491. Going Through Tough Times?

By Asma bint Shameem 

If you’re going through difficulties and tough times, finding it hard to cope, you often wonder....

Why do some people have more tests, problems and difficulties than others ?

Part of our belief as a Muslim is to believe that our Rabb, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is Most Loving, and Most Fair. 

Most Wise and Most Merciful. 

It’s not enough to just believe that Allaah exists; rather it is EQUALLY important to KNOW and TRULY BELIEVE that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala would NEVER be unfair or punish a person UNJUSTLY. 

Rather, ALL His actions are FULL of ULTIMATE and PERFECT WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, MERCY and JUSTICE. 

Allaah will NEVER be ’unfair’ or unjust to ANY creation of His. 

Rather He is Arhamur-Raahimeen, the MOST MERCIFUL of ALL that show mercy. 

The Qur’aan and ahaadeeth are FULL of incidences that prove Allaah’s Mercy. 

The love and mercy we feel for our children is not even a ‘millionth’ of the Mercy of Allaah that He has towards His slaves. 

One time a captive woman lost her baby boy. She was [frantically] searching until she suddenly found a small boy among the captives. 

She pulled him to her chest and started breastfeeding him. 

Seeing that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said to his Sahaabah:

“Do you think this woman would throw her child into a fire?” 

The Sahaabah said, 

“No, O Messenger of Allaah, not while she is capable of not throwing him.” 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said, 

“Allaah is certainly MORE MERCIFUL with His servants than this woman is with her child.” 

(al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

And the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam also said:

"Allaah has one HUNDRED mercies, out of which He has sent down only ONE for jinn, mankind, animals and insects, through which they love one another and have compassion for one another; and through it, wild animals care for their young. 

Allaah has retained NINETY-NINE mercies to DEAL KINDLY with His slaves on the DAY of RESURRECTION." (al-Bukhaari, Muslim)

Subhaan Allaah!

A hundred mercies!

Just for you and me....!

And just as He is Most Merciful, Most Loving, at the same time, Allaah is also MOST JUST. 

He’s NEVER unfair. 

Many, many places in the Qur’aan, Allaah has mentioned that. 

Allaah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَاعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

“Surely! Allaah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a small ant), but if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward.” (Surah an-Nisaa:40)

So Allaah will never be unjust or be unfair to someone.

Rather, out of His Wisdom, Allaah has promised us that He will TEST us in different ways to see who is steadfast and patient and who is not.

And He will reward us accordingly. 

And thus He will place us in situations that may seem hard. 

Or apparently “unfair”. 

But in reality, they’re NOT. 

They’re actually a form of MERCY from Allaah because if we’re patient, these calamities and tests are a means of EXPIATION of our SINS. 

Or they may be a reason to RAISE our ranks. 

Or they might be a REMINDER from our Rabb to humble ourselves and turn to Him. 

Perhaps if we had it any different, maybe we would have gone astray!

Or it would have been somehow more harmful for us.

And so what may SEEM hard, is not hard at all. 

What may SEEM unfair, is NOT unfair at all. 

Allaah says:

 وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allaah knows but you do not know.” 

(Surah al-Baqarah:216)

Subhaan Allaah!

What a beautiful reminder!

*“Allaah knows but you do not know.”*

So always remember...

If we are going through certain TOUGH  situations in our life, it’s because *He knows*. 

*And we don’t*. 

Al-Hasan al-Basri said: 

"Do not resent the calamities that come and the disasters that occur, for perhaps in something that you dislike will be your salvation, and perhaps in something that you prefer will be your doom." 

 

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

 "There is nothing that befalls a believer, not even a thorn that pricks him, but Allaah will record one good deed for him and will remove one bad deed from him." (Muslim)

 

And he said: 

"On the Day of Resurrection, when people who had suffered affliction are given their reward, those who were healthy will wish their skins had been cut to pieces with scissors when they were in the world (when they see the immense rewards for the afflictions they suffered)." (Tirmidhi-Saheeh by al-Albaani)

Ibn Taymiyah said: 

“A calamity that makes you turn to Allaah is better for you than a blessing which makes you forget the remembrance of Allaah." 

Umar ibn Abdul Aziz said upon the pulpit; 

“Allaah does not grant a servant a blessing and then removes the blessing, then compensates him with patience in place of what was removed, but that what he was granted is better than what was taken away.” Then he recited the verse, “Verily, the reward of the patient will be fulfilled without account,” (Surah Zumar:10)”

As a final note....read the hadeeth below. 

And REFLECT....

"The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allaah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath." (Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)

And Allaah knows best