Positivity

Dear believers: If a person wanted to measure his worth and value, how would he measure it?

Would it be measured by the amount of his money and possessions?

Or by the amount of his position and responsibilities?

Or by the amount of his lineage, origin, and heritage?

There is no doubt that all those things have great value to people, but a person’s value and worth are measured by the extent of his integrity and righteousness, and by the good morals and valuable principles he possesses.

A person's worth and value are measured by the good he offers that extends to others and the continuous benefit he provides, the benefit which returns to him and his community, sooner or later. In the good hadith, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Some people open the door to good and close the door to evil, and some people open the door to evil and close the door to good. Glad tidings to those in whose hands Allah places they keys to good, and woe to those in whose hands Allah places the keys to evil.”

Thus, O servants of Allah: A person’s worth is measured by his goodness and positivity. Consider what Allah Almighty says on the tongue of Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, what means: {And He has made me blessed wherever I may be} [Maryam: 31]. commenting on this verse, the interpretors said: That is, He has made me beneficial wherever I am and wherever I go. He is positive, like rain, wherever it falls it is beneficial.

And what is positivity, O servants of Allah? Positivity is being an active element in life, giving more than you take, initiating good before being asked, and loving for your Muslim brothers what you love for yourself.

Positivity: a constructive energy and a vibrant spirit that drives its possessor to be an active member of his family and community, beneficial to himself and his nation. In the good hadith, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The best of people are those who are most beneficial to people.”

Positivity: A sense of responsibility, a striving for reform, cooperation in righteousness and piety, and a response to the call of goodness and success, {O you who believe! answer (the call of) Allah and His Apostle when he calls you to that which gives you life} [Al-Anfal: 24].

Positivity: To walk the paths of obedience with determination, to proceed in building life with zeal, to face challenges with strength, and to overcome crises with steadfastness, believing that good prevails, that Allah’s promise is true and effective, that the outcome is for the righteous, and that Allah does not waste the reward of the good-doers.

Positivity: Not being content with performing what is imposed upon you, but rather seeking out avenues of obedience and righteousness for yourself, striving towards them with diligence and interest, and requesting them with desire and persistence. Then, if the assignment comes to you, perform it with excellence, as in the good hadith: “AllaHh loves that when one of you does a deed, he perfects it.”

Positivity: To see good work as an opportunity and a pleasure, to see serving people as an honor and elevation, and to see trials as purification and refinement. In the agreed-upon hadith, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever fulfills the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs. Ibn al-Qayyim said, "Incapacity is a calamity, laziness is a disease, and no one has risen except through diligence and determination."

Positivity is the way we interact with life; it is the spirit of Islam, the secret to the strength of the nation, the path to victory and empowerment, and the way to happiness in this world and the hereafter. {Therefore strive with one another to hasten to virtuous deeds} [Al-Ma'idah: 48].

Our Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was the greatest of the positive and the greatest of the achievers. Despair never found its way into his heart, nor did frustration take hold of his soul. He, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was always optimistic, full of hope, a great person, and positive in all his circumstances and at all times. In the authentic hadith, he, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.”

A positive person is one who benefits from every moment of his life, invests his energies, talents, and abilities, is happy with his situation, circumstances, and capabilities, is optimistic about his future and what comes after his death, and is grateful to his Lord for His generous favor and great gifts.

The positive Muslim: He has good morals and dealings, he is truthful and does not lie, he is loyal and does not betray, he is trustworthy and does not cheat, his goodness is near, his evil is far, he is gentle and kind, he is pleasant to be around, and he is generous in his speech. In the authentic hadith, the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,“The most perfect man in his faith among the believers is the one whose behaviour is most excellent.”

The positive Muslim: He maintains ties with his relatives, is kind to his parents, brothers, and sisters, and is gentle with his wife, sons, and daughters. In the authentic hadith, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best of you are those who are best to their families, and I am the best of you to my family.”

The positive Muslim: He is quick to do good deeds, proactive in acts of kindness, a pioneer in acts of obedience, striving to be an effective member of his community, contributing in every way he can to its service and benefit, calling to goodness through his words, character, and actions. {These hasten to good things and they are foremost in (attaining) them.} [Al-Mu’minun: 61].

The positive Muslim: He takes care of himself and his health, is concerned with his appearance and cleanliness, maintains his fitness and strength, is disciplined in his food and rest... He works for his worldly life as if he will live forever, and works for his afterlife as if he will die tomorrow... And in the authentic hadith, the Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer”... And Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty... And He loves to see the effects of His blessings on His servant.

The positive Muslim feels responsible towards his nation, so he is not content with saving himself, but strives for the well-being and salvation of others, does good, helps the needy, and comforts the distressed. He knows that mutual support is a law, that cooperation is an act of worship, and that benefiting people is one of the greatest acts of devotion to Allah.

The positive Muslim  is certain that a kind word is charity, that a sincere smile is a balm, that good deeds protect against bad fates, that Allah helps the servant as long as the servant helps his brother, and that whoever relieves a Muslim of a worldly distress, Allah will relieve him of a distress on the Day of Resurrection.

