Throughout our lives, we are either experiencing some good, in which case we must thank Allaah for the blessing, or a bad thing is happening to us, something we dislike - and here we must be patient. In both situations, our affairs are good for us as we earn the pleasure of Allaah (swt). Either way is a win win situation, the true Muslim never loses.
Throughout our lives, we are either experiencing some good, in which case we must thank Allaah for the blessing, or a bad thing is happening to us, something we dislike - and here we must be patient. In both situations, our affairs are good for us as we earn the pleasure of Allaah (swt).
As Muslims, we know that whatever happens to us is in accordance with the Will of Allaah. In fact one article of Eemaan is to believe in Divine Destiny, the good of it and the bad of it. So by accepting the Decree of Allaah, we are content with whatever befalls us, knowing that it is a test from the Most High.
No one is exempt from being tested by Allaah (swt), not even those who came before us.
If we look to Aasiyah, the wife of Fir’awn. Her husband claimed to be the Lord of the people and yet Aasiyah accepted Islaam and remained firm upon it. When this news reached the Fir’aun, he beat her and commanded his guards to beat her. They took her out in the scalding noon heat, tied her hands and feet and continuously beat her.
‘And Allaah has set forth an example for those who believe, the wife of the Fir’aun, when she said: “My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir’aun and his work, and save me from the transgressing disbelievers’.
[At-Tahreem 66:11]
It was narrated that when she said this, the sky opened for her and she saw her home in Paradise. She smiled. The guards watched astonished, she was being tortured and yet she smiled? Frustrated, Fir’aun commanded a boulder to be brought and dropped on Aasiyah, to crush her to death. But Allaah took her soul before the boulder touched her and she became an example for all the believing men and women.
When we are afflicted with a bad thing, we must be patient and know that it is a test from Allaah. But when something good befalls us, this is also a test from Allaah.
‘And we tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allaah’s Obedience)’ [al-A’raaf 7:168]
‘And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.’ [Ash-Shura 42:30]
Umm Salamah (ra) narrated
‘I heard the Messenger of Allaah (saw) say, “Any Muslim that says, when a calamity befalls him, that which Allaah commanded him: ‘To Allaah we belong and to Him we return. O Allaah reward me in this calamity and give me better then it’ - Allaah will grant him better than (that which he lost).’ [Muslim]
One must note however, that one must be patient as soon as the calamity strikes, not a few
days later. The hardships that befall a person distinguish the believers from the insincere. Ibn Ajlaan (rh) said, “The pious and the ungrateful are hidden by health. Yet when calamities befall, the two men are separated (by how they react).”
There are three types of Sabr that the Muslim must have:
a. Sabr in the obedience of Allaah.
b. Sabr in not disobeying Allaah.
c. Sabr in what Allah Decrees for us. For example, if our child was to pass away we should be patient and seek the reward of Allaah in our patience and say only that which is pleasing to Allaah.
We must always bear in mind that everything that has been given to us in this dunya belongs to Allaah alone. He gave them to us in order to test us. And when Allaah takes back these blessings, He is taking back what belongs to Him. We had nothing before the blessings and we will have nothing after them. In addition, we must remember that once we leave this dunya, everything we had of material gain will be left behind also. The only thing we will take with us will be our deeds. Once this is firmly ingrained within ourselves, it enables us to cope with the trials and tribulations of life, insha’Allaah.
No comments:
Post a Comment