*    Whatever I hear and learn, I will try to convey to others.

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                             صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Advice for the one who tied iron shoelaces

The Companion Sayyidunā Anas b. Mālik رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates:

Once, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم saw a man who had tied iron laces to his sandals, so he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم advised him, “Your hopes have lengthened, you have lost interest in reward, and you have started to move away from good deeds. When a person’s shoelace breaks and he recites اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْنَ, the blessings, guidance and mercy of Allah Almighty descend upon him, and this reward is better for him than the world and what it contains.”^[1]   

Dear Islamic brothers! Look at the way our beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم beautifully advised others. Outwardly, it was a minor issue. Perhaps the man’s shoelace kept on breaking, so he used an iron wire as a shoelace. This action was seemingly good as it was convenient and saved him from repeatedly having to go through the effort of tying a shoelace, but look at the guidance of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم; he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم taught the Ummah to have concern for the Hereafter, not the world.

Tying an iron shoelace made things easier in terms of the world, but how much did this impact the Hereafter? There is no doubt that the breaking of a shoelace is also a test, and whenever a believer is afflicted by a trial and recites اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ, he is granted mercy and blessings from Allah Almighty. He is also given the opportunity to show patience. It is obvious that when the shoelace will never break, there will be no difficulty. When there is no difficulty, there will be no opportunity to be patient, and