Crying Before Allah
By: A M Mujahid
When was the last time you cried? Not a few drops of salty water from your eyes or the odd tear that slip down your face while watching a tragic event.
I am talking about warm tears of the heart; tears that sting your face because they have been there so long and their bitter saltiness has hurt your skin.
When was the last time you cried "Like a Baby"?
Tears flow when we remember how much Almighty Allah gives us and how much we disobey Him. Though we can never give Almighty Allah His due thanks for the countless blessings He bestows upon us, we blatantly exceed the limits He has set and we commit many sins; major and minor. We tend to backbite and hurt one another, not stand up for the truth, treat our family badly, lie, cheat, do good deeds merely to show off etc.
A sincere believer who fears, loves, and is close to Almighty Allah cannot help but cry before his Lord, the All-Merciful, the All-Aware. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is reported to have said, "Two (kinds of) eyes will not be touched by the Fire: an eye that wept out of fear of Allah and an eye that spent the night guarding in the cause of Allah." (At-Tirmidhi)
The blessed month of Ramadan, particularly the last ten days thereof, represents a real opportunity for the believers to get closer to Almighty Allah and cry out of fear and love for Him. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) related that with the start of the last 10 days of Ramadan, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. something Arabs do to indicate hard work), pray all night, and wake up his family for voluntary night Prayers. (Bukhari and Muslim)
Out of His boundless mercy and compassion, Almighty Allah opens for us a way out of every problem we may encounter, thereby easing our burdens. Despite that, we persist in our disobedience to Him and take His mercy for granted.
Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is reported to have said that he would rather shed two drops of tears out of fear of Allah than give a thousand dinars in charity.
Tearful Eyes of a Strong Believer
The most telling example of a man who few people would think that he might cry out of fear of Allah is Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Umar was known for being strong, fearless, and uncompromising when it came to matters of faith. Despite that, it was related by Abdullah Ibn Isa that he had two black streaks on his face as a result of constant weeping.
Umar's awe and fear of Almighty Allah was so intense that he once said, "If someone announces from the heavens that everybody will enter Paradise except for one person, I would fear that I would be that person."
Thus, the strong Umar was fearful of his Lord and His punishment to the point of weeping. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was also a great example of this. He was simply known for crying out of fear of Almighty Allah. These people were keen on serving fellow human beings during the day and invoke Almighty Allah at night in order to save them, as well as all humanity, from His Punishment.
Let us contemplate the reality of the hereafter and let us invoke Almighty Allah to forgive our sins and soften our hearts. We have more need and urgency to contemplate and weep than Umar and Abu Bakr ever had. Human beings are in turmoil. Only connecting with Allah wholeheartedly and begging for His mercy and forgiveness can bring us closer to Him and instill a sense of tranquility and softness in our hearts.
