Are we following the crowd? Story of Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab(R. A)

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐝 ? Story of Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab(R . A)

When 'Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab (رضي الله عنه) was walking in the market, he passed by a man who was supplicating,

اللهم اجعلني من القليل اللهم اجعلني من القليل

“O Allah, make me from the few! O Allah make me from the few!” So ‘Umar said to him, “Where did you get this du`a’ (supplication) from?” 

And the man said, 

“Allah in His Book says:

وَقَليلٌ مِن عِبادِيَ الشَّكورُ

‘And few of My servants are grateful.’ 

[Surah Saba':13]”

So ‘Umar R.A wept and said to himself, “The people are more knowledgeable than you, O Umar! 

O Allah make us from Your ‘few’ servants.”

Sometimes when you advise someone to leave a sin, they respond with “But everybody does it, it’s not just me!” But if you look for the words “most people” in the Qur’an, you will find that most people - 

ولكن اكثرهم لا يعلمون

“And however most people do not know” [7:187];

ولكن أكثرهم لا يشكرون

“and most people do not show gratitude” [2:243]; and

و لكن اكثر الناس لا يؤمنون 

"And most people do not believe" [11: 17].

And if you look for “most of them”, you will find:

وَأَنَّ أَكثَرَكُم فاسِقونَ 

"Most of them are defiantly disobedient" [5 :59];

و لكن أكثرهم يجهلون

And most of them( of that) are ignorant” [6:111]

So be of the “few”, whom Allah says about them:

وَقَليلٌ مِن عِبادِيَ الشَّكورُ

- “And few of My servants are grateful.” [Saba':13]; and

وَما آمَنَ مَعَهُ إِلّا قَليلٌ

 - “But none had believed with him, except a few.” [11:40]

Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said, “Go on the path of truth and do not feel lonely because there are few who take that path, and beware of the path of falsehood and do not be deceived by the vastness of the perishers.” 

May Allah make us of His FEW servants. Āmeen.

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