"'Dear sister, the part of your life that really counts is that in which you are happy and contented. As for greed and panic, they do not count at all. They are bad for your health and rob you of your beauty. Remain content with Allah and with what is decreed for you; believe in the divine decree and be optimistic about the future. Be like a butterfly, which is light-hearted and beautiful, not attached to mere things; it flies from flower to flower, from hill to hill, from garden to garden. Or be like a bee, which eats good things and produces good things; when it lands on a branch or flower, it does not break it; it takes the nectar and does not sting, and produces honey and does not sting, and buzzes with love and glad tidings, reflecting a sense of contentment, as if it is a heavenly creature that has come down to earth.
With your beauty, you are better than the sun; with your morals you are more sublime than musk; with your modesty you are nobler than the full moon; with your compassion you are more beneficial than rain. So, preserve your beauty with faith, your tranquility with contentment, your chastity with hijab. Remember that your adornment is not gold, silver or diamonds, rather, it is two rak'ahs at Fajr, going thirsty when you fast for Allah, concealed charity which no one knows except Him, hot tears that wash away sin, a lengthy prostration born of utter submission to Allah, shyness before Allah when the inclination to do evil overwhelms you. Clothe yourself with the garments of piety for you are the most beautiful woman in the world, even if your clothes are shabby. Clothe yourself with the cloak of modesty, for you are the most beautiful woman in the world even if you are barefoot.
Make the most of the blessings of Allah, give thanks to Him and obey Him. Enjoy the water that you drink and use for wudhu '. Enjoy the warmth and light of the sun, and the light and beauty of the moon. Pick fruit from the trees, drink your fill from the rivers, look at the ocean, walk through the fields, and give thanks to Allah, the Almighty, Oft-Forgiving, the Sovereign and Subduer. Make use of these blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you, and beware of denying these blessings.
Before you look at the thorn of the rose, look at its beauty. Before you complain about the heat of the sun, enjoy its light. Before you complain about the blackness of the night, think of its peace and quiet. Why look at things in such a pessimistic and negative manner? Why deny and change blessings? Take these blessings and accept them graciously, and praise Allah, the Almighty, All-Glorious, for them.
Dear sister, look at life with a spirit of love and optimism, for life is a gift from Allah to man. So accept this gift from the One, take it with joy and embrace the morning with its glow and the night with its quietness, and the day with its brightness. Drink this fresh water with gratitude, breathe the fresh air with joy, smell the roses and glorify Allah. Think about the universe and learn from it, make use of the blessed gift of land, the beautiful flowers, the sweet air, the delights of the garden, the warmth of the sun, the light of the moon. Let these blessings motivate you to obey Allah, the Exalted, give thanks to Him and praise Him for His blessings and bounty. Do not let worry and distress prevent you from seeing these blessings or make you ungrateful; rather, remember that the Creator and Provider has only created these blessings as a means to help you obey Him.
Dear sister, you are making a big mistake if you think that life must always be one hundred percent in your favour. This is something that will only happen in Paradise. In this world, however, happiness is relative. You will not get everything you want; there will always be some problems, sickness, adversity and trials. So, be grateful at times of ease and patient at times of hardship. Do not be too idealistic and expect good health with no sickness, richness with no poverty, happiness with nothing to spoil your joy, a husband with no negative aspects, a friend with no faults. That will never happen. Learn how to overlook the negative aspects and mistakes, and look at the positive aspects and good things. Think well of others and make excuses for them, but put your trust in Allah only, because people are not fit to be relied upon or to have your affairs delegated to them.
Dear sister, beware of losing hope or becoming frustrated, for there is no hardship but it is followed by ease. This is how it has always been and there is no need to discuss it. Think positively of Allah, the Exalted, and put your trust in Him; seek that which is with Him, and wait for a way out. Stop regretting your sin and think about the good deeds with which you are going to replace it. If you fail in one of your deeds, you should not give in to despair; do not worry and never doubt that you will find a solution. Happiness exists in you and you should focus your efforts on yourself.
Dear sister, we need money in order to live but that does not mean that we need to live for the sake of money. The game of accumulating wealth has no end. The one who has an accumulated wealth has little concern about leaving behind a large estate for his heirs, because he knows that they will be better men if they go out into the world having little wealth and with nothing but their brains and attitudes. The true happiness is the happiness of faith, and no one can feel this happiness except the one whose mind, heart and soul are filled with the love of Allah. The one who truly has control over happiness is the One True God, so seek happiness from Him by worshipping and obeying Him. The One Who created happiness is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, so how can you seek happiness from anyone other than Him? If people had control over happiness, there would be no deprived or grieving person left on earth.
Dear sister, be happy now, today, not tomorrow. Blindness of the heart is real blindness. You should do what you can now, and do not worry about what tomorrow will bring. Be happy with what is in your hand, content with whatever Allah has decreed and give up all daydreams that do not suit your efforts and abilities. Cleanse your mind of the clutter of illusions and devilish whispers, if you have made mistakes in the past, learn from them, then let them go. Frustration is your worst enemy, for it has the power to destroy peace of mind. The value of life is to live every minute of it. Do not be a chronic complainer, or an amateur complainer, do not look at the negative aspects of life; be content with the beauty and joy of it. Think positively when things get bad on one day, for that may be the prelude to another day filled with joy and happiness. Your happiness does not depend on anyone else, rather, it is in your hands. You have to accept the inescapable fact, which is that you will encounter things in life that you cannot change, but you can deal with through patience and faith. So, be patient, for Patience is the key to relief. Learn patience from Asiyah, loyalty from Khadijah, sincerity from 'A'ishah and steadfastness from Fatimah. And seek reward with Allah, do not despair, do not give up, be optimistic, for Allah is with you, Allah is sufficient for you, Allah, the Almighty, will protect you, so that you will be - if Allah wills - the happiest woman in the world. May Allah give you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, and bestow His Favour upon you, for He is the Most Generous, Most Kind.
يامقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك
['Yaa Muqallibal Quluub, thabbit qalbi ‘alaa deenik']
'O Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Thine religon!'
يا مقــلـب لقــلــوب ثبــت قــلبـــي عــلى طـا عــتـك
['Yaa Muqallibal Quluub, thabbit qalbi ‘alaa Ta'atik']
'O Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Thine obidience!'
