أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي ، إِنْ ظَنَّ خَيْرًا فَلَهُ ، وَإِنْ ظَنَّ شَرًّا فَلَهُ

“I am as My servant expects of Me, so if he thinks good of Me then he will have it, and if he thinks evil of Me then he will have it.”

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The starting point of Islam is Al-Shahada: saying “La ilaha illa Allah – There is no God but Allah.” It is followed by the continuation: faith, or truly believing in Allah, and all His qualities.  Husn Al-Dhan Billah (حٌسن الظّن بِالله), or thinking positively of Allah (swt), becomes a continuation of the basic pillars that make up faith (iman); which comes with the full realization and understanding of His mercy. Allah says in Surat Al A’raaf: “My mercy is all-encompassing, it embraces everything.”  “ورحمتي وسعت كل شي”

Your relationship with the Creator and the bond and connection you maintain with Him, is greatly influenced by what you think of Him and how you believe He sees you.  Allah (swt) says: I am as My servant expects of Me. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it.

أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ، ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلَإٍ، ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُ”

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Here’s how thinking positively of Allah SWT can transform your life:

1- Tawakkul – Faith in what’s coming.

Tawakkul” means to give ourselves over in total reliance on Allah (swt). It is an important aspect of faith. Having a positive view of Allah and His mercy towards you certainly strengthens your “tawakkul” and can have a significant effect on our day to day stress/ anxiety, as well as our sense of inner peace on the long run. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says: “Hope for the best, and you shall find it.”

“تفائلوا بالخير تجدوه”

2- Taysir – Facilitation & ease of hardship.

Every day of our life comes with various challenges to deal with and affairs to handle, which is an inevitable part of life. Having Husn Dhan Billah is essential in getting through everyday life for that reason. All efforts to reach out to Allah during daily challenges are dependent on your faith that He will get you through them. Allah (swt) says in Surat Al-Sharh, “Indeed, with every difficulty, we bring relief, with every difficulty, we bring relief.”

“فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا، إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا”

Some useful Du’a for difficult moments:

“Of it, [from those] besides Allah , there is no remover” –  لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ

Allah, nothing is easy except what You have eased, and all difficulties may be eased upon your wish.

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ سَهْلَ إِلاَّ مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً وَ أَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزَنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلا

And the du’aa of Moses to Allah during their historic conversation: “My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance] And ease for me my task.”

“رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي”

The most well-known Suwar in Quran for taysir is Surat Ya-sin, which is said to be capable of fulfilling the intention for which it was read. It would therefore make sense that the stronger your faith, the stronger your positive view of Allah, and the stronger your intention, the more certain its effect (insha’Allah).

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3- Ibtilaa’ – Overcoming tests of faith.

It is said that a sign of Allah’s love for His slave is how often He tests his faith. When you have a deep positive conviction of Allah’s mercy and love for you, you will believe that no true harm can come to you under His guard. The following Hadith, therefore, becomes completely ingrained in your thought process. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says: A believer does not receive the trouble of the prick of a thorn, or more, except with Allah elevating in his rank, or erasing of one of his sins in exchange.

“مَا يُصِيبُ الْمُؤْمِنَ مِنْ شَوْكَةٍ فَمَا فَوْقَهَا إِلَّا رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً ، أَوْ حَطَّ عَنْهُ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً”

Our Prophet (PBUH) also says that if Allah loves a group of people, He shall test their faith with Ibtilaa’.

“إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَحَبَّ قَوْمًا ابْتَلاَهُمْ”

Allah (SWT) says in Surat Al-Baqara: It is possible you may dislike something which is good for you, and that you love a thing which is bad for you, yet Allah knows, and you know not.

وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَعَسَى أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

So, with a positive view of Allah (swt), getting through Ibtilaa’ becomes so much easier because you are certain of His love all throughout. It is the most valuable form of moral support needed during troubled times.

4- Du’a, with conviction.

Husn Al-Dhan Billah is not only preferred during effective Du’aa, it is a necessity. It is the requirement to being able to pray (requesting something) with conviction. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says: “Pray to Allah, certain of his positive response” – ادْعوا الله وأنتم مُوقنون بالإِجابة

5- Better Work Life.

