Opinion 21 December, 2020.
Storms, Before Your Bear Fruits
By Suhaib Ashraf Bhat. (Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it. Khalil Gibran)If something bad happens to a believer, he either bears it with patience or panics. If he is patient he earns a great reward and accepts the will and decree of Allah swt, because he knows that it comes from Allah swt, so he feels content with it and accepts it. So what reason is there to panic and feel stressed?On the contrary, if he is not patient and he reacts to what befalls him of sin with panic and anger, and worry and stress, he will lose the reward that Allah swt has promised to those who are patient. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):“Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning” [al-Zumar 39:10]One of the salaf said: “Believers and unbelievers alike may have patience at a time of adversity, but only people of strong faith can have patience at a time of ease.” Therefore Allah warned against the fitnah of wealth, wives and children: “O you who believe! Let not your riches or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. If any act thus, the loss is their own.” (al-Munâfiqûn 63:9) “O you who believe! Truly, among your wives and your children are (some that are) enemies to yourselves: so beware of them!” (at-Taghâbûn 64:14)The enmity referred to in these aayat is not that which results from hatred and conflict, but that which results from love and care, that might prevent parents from religious duties such as hijrah, jihad, seeking knowledge and giving sadaqah.Trouble is inevitable in the life of this world; this is how Allah swt has decreed it and He has made it a place of trials and tests, and a bridge to the Hereafter. Even the best of His creation, the prophets, were never free of troubles. Life is never plain sailing for anyone, young or old. You may have reason to rejoice one day, then reason to feel sad for many other days; this is how it always is in the life of this world and this is how people are all the time. Who among us has not felt grief and sorrow as a result of the calamities we see befalling the Muslims, day after day? Who among us has not lost interest in this world and everything in it, because of what we hear or see? But when these feelings of sadness and loneliness or bad moods persist and prevent us from living a normal life or carrying out the duties that are required of us, or fulfilling the rights of others, or they cause us to neglect the blessings of Allah swt which He has bestowed upon us and fail to give thanks for as we should, at that point sadness moves from being something natural to being a case of weakness and sickness that needs to be treated. There is no greater remedy for that than patience and fearing Allah swt, and thinking positively of Allah swt, the Lord of the Worlds, putting one’s trust in Him, delegating one’s affairs to Him and turning to Him in all times of calamity. “And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.” [al-Talaq 65:3]i.e., He will be sufficient for all that is worrying him in his spiritual and worldly affairs. The one who puts his trust in Allah swt will have strength in his heart and will not be affected by anything he imagines or be disturbed by events, because he knows that these are the result of vulnerable human nature and of weakness and fear that have no basis. He also knows that Allah swt has guaranteed complete sufficiency to those who put their trust in Him. So he trusts in Allah swt and finds peace of mind in His promise, and thus his worry and anxiety are dispelled; hardship is turned to ease, sadness is turned to joy, fear is turned to peace. Lets sincerely ask Allah swt to keep us safe and sound, and to bless us with strength and steadfastness of heart, and complete trust, for Allah has guaranteed all good things to those who put their trust in Him, and has guaranteed to ward off all bad and harmful things from them.
May Allah swt make things easy for us. Aameen
