Have No Fear

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Everyday all of us have some form of fears and anxieties. Parents fear for their kids future, fear that they might not be able to fend for themselves after they die, and even fear that they might fall into haram. A student fears of failing his exams. In the time of recession, people fear of losing their jobs. A wife might fears that her husband might take a second wife. A husband fears that his wife might run away with another guy. Travelers have anxieties that they might miss their flights while waiting in the long security line. On and on and on.

At some point you feel totally helpless as you struggle each day. Your fear and anxiety have the best of you and you don’t know where to turn for help. You went into depression. So the doctor starts prescribing an anti-depressant for you. You are not alone. America lives on prozac, they said a while back. Now they are more than prozac for you which you can get hooked on and make things worse for you.

In reality, no matter what you do, you cannot run away or hide from your fears and anxieties. These are feelings, part of being human. They come and go. Like all other feelings you are not responsible for the feelings and thoughts that come. But you are responsible for how you respond to these feelings. For example, if you like the girl next door, either you ask his father for her hand in marriage or you stop looking at her. You are responsible for not lowering your gaze and doing something haram. If you hate someone, you don't entertain that hate by slandering or backbiting or beating up that person. You are responsible for hurting that person.

Fears and anxieties stem from worrying about what will happen in the future. The prospect of not knowing if something good or bad will happen to you in the near future can produce a lot of fear and anxiety.

But if you remember that only Allah knows the future and nothing good or bad will happen without His will, it will give you comfort. So have trust in Allah.

Learn to take a moment at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the day, week or coming month, try to focus on this moment. Each moment can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. When the time comes, hopefully you will have learned the skills to deal with your situation.

Abu Bakr, Allah be pleased with him, was a great Companion, the most beloved of all men to the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, described the generation of his companions was the best of generation. Abu Bakr had the highest rank among the Companions. Yet, while he was in the cave of Thawr with the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, hiding from the kuffar who wanted to kill them, he became worried and frightened when he heard voices on top of the cave. There was nothing to prevent the kuffar from seeing them if they looked down from the top of the cave. It was not that he was worried for his life more than he was worried for the life of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, noticed this and said to him, "Have no fear, for God is with us."

Here, the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, was teaching us that Allah is with us. It won't remove the circumstance you are in but it put something in the hearts that Allah is with us. Try to have that feeling in your heart always. Remind yourself, Allah is with us, nothing will happen to us, no one will take our soul, except with the permission of Allah.

Allah says,

إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدْ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّـهُ إِذْ أَخْرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِىَ ٱثْنَيْنِ إِذْ هُمَا فِى ٱلْغَارِ إِذْ يَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ مَعَنَا ۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّـهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيْهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٍ لَّمْ تَرَوْهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّـهِ هِىَ ٱلْعُلْيَا ۗ وَٱللَّـهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٤٠

If you help not (your leader), (it is no matter): for Allah did indeed help him, when the Unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion; they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion, "Have no fear, for Allah is with us": then Allah sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But the word of Allah is exalted to the heights: for Allah is Exalted in might, Wise.

Qur'an At-Tawba 9:40

May Allah gives us tranquility. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam