بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Surah Al-Kahf mentions four Qur'anic stories: The Companions of the Cave, The Man With the Two Gardens, Musa and Al-Khidr, and Dhul-Qarnain.
The four stories of Surah Al-Kahf ties into one message, and that is that it gathers the four fitan (trials) in life: the Fitnah of Deen (The People of the Cave), the Fitnah of Wealth (The Owner of the Two Gardens), the Fitnah of Knowledge (Musa and Al-Khidr), and the Fitnah of Power/Authority (Dhul Qarnain). These fitan are heavy on people and the active leader of them is Shaytan, the one who beautified these fitan, and for that, the verse came. (Ayah 50)
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِۦٓ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۢ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلًا ﴿٥٠
And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblis. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange. (50) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:50]
Whenever we face any hardships, we should take a step back from our difficult situation and think about it from a higher level. We should step back from our lives with all its worries, anxieties, problems, and thinks about it from an Akhirah (Hereafter) perspective, then we ask ourselves the question: what does this all mean when compared to the Akhirah? What does this all mean when compared to eternity in Paradise?
One of the main misunderstanding we all have in this life is that if we do good, we should get good in this life and hereafter. This is not entirely true.
This life is not the life we will get justice in. If this was the case, there would be no need for a Day of Judgment.
This life is a life of duality; there’s good and bad, justice and injustice, mercy and oppression, love and hate, truth and falsehood..etc. Your role in this life is to live your life according to how Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) asked you to do, seeking His pleasure, avoiding His anger. And Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) promises you in many places in the Quran, that if you do just that, He’ll give you a ‘good’ life. Allah says in the Quran,
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٧
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. (97) [Quran, An-Nahl 16:97]
إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٩٠ ...
Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good." (90) [Quran, Yusuf 12:90]
In times of difficulty, it is imperative to remember there are effective ways to deal with the difficulty.
Here are 7 practical steps to help you face any difficult situation,
1. Salah (prayers). Make sure you stick to praying on time – 5 times a day. Never miss a salah and do your best to pray each Salah with sincerity as if it’s your last salah in this world.
2. Read the Quran. The Quran is so beautiful that no matter what difficulties you face you will find solace in it.
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ ﴿٩٨﴾ إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ سُلْطَـٰنٌ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ﴿٩٩﴾ إِنَّمَا سُلْطَـٰنُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِهِۦ مُشْرِكُونَ ﴿١٠٠
So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy]. (98) Indeed, there is for him no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord. (99) His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with Allah. (100) [Quran, AN-Nahl 16:98-100]
3. Make lots of du'as. (especially the du'a for removing anxiety)
4. Give sadaqah (charity). Give lots of charity, as much as you can, because it helps push away hardship. And if you can’t give money, even kind words or physical sadaqah can do (i.e. helping people physically or emotionally).
5. Set goals and have vision. Don’t let shaytan play with you and keep replaying the video of your hardship in your mind over and over again, move on! Set new goals, new projects, and remember you’re with Allah, nothing should stop you!
6. Wake up Early. Wake up before fajr and work on your ideas and projects, or simply read Quran. Getting busy before day break is a definite way to move away from your hardship and overcome challenges. Get most of your ideas/work done in these early hours, these are blessed hours.
7. Hardship is not lost. Remember, Allah will never forget the injustice/hardship you faced, so don’t worry about seeking revenge or trying to get justice.
May Allah remove all our ordeals and hardships, grant us and our families with a good life and help us remember Him day and night, for “Verily, with remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest”.
[Quran, Ar-R'ad 13:28]
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Surah Al-Kahf mentions four Qur'anic stories: The Companions of the Cave, The Man With the Two Gardens, Musa and Al-Khidr, and Dhul-Qarnain.
The four stories of Surah Al-Kahf ties into one message, and that is that it gathers the four fitan (trials) in life: the Fitnah of Deen (The People of the Cave), the Fitnah of Wealth (The Owner of the Two Gardens), the Fitnah of Knowledge (Musa and Al-Khidr), and the Fitnah of Power/Authority (Dhul Qarnain). These fitan are heavy on people and the active leader of them is Shaytan, the one who beautified these fitan, and for that, the verse came. (Ayah 50)
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِۦٓ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُۥ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُۥٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّۢ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بَدَلًا ﴿٥٠
And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, except for Iblis. He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Then will you take him and his descendants as allies other than Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched it is for the wrongdoers as an exchange. (50) [Qur'an, Al-Kahf 18:50]
Whenever we face any hardships, we should take a step back from our difficult situation and think about it from a higher level. We should step back from our lives with all its worries, anxieties, problems, and thinks about it from an Akhirah (Hereafter) perspective, then we ask ourselves the question: what does this all mean when compared to the Akhirah? What does this all mean when compared to eternity in Paradise?
One of the main misunderstanding we all have in this life is that if we do good, we should get good in this life and hereafter. This is not entirely true.
This life is not the life we will get justice in. If this was the case, there would be no need for a Day of Judgment.
This life is a life of duality; there’s good and bad, justice and injustice, mercy and oppression, love and hate, truth and falsehood..etc. Your role in this life is to live your life according to how Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) asked you to do, seeking His pleasure, avoiding His anger. And Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) promises you in many places in the Quran, that if you do just that, He’ll give you a ‘good’ life. Allah says in the Quran,
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٩٧
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. (97) [Quran, An-Nahl 16:97]
إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٩٠ ...
Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good." (90) [Quran, Yusuf 12:90]
In times of difficulty, it is imperative to remember there are effective ways to deal with the difficulty.
Here are 7 practical steps to help you face any difficult situation,
1. Salah (prayers). Make sure you stick to praying on time – 5 times a day. Never miss a salah and do your best to pray each Salah with sincerity as if it’s your last salah in this world.
2. Read the Quran. The Quran is so beautiful that no matter what difficulties you face you will find solace in it.
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ ﴿٩٨﴾ إِنَّهُۥ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ سُلْطَـٰنٌ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ﴿٩٩﴾ إِنَّمَا سُلْطَـٰنُهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِهِۦ مُشْرِكُونَ ﴿١٠٠
So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy]. (98) Indeed, there is for him no authority over those who have believed and rely upon their Lord. (99) His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who through him associate others with Allah. (100) [Quran, AN-Nahl 16:98-100]
3. Make lots of du'as. (especially the du'a for removing anxiety)
4. Give sadaqah (charity). Give lots of charity, as much as you can, because it helps push away hardship. And if you can’t give money, even kind words or physical sadaqah can do (i.e. helping people physically or emotionally).
5. Set goals and have vision. Don’t let shaytan play with you and keep replaying the video of your hardship in your mind over and over again, move on! Set new goals, new projects, and remember you’re with Allah, nothing should stop you!
6. Wake up Early. Wake up before fajr and work on your ideas and projects, or simply read Quran. Getting busy before day break is a definite way to move away from your hardship and overcome challenges. Get most of your ideas/work done in these early hours, these are blessed hours.
7. Hardship is not lost. Remember, Allah will never forget the injustice/hardship you faced, so don’t worry about seeking revenge or trying to get justice.
May Allah remove all our ordeals and hardships, grant us and our families with a good life and help us remember Him day and night, for “Verily, with remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest”.
[Quran, Ar-R'ad 13:28]
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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