Knowledge the Gateway to Success

Knowledge the Gateway to Success
Knowledge is the gateway to success; however, different people understand this statement differently. The Islamic definition and concept of knowledge, and how it is a gateway to success in this world and in the Hereafter, stand as an ambiguous matter to many people. The high status of knowledge has been established very strongly in Islam through explicit texts in the Qur'an and the hadith as well as in the writings of the scholars of Islam. Almighty Allah says in Surat al-Mujadilah, Ayah 11:: [Allah raises the ranks of those among you who believe and those who were granted the knowledge.] Also, Allah said in Surat az-Zumar, Ayah 9: and: [Those who know are not equal to those who do not know.] In Surat Fatir, Ayah 28, Allah said: and: [Those who have the knowledge fear Allah the most.]

The Prophet, (saw) who is the best of the creation, in his hadith related by at-Tirmidhiyy, said: which means: <> The difference in merit between the Prophet and the lowest Muslim is extremely great and likewise is the difference between the true scholar and the true worshipper--i.e., the scholar who satisfied the conditions of being a scholar, and the worshipper who satisfied the conditions and integrals of worshipping. Imam ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph, said: "Knowledge is better than money because knowledge protects you whereas you protect money." Knowledge rules over things, whereas money is ruled over. Money diminishes as you spend it, whereas spending the knowledge by teaching it to others increases your reward.

Islamically, the issue of knowledge is held in high regard. This knowledge is not any knowledge per se, but rather, the knowledge of the Religion of Islam. In Surat Muhammad, Ayah 19, Allah said:: [O Muhammad, be firm in knowing no one is God exceptAllah.] In the hadith related by al Bayhaqiyy, the Messenger of Allah said: which means: <
The wording of this hadith includes the term "every" (kul) from which the scholars clearly understood 'the Personal Obligatory Knowledge of the Religion,' and not all kinds of knowledge. Had every kind of knowledge been obligatory on every male and every female, it would have been a hardship beyond one's ability, and Allah does not order anyone with what he cannot bear.

Imam Abul Hasan al-Ash^ariyy said: "The first obligation on the slave is to learn about Allah, His Messenger, and His Religion." The Prophet, in the hadith related by al Bukhariyy, said: which means: Whomever Allah willed goodness for makes him knowledgeable in the Religion.>> It is also understood from this hadith whomever Allah did not will goodness for, will not make him knowledgeable in the Religion, i.e., an enlightened person who implements.

Hence it is clear from what has been stated so far, the knowledge we are referring to is the Religious Knowledge of Islam. Moreover, this knowledge of the Religion entails many facets and many subjects; the knowledge of tawhid and the knowledge of the rules of the Religion are among them. The knowledge of tawhid entails knowing about Allah and His Messenger, and it is the best of all the knowledge in Islam. The scholars repeatedly emphasized the clear evidences from the Qur'an, hadith, and scholarly consensus proving the knowledge of tawhid is ranked the highest among all knowledge. This is so because it has to do with knowing about Allah and about His Messenger--knowing what befits Allah and what is impossible to be among His attributes and what befits the messengers and what would be impossible to be among the attributes of the messengers. Abu Hanifah said: "Tawhid is the 'Great Knowledge (al-fiqhul akbar)." Imam ash-Shafi^iyy said: "I mastered the knowledge of Tawhid before mastering the knowledge of the rules of the Religion."

This knowledge of tawhid is of two categories. The first category is that which is obligatory on every accountable person, (The accountable person is the one who is pubescent, sane, and has heard the Testification of Faith in a language he understands.) The accountable person is obligated to know this knowledge; hence, this category is classified among the Personal Obligatory Knowledge. Examples of this knowledge include the belief in Allah and the belief in His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Day of Judgment, Destiny, and the like.

The second category of this knowledge of tawhid is that which is obligatory that some Muslims master--but not all Muslims. This obligation is classified as a communal obligation, since if some of the Muslims have that knowledge it is no longer an obligation on the rest of the community. Examples of this category is for one to learn the proofs of the tenants of belief from the Qur'an, hadith, and intellect such that one would have the ability to refute the claims of the enemies of Islam--like the communists and the innovators of misguidance. Also among the communal obligations some Muslims must acquire are the sciences Muslims need--such as medicine, engineering, agriculture, and the like. Hence, if enough Muslims learn these sciences such that they satisfy the need of the community, it is no longer obligatory on the others.

