]When we read the two Verses that precede this one, we would realize that after having sound faith, leaving one's families and homes and striving financially and personally in His cause, Allaah The Almighty rewarded those people with mercy and eternal life in Paradise.As-Sa‘di(may Allah please with him ) said, “[…] i.e. no one will win what he likes (Paradise) or avoid what he fears (Hell) unless he acquires their manners and attributes.”·       Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, I have rewarded them this Day for their patient endurance - that they are the attainers [of success]."}[Quran 23:111]This statement comes within the context of answering the disbelievers’ pleas regarding release from Hell. Allaah The Exalted told them that the reason behind their misery is that they used to mock the believers who asked their Lord saying: {Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and have mercy upon us}[Quran 23:109]Therefore, Allaah The Almighty rewarded those believing slaves with success and they won the home of eternity because of their patience and endurance of trials for His Sake.As-Sa‘di ( may Allah please with him) said, “(Allaah The Almighty Says) I have rewarded them for their diligence and their endurance of your harm by admitting them to eternal bliss and saving them from Hell.”·       Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And whoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger and fears Allaah and is conscious of Him - it is those who are the attainers [of success].}[Quran 24:52]They obeyed Allaah The Almighty by performing their duties and keeping away from the prohibitions. They obeyed the commandments of the Prophet, (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)and refrained from committing what he forbade; nevertheless, they were afraid of their previous misdeeds and tried ceaselessly to make up for them for the rest of their lives. These are the truly successful people, who won all that is good and were saved from all that is evil in this world and the Hereafter.As-Sa‘di (may Allah please with him) said, “Those are the ones who joined the obedience to Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) piety and fear of their Lord. Such people are the winners, as they will be saved from the torment and its causes and will receive the ultimate reward after meeting its requirements. In other words, success is exclusively for them, and whoever does not acquire their attributes will fail to attain success in accordance with the degree of his failure to imitate them or acquire their praiseworthy attributes.”Finally, let us contemplate a verse that explains the reality of success and its essence.·       Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Not equal are the companions of the Fire and the companions of Paradise. The companions of Paradise - they are the attainers [of success].} [Quran 59:20]Is it possible for the one who observes piety and cares for the deeds he offers for the Hereafter to be equal to the neglectful one who forgets the remembrance of Allaah The Almighty and neglects His rights?Of course not! The first one deserves eternal bliss in Paradise with those upon whom Allaah The Almighty has bestowed His favor from among the Prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous, while the latter will be miserable in this world and doomed to Hell in the Hereafter.The former are the winners…The latter are the losers…Finally, Taqabbal Allaahu minna wa minkum (may Allaah accept from us and you) – this is the how the Companions used to greet each other on the ‘Eed day as reported in Fat-h Al-Baari.O Allaah, guide us to the path of Your obedience, take us away from the way of disobedience and make us among those who will win Your Paradise. Ameen

Soumaya Bint Abdesselam