Saturday, October 7, 2023

Trials, Patience and Worship

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Allah will test the believers by various means. Allah says,

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ‎﴿١٥٥﴾‏
 
We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, (155) [Quran, Al Baqarah 2:155]
 
The more Allah loves you, the more you are tested. Through the tests, you have the opportunity to raise your rank with Him and be closer to Him.
 
الٓمٓ ‎﴿١﴾‏ أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ‎﴿٢﴾
 
Alif, Laam, Meem. Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried?  [Quran, Al Ankabut  29:1-2]
 
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The strong believer is more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them. Be eager for what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not be frustrated. If something befalls you, then do not say: If only I had done something else. Rather say: Allah has decreed what He wills. Verily, the  phrase ‘if only’ opens the way for the work of Satan.” 
 
We know that our Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, went through the most trials even tough he is the beloved Allah. He suffered ridicules, humiliation and severe oppression in the hands of his own clan and tribe. He suffered the pain of losing his wife, Khadijah (Alah be pleased with her) and his uncle who have been protecting him. He endured the pain of losing and burying his children and many of his companions, but he remain a grateful servant and always turning to Allah. And Allah has placed him in the highest station. His wife, Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) told us about some of his pains in these hadiths.

“I never saw anyone suffer more pain than the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).” [Bukhari & Muslim]

"She said, “The Prophet died lying between my breast and my collarbone. I will never feel bad about anyone having a painful death after what I saw the Prophet suffer.”[Bukhari]

Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) went through trials as difficult and painful as the slander against her. But she was patient and she was truthful in turning to Allah. Allah then revealed her innocence in the Quran [Quran, An-Noor 24:11-20] https://tanzil.net/#trans/en.sahih/24:11. This established the high status of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her.
 
Asiyah, the wife of Fir'aun was tortured by Fir'aun, but she was patient and truthful in her faith in Allah, and Allah raised her rank and became one of the four women who Allah has perfected their faith. Allah honored her by recording her supplication asking Allah to build a house near Him in Paradise.
 
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ‎﴿١١﴾‏
 
And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people." (11) [Quran, At-Tahrim 66:11]
 
Try to see Allah in everything that happen in every moment of your life, even when you are seeing something very negative, because Allah wants you to see Him in that moment so you become to know Him better. This is the purpose of our lives on this earth -- to know Allah and worship Him in the way that pleases to Him. It is therefore, vitally important that we learn Allah's 99 Names and Attributes to realize who is at work while the events are playing in every moments of our lives. Through knowing Allah, we will be able to cope and react in an appropriate manner.

When we study the lives of the prophets and the righteous, we will learn what make them so special in the sight of Allah.

The fruits of patience will always be sweet and beautiful. "Fasabrun jameel" (beautiful patience) as Prophet Ya'qub, Allah grant him peace, uttered when he lost his young beloved son, Yusuf, Allah grant him peace, and having to deal with siblings rivalry and jealousy. But he believed in the wisdom of Allah Al Hakeem, the Most Wise, and all that was happening. Allah finally reunited him and his family with Yusuf (Allah grant them peace) who has now become a powerful minister of Egypt.

If you are patient and you turn to Allah, you will always be vindicated. Allah will help you even if no one will help you, even if your mother or your father don't know what to do to help you. If you are truthful to Allah, Allah will honor you, even if other people disgrace and humiliate you.

Every musibah (calamity) that happen to us, there is some good in it whether we realize it or whether we don't realize it.

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو بِٱلْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَّكُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ...

Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather it is good for you....[Quran, An-Noor 24:11]

Everyone goes through trials. Every time of ease is followed by times of difficulty. Every time of difficulty is followed by times of ease. Turn to Allah truthfully and maintain your connection with Him in worship.

‏ فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ‎﴿٥﴾‏ إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ‎﴿٦﴾‏ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَٱنصَبْ ‎﴿٧﴾‏ وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرْغَب ‎﴿٨﴾

For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (5) Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (6) So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship]. (7) And to your Lord direct [your] longing. (8) (Quran, 95:5-8)

Allah knows best.

May Allah grant us patience and save us from the trials and tribulations of this life and the next. Aameen.

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