The first category of the knowledge of tawhid, the personal obligation, has two subdivisions. The first subdivision entails knowing correctly about Allah and His Messenger and believing in it beyond doubt. If one does not know and believe this, he would not be a Muslim, and he would not escape the everlasting tortures of Hellfire. However, having satisfied this and having uttered the Testification of Faith at least once in his lifetime, but not capturing other essentials of belief and not fulfilling other obligations such as fasting and praying and the like, he would be a sinful Muslim--provided he does not deny the obligation of fasting, praying, and the like.

The second subdivision entails learning the thirteen attributes of the Self of Allah which are obligatory on every accountable person to know and learning the attributes of the prophets and what follows, such as believing in the angels of Allah, the Books of Allah, the Messengers of Allah, the Day of Judgment, Destiny--what is good and evil--Paradise, and the like. If having satisfied this, one will earn for his acceptable deeds. As to the rules of the Religion, part of this knowledge is a personal obligation. The Muslim who is accountable is obligated to learn the matters of purification (taharah), the rules of prayers, the rules of fasting, and the rules of other obligations that apply to him, like Zakat, Pilgrimage, dealings, sins of the body, and the like.

Learning the Obligatory Knowledge of the Religion makes one able to discriminate between what is lawful (halal) and what is unlawful (haram), what is valid and what is invalid, what is acceptable and what is rejected, in addition to what is classified under the Religion as good or bad. The scholars of Islam have spoken explicitly about these criteria. In the chapter entitled. "Knowledge Before Saying or Committing Action," Imam al Bukhariyy stated: "If one acquires the Obligatory Knowledge of the Religion, one acquires the ability to differentiate between what is lawful and what is unlawful, what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, and what is good and what is evil." Allah said in the Qur'an in Surat at-Tahrim, Ayah 6: [O believers, protect yourselves and your families from Hellfire which is fueled by people and stone.] Imam Ata' Ibn Abi Rabah who was among the followers of the Companions, interpreted that verse of the Qur'an. He said: "One protects himself and his family from the tortures of Hellfire by learning how to pray, fast, sell, buy, marry, and divorce."

Allah said in Surat adh-Dhariyat, Ayah 46: [I created the jinn and humans to order them with worship.] We have been created to be ordered to worship Allah, and worshipping Allah requires knowledge. For one to have a valid worship, first one has to learn about Allah correctly and have the correct belief. Imam al-Ghazaliyy said: "The worship is only valid after knowing correctly about Allah." Hence, if one learns that knowledge of the Religion, one would know how to perform the worship; he would know what is lawful and what is unlawful and what is acceptable and what is not. By implementing this knowledge accordingly, one earns the reward on the Day of Judgment. This knowledge is not limited to particular groups of people--all people are in need of this knowledge to carry out their tasks in compliance with the rules of Allah; this includes parents, teachers, carpenters, doctors, engineers, and others.

Acquiring this knowledge is very important and entails certain essential criteria. Among the criteria for acquiring the knowledge is to be sincere to Allah in one's endeavor. To acquire the knowledge for the sake of showing off or to be recognized by people as knowledgeable or for other worldly interests renders one sinful and a loser. the one who truly wants to acquire the knowledge needs to do that in sincerity to Allah as it is evident in the following hadith of the Prophet that was related by al-Hakim: which means: Once a man came to the Prophet and asked him about the one who does a deed hoping for reward from Allah and hoping to be recognized by the people. The Prophet replied, "One does not have any reward for that doing." The question was posed three times, and three times the Prophet gave the same answer. Then the Prophet said: Allah does not accept any deeds unless they are done in sincerity for Him. One must seek the reward from Allah only.

Another criterion for acquiring the knowledge is for one to receive it from knowledgeable people, and not by merely reading from books. The scholars of Islam, like al-Khatib al Baghdadiyy, explicitly stated : "The knowledge is taken from the mouths of the scholars and not from the pages of books." The reasons are clear: one cannot ask a book about an ambiguity and receive a clarification; even a scholar might have a slip of the pen and write in his book an incorrect statement he did not intend to write; some of scholars' writings did not escape the cruelty of innovators of misguidance who planted errors in them. However, if one studied with a qualified teacher, the teacher would draw his attention to such matters. As related by at Tirmidhiyy, the Prophet said: which means:Allah facilitates a route to Paradise for the one who follows a certain route seeking the knowledge of the Religion. From that hadith, some scholars understood one leaves ones place to seek the knowledge, that is, one goes to the people of knowledge to pursue it and not simply to read a book on one's own.

Another criterion for acquiring the knowledge is to be neither shy nor arrogant in acquiring that knowledge. Imam Mujahid, who was a follower of the Companions (Tabi^in), said: "The one who is shy or arrogant does not acquire the knowledge." Hence, the one who wants to acquire the knowledge and arrive at the truth of a matter should not be shy in acquiring the knowledge nor arrogant. One should acquire the knowledge in order to gain the benefit regardless of one's age or social status.

In praising the women of al-Ansar, Lady ^A'ishah said: which means: "Praised are the women of al-Ansar; (The Ansar are the people of al-Madinah who supported the Prophet; those who received the Prophet in al Madinah when he immigrated there.) their shyness did not stop them from acquiring the knowledge of the Religion."

Also among the criteria for acquiring the knowledge is to take that knowledge from someone who has that knowledge--because he who does not have the knowledge cannot give it. In addition to this, that person must be trustworthy. Therefore, the knowledge is acquired from someone who is knowledgeable and trustworthy. In what was related by Imam Muslim, Imam Ibn Sirin said :which means: "This knowledge is religion, so look thoroughly at whomever you take your religion from." One should stop for a moment and remind himself of far simpler matters: If one was seeking a particular university, one would spend a great deal of time looking into and checking the different levels of universities to determine which was better; if one needed a treatment from a doctor, one would usually look for a recognized specialist; if one wanted a house to be built, one would search for the best qualified in that field. Most definitely the knowledge of the Religion is a far higher priority, and one needs to look thoroughly at whom he will take that knowledge from.

Those who seek the knowledge endeavor and exert the effort in acquiring that knowledge. In reviewing the history of the great scholars of Islam, one will find they traveled extensively and covered long distances at a time when no airplanes, cars, or vessels were available. They used to ride a camel for months to cross the desert to get a reply on a certain case, or to acquire one chapter of knowledge from the trustworthy and knowledgeable teachers. Ibn Rislan said: which means: "If one does not find a teacher where he is residing, then let him go to where he can find a trustworthy knowledgeable teacher."

Among the criteria for acquiring the knowledge is for the student to observe the proper manners with their teachers. This is part of acquiring the knowledge, and it has many secrets. This is why a person like Imam ash-Shafi^iyy turned the pages of his book so softly in the presence of his teacher, Imam Malik. To acquire the knowledge without disturbing his teachers, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, a family member of the Prophet, used to wait without knocking at the door of other Companions, until that Companion came out. Also among these criteria is for the knowledgeable person to implement that knowledge and perform according to it. Al-Junayd al-Baghdadiyy said a piece of poetry in Arabic, which means: "It is a great contravention that there are some who have knowledge but do not implement it and commit enormous sins instead. Worse than that, however, is a person drowning in ignorance who pretends to be a pious person."

The one who acquires the knowledge, satisfying the criteria for acquiring it usually becomes sincerely more humble. This humility is a sign of knowledge and is often in the heart and it appears on the outside. Yet, the humility of the heart entails more than talking softly or lowering one's gaze in a shay manner. Some swindlers talk softly and lower their gazes in a shy manner, yet their hearts are like rocks. The more knowledgeable one is, the more aware one becomes of the greatness of the Creator and the littleness of one's self and the more aware of the fact one only acquired the knowledge Allah enabled him to acquire. Imam Ahmad ar-Rifa^iyy, may Allah raise his rank, used to have 100,000 people in his session. All of them would hear his lesson without the aid of auditory equipment. Out of humility, he used to say about himself, "I am no one."

Sayedina Aliy(ra) said: "The people of knowledge are of three categories: First, a scholar who implements his knowledge--the one who has observed the criteria for acquiring the knowledge, followed the footsteps of the Prophet (saw) in his teachings, was obedient to Allah, and was not among those who strayed as a result of contradicting the methodologies prescribed by the Prophet. Second, one who learns and is on the path of success--the one who learns following the proper methodology, implementing the rules, and observing the criteria. Third, those who do not have the knowledge--the one who does not seek to acquire the knowledge in the proper manner, rather he follows any speaker who says anything out of ignorance."

