La tahzan (Do not grieve)

-By Iffat 

بسم اللّٰه والحمد اللّٰه

والصلاة واسلام على رسول اللّٰه

ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلْمَوْتَ وَٱلْحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًۭا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٢

˹He is the One˺ Who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deeds. And He is the Almighty, All-Forgiving (67:2)

Allah gave us life in order to test who among us is best in deeds. The life of this world is full of trials and tests. Every single human being experiences some form of pain/suffering in this world. This is the very nature of this world. However, the affair of the believer is different from others. The Prophet pbuh said:

“Wondrous is the affair of the believer for there is good for him in every matter and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If he is happy, then he thanks Allah and thus there is good for him, and if he is harmed, then he shows patience and thus there is good for him.”

The believer submits himself to the will of Allah. What does it mean to submit oneself to the will of Allah? It means to be pleased with Allah’s will under all circumstances. If good befalls him he is grateful to Allah and if trial befalls him he remains patient. Allah says in the Quran: 

أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ٢

Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test? (29:2)

Allah addresses the believers directly and tells them that they will be tested. Elsewhere in the Quran Allah says about the believers:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٥٥

We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure (2:155)

These verses make it clear that there will be tests in this life. The nature of these tests differs from person to person. However, the believer's mindset is what distinguishes him from other people. The believer sees the Cause behind everything while everyone else sees merely the effect. He is not short-sighted and does not get blinded/disheartened by material reality. He knows Allah is the Creator and not a leaf falls except it's in His knowledge. 

Try to picture this: Musa AS is standing before the Red Sea and the army of Firaun trailing from behind. The companions of Musa AS exclaimed to him that surely it was their end. Musa AS said indeed my Lord is with me and He will guide me. Musa AS was standing before a dead-end with no opening in sight. Yet he remains composed and where does his composure stem from? It stems from his deep faith in the cause of all causes i.e. Musabbab-ul-asbaab. It is seeing who it is that truly causes things to do what they do. One mindful glance at the universe reveals to us that it's Allah who takes care of everything. Do we ever wonder how one soil grows different flowers of different colors and types? Isn't that truly remarkable? It is Allah our Lord who has power over all things.

You might say oh but Musa AS was a Prophet. We are no prophets. True. Let's take a look at the story of one of the companions whose rock-solid faith compels us to believe that if we truly have faith in Allah like the birds do Allah will never return us empty-handed. During the battle of Madain Sa'ad Ibn Abi Waqas RA was the commander of the muslim army. The Persians had burned all the bridges, sunk their ships, and returned to their homeland. Sa'ad RA realized they were running short of time and he took the counsel of Salman Al Farsi RA expecting him to suggest a way out as he was himself a Persian whose strategy during the battle of Trench proved to be a boon for the muslims. Salman Al Farsi RA said they had reached an impasse. The only way to move forward is to remain steadfast on the deen of Allah and His messenger pbuh and go after the enemies. Salman RA's advice must sound impractical to our pragmatic ears but that was the formula of the sahaba. Their Islam wasn't confined to some aspects of their lives rather it governed all aspects of their lives. Sa'ad RA summoned the Muslims and asked them to follow him after three takbirs. The Muslim army did so. They rode their horses into the river until they could be seen from the two banks of the river Tigris. The question is not whether it's miraculous to ride horses in the river, rather the question is what does it tell us about the imaan of the Sahaba. Their imaan when all they see is darkness. This was during Sayyidina Umar RA's caliphate. This is the battle in which the muslims conquered the crown of Khosrow thereby making it one of the greatest victories of Islam. Allahu akbar!

Another instance I'd like to mention is when during the battle of Badr Ukasha Ibn Mihsan RA's sword broke. He went to the Prophet pbuh and the Prophet pbuh gave him a stick and asked him to fight with it. Now let's take a pause here. Put yourself in the shoes of Ukasha RA and ask yourself if you'd go ahead with fighting with the stick. The sahaba truly demonstrated what it means to live by atee'ullaha wa atee'ur rasool (Obey Allah and his messenger pbuh). Allah's messenger gave me a stick to fight in a battle where the opponent is using swords, no problem. Obedience matters especially when it doesn't make sense to our limited minds. He RA went ahead and lo and behold the stick became a sword. Radiallahu anhu. subhan Allah!

When hardship knocks on our doors and enters upon us we forget that Allah promises ease with hardship. The keyword is 'with' not after it. The real tragedy is when we let hardships come between us and Allah. As long as we have Him and we are pleased with His will, no harm done. But the moment we let the hardship engulf us and forget about the promise of Allah then we need to ask ourselves why is it that believers of the book that begins with alhamdulillah have lost hope. Allah says in the Quran: 

الَّذِيْنَ اِذَا ذُكِرَ اللّٰهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوْبُهُمْ وَالصّٰبِرِيْنَ عَلٰي مَاۤ اَصَابَهُمْ وَالْمُقِيْمِي الصَّلٰوةِ ۙ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنٰهُمْ يُنْفِقُوْنَ 

Those whose hearts tremble at the remembrance of Allah, who patiently endure whatever may befall them, and who establish prayer and donate from what We have provided for them.

(22:35)

Hardships and calamities are a part and parcel of life. The society we live in has manipulated us into believing in shortcuts, and instant fixes. These shortcuts more often than not prove to be fatal. Very often there are no easy or instant fixes and people resort to things like alcohol and substance abuse for the high these things provide. However, the moment we profess to the truth la ilaha illa Allah we have submitted ourselves to Allah. Our body is a trust and violating the trust with what Allah has declared haram not just harms the body but our faith as well. Children don’t understand the restrictions parents impose on them until they grow up. Similarly, we’ll realize that Allah’s laws are actually in our best interest even if we don’t understand them. The solution to go through these problems is actually cultivating patience and endurance. Having a sound heart (qalb saleem) is a blessing, a favor from Allah SWT. However, it needs to be cultivated with patience and gratitude. We all can strive for qalb saleem—the point is that we have a heart  and what we make of it is up to us.  Qalb saleem means a sound and safe heart. We have ups and downs in our lives. We experience betrayal from people we trust—it's a blessing from Allah SWT to recognize that He allowed us to see some people for who they are. If we keep being dismissive about it then it’s only we who are to blame. Anything that befalls the believers leads to a reward from their Lord. Hidden blessings like faith (the greatest of all blessings), guidance (knowledge does not equal guidance; Iblees had knowledge too), health, a sound mind, optimism, resilience, etc. are blessings too. We just haven't learnt to acknowledge them. That's why the book of Allah SWT is our guide. Allah says in the Quran: 

ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ١٥٦

Who, when faced with a disaster, say, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.”

(2:156)

How do we do this? Again Allah tells us in the Quran:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٥٣

O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient.

(2:153)

In the former verse Allah reminds us to recall, during hardships, the undeniable reality that we came from Him and unto Him are we returning. The sahaba were aware of this reality and their lives revolved around it. Whenever they were afflicted with hardship they would return to Allah and seek His help. We must bear in mind that everything that happens to us is in Allah’s knowledge. Nothing is accidental. Allah knows everything. We sometimes fail to appreciate what it means for everything to be in Allah’s knowledge. Allah knows the silent screams of your heart that would deafen the world. He is aware of all the indescribable things you feel but can’t share with anyone. Allah is the most merciful, let me quote a verse and a hadith that I pray will give ease to your heart:

يَـٰبُنَىَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍۢ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍۢ فَتَكُن فِى صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ أَوْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٌۭ ١٦

˹Luqmân  added,˺ “O my dear son! ˹Even˺ if a deed were the weight of a mustard seed—be it ˹hidden˺ in a rock or in the heavens or the earth—Allah will bring it forth. Surely Allah is Most Subtle, All-Aware.

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Nothing afflicts a Muslim of hardship, nor illness, nor anxiety, nor sorrow, nor harm, nor distress, nor even the pricking of a thorn, but that Allah will expiate his sins by it.”

I urge you brothers and sisters to return to Allah during your moments of weakness. Allah is the strongest ally we could ever seek. The life of this world is short, the hereafter is eternal and only a fool would allow this world to negatively affect the hereafter. Allah says:

وَمَن يُسْلِمْ وَجْهَهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌۭ فَقَدِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَ بِٱلْعُرْوَةِ ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ ۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْأُمُورِ ٢٢

Whoever fully submits themselves to Allah and is a good-doer, they have certainly grasped the firmest hand-hold. And with Allah rests the outcome of ˹all˺ affairs.