"Then flee to Allah"

[ummtaalib]

When you’re in trouble, who do you call out to first?

Your parents? Your spouse? A close friend?

For the awliya (those who’ve made Allah their true priority), they always call out to Him first. 

Not after everything else fails. Not as a last resort. But immediately, instinctively, wholeheartedly.

The Qur’an gives us this powerful instruction:

“So flee to Allah.” (Qur’an 51:50)

Not flee from Him. Not flee to distraction or despair.
But flee to Him, with your pain, your confusion, your fear and your hope.

Turning to Allah doesn’t require a location or a schedule. It just needs the heart to face Him. And yet, this is often the last thing we do in the moment of crisis. We panic. We reach for what seems near and familiar. The phone, a person or another plan.

But the awliya have trained their hearts to turn to Allah first, not because they never ask for help from others, but because they have internalised something the rest of us tend to overlook. Their hope, their du‘a, their reliance, it all begins with Him.

Why?

They’ve realised that every single form of help ultimately comes from Him. Everything, every outcome and every event is under the direct control of Allah. It makes perfect sense to turn to the Source before the means.

But this is not always easy. When the heart races and the mind panics, instinctively we reach out to those around us. But for the awliya, their hearts are so trained through constant dhikr, so clear from distractions, that they reflexively turn to Allah first.

Imam Sha’rani beautifully captures this on page 112 of The Code of Companionship:

“The righteous … when faced with hardship, they turn to Allah Most High before seeking assistance from any created being. This is because they understand, through spiritual unveiling and witnessing, that ultimate control over all matters lies in the hands of Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High. Others often seek refuge in Allah only after seeking help from His creation.”

May Allah make us among those whose hearts are trained to call onto Him first, whose hope rests entirely with the One who never disappoints and make our first instinct always be: “Ya Allah.”

White Thread Press