This third type runs rampant in this country and in other places and is of great danger. We see many people stand on platforms and address masses of people, while they, themselves, are ignorant. They lead themselves astray, and they lead their listeners astray. This is of grave concern, and we need to be very cautious. The cure for the diseases, shortcomings, and agonies many of our communities face depends on the extent of our obedience to Allah in applying the rules of the Religion and our degree of sincerity in doing that.

The one who learns the Religion and implements it satisfying the methodologies and criteria discussed is pious and sincere. If such a person wants to marry, he conducts his marriage in a valid manner. He observes what is lawful and unlawful in the marital relationship, he fulfills his obligations, and he fears Allah. Since he knows how to have a valid marriage contract, his children will not be a result of adultery. He eats and drinks what is lawful, dresses in what is lawful, and lives in a lawful place, because he differentiates between what is lawful and what is unlawful. He does not take someone else's place by force and he does not cheat others because he observes the rights of others. If he goes out to buy things, he does so in a lawful manner, because he learned how to transact and do business according to the rules of the Religion. He implements the great manners the Prophet taught. This person performs his prayer in a valid way because he knows what makes prayer would acceptable to Allah. Likewise, his fasting, dry purification (Tayammum), Pilgrimage (Hajj), Purification, and the other aspects would be performed in a valid manner. He does all of that in sincerity to Allah because he knows this is a condition for earning the reward, the blessings, and the benefits in this life and in the Hereafter.

Once the members of the community attain these qualities, the relationships that govern them will improve, and the society at large will improve. The one who is sincere and knowledgeable and rich will spend in the ways of Allah--out of generosity, love, and seeking the reward from Allah. Also, the one who is poor, like other pious who were poor will have complete reliance on Allah and will implement the hadith of the Prophet: which means: If you rely on Allah the reliance due to Him then Allah will sustain you and provide for you as He provides for the bird. The bird flies away from its nest in the morning hungry, yet returns with a full stomach. Allah will provide for the one who is poor and sincere, who has the proper reliance on Allah, just as Allah provides for the bird.

Examples of success in this life are to have a valid marriage, buy and sell lawfully, be knowledgeable and implement the knowledge, and perform the prayers, fasting, and Pilgrimage in a valid manner. The one who is knowledgeable will be led by his knowledge to piety and sincerity. The one who is pious will fall under the Qudsiyy hadith of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam: Allah said: which means: Allah said, I prepared for My pious worshippers in Paradise that which no eye has seen and no ear has heard and no one thought of before.

This is the ultimate success--the success in the Hereafter. The person who acquires the knowledge as it is prescribed in Islam enters the gateway to success in this life and in the Hereafter. So be eager to acquire that knowledge; be eager to be around the scholars; and be eager to associate with the scholars, for the Messenger of Allah said: which means: The example of the scholars on earth is like the stars in the heavens with which one guides oneself through the darkness of land and sea. --Tabaraniyy related the Prophet,sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, in highlighting the importance of the scholars, said: :which means: The death of an entire tribe is easier than the death of one scholar.

Be warned of those ignorant people the Prophet (pbuh) spoke about in his hadith related by Tirmidhiyy: which means: Allah does not take away the knowledge by ordering it pulled away from the people. Allah takes the knowledge away by making the scholars die. When no scholar remains, people take for themselves ignorant leaders whom they ask for religious answers. These leaders will answer them with ignorance, thus straying themselves and others.

THE SUBJECT OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE PURSUIT OF EDUCATION.

The very first revelation that Almighty Allah revealed to mankind was "IQRAA" which implies reading, Reciting, rehearsing proclaiming, researching, examining analyzing investigating, scrutinising, etc. This command was given to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). in the cave of Hira as the first Revelation. This command was intended for all humanity not only for the

Prophet (A.S.W.S.) but specifically the Muslimeen who lay claim to this Code of life called Islam. (or Submission to the divine will of Almighty Allah.)

"Read in the name of your Lord (your Rab) who created the human being out of a mere dot. Read and your Lord is most bountifull. He who taught by the pen. Taught the human being which he knew not."

These verses emphasise three points. First of all the source of all knowledge is from Almighty Allah. and secondly he taught use of the Pen (Therefore the importance of writing) and thirdly, we were created from a mere clot and we knew nothing.

The first point is elaborated in another verse in Chapter 16:78. "It is He Allah that brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing"

The second point is elaborated in a Gaadith of our Beloved Prophet (saw). Who is reported to have said, "The ink of the Scholar is more sacred than the blood of the MARTYR

. The third point is also emphasised by Almighty Allah in Chapter17:85 - "Of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you 0 men."

Allah (shwt) also makes a point in Chapter 39:9 " -- "Are those who have knowledge and those who have no knowledge equal? Only the men of understanding are mindfull."

On this point the Prophet (saw) was asked to compare the learn Aaliem (Scholar) to the ordinary worshipper (the Aabied) and the Prophet (saw) said "The learned persons has superiority over the unschooled devotees in as much as I have over the average Muslim." In another Saying of the Prophet (SAW) he further explains: "talabun ielmoen fariedatoen alaa koellie Moeslimeen. -- "The acquisition of knowledge is obligatory -Compulsory Mandatory on every single Muslim."

And "To seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave". And "seek knowledge even if you have to go to China. Here we must emphasise that there is no dichotomy between Islamic and secular Education and knowledge. In Islam we have FARDU AYN and FARDU KIFAAYA. Items which are obligatory on each and every Muslim --Knowledge about Allah –Tauheed, Salah, Zakaah, Siyam, Hajj etc. In “Fardu ayn” it becomes obligatory on some of us to acquire knowledge in certain fields. Like Medical Science, the Legal Profession etc.

FROM ALL THE ABOVE WE CAN DETERMINE THAT KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION SHOULD ENABLE THE POSSESOR TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. IT SHOULD MAKE AWARE AND LIGHTEN UP HIS PATH TO ALLAH (MAKE HIM HOLISTICALLY CONSCIOUS OF ALLMIGHTY ALLAH).

But we must understand that the acquisition of knowledge is also not enough. Knowledge has no meaning unless it is translated into action. Almighty Allah has correctly attached leman (Firm / correct / steadfast belief)to the right action in many ways.. Allah (shwt) tells us in the H.Q. 61:3.. "It is a grievous matter in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not practice” And again Sura Baqarah Chapter 2:44 Allah says. "Do you enjoin on others what is right and forget to practice it yourselves."

So it is obvious that acquiring knowledge or preaching it to others is not enough. That knowledge must put into action and manifested into our lives.. Thus our actions are a testimony to our own belief in the knowledge we have. The Quran is the prescription for our well-being and our illness physical, mental social and financial. On the day of Judgement we will not be asked or tested on our levels of knowledge, and education but what we did with our knowledge and how we practiced, implemented disseminated and propagated what we acquired.

Some parents are more concerned about their children's Islamic education than their own, and children live in the shadow of their parents. We should be what we want our children to be then they will be what we want them to be.. You cant make your child a good Muslim by having him memorise a few verses of the Quran or sending him to Maddrassah to learn the rules of Salah etc. We have to perform the Salah with them Recite the Quran with them And exemplify and personify beautiful Islamic character and conduct (Aglaaq and Adaab) in the Home.

"Stress And Its Islamic Cure "

Stress is the most common ailment of modern age. It has been implicated in the causation of peptic ulcer disease, coronary heart disease, depression, auto immune disease, hypertension, diabetes and even cancer. In milder forms it manifests in the form of unrest, frustration at work, school and home. Common medical problems like tension headache, insomnia, and obesity are also attributed to unusual stress. None of us are free from stress in this violent crime infested Society in South Africa, but some deal with it better than others. Stress can result from the following factors:

a. Fear of the unknown and trying to see through and control the destiny.

b. Losses in our life of people and things dear to us and our inability to recover those losses.

c. Inner conflict between our heart and mind between what is known to be the truth and our failure to accept it as truth. Acceptance of truth may require changing our habits and way of life, which we may adhere to for some reason like pleasure, joys, taste, pride in race or heritage etc. Let us examine how Quran deals with such situations.