Having a deep rooted & positive view of Allah (SWT) is a truly fundamental game changer in your professional success. It will undoubtedly make you better at work regardless of your domain, nature of work, field, job type, responsibility level, the qualities of your team, & working environment or location. Professional success is greatly affected by motivation, determination, and optimism. All things that come with Husn Dhan Billah.

You, and believe it or not, your Husn Dhan Billah will have a huge impact on the energy level in the room. You will shape and greatly influence the work environment with your charisma and positive attitude Insha’Allah.

6- Better Relationships – Faith in other people.

When you trust in Allah and have faith in Him (swt), it becomes much easier to trust and have faith in other people (Husn Dhan bil nas).

Husn Dhan Billah can definitely affect your relationships, regardless of their shape or degree of closeness. This applies more to new relationships, acquaintances, or individuals we have not actually been interacting with our whole lives. But even with family members or life long friends, the deep sense of stability that comes with faith in Allah’s love and mercy can greatly impact your connection to other human beings, making you a better friend, a better adviser, a better listener, a better parent, child, sibling, work colleague, manager or employee.

7- Self Development & Personal Motivation – Strive to do better.

When you know that Allah believes in you and your ability to gain his forgiveness and true support, you will undoubtedly find the energy, motivation and strive to continuously improve on every level.  Worship in Islam, is not confined to prayer, or mosques or appearances. It is an all-encompassing concept that should ideally affect every part of our internal thought process & feelings. You know that you are on this Earth for a reason. Striving to develop as a human being, in all aspects of life, is a positive side effect of having faith in Allah and in how much He values his prized creation – you.  

8- Rizq – He (swt) is the only true provider.

We are all poor until He provides us. We were all nothing before he willed our existence. Allah swt is the one and only true provider. All wealth is His to distribute and that He alone owns all treasures of the skies and the Earth (وَلِلَّهِ خَزَائِنُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ) as said in Surat Al-Munafiqoon.  Therefore, he is the only one capable of providing you.  

His Rizq is infinite and has no bounds and no limit. If He wills Rizq, it shall be and you will receive it. Allah swt says “Allah extends provision for whom He wills of His servants and restricts for him. Indeed Allah is of all things, Knowing.” — “اللَّهُ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ”

This simple knowledge can have tremendous impact on a person’s life both in the short & long term. 

A true believer in Allah’s wealth and Rizq would not depend on a human. A profound force of inner strength can come with that knowledge. It does not mean to not work hard nor to seek to prove your capabilities to other people. It just means that don’t ever lose track of who truly provides and who can truly take away your wealth or infinitely extend it.

Believe that Allah will grant you to the point of your satisfaction as per Surat Al-Duha:

“ وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى”

Go only to Him. Kneel only to Him. Ask only Him.

9- Niyyah (Intention) – The force behind success.

Having a positive view of Allah (swt) can drastically affect how you shape your deep rooted intentions in life. Intention shapes decisions of all kinds, both personal and professional. The Messenger (PBUH) says: “Indeed, actions and deeds are only with intentions, and every person will have only what they intended.”

إنَّما الأَعمالُ بالنِّيَّات، وإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امرئٍ مَا نَوَى”‏

10- Better Ijtihad in Worship (Ibadah).

A well known fact is that One Hasanah = 10 Good Deeds. Allah (swt) says in Surat Al An’aam: “Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever comes with an evil deed will not be recompensed except the like thereof; and they will not be wronged.”

“مَن جَاء بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا وَمَن جَاء بِالسَّيِّئَةِ فَلاَ يُجْزَى إِلاَّ مِثْلَهَا”

When you know that He wants to encourage you to worship him, your first read through the Quran, for instance, will be infinitely easier. Because you know that every stumble is granted thawab in multiples along with every letter read. You know that Fajr prayer in the cold is granted multiples of thawab. Every added difficulty adds to your prize.

Ijtihad in his worship is easiest for those who know what they will be rewarded because of the difficulty. That is how Husn Dhan Billah can help you with worship, and this is why some people say “Allah, multiply our reward and grant us full forgiveness.”

