The Anguish of “If Only…”

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي قَدَّمْتُ لِحَيَاتِي

(Qur’ān 89:24)

‘Yaqūlu Yā Laytanī Qaddamtu Liĥayātī’

‘He will say, “Oh, I wish I had sent ahead [some good] for my life.”’ Sadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Mankind says in ākhirah after taking his last breath, “What happened! My whole life passed before my eyes.” They say it flashes before your eyes, like a wick. That’s how it is.

A person looks and yearns, wishing he had done some things in this life. When they die, in their last breaths, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla opens their basīrah (insight). They see everything. They see those next to them and in front of them and what they have done. They say, “If only I had done something.” “If only” just doesn’t work anymore.

Now, while people are still alive, they say, “If only I had done this job, I would have earned this much money,” “If only I had bought this place, I would have had this much property,” “If only I had married this one, it would have been like this,” “If only I had done business with this one, it would have been like this.”

While alive, one feels regret for these things. They then get upset, distressed and their morale is broken, “We didn’t do so. Look, there were so many things.”

If everyone could do what they wanted, it would be possible. But what Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla will give them, what He ﷻ will open for them is what’s good. If someone wants to worship, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla will not prevent them. So, “Allāh ﷻ didn’t let these people do so.” That’s right, Allāh ﷻ didn’t let them do it, but there’s a secret to that.

When you say Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla didn’t let them do it, you’re putting the blame on Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. You’re pure, you can do anything, you’re even oppressed, Ḥāshā! (far from it). That’s wrong. The Secret of Destiny is one of Azza wa-Jalla’s secrets.

And if a person wants to do worship, only He ﷻ can make it happen. But if a person wants so, that means Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla will make them do it. There is Partial Willpower and Complete Willpower. Mankind must not throw their faults upon Him ﷻ and blame Him ﷻ.

A person must do it. He must do his worship. Performing worship is not hard. People do much harder things all day than worship. They make for dunyā a hundred things that are harder than worship. They don’t get tired of it, they don’t complain about it. But when it comes to worship, they make excuses, saying, “I can’t do it.”

As we said, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla will show him that in his last breath. That time, it won’t help. “I wish I had done, I wish I had, I wish I had prayed, I wish I had fasted, I wish I had given sadaqah, I wish I had given zakat, I wish I had gone to ḥajj. I had money, I was in good health. But as I’ve been saying, “I’ll do it later”, my breath was gone.”

May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ grant us to do them. May Allāh ﷻ remove this laziness and wretchedness from us, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

30 July 2025/ 05 Safar 1447

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul