The True Joy: The Companions
This is the fourth in a series of articles on true happiness, joy, and commitment according to the Quran and Sunna from the seminar The True Joy with Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Kharsa and Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
The Companions of our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) rejoiced when the Quran was revealed. Allah Most High mentions this in the Quran:
وَإِذَا مَآ أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌۭ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ إِيمَـٰنًۭا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًۭا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
“And when a sura is revealed, there are those of them who mockingly ask each other: ‘Which of you has this thing increased in faith?’ As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith, and they ever exult in joy.” [Quran, 9:124; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]
The Companions increased in faith when the verses were revealed. They used to expressively rejoice in that. It should increase us in faith and in happiness because this has come down from Allah Most High. It is from the bounty and mercy of Allah Mighty and Majestic. When the Quran is recited the believers rejoice in this being sent down from Allah. And in it being bounty and mercy from Allah.
Devotion before Allah
Our beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The joy of my eyes has been placed in the prayer.” The expression, “The joy of my eyes,” is that which fills you entirely with joy. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said“Of your worldly affairs, women and perfume have been made beloved to me. And the joy of my eyes is in the prayer.” These are matters that others used to neglect. Part of the Perfection of prophethood was that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had love and concern for women. He had love and concern for the womenfolk of his own family. But he also had care and concern for the plight of women.
On his deathbed, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “I counsel you to take good care of the rights of women.” As for perfume, there were some notions of manliness, particularly amongst the desert Arabs, that if you are a real man, you do not take care of these refinements. But, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did, as a servant of God.
As for the prayer. The joy of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was in the prayer and in the meaning of standing in the presence of one’s Lord and Carer, Allah. One finds joy in that. This rejoicing in Allah. Rejoicing in beholding Allah. Rejoicing in closeness to Allah, in being in devotion before Allah. That is the greatest of joys the human being can experience and the most elevated of pleasures of the self.
Presence with Allah
Allah Most High is not worshipped by anything that is higher and greater than rejoicing in Him. Rejoicing in presence with Allah, in closeness to Allah, and in being devoted to Allah. Approximate and practice this. After one of the battles, when the prisoners of war were taken, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was looking at them. Allah revealed to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that every one of them will become Muslim. The Muslims took such good care of the prisoners of war that they themselves became Muslim. Some, their families ransomed them, and they went back to their people and became Muslim in Makka.
Some of them were literate. If they taught the Muslims how to read they would be set free. But they became Muslim because of the good treatment. They were chained and they weren’t happy. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) smiled and said, “Your Lord is amazed at people who are dragged to heaven in chains.”
Ibn Ata’illah said, “He has made it incumbent that you obey Him, but in reality, He’s only made Janna incumbent upon you.” We need to stir that joy within us. we need to stir that joy in our acts of devotion.
