Wishes - الأماني
One of the characteristics of the hypocrites is that they wish for something good, and when Allah brings the means, they don't fulfill it. That's why it's important for us to know the rulings with regards to wishes.
In Arabic, a wish is called أمنية, or أماني (plural). It has many meanings in Arabic, and has been mentioned profusely in the Qur'an, to indicate that this is something very important in Islam.
In Lisan AlArab it has many meanings:
1) حديث النفس - Self Talk
2) To desire for something to happen
3) To determine something which you'd like to happen "يقدر الشيء"
4) تمني الكتاب - when it comes with the word, "الكتاب" it means to recite the book.
And التلاوة is called أمنية in Arabic, because when the one who recites the Qur'an passes by any verse which talks about mercy, he wishes that Allah deals with him with it, and if he passes by a verse of torment, he wishes that Allah protects him from it.
5) It can means lies.
6) It takes the meaning of something unreal. The Arabs used to call something which a person likes but has no reality to it, or won't happen أمنية.
-> Wishes are something natural. Allah created the human beings having this characteristic of wishing. This isn't something you can deny or say you shouldn't have.
Why? Because this characteristic motivates the person to virtues or viles. It could push a person to do good, or push him to do evil.
-> Allah gave us it in order to worship Allah, to obey Him, to come closer to Him.
-> It is the action of the heart.
-> It indicates the soundness or the corruption of the heart. If your wishes are good wishes, it indicates the goodness of your heart. If your wishes are evil, it indicates the corruption of your heart.
-> Many people think we are not held accountable for our wishes, but there are Hadiths which prove otherwise.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "When one of you wishes for something, let him look at what he wishes, because he doesn't know what will be written in his record"
There's a dispute regarding the authenticity of this Hadith, but there exists other Hadiths which fortify it.
Our wishes are recorded, even if you don't say them out loud. But we're referring to the wishes which we think of day and night, which are established in your heart. The wishes which take the form of passing thoughts won't be recorded nor will you be held accountable for them.
E.g. One says, "I wish I was a student of knowledge"
Do you think that Allah will leave you without testing you? He'll make the means of acquiring knowledge easy for you. If you're truthful about what you said, you'll take the means. If you're not, you won't, and you'll fall into the characteristic of hypocrisy mentioned in سورة التوبة. Hypocrisy may be put in your heart until the Day of Judgement.
The characteristic of wishing continues with the human being even after his death.
He wishes while he's in his grave, and even on the Day of Judgement.
Evidence #1
When the believer answers the questions in his grave, and it turns into a garden of Paradise...
"...Then there comes to him a man with a handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, ‘Receive the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.’
He says, ‘Who are you? Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.’
He says, ‘I am your righteous deeds.’
He says, ‘O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to my family and my wealth'..."
Evidence #2
Once the Prophet ﷺ was at the gravesite with the companions. He ﷺ pointed to one of the graves and said, "Two light Rak'ahs are more beloved to this dead person than the entire world and what it contains"
Evidence #3
The wish of the companion in Surah Ya-Sin. He called his people to Islam, telling them to follow the Messengers. But they killed him. In [36:26-27]:
The word "ياليت" is indicative of wishing.
Even on the Day of Judgement people will wish, but their wishes are of sorrow and regret, and will all be in vain:
Evidence #4
In [89:24]:
Evidence #5
In [69:25-29]:
In [33:64-68]
Why does Allah tell us about their wishes? In order to warn us so that we don't reach their state, where we wish and our wishes won't be granted to us.
Evidence #7
In the Hadith, Allah tells us about the last person who will come out of Hell and be admitted into Paradise. Allah will tell him to wish, and he will wish until all his wishes are finished, and Allah will give him all that and 10x more.
The Shaytan has power over the wishes of man
The Shaytan knows the wishes of our hearts, and may overcome you and use these wishes to mislead you from obedience to Allah. Or he may arouse false wishes in you.
In [4:117-121]:
He swore that he would take an appointed portion of Allah's slaves. How? What will he do?
E.g. A woman wishes to be beautiful. The Shaytan makes her pluck her eyebrows, do plastic surgery, etc. in order to fulfill her wish.
This is exactly what Iblis did to Adam. He knew Adams wish was to be immortal in Paradise. So he told him to eat from the tree, telling him that if he did so, he'd be immortal.
And he continues to do this with us. You have a wish, and he suggests through whispering different ways you can fulfill your wish. And when Adam ate from tree he disobeyed Allah, his clothes fell off - similarly, Shaytan wants to disgrace, dishonor you - So he manipulates you through your wishes to make you disobey Allah.
And on the Day of Judgement, He'll give a Khutbah. In [14:22]:
Also, What made the hypocrites hypocrites? In [57:14]:
They were deceived with their hopes and wishes.
The Shaytan made them believe that as long as they were praying, and doing good on the outside, even if their hearts were void of any belief, they'd go to Paradise and be amongst the believers. That's why on the Day of Judgement they'll believe that as they deceived the believers in this world, they'd be able to deceive Allah and make it to Paradise.
Another examples of wishes which destroyed people, are the wishes of the people of Saba. Allah made life easy for them, traveling easy for them. But the Shaytan made this blessing unpleasant to their hearts. They wished that their journey became far and long, instead of being short. The Shaytan made them see the blessing as a punishment, torture, نقمة.
Allah says in [34:20-21]:
Wishes are natural in human beings, but be careful and alert, don't let the Shaytan arouse false wishes in your heart, or use your wishes to misguide you and make you disobey Allah. Examine your wishes.
And we're falling into actions which resemble the people of Saba.
E.g. Allah favoured many women with good husbands and children. One thing makes them angry and they wish they never had children or were never married, saying they were much comfortable and honoured when they lived with their parents. You're wishing the removal of blessings, unhappy and ungrateful for the blessings of Allah. And all this is from the Shaytan.
E.g. You tell your children to go to the Masjid to pray. They wish their house wasn't close to the Masjid so you wouldn't push them.
E.g. A woman's husband is engrossed in his job and always busy at work. She wishes he'd lose his job in order for him to be with her. She doesn't realize that this is a blessing, you have time to do your عبادة when he's out. But she doesn't understand.
E.g. People who live on high stories in buildings wish to go down.
You find that most people are ungrateful to the blessings they have. Those who are up want to go down, those who are down want to go up. People are always grumbling and unhappy. They don't see or appreciate the blessing of Allah until it's completely removed from them.
Another example is the plot of the Shaytan with Yusuf عليه السلام's brothers. He made them want to kill him, just so that the father would be all theirs, and they intended to be righteous after. In [12:9]:
Shaytan uses our wishes against us. He has many ways of deceiving the son of Adam. If he knows what you like and want, he'll press on that point until he misleads you. You need to be aware of that.
You may have a good wish but he'll make you show off, neglect other people's rights, etc. to reach that goal.
"Every person, whether he is a believer or a disbeliever, seeks certain things in order to achieve happiness.
Everyone seeks means to attain that which he desires, and everyone desires means to prevent that which they dislike.
The intelligent person is the one who seeks the help of the One who has the ability to grant him what he desires and prevent what he dislikes" - Ibn AlQayyim
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