‘WHEN DOES ONE plus one not equal to two?’ I asked the children.
After a puzzled look, I explained: ‘When you believe in the Unseen.’
Right at the beginning of surah Baqarah Allah describes the believers. They believe in the Unseen. It is easy to reduce this to just some academic view of what the unseen includes- Allah, the angels, Judgement Day, Jannah, Jahannam, etc.
But do we consider the implications of those beliefs?
For instance, we are used to the materialistic way of life where one plus one is always two. We judge what we can do or not based on the things in our hands. We make calculations based on what we have or do not have etc. This is so limiting.
Take the example of what is happening in the Holy Land. Many will look at the occupiers as being too strong as they have this number of soldiers, that number of high-end weapons, and the full support of so many allies compared to what we have.
That is when you believe that one plus one equals two.
But the believers believe in the Unseen.
That changes all our equations.
So let’s rephrase these equations.
What does one plus one plus Allah equal? Now that suddenly opens up infinite possibilities.
What does one plus one plus the angels equal? We know what happened at Badr.
What does one plus one plus Jannah equal? Who can defeat a people who are victorious whether they win or whether they die as shaheed? The believers never lose!
That is what belief in the unseen does. It lifts the defeatist mindset and opens the way for the impossible to become possible.
إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَنصُرُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ
If Allah helps you, none can defeat you. But if He denies you help, then who else can help you? So in Allah let the believers put their trust. (ale Imran 160)
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