Bismillāh.
From the Forty Hadith on Rajab and Sha’bān
Ibrāhīm b. Maymūn asked Imam al-Ridhā ‘alayhis-salām: What is the best supplication in this month? So, he (the Imam) replied: doing istighfār; surely whoever does istighfār seventy times in Sha‘bān, is like one who does istighfār seventy thousand times in other months. I asked him: How should I say it? He said, say: astaghfirullāh wa as’aluhut tawbah -I plead Allah for forgiveness and I beseech repentance from Him.
Bihār 94:91; Wasā’il H. 13982
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُۚ ذٓلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيم
Allah is well pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Allah; this is the mighty achievement.
Surat Al Maidah, No.5 Āyat 119
There will be a special group of people in the Hereafter who Allah ‘azza wajall will be pleased with, and they will also be pleased with Him. Allah’s pleasure is achieved when the believer submits to Him and obeys Him. All good actions are done for Him and whatever Allah expects from Him is carried out in the best manner. A believer being pleased with Allah subhānahu wata‘ālā means that there is pleasure at Allah’s decree in all things. This is not easy to achieve. But when we understand that Almighty Allah only has the best plan for us, to bring out our true potential, it becomes easier to achieve. As Imam al-Hasan ‘alayhis-salām says: How can a believer be a believer when he is angry at what he has been given, and dislikes his state, while the One who rules over him is Allah? (Rayshahrī, Mīzan al-Hikmah, H. 7295)
The above verse is part of a conversation between Allah (swt) and Prophet ‘Īsā ‘alayhis-salām where Allah talks about the rewards for the truthful ones. Truth here refers to accepting the true message and living by it. It means being truthful to the duty to Allah. Such people will be rewarded in the Hereafter with the physical joys of being in Heaven. But nothing can match the spiritual joy they will feel at having pleased Allah. That is the highest level of happiness for a believer. Without that all the rewards of Heaven can become meaningless. Spiritual joys and spiritual punishments are of the utmost importance to a believer. Amīrul Mu’minīn Imam Ali ‘alayhis-salām in Du‘ā Kumayl says: Then if, My God, my Master, my Protector and my Lord I can endure Your chastisement, how can I endure separation from You? And if I can endure the heat of Your fire, how can I endure not gazing upon Your generosity? (Qummī, Mafātīh al-Jinān).
Apart from the above verse this mutual satisfaction between Allah and a special group of believers has been mentioned a few times in the Quran. Allah says in Sūrat al-Tawbah:
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
And the first forerunners among the Muhājirūn and the Ansār and those who followed them with good conduct – Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great achievement. (Q 9:100).
And in Surat al-Mujādilah:
أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
Those – He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him – those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah – they are the successful(Q 58:22).
It is interesting that the verse has linked pleasure with the selves of the believers. He is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. It is not just their deeds that Allah (swt) is pleased with, rather He is pleased with them – their entire selves. ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī in Tafsīr al-Mīzān points out that there is a difference in being pleased with a deed and being pleased with the person who performs the deed. It is possible for a person you don’t like to do a deed you like, and for a person you like to perform a deed you don’t like. But here, the souls of these people have become such that Allah is pleased with them completely.
Those who will achieve the highest level of being pleased with Allah and Allah being pleased with them are undoubtedly the Household of Prophet Muhammad (s) – the Ahlul Bayt ‘alayhimus-salām. Throughout their lives they strived to fulfill their duties to Allah in the best manner possible, enduring all difficulties in His way while still being pleased with His decree. They showed us the path towards reaching the mighty achievement. On this auspicious day of the birth anniversary of Imam al-Husayn (a) and the upcoming occasions of the birth anniversaries of Hadrat ‘Abbās b. Ali (a) and Imam Ali al-Sajjād (a), we pray that the Almighty may help us follow their teachings and achieve the pleasure of the Almighty. We also pray for the relief of believers around the world.
Sources: Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed), Tafsīr-e Namūneh; Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān.
ALI 711: Dealing with burnout while Homeschooling (for ladies only)
This webinar will discuss how to reset and recharge in the midst of parental frustration and burnout while homeschooling. This session aims to provide a supportive space for mothers in their homeschooling journey. We encourage you to share your questions with us in advance.
Date: Wednesday, January 28th, 2026
Time: 8.30 pm- 9:30 pm Toronto/NY time – 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Vancouver/LA time
Format: Presentation followed by Q&A
Fees: No fees, donations welcome
Registration: https://academyofislam.com/ali-711/