“A sign of success in the end is to refer to God in the beginning. If there is no sunrise in the beginning, there is no sunrise in the end.”
These words of wisdom teach us another universal law, another Sunnah of Allah, is that when you start something, you have to perfect the basis of that thing.
You have to perfect the starts and the foundations of what you are trying to do.
Perfect Your Beginning
According to the sheikh here, the sunrise in the beginning brings sunrise in the end.
How can I make the sun rise on me in the beginning of any work?
By returning to Allah Almighty in the beginning of any endeavor.
This is inspired by a number of Sunnahs of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the most direct of which here is the sunnah of istikharah, or to ask Allah to choose for you.
The Prophet Muhammad is teaching us to say:
“Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi ‘ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as-‘aluka min fadlikal-‘azim. Fainnaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta’lamu wa la a’lamu, wa Anta ‘allamul- ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta’lamu anna hadhal-‘amra (and name what you want to do) khairun li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa ‘aqibati amri, (or he said) ‘ajili amri ajilihi, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadhal ‘amra (and name what you want to do) sharrun li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa ‘aqibati amri, (or he said) wa ‘ajili amri wa ajilihi, fasrifhu ‘anni, wasrifni ‘anhu, waqdur liyal- khaira haithu kana, thumma ardini bihi.”
Meaning of the Hadith
“O Allah, I consult You through Your Knowledge, and I seek strength through Your Power, and ask of Your Great Bounty. For You are Capable whereas I am not. And You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of hidden things.
O Allah, if You know that this matter (and name it) is good for me in respect of my Deen, my livelihood and the consequences of my affairs, (or he said), the sooner or the later of my affairs then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me.
But if You know this matter (and name it) to be bad for my Deen, my livelihood or the consequences of my affairs, (or he said) the sooner or the later of my affairs then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and grant me power to do good whatever it may be, and cause me to be contented with it). And let the supplicant specify the object.” (Al-Bukhari)
Let Allah Choose For You
This hadith shows us the spirit that you bring your heart to in the beginning of anything; any major decision you make in your life should start with that dua that:
‘Oh Allah I don’t know what is best but I’m starting by relying on You, I’m starting by leaving the matters to You.’
That Istikharah is the sunrise in the beginning that will bring sunrise in the end. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) turned to Allah Almighty in everything even when he’s praying. He would start saying:
I have directed my face towards the One who created the Heavens and the earth… (At-Tirmidhi)
Start in Your Young Age
The beginning and end of one’s life has to be in the same context. If you are lucky enough to be a young man or woman, you are in the beginning of your life. And if you preserve your faith in the beginning, Allah will preserve you in the end.
It is a great opportunity for you to be one of the people that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned:
A youth who grew up in the worship of Allah. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
He said that this youth, who grew up in the worship of Allah is going to be one of the seven people that Allah shades in the hereafter when there is no shade but His shade.
Why?
Because they perfected the start.
If you are a young man or woman, you have an opportunity to perfect the start of your journey. Don’t say, “I have my life ahead of me!”
No! Start your journey to Allah in your young age because the sunrise in the beginning is going to be sunrise in the end. When you are older, you have a much better relation with Allah if you start early from youthful years.