Who Is There To Aid You After God?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

All of us will have to go through hardships in life. Hardship and suffering have different levels. The lowest degree is to resist against one's own desiring self and the Satan, or to strengthen the bases of one's beliefs by countering the forces working against the true Faith. This degree of achievement is within the grasp of every Muslim. Further on, there are the middle and the higher levels. The degree of one's strenuous effort shall be the degree of one's entry into Paradise. Thus, nobody remains untried by effort and struggle and the resulting hardship and suffering.

In a hadith, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:

The hardships faced by the prophets are the hardest faced by men, after that, by those closer to them.

Allah Almighty says,

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ ٱلْبَأْسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّ‌آءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّ‌سُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ‌ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصْرَ‌ ٱللَّهِ قَرِ‌يبٌ ﴿٢١٤

Do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, ”When is the help of Allah ?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:214]

Prophets and their followers had reached a point of suffering when they cried out as to when will the help of Allah come. It was not because of any doubt since that would be against the dignity of their station. In fact, the call was made in the background of Allah's promised help for which the time and place was left undetermined. As such, using these words in a state of distress indicated the desire for early help. Making such a prayer is not against one's trust in Allah (tawakkul)or against the station of Prophethood. On the contrary, the fact is that Allah Almighty favors the earnest supplication of His servants. Who else other than the prophets and the pious of the community would be more deserving of what Allah likes?

Many of us never ask Allah for anything. By the mercy of Allah, with or without your knowledge, you’re always being assisted by Him. You depend on Him — without His help, you can’t make a move. But how easy it is to forget Allah! There are times in our lives when we call on Him only if we’re met with a severe calamity.

When we’re immersed in the adornments of the world, we tend to think we can do everything on our own. We forget Allah’s Might, Power and Wisdom.

Allah Almighty says,

إِن يَنصُرْ‌كُمُ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَنصُرُ‌كُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ ۗ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٦٠

If Allah should aid you, no one can overcome you; but if He should forsake you, who is there that can aid you after Him? And upon Allah let the believers rely.

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:160]

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, Allah the Most High said,

I am as my servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.

[Bukhari]

Allah always eases the path of believers even in difficult times, and since their complete trust is in Allah, Allah manifests His help in unique ways. He gives spiritual support and endless mercy. Allah reinforces the true believers’ hearts with serenity and thus they feel an immense spiritual support. An endless mercy will be showered upon them.

هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًا مَّعَ إِيمَـٰنِهِمْ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ‌ٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا ﴿٤

It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their [present] faith. And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth, and ever is Allah Knowing and Wise. (4)

[Quran, Al-Fath 48:4]

Seek help from Allah and do not despair, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don’t say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what he had ordained to do, and your “If” opens the (gate) for the satan. [Muslim]

Oh Allah! I have surrendered myself to You, I have directed my face to You, I have entrusted my affairs to You, I have compelled my back to refuge in You, in want and in fright of You. There is no resort nor survival from You except (in turning) to You. I have faith in Your Book (the Qur'an) which you brought down and in the Prophet you have sent (sallallahu alayhi wassallam). [Bukhari, Muslim]

May Allah shower us and the Ummah with His Mercy. May Allah bring us closer to Him and increase our love for His beloved Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam). Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam