ON SMILE - Sunnah Rasulullah (S.A.W)

Smile-The Weapon of Islam!

What is a Smile? 

In Physiology , a smile is a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles most notably near both ends of the mouth. The smile can be also around the eyes. In Psychology, smile is an impulse response to some situation that consequently takes us back to the emotionally stable state (this one I coined myself). One more way to define smile is, a way of welcoming any person or thing or situation in life . 

Smile : Naturally Taught Many people think that a person learns to smile as he learns to speak. But there are evidences of a baby smiling in a mother’s womb.  Also we know that blind people smile too hence proving that smile is Naturally taught just as crying as naturally taught. A baby comes to this world already aware of the art of crying. 

He who smiled the most Rasulullah (S.A.W): Abdullah ibn Haarith, radi Allahu 'anhu, said, "I have never seen any one who smiled more than Allah's Messenger." (JAMI TIRMIDHI) Jarir, radi Allahu 'anhu, reported: "Since I embraced Islam Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) never refused to see me and he did not see me but with a smile on his face." (SAHIH MUSLIM) 

Why don’t we Smile? Why do we save our smiles when our Ideal (S.A.W) used to smile the most? We see that people who are religious tend to have serious faces , they hardly smile. I’ve heard people relating the incidents of lives of saints who didn’t smile their whole life. Let us change this concept. Ideal for us is the Life of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). Islam does not stop us from smiling in fact it encourages. It gives us reasons to smile. So beautify your faces with a smile. 

The smallest distance between two people is smile. What does it take to Smile? We hardly have to move a muscle to smile but the effect a smile has is tremendous. It can win the hearts. It can take care of very tense situations. Smile begets smile. Smile, and the world will smile back at you. Smile at the nature and the nature will smile back at you. Smile is a good way to express your pleasure. Actions speak louder than words. How often you find it so hard to express your Love for some, your pleasure on some happening. A smile would do just the thing. Like a couplet in urdu says Aansu chalak paray to kuch laj raeh gae Azhaar e gham ka werna saleeka na tha mujhay ( Translation : Tears felt and hence saved my honour, otherwise I didn’t knew how to express my sorrow ) Smile : An invitation to Truth A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside. 

Everyone loves a SMILE in a society full of Love and Peace. Islam teaches us to build societies bases on loved and sincerity but unfortunately we are not presenting the Islam the way it should be. Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was so kind and loving. Anyone could come and speak up his heart in front of the prophet. Prophet’s (S.A.W) smile would have a soothing effect on the hearts of the people. We have to base our society on the same principles of Love ,affection and sincerity and people will come it on their own. 

Let’s start building that society by greeting others, giving gifts and exchanging smiles. Even a Smile ! Prophet Muhammad S.A.W said, “Smiling in the face of your brother is charity (Sadaqa)”(JAMI TIRMIDHI).Hadrat Ibn 'Abbas (God be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed: "The pious offspring who casts a single look of affection at his parents receives a reward from God equal to the reward of an accepted Hajj." (SAHIH MUSLIM) 

So why waste your time in frowns when Smile gives you a way to follow the Sunnah, win the hearts of others, earn good deeds and give charity.

The story of Prophet Noah (Nuh) peace be upon him

The prophets of Allah often had a tough time getting their people to listen to them, and Prophet Nuh (Alayhis Salam) was no exception. His people had been going very far astray, they worshipped idols, and many of them were so involved with their material well being that they forgot about their souls. Therefore Allah sent Prophet Nuh (Alayhis Salam) to his people with a message.

Prophet Nuh’s Message

The prophet Nuh’s (Alayhis Salam) message was a simple one. He said that they should worship Allah and serve none but Allah.

After the death of Prophet Enoch (Idris) several events occurred over time that led humans to commit blasphemy for the first time.  There were five pious people whose names are mentioned in Surat Nuh, verse 23.  They were Wadd, Suwa^, Yaghuth, Ya^uq, and Nasr. After their death, Satan came to the people in the shape of a man and told them to build statues of these five men.  The people responded to the whispers of the devil and built these statues to remember and honor these five good men.  After a long period of time Satan reappeared.  Ignorance had spread widely and many tribulations had occurred among the people.  The statues had become very common among the people.  

When Satan came again, to a later generation, he ordered the people to worship these statues and told them falsely that their ancestors had worshipped these statues too.  

God sent Prophet Noah (Nuh) to these people and ordered him to warn them against a severe torture that would befall them if they do not return to Islam.  

The time span between Enoch (Idris) and Noah is one thousand years, known as the first era of ignorance.  In these years, the first blasphemy was committed and became widespread spread among humans.  Noah was the first Prophet and Messenger sent to the blasphemers.

Prophet Noah said to his people, “O my people worship God for He is the only One Who deserves to be worshipped.”  He said, “if you do not repent and leave out blasphemy, then await for a day in which a severe torture will come upon you,”. He constantly reminded them of the great rewards of being Muslims. Unfortunately, most people did not respond to his call and consequently did not come back to Islam. 

Often the leaders would say that Prophet Nuh (Alayhis Salam) was crazy. At other times the leaders of those who didn’t believe would say, “You are just a man, no different from us, no angel, so how can you carry a message from Allah?”

Prophet Noah spent 950 years calling the people to come back to Islam.  Only about 80 believed in Prophet Noah. The people were extremely harsh to Prophet Noah, and inflicted a lot of harm on him.  They were so nasty that they once tried to strangle him, until he fainted.  Each century exercised more enmity to Prophet Noah and his followers than the previous one.  

Prophet Noah told his people, “My role is to convey, but God is the only One Who creates the guidance in the hearts of the people.”  Prophet Noah did not get despaired even though only a few people responded to his call. But when God revealed to Prophet Noah that no one else of his people would believe he supplicated to God to destroy all those who did not believe, a supplication which was fulfilled by Allah.

God ordered Prophet Noah to build an ark.  Prophet Noah gathered the wood, tar, and iron for that ark.  The people mocked Prophet Noah for building an ark on a dry land and away from water.  God ordered Noah that when he sees a sign to start loading the ark.  The sign was seeing water flowing out of an oven made of stones that belonged to Lady Eve.  

God sent the rain from the sky and as a result the beasts gathered near the ark.  Prophet Noah took a pair of male and female of each kind of animal.  The believers also went on the ark.  Water sprang out of Earth in large quantities causing the Ark to rise. The rain fell in great masses like mountains as described in the Qur’an. After six months the rain stopped and the Earth started swallowing the water after which the Ark rested on Mount al-Judiy in Iraq. (Allahualam)

God protected Prophet Noah and his believing followers, and inflicted the punishment on the blasphemers.  All the blasphemers drowned including the son of Noah, Kan^an.  

It was narrated that when Prophet Noah was about to die, he was asked the following question by the angels, “How did you feel your stay on earth for so many years?”  Prophet Noah replied, “I saw this life on Earth like a house with two doors. I entered through one door and I left through the other.”  He meant that it went so quickly.  

Allah knows best.