(اللهم ضاعف لنا اجورنا واعفُ عنا)

11- Knowing He loves you

Husn Al-Dhan Billah essentially means that you are certain that Allah loves you because He created you, and He watches over you, and He heals you, and He hears you until your last breath, when He would take you back. A human beings sense of love, connection, and safety, should ideally come first from Allah. It is the healthiest form. It brings health to all other relationships,and makes one a better seeker and provider of love to others.

Allah (swt) speaks of His worshipers whom he has loved. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “Allah the Exalted has said: ‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved thing with which My slave comes nearer to Me is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (prayer or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him. When I love him, I become his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks (something) from Me, I give him, and if he asks My Protection (refuge), I protect him.”

ن الله تعالى قال‏:‏ من عادى لي وليا فقد آذنته بالحرب‏.‏ وما تقرب إلي عبدي بشيء أحب إلي مما افترضت عليه، وما يزال عبدي يتقرب إلي بالنوافل حتى أحبه، فإذا أحببته كنت سمعه الذي يسمع به، وبصره الذي يبصر به، ويده التي يبطش بها، ورجله التي يمشي بها، وإن سألني أعطيته؛ ولئن استعاذني لأعيذنه‏”

Something most people forget is that an essential bond between a human and his Creator is built on a foundation of love or sincere will to seek it. Approaching Islam, from this perspective, can completely transform not only how you perform worship, but also how you explain Islam to others which is a religion based on compassion.

12- Tawbah – Complete forgiveness.

Allah swt wants His creations to repent and actively seek His mercy and forgiveness. Sometimes sins can make complete forgiveness after repenting feel impossible, or just too far away. We shouldn’t feel like that. We should be fully confident that Allah SWT will forgive us as long as we make the effort not to perform the sin again and to truly repent.

Allah (swt) in Surat Al-Imran says: “Hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden, as wide as the heavens and the earth,  is prepared for those who keep their duty”

“وَسَارِعُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ”

**However, it is important to note that having “Husn Al-Dhan” does NOT mean becoming indifferent to thunoob (sin) under the premise that He (swt) is all merciful and shall undoubtedly forgive you. Uninformed & misdirected understanding of “Husn Dhan” can sometimes, in the long run, create a calais heart which is slightly desensitized to the gravity of certain sins, or to the danger of consistent sin.

The solution is to develop a correct understanding of what “Husn Dhan” means. It means that Allah (swt) loves you. And as a result, he wants you to be better and to continue to become a better version of yourself.

A simplified example (if applied to human beings although hardly sufficient) is a mother, standing at the end of a hallway, waiting for her toddler who is just learning how to walk to her instead of crawling.  The toddler stumbles, struggles and falls on the way, but she is with him in every step & stumble, & anticipating his successful completion of the distance of the hallway. She wants him to complete the journey and most certainly does not want him to give up. Imagine if the toddler gives up in the middle and stops trying. Her patience does not mean that she does not expect him to complete the journey.

However, Allah (swt) is not comparable to any mother nor any human. Prophet Muhammad PBUH once seeing a mother breastfeeding a child, asked “Do you think this woman could throw her child in the fire?” The Sahaba said, “No, not if she is able to stop it.” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child.”

“أترون هذه طارحة ولدها في النار قلنا لا، وهي تقدر على ألا تطرحه، فقال الله أرحم بعباده من هذه بولدها” 

The meaning of Husn Al-Dhan Billah is understanding the depth of His mercy and love for us. He does not want to see us in fire. He does not wish for us to be punished. Allah swt says in Surat Fussilat: “And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants.”

“مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ۗ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ”

Prophet Muhammad PBUH says: “Allah has one hundred portions of mercy. From one portion the creation has been given mercy between themselves and ninety nine portions are reserved for the Day of Resurrection.”

عَنْ سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مِائَةَ رَحْمَةٍ فَمِنْهَا رَحْمَةٌ بِهَا يَتَرَاحَمُ الْخَلْقُ بَيْنَهُمْ وَتِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

So, knowing all His mercy, are you ready to cultivate a true & uninterrupted Husn Al-Dhan Billah? Once you adopt this Husn Al Dhan Billah mindset, your life will be positively transformed Insha’Allah.

>>> Understand the Quran in as little as 10 minutes/day. Click here to learn more.

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