Our losses are a trial for us: Almighty Allah tells us in the Holy Quran: "Be sure we will test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives, but give glad tidings to those who are steadfast, who say when afflicted with calamity: To Allah we belong and to him is our return. They are those on who (DESCEND) blessings from Allah and mercy and they are the once that receive guidance. 2:155

Thus in Islam, we do not have a concept of the ownership of goods and life. Everything we seem to posses belongs to Almighty Allah and returns to him. So if we don't own anything why mourn our loss? Our destiny is predetermined. We do not have control on that part. What we have control over is a limited free will, that is our actions, our choice to do good or bad, to believe in Allah or not to believe in Him, but we have no control over tomorrow's event not related to our actions i.e. whether my wife will have a son or daughter, whether his/her eyes will be brown or black, or whether I will have an accident or not tomorrow. Worrying over such things is of no use.

Rejection of faith in Quran is called a disease. This denial of truth is due to arrogance. The Holy Quran tells us: "In their heart there is a disease and Allah has increased their disease and grievous is their penalty because they lie to themselves." 2:10 Therefore after denying the truth and lying to ourselves, we set up an inner conflict - between heart and mind. In order to contain that conflict the mind sends signals to various glands for secretion of hormones like adrenaline, which leads to rapid heart rate, perspiration, and tremor. There are the 3 stages of spiritual development of the soul.

a. Nafsul Ammara: -The Passionate and contaminated soul - "I do not absolve myself Lo the (human) soul is prone to evil, save that whenever my Lord has mercy. Lo, Lord is forgiving; merciful." 12:53 (Surah Yusuf) This soul inclines toward sensual Pleasure, passion and self-gratification, anger, envy, greed, and conceit. Its concerns are pleasure of body, gratification of physical appetite, arrogance and ego. Hadith "your most-ardent-enemy is your evil self which resides within your body" (Bukhari). If this evil soul is not checked and purified, it will lead to unusual stress levels and its resultant effects.
b. Nafsul Lauwamah (The Reproaching Soul). "Nay, I swear by the reproaching soul" 75:1 This soul is conscious or aware of Evil, resists it, asks for Allah's grace, and pardon, repents and tries to amend and hopes to achieve salvation. (Taubah tun nasuhah, and Istihfar) "And (There are) others who have acknowledged their faults. They mix a righteous action with another that was bad. It may be that Allah will relent toward them. Lo! Allah is relenting, merciful." 9:102 Hadith "These are two impulses within us. One spirit which calls towards good and confirms the truth. He who feels this impulse should know that it comes from Allah. Another impulse comes from our enemy (Devil) which leads to doubt and holds untruth and encourages evil. He who feels this should seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil." This soul warns people of their vain desire, guides and opens the door to virtute and righteousness. It is a positive step in spiritual growth.

c. The satisfied and contented soul (Nafsul Mutmainnah). "O (you) soul in (complete) rest and satisfaction. Come back to your Lord, will pleased (yourself) and will pleasing unto him. Enter you then among my devotees, enter you in my heaven." 89:27-30. This is the highest state of spiritual development. Satisfied, developed soul is the state of bliss, contentment and peace. The soul is at peace because it knows that inspite of its failures in this world, It will return to Allah. Purified of tension, it emerges from the struggle with obstacles blocking the peace of mind and heart, pleased and Almighty Allah pleased with it.

What should we do in panic and despair? In panic non-believers behave differently than believers. They have no one to return to, to ask for mercy and forgiveness, their life is this life, which they cannot control, thus get more depressed and increase in their state of wrong doing. Then we will see that if they are used to casual drinking will start drinking more and become alcoholic, or a barbital criminal. On the other hand a believer should do the following:
a. Increase dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) "who have believed and whose heart have Rest in the remembrance of God. Verify in the remembrance of God, do hearts find rest." 13:28
b. Increase their prayer. "O you who believe, seek help with steadfastness and prayer. For Allah is with those who are steadfast." 2:153
c. Beg forgiveness. "And I have said: seek forgiveness from your Lord. Lo He was ever forgiving." 71:10
In addition to above we are also asked to continue to struggle to up-grade ourselves. " Surely Allah does not change the condition in which a people are in until they change that which is in themselves." 13:11

In summary, I conclude that stress results from lack of inner peace due to conflicts within us and leads to external disturbances in our behavioral patterns and health. Inner peace can only be achieved by firmly believing in, and correctly and sincerely worshipping Almighty Allah, following the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet (saw) and remembering Almighty Allah frequently with Salah, Zakah, Syam, Hajj, Dhikr, Duah, Tilawah of the Holy Quran and asking for his mercy, help and forgiveness in times of difficulties with patience and strength.