بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فضيله الشيخ أحمد متولي سلام

	Sam Eldin - Allah Tightens and Expands - القبض والبسط Our Answer or Our Way of Thinking - "القبض والبسط": Sometimes the answer is all around us but we cannot see nor try to understand the reasoning behind it. We have the following points as our answer:        • What is Allah Tightens and Expands [the means of life] - القبض والبسط        • Day and Night        • Summer and Winter        • Bison Bull facing a pack of wolves in the middle of winter        • The Story of Prophet Job        • Indeed to your Lord is the return "إِنَّ إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجعىٰ"        • What We Need        • Life Plan Introduction: The "القبض والبسط" - Allah almighty's denial (tightens) and Allah Almighty granting (expands the provision) is a tough subject to comprehend or understand fully by most Muslims. Even Islamic Scholars have different explanation for these two topics. For example: SABA' Surat ( سبإ ) #34 - Ayat #36: " قُل إِنَّ رَبّي يَبسُطُ الرِّزقَ لِمَن يَشاءُ وَيَقدِرُ وَلٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يَعلَمونَ" Say, 'Indeed my Lord expands the provision for whomever He wishes and He tightens it, but most people do not know.' Ayat #39: " قُل إِنَّ رَبّي يَبسُطُ الرِّزقَ لِمَن يَشاءُ مِن عِبادِهِ وَيَقدِرُ لَهُ ۚ وَما أَنفَقتُم مِن شَيءٍ فَهُوَ يُخلِفُهُ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيرُ الرّازِقينَ" Say, 'Indeed my Lord expands the provision for whomever of His servants that He wishes and tightens it, and He will repay whatever you may spend, and He is the best of providers.' AL-FAJR ( الفجر ) Surat #89, Ayat #15, 16: " فَأَمَّا الإِنسانُ إِذا مَا ابتَلاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقولُ رَبّي أَكرَمَنِ" As for man, whenever his Lord tests him and grants him honor and blesses him, he says, 'My Lord has honored me.' " وَأَمّا إِذا مَا ابتَلاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيهِ رِزقَهُ فَيَقولُ رَبّي أَهانَنِ" But when He tests him and tightens for him his provision, he says, 'My Lord has humiliated me.' Surat AL-BAQARAH ( البقرة ) #2, Ayat #245: " مَن ذَا الَّذي يُقرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضعافًا كَثيرَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَقبِضُ وَيَبسُطُ وَإِلَيهِ تُرجَعونَ" Who is it that will lend Allah a good loan that He may multiply it for him several fold? And Allah tightens and expands [the means of life], and to Him you shall be brought back. AL-SHURA ( الشورى ) #42, Ayat #27: " وَلَو بَسَطَ اللَّهُ الرِّزقَ لِعِبادِهِ لَبَغَوا فِي الأَرضِ وَلٰكِن يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ ما يَشاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ بِعِبادِهِ خَبيرٌ بَصيرٌ" Were Allah to expand the provision for His servants, they would surely create havoc on the earth. But He sends down in a [precise] measure whatever He wishes. Indeed He is all-aware, all-seeing about His servants. AL-NAJM ( النجم ) Surat #53, Ayat # 38,39: " أَلّا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزرَ أُخرىٰ" that no bearer shall bear another's burden, " وَأَن لَيسَ لِلإِنسانِ إِلّا ما سَعىٰ" and that nothing belongs to man except what he strives for, Surat AL-BAQARAH ( البقرة ) #2, Ayat #155-157: " وَلَنَبلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيءٍ مِنَ الخَوفِ وَالجوعِ وَنَقصٍ مِنَ الأَموالِ وَالأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَراتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصّابِرينَ" We will surely test you with a measure of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; and give good news to the patient " الَّذينَ إِذا أَصابَتهُم مُصيبَةٌ قالوا إِنّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنّا إِلَيهِ راجِعونَ" —those who, when an affliction visits them, say, 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him do we indeed return.' " أُولٰئِكَ عَلَيهِم صَلَواتٌ مِن رَبِّهِم وَرَحمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ المُهتَدونَ" It is they who receive the blessings of their Lord and [His] mercy, and it is they who are the [rightly] guided. What characters did Allah Almighty create Human with? We were created with the love for life, hope, love of good living, doing good, love of health, wealth and children, power, fame, ..etc and it is not a crime to have such feel, drive, hope, ..etc. With the same talking Allah Almighty created the "القبض والبسط" as His way of testing His creation. Life is a Rollercoaster with Uphill and Downhill: We can conclude from the Quran's verses mentioned that Allah Almighty indeed tightens and expands [the means of life] - "القبض والبسط" In short, we as the creation of Allah Almighty will experience such a rollercoaster of "القبض والبسط" - tightens and expands. Our goal is to present how to live with "القبض والبسط" , be content and use them to handle life rollercoaster to your advantage. Sometime the answer is all around us but sadly we cannot see it. "القبض" - Downhill Questions: We need to examine how people in general would view Allah Almighty tightens "القبض." Most human would react to "القبض" differently and we will try to understand their experiences with the following questions:        1. Is it Envy or someone's bad eye?        2. Could be others who are less successful are envying me and my blessings?        3. Is it bad people (close family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, ..etc ) not wishing me well?        4. How can I handle haters and their wishes to see me harmed?        5. Could it be evil, witchcraft done to my family, my business or me?        6. Are Evil spirits trying to harm me?        7. Is it my bad luck?        8. Could God Almighty angry with me?        9. I must have done something wrong?        10. God is punching me for doing XYZ?        11. Why am I being punished, I did not do anything wrong?        12. Why should I face such thing, I am a good person?        13. Why me?        14. When this will end?        15. Other people deserve such punishment and not me        16. Allah Almighty tests are unfair or when will they end?        17. Is there a way out of my dilemma? The questions listed may or may not have any truth to them, but nevertheless human should see the "القبض" as Allah Almighty doing and it is written in the person destiny. Regardless of the answers or the remedies to these questions, we need to see the situation as Allah Almighty's tests and not 'My Lord has humiliated me.' " وَأَمّا إِذا مَا ابتَلاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيهِ رِزقَهُ فَيَقولُ رَبّي أَهانَنِ" But when He tests him and tightens for him his provision, he says, 'My Lord has humiliated me.' "البسط" - Uphill Questions: As for "البسط" Allah Almighty expanding, the questions are few and almost all human would feel blessed. In the wild, animals will beef up for the winter. With the same talking Muslims should beef up on their good deeds and prepare for Allah Almighty tightens - "القبض." Day and Night: Image #1 Very few human would look at Day and Night as a great blessing from Allah Almighty. Most people may not even see such blessing. People living in North and South Poles have six months of daylight and six months of dark days would be the ones who see such blessing. People accept such drastic changes with hardly any complain and life goes on. With the same concept, we human may not see Allah Almighty's wisdom in the "القبض والبسط" One verse from Quran: " وَلَو بَسَطَ اللَّهُ الرِّزقَ لِعِبادِهِ لَبَغَوا فِي الأَرضِ وَلٰكِن يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ ما يَشاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ بِعِبادِهِ خَبيرٌ بَصيرٌ" Were Allah to expand the provision for His servants, they would surely create havoc on the earth. But He sends down in a [precise] measure whatever He wishes. Indeed He is all-aware, all-seeing about His servants. Seasons Change: Image #2 In Image #2, Seasons Change - Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. Human throughout history had accepted the changes in seasons even in the hottest or coldest parts of our world. Human may have some complains about the changing seasons, but all human had adopted and lived with these changes. With the same talking, why would human accept and adopt to "القبض والبسط". Why human are willing to bare the winter freezing temperature and patiently wait for Spring and Summer to arrive and enjoy Allah Almighty blessings. It is a matter of mental acceptance of Winter and Summer, human should accept "القبض والبسط". Once a person accepts these opposing "القبض والبسط", then he/she would be willing to tough it out until the end of one and the start of the other. The comfort of having an end of a tough time is in itself an ease of whatever the situation could be. Bison Facing a Pack of Wolves In the Winter: Image #3 In Image #3, it is clear from the image that the pack of wolves are not willing to risk attacking the Bison bull and are looking for an easier game. Let us try to get into the Bison bull's head and see if the following questions could be what the bull would be thinking:        