See Beyond The Smoke Screen

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

Allah Most High guarantees three things in life:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَو‌ٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥

Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. (185) [Quran, AleImran 3:185]

First guarantee -- you are going to die

Second guarantee -- before death comes to you, you will be deceived.

When someone cons you, cheats you, taking advantage of the fact that you were not paying attention, this is a kind of "ghurur". One of the names of shaytan is al-gharur. Allah says worldly life is nothing but a means that deceives you because you are not paying attention. If you really paid attention, then it won't be able to get hold of you. But you get distracted by it, immersed in it, you start thinking it itself is success, it's an indication that you are a "ghaafir."

Third guarantee -- you are definitely, definitely, definitely, over and over again -- لَتُبْلَوُنَّ -- will be tested, go through exhausting tests, in your children, in your own life, in your money, and a lot of painful words from people of the Book.

لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِىٓ أَمْوَ‌ٰلِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوٓا۟ أَذًى كَثِيرًا ۚ وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ ﴿١٨٦

You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with Allah much abuse. But if you are patient and fear Allah - indeed, that is of the matters [worthy] of determination. (186) [Quran, AleImran 3:186]

We have to hold ourselves back, we can't be reactionary. We have to have cool, calm responses. Person of azima is used for high resolve. They think high, don't think small. Allah says if you can mantain taqwa (Godfearingness) and sabr (patience), this is from the most noble and greatest of deeds. You really know how to think high, not caught up in petty stuff. You know how to think big. This is what the ummah needs-- see beyond through the smoke screen, see that clearly, see what high goals this religion of Islam has.

May Allah make us people of taqwa and sabr and high resolve. Ameen.

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