The Significance of Contentment

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

May Allāh ﷻ make our gathering a blessed gathering. AlhamduliLlah we are servants of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. Allāh ﷻ created everyone and gave him a secret. Some follow the right way and some follow the wrong way. This is one secret of Allāh ﷻ.

Some people say, “Why this, why that?” This is not your business. You must be thankful to Allāh ﷻ, He ﷻ put you on this way. You are from the lucky people; a lucky one. If you are happy with everything Allāh ﷻ gives you, you are lucky. You have enough food, a place to stay, a roof over your head, it is a pleasure; this is the saying of Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam.

Of course, you must also work, you must look after your business, your work. You must do whatever you can. But if you cannot reach a higher level, you don’t get sad, you don’t get angry about the situation. You accept and thank Allāh ﷻ.

There is a saying, “القناعة كنز لا يفنى”, “Contentment is an undiminishing treasure.” To accept and be happy with what you have is a treasure that can’t finish. Maybe some people find a treasure, but it will finish or they will want more.

There is one story about this. Of course, people of this time also – Allāh ﷻ created all people the same, but the time and luxury, what they used to eat is different from the luxury of old time. It’s very easy. The easiest thing is to have luxury and get used to luxury. It’s not difficult.

Some people maybe think it’s not easy to get used to luxury; it is very easy. But to accept what they are, what they have: this is not easy for many people. They don’t accept this. But if they are seeing what Allāh ﷻ gave them, they will accept, they will be happy and there will be no problem for them.

As we said, people of old times had no luxury like in this time. If somebody was born in one village, until the end his life, he will not go out from this village. You know, even people in Cyprus, in this Island in the middle of the big sea, there are people who didn’t go out of the village, they didn’t know the sea. They hadn’t seen the sea. Of course, they had problems but they were not used to luxury, so they were humble, they accepted, they were not causing problems to the others or to themselves.

Once upon a time there was a sultan or king. He had problems. Of course, he was ruling all this Sultanate. He had many problems with his family, his children, the people, his neighbors. As many people he had to look after: ten people a few problems, hundred people more problems, thousand, more, a million, more and more and more.

Aside from this story. Today is Friday here in Argentina and there is elections. People are running for elections to get a headache, to get what these people want. People must run away from this, not run for it.

So this Sultan was speaking to his Wazīr, minister, and he was going around the palace. He was looking from the balcony of the palace. He saw one man working in his garden.

The Sultan said speaking to the Wazīr, “I am very stressed because of the people. I have many responsibilities. I cannot sleep at night thinking about this kingdom, about the people, about this, about that. Look at this man, he is happy. He doesn’t have any burden upon him. He is poor and he’s not unhappy. He is happy. Every day, he is coming like very fresh, very good.”

The Wazīr said, “This is because he doesn’t have anything. We will make a test for him: how will he be if we gave him money.”

He said, “Okay.”

They took one bag full of gold and wrote on it “A hundred pieces of gold.” And they secretly threw this into his house and wrote “This is a hadiyyah (gift) for you. This is a hundred pieces of gold, hadiyyah for you.” They put 99 pieces of gold. They threw it inside and were watching him.

That night, this poor man counted them. “This is 99.” He called his family. He counted them but turns out they’re 99 not a hundred. He woke up his wife, “Look at this. They said it’s a hundred. We must count together.” They started counting together.

He brought his family, his children. All of them were looking here and there, maybe they can find it. So the whole family didn’t sleep all night. The next day, he couldn’t come to work. After that, he came late and the sultan was seeing him unhappy.

This is the attribute of people. They don’t appreciate what they have. They are looking for what’s missing. They have 99 gold coins. Maybe their whole life, they cannot take ten gold coins. They have all of this and they were looking only for this one missing coin. Day after day, they were like this looking for it. And they are still maybe looking for it.

This what qanā’a, contentment means: you must accept what you get and be happy with it. If what you have is enough for you, it’s okay. This is what ṭarīqah, Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is teaching people. To not give any value for dunyā, for material things.

Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam is the most generous among all human beings. Our teaching is coming from Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, imitating him ﷺ in everything. Many times, he ﷺ was hungry, not eating for many days. And he ﷺ was known for tying a stone on his ﷺ stomach.

When Allāh ﷻ sent him ﷺ something, he ﷺ wasn’t thinking, “I didn’t have anything, now we have so many. I must keep this.” Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam didn’t leave anything for the next day.

For this, they are putting human beings now in one shape (mold), in the whole world. “Global”, they say. They are only looking after their desires, their ego’s happiness. Not thinking about ākhirah, about the next life. This life is to work for the next life.

If Allāh ﷻ helps you and helps people, you will find this in the next life. Maybe people say, there aren’t much people. But jewels are also not much on earth. Keep yourself as clean and precious in the Divine Presence of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla. May Allāh ﷻ bless you.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

•⁠ ⁠Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

27 October 2025/ 5 Jumada Al- Awwal 1447

Dergah La Consulta – Mendoza, Argentina

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