The positive Muslim is truthful, sincere, and zealous for the interests of Muslims. He does not leave his brother in error, nor does he see wrongdoing and remain silent. He cares about reform and gives advice with all gentleness and kindness because the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Religion is advice,” and he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,“Whoever does not care about the affairs of Muslims is not one of them.”

The positive Muslim seizes his time in acts of obedience, invests the abilities and energies Allah has bestowed upon him, and is not content with merely filling his time with good deeds, but ensures that his good deeds do not cease after death, either through ongoing charity or beneficial knowledge.

The positive Muslim is disciplined in his conduct, neither following his desires nor indulging in pleasures and lusts, but rather walking the path of Allah, trusting in Him, certain that his sustenance will not exceed Him, and that what Allah wills comes to pass, and what He does not will does not come to pass.

The positive Muslim does not collapse in the face of calamities, nor despair in times of hardship, nor become resentful of difficulties, but remains steadfast and patient, seeking reward from Allah and invoking His name, believing that what has befallen him could not have missed him, and what has missed him could not have befallen him... and that relief is near... and that with hardship comes ease... Indeed, with hardship comes ease.

The positive Muslim has good thoughts about his Lord, is optimistic and does not despair, and knows that {Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good} [Al-A'raf: 56], and {Indeed, Allah is ever Kind and Merciful to mankind} [Al-Hajj: 65], and {And that Allah does not waste the reward of the believers} [Al-Imran: 171], and {And that with Allah is a great reward} [Al-Anfal: 28], and that {None despairs of the mercy of Allah except the disbelieving people} [Yusuf: 87]. And in the blink of an eye, Allah changes one state to another.

Let each one of us be positive in our thoughts and orientations, positive in our acts of obedience and worship, positive in our morals and dealings, positive in our work and duties, positive in our communication and relationships, positive in managing our expenses and preserving our time, positive in every aspect of our lives. I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful: {O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah, and let every soul consider what it has sent on for the morrow, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Aware of what you do.} [Al-Hashr: 18]

Dear believers! There is a vast difference between a positive person and a negative one. Let us reflect on the words of Allah Almighty which means {And Allah sets forth a parable of two men; one of them is dumb, not able to do anything, and he is a burden to his master; wherever he sends him, he brings no good; can he be held equal with him who enjoins what is just, and he (himself) is on the right path?} [An-Nahl: 76]

Indeed, there are those who are positive even if their names are unknown. It does not matter if people do not know you if Allah knows your sincerity and devotion. Therefore, the Quran has immortalized certain deeds while concealing the identities of those who performed them. For it is by their deeds and sincerity that men are judged. Allah Almighty says what means {And from the remote part of the city there came a man running, he said: O my people! follow the messengers;” [Ya-Sin:20] And similar to that man who hastened to Moses, warning him: “O Musa! surely the chiefs are consulting together to slay you, therefore depart (at once); surely I am of those who wish well to you.” [Al-Qasas:20] So his positive action was the reason for saving a prophet and his message.

And positivity is not exclusive to humans; Solomon's hoopoe refused to be passive or stand idly by. Instead, with confidence and positivity, it declared, "I comprehend that which you do not comprehend and I have brought to you a sure information from Sheba." (An-Naml 22). Thus, it became the cause of an entire kingdom's conversion to Islam. Even the queen said, "My Lord! surely I have been unjust to myself, and I submit with Sulaiman to Allah, the Lord of the worlds." (An-Naml 44). And that remarkable ant, seeing the danger threatening her home and her people, despite her small size and limited strength, did not underestimate herself or belittle her role. She called out to her fellow ants, "O ants, enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his soldiers crush you while they perceive not.” [An-Naml: 18] The Qur’an immortalized her voice, praised her positivity, and the Prophet Solomon smiled at her words. Positivity is not exclusive to the great, nor to the holder of a position, but it may be done by an unknown man, or a weak bird, or a small ant. And then it makes a huge difference, changes a corrupt reality, and is recorded in the Book of Allah as an eternal memory.

So why don't you stop and ask yourself: What is my positive impact on my family and community? And why don't you honestly ask yourself: How many times has a positive opportunity passed you by, and you didn't take advantage of it until it was gone? How many situations could you have been the reason for someone's salvation or guidance, but you didn't lift a finger?!

What is your excuse and what is your justification? Does it benefit you that someone else will do the good? Or is it a belittling of your own worth and what you are capable of doing? How can that be? The hoopoe and the ant bear witness against you, that no one is too insignificant to be positive.

Know that Allah does not look at your weakness or your lack, but rather He looks at your sincerity and determination. So show Allah the best of yourself. Perhaps a sincere word you utter for the sake of Allah will save a person from misguidance. Perhaps a sincere piece of advice you give will change darkened hearts. Perhaps a seed of goodness you sow here or there will be blessed by Allah and will bear fruit in reform and a blessed project.

Fear Allah, O servants of God, and be positive in every aspect of your lives, for the nation is in dire need of positive Muslims today. I seek refuge in God from the accursed Satan. {And say  "Do deeds! Allâh will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then He will inform you of what you used to do."} [At-Tawbah: 105]