A Balanced Life

How to live a balanced, happy and blessed life.

And say “Praise to Allah”

Alhamdulillah. Praise be to Allah, who has given us blessings we cannot count.

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا

And if you were to count Allah’s favor, you would not be able to enumerate them.

Praise be to Allah whose praise we cannot count.

لاَ أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ

I cannot count Your praise. You are as you have praised Yourself. (Muslim: 486)

Praise be to Allah, who loves praise

أَمَا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يُحِبُّ الْحَمْدَ

Your Lord loves praise. (Adab Al Mufrad: 859, Hasan — Al Albani)

Praise be to Allah, who has made the best dua His praise.

أَفْضَلُ الذِّكْرِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَفْضَلُ الدُّعَاءِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

The best zikr (remembrance) is: ‘there is none god except Allah (Laa ilāha illallāh)’ and the best dua (supplication) is: ‘(All) praise is due to Allah (Al-ḥamdulillāh)’ (Tirmizi, 3383, who said it is Hasan Ghareeb)

Our Lord, praise be to You until you are pleased.

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ عَدَدَ خَلْقِهِ وَرِضَا نَفْسِهِ وَزِنَةَ عَرْشِهِ وَمِدَادَ كَلِمَاتِهِ

Glory be be Allah with praise of Him according to the number of His creation and according to the pleasure of His Self and according to the weight of His Throne and according to the ink of His words . (Muslim, 2726a)

Peace and blessings be upon the noble Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, the Praiseworthy, whose mission is praise, and whose name is praised, and whose status is praised, and who is praised and raised.

عَسَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا

It may be that your Lord will raise you to a praised station.

The seal of the Prophets, the last of the Messengers, who have been promised the praiseworthy station, maqamam mahmuda

وَابْعَـثْه مَقـامـاً مَحـموداً الَّذي وَعَـدْتَه

[O Allah] and raise him to a praised station You have promised him. (Bukhari: 4719)

If they had remained straight on the way

I advise myself and you to fear Allah, and be firm upon the right path. I advice myself and you to seek Allah’s forgiveness, and turn to Him in obedience.

وَأَن لَّوِ اسْتَقَامُوا عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسْقَيْنَاهُم مَّاءً غَدَقًا

And that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them drink water in abundance.

فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا * يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا

And [Nuh alaihis salam] said, ‘Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a repeated Forgiver. He will send the sky upon you in continuing showers

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ

And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah , We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth;

Patience for His worship.

My brothers, worship requires sabr (patience). Whether it is in salah, reading Quran, doing zikr, etc. So in the worship of Allah, be patient. In Allah’s worship be patient.

Allah says:

رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فَاعْبُدْهُ وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ ۚ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا

Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them — so worship Him and have patience for His worship. Do you know for Him any compeer?

Do you know anyone with his name, his quality?

Yes we need to have patience in worshipping our Lord. But how can we be patient? Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

وَمَنْ يَتَصَبَّرْ يُصَبِّرْهُ اللَّهُ

And whoever remains patient, Allah will make him patient. (Bukhari, 1469)

When we enjoy, when we find delight in our worship, it becomes easier to do them. So take time in your prayer, in your zikr, be calm, be present, know the meaning of what you say. Enjoy your worship.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say in his prostration,

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي كُلَّهُ دِقَّهُ وَجِلَّهُ وَأَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ وَعَلَانِيَتَهُ وَسِرَّهُ

O Allah, forgive my sin — all of it (forgive all my sins), the small of it and large of it, the first of it and last of it, the open of it and secret of it. (Muslim 483)

Imagine saying this dua. Imagine praying longer — taking time. Relishing, enjoying the time in it.

A life of goodness involves the joys of worship, of calmness and peace.

Helping Others

A balanced life involves helping yourself and others. Narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said

أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ , وَأَحَبُّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى سُرُورٌ تُدْخِلُهُ عَلَى مُسْلِمٍ , أَوْ تَكَشِفُ عَنْهُ كُرْبَةً , أَوْ تَقْضِي عَنْهُ دَيْنًا , أَوْ تَطْرُدُ عَنْهُ جُوعًا

The dearest of people to Allah, may He be exalted, are the most beneficial to people, and the dearest of deeds to Allah the Exalted is joy that you enter it upon a Muslim (joy that you bring to a Muslim), or removing from him distress, or paying off from him debt, or dispelling from him hunger. (Narrated by at-Tabaraani (12/453); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Targheeb (955).

The most beloved of people to Allah are those who bring the most benefit to people.

Kind Speech and Forgiveness

A balanced life involves having good manners, kind words, and forgiveness of faults.

قَوْلٌ مَّعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِّن صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ

Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing.

Rights of Creation and Allah

A balanced life involves fulfilling the rights, of Allah’s creation and Allah. (Haqqullah and Haqqul Ibaad).

Between Two Extremes

It involves being away from extremism and deficiency, balanced between two ends.

وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ الْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا

And do not make your hand [as] chained to your neck or extend it completely for then you will sit blamed and filled with regret.

Justice and Good Conduct and Giving to Relatives

A balanced life involves enjoying the blessings of halal and staying away from the haram. It involves justice and good conduct and giving to relatives.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may be reminded.

These are elements of a balanced life, a good life. A life of happiness and satisfaction.

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً

Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer — We will surely cause him to live a good life