1. Why me        2. I do not deserve this since I am good and I do not do anything bad        3. This is not fair        4. Eat them and leave me along        5. This is not my job        6. God, I did not ask for this        7. Must be Evil eye of less fortunate bulls or other envious and hateful bulls        8. Could it be evil, witchcraft done me        9. Is it my bad luck?        10. Could God Almighty angry with me?        11. I must have done something wrong? In Image #3, the bull stood his ground, faced the danger and saved the rest of the heard. It did not matter to the bull, the number of wolves, the weather nor was the condition of the situation. The bull faced the situation head on. The bull would probably laugh at the questions we listed of the bull's thinking. Nothing was a factor in the bull's performance. The outside world and all its setbacks had not have any impact of the bull's performance nor handling the situation. Personal Note: My personal feeling is that I am jealous of the Bison bull for his performance. All of us experience stress and we would lose sleep, ..etc over life's tough tests. Some of us may lose it all together (depression, stroke, heart attacks, divorce, anger, ..etc). Looking at the bull, no outside factors (number of wolves, weather, the snowy ground, server cold, ..etc) had impacted the bull performance nor the bull determination to handle the situation to the best of the bull's ability and save the bull's heard. To the bull, it was another day at the office accepting harsh life and the environment. Definitely "القبض والبسط" was not a factor in the bull's performance. It did not matter to the bull that this could be "القبض". We can summarize the bull's strength as follows:        • The willingness to take on the seasons change and prepare for them        • Good heart        • Good and cool mind        • Good healthy body        • Patience        • No hesitation in doing the job at hand The Story of Prophet Job - النبي َأَيُّوبَ: 21-Surah Al-Anbiya ( The Prophets ) 83-84: " وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ" And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord, ' Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.' " فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِن ضُرٍّ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ" So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah]. To summarize Prophet Job - النبي َأَيُّوبَ story in a nutshell. Prophet Job was one of the richest prophet for Jews and did not have success in getting followers. Allah Almighty tested him with a number of tough tests. He lost all his children, all his wealth and then had a paralyzing illness. All the people around him did not want to even get close to him. His patient wife was the only support and people refused to deal with her fearing of catching Prophet Job sickness. The patient wife was not able to work and she had to sell her hear so she could support Prophet Job. Prophet Job asked the mercy of Allah Almighty from his test. Allah Almighty removed the illness and change his condition to the point that his wife did not recognize him. Prophet Job is a model for patience and showing respect with politeness "الادب" " وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ" Indeed to your Lord is the return "إِنَّ إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجعىٰ": AL-ʿALAQ ( العلق ) Surat # 96, Ayat # 8: " إِنَّ إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجعىٰ" Indeed to your Lord is the return. What We Need: Our attempt in this webpage is to show that the same way human accept day-night, summer-winter, human also should accept Allah Tightens and Expands [the means of life] - القبض والبسط We need to look at nature and all the creation and see how all with no exception tough out harsh time and enjoy Allah Almighty's bounties. Our recommendation is to work and think in the following:        1. Faith and trust in Allah Almighty        2. Literature ("الادب") with Almighty Allah        3. Hard work and being on the right path        3. Patience        4. Time and surviving whatever comes by        5. Good living and good health        6. Contentment        7. Waiting for Allah Almighty's answer        8. Preparation        9. Happiness in either of the القبض والبسط"        10. Give to the needy        11. Prayers        12. The prophet PBUH prayers Life Plan In everything you do, your state of mind should be:        Indeed to your Lord is the return - " إِنَّ إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجعىٰ"