Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Opening
Every second of life is a series of knocks at the door of choice. We choose what to see, what to hear, and where to step. But do we know what the pinnacle of all wisdom (ḥikmah) is? The peak of wisdom is not a pile of theories in the head, but the precision and sharpness of a servant in making life choices that are right in the sight of Allah.When Allah grants al-ḥikmah to someone, He is actually giving them the helm of salvation amid worldly storms. Let us reflect on the following words of Allah SWT:
يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَنْ يُؤْتَ الْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِيَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
“He grants wisdom to whom He wills. And whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.”[QS. Al-Baqarah: 269]
Our choices today are a mirror of our spiritual quality. Rasulullah ﷺ, the wisest of men, was once faced with a defining cosmic choice. He was offered to become a “Prophet-King” like Prophet Sulaymān AS, or to be a “Prophet-Servant.”Let us reflect on this soul-stirring hadith:
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: جَلَسَ جِبْرِيلُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَنَظَرَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَإِذَا مَلَكٌ يَنْزِلُ، فَقَالَ جِبْرِيلُ: إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَلَكَ مَا نَزَلَ مُنْذُ خُلِقَ قَبْلَ هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ، فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، أَرْسَلَنِي إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ، أَفَمَلِكًا نَبِيًّا يَجْعَلُكَ، أَوْ عَبْدًا رَسُولًا؟ قَالَ جِبْرِيلُ: تَوَاضَعْ لِرَبِّكَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: بَلْ عَبْدًا رَسُولًا
From Ibn ‘Abbās he said: “Jibrīl sat beside the Prophet ﷺ, then he looked to the sky and there was an angel descending. Jibrīl said: ‘This angel has never descended since he was created until this moment.’ When the angel descended, he said: ‘O Muḥammad, your Lord has sent me to you, whether He should make you a Prophet-King or a Servant-Messenger?’ Jibrīl gestured: ‘Be humble before your Lord, O Muḥammad.’ So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Rather, [I choose to be] a Servant-Messenger.’” [HR. Aḥmad]
In another narration, the noble reason behind his choice is explained: “So that when I am hungry I can be patient and reflect in remembrance of Allah, and when I am full I can be grateful.” A choice that prioritized safety and closeness to the Creator above all else.
2. Lessons and Message
Rasulullah’s ﷺ choice teaches us a lofty moral message: Wealth and power contain wide spaces for heedlessness. There lies the potential for arrogance, ego, and far greater opportunities for vengeance. A wise person [ṣāḥib al-ḥikmah] will not be dazzled by outward glitter. They will always choose the life option that is safest for their religion, even if outwardly it looks simpler, quieter, or full of struggle.
A Fragment from the Prophet’s Life . Picture a night in Madinah. The great leader, the respected war commander, and the messenger of the Lord of the universe, sleeping on a coarse mat woven from palm fibers. When he woke, the marks of the mat’s strips were imprinted red on his noble back.Seeing that sight, his companion ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb wept—his tears flowed uncontrollably. ‘Umar said with a trembling voice: “O Messenger of Allah, the kings of Rome and Persia sleep on silk and luxury, while you, the Beloved of Allah, are like this?”Rasulullah ﷺ smiled calmly, soothing ‘Umar’s troubled heart, then said: “Are you not pleased, O ‘Umar, that this world is for them and the Hereafter is for us?”That was an emotional choice born from nobility of soul. He chose to endure the pain of this world to preserve the purity of his mission.
Life is like captaining a ship in the middle of an ocean of gadgets and social media. Today’s apps and trends offer us thousands of “click” buttons. Some buttons bring quick popularity but ruin morals; others offer instant wealth but destroy blessings.A person without wisdom will press every button that looks shiny. The result? His soul’s ship sinks, crashing into the reef of ego. But a wise person acts like a captain holding the compass of Sharia; he only chooses the safe route, even if he must take a long detour to avoid the storm of fitnah.
Sometimes we are funny. In this modern era, many people, when choosing a food menu on an online app, can analyze for half an hour. They check the star rating, read buyer reviews, calculate the shipping discount in detail. So meticulous! But when it comes to choosing what to watch on social media, what words to type in the comment column, or which path of livelihood to take—we often just strike blindly without thinking about its “rating” before Allah SWT. We are super meticulous for the sake of the stomach, which is temporary, but our sound reason often “faints” when choosing investments for the Hereafter.
3. Conclusion and Closing
Friends, the essence of The Power of Choice is not about how many options we have, but how precisely we choose the route that saves our faith. Do not trade long-term salvation [Hereafter] for short-term comfort [worldly life]. When you face two confusing choices, choose the path that best guards your taqwā, the one that gives your heart the most peace while in prostration—not the one that earns you the most praise from people.May Allah SWT always bestow wisdom into our hearts, so that our fingers, our footsteps, and our life decisions are always guided on the path of salvation
. والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie
