During Tough Times* [[--- 13th Outing ---]]

 *During Tough Times*

[[--- 13th Outing ---]]
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Difficult times are part of Allah’s laws in this universe; they are part of the tests that people go through.

They are not necessarily something evil, however. A difficulty we go through, on the contrary, could be a learning experience, a reminder, purification from sins and mistakes, a test of patience and perseverance, or all of these together.

We can emerge from difficult times closer to Allah, stronger, united, more skilled, and more guided, but only if we know how to live through them and respond to them.

Servants of Allah!

There is no one to learn from who better responded to difficult times other than our beloved Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Not only was he a great man with noble character, he was also guided by revelations from Allah Almighty.

Following his footsteps is essential to live a successful life and is part of us being Muslims. By definition, Muslims are the ones who bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger. Therefore, following his example is an integral part of Islam.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went through a lot of difficult times both on a personal and a community level. His life was extremely successful, yet it was the most challenging. By the will and the guidance of Allah, he was able to meet all the challenges he faced and come out of difficult times much stronger than ever before.

My people!

In difficult times, we shy revive our faith. Yes. As mentioned in the Hadith, a strong faith can help us to hold our heads high. In fact, when faith seems to be dwindling, we should get back to Quran and remind ourselves that only Allah (swt) can let us out of our ordeal and problems. We must, therefore, keep that faith and not let Satan instill thoughts that could weaken our faith.

Allah says in the Quran: *"If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust"*. 📚(Qur’an, 3:160)

A strong faith can keep you focused on the fact that Allah alone ultimately controls all destinies and has power over all things. Remembering that fact alone at the moment of affliction can help you in conquering the pain and provide you hope and the energy to keep moving forward.

Most importantly,

Believe in the divine decree. Yes. When facing difficulties, our weak faith can sometimes drive us to question the fairness of it all. In this context, we should remind ourselves that believing in Al-Qadr (Allah’s divine will and decree) is one of the pillars of Islamic faith. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, it means belief in i. Allah, ii. His Angels, iii. His revealed Holy Books (Qur’an, Bible, Torah, Zabur), iv. His Messengers, v. Day of Judgment and 6. To believe in Al-Qadar (the divine decree) both good and bad...
As part of that belief, we should, therefore, recognize that Allah does what He wills for reasons that are only known to Him. Any attempt to comprehend the wisdom of it all using our limited faculties, or to understand how our current situation fits in His overall plan can only lead us to erroneous conclusions resulting in increased frustrations.

We, as Muslims, should accept Allah’s Decree both as it manifests itself around us and in our lives. It should be a relief to us that only Allah is the master of our destiny and we are only going to be tested about whether we reacted to what befalls as true believers and Mo’mins, i.e. being patient in adversity and grateful in prosperity.

TO BE CONTINUED

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك نشهد ان لا اله الا انت نستغفرك ونتوابوااليك