[Ramzan, 10] Welcome to Day 10 of the Ramzan Writing Series.

Today’s topic is “Hope in Trials & Tribulations”.

Our parents’ generation was perhaps the last generation who had a balance between when to plan and when to simply believe.

It is frightening to the extent how people intend to plan their lives today. But Subhan’Allah, Allah makes them successful in their plans.

A believer might think, what is it that they are doing right and I, wrong, so that Allah is accepting their prayers & not mine? I have faced this dilemma many times: when my dua was accepted, I felt ecstatic with joy & when apparently it was not granted, I fell into misery.

It took me a long time to realize that all that happens in my life does not reflect Allah’s opinion about me in any way.

You may be blessed with fame, wealth & offspring and your test might be about how you don’t lose sight of your deen despite having attractions of this world. Or your blessing could be not having wealth or offspring and Allah might expatiate your sins and give you an easy questioning in the Hereafter.

Sometimes Allah wills forgiveness for us, hence He sheds off our sins by sending trials & tribulations. Whereas some tests come our way because Allah wants us to learn & evolve in our emaan.

This is merely an examination hall. We all are given tests & He sees who tries and who does not. The best response to a test that a Muslim can have is keep to his intentions clear & strive towards pleasing Allah. The decision is then left to Our Creator.

Narrated in Muslim (hadith 2999),
“How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.”

But, one might ask, how is it that I know that a particular difficulty or a particular ease is from Allah and how may I cope with it when it gets tough for me?

The Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallma) said,
“Allah the Most High said, ‘I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am. I am with him when he mentions Me. If he mentions Me to himself, I mention him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly greater than it. If he draws near to Me a hand’s length, I draw near to him an arm’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at speed.”

While the rest of the world may have a different view about life & its success, a true believer will seek success in the next life. Trials & tribulations are not meant to knock you down; they are meant to give you a chance to elevate your status before Allah Azwajjal. If you were to internalize this, you will greet every difficulty with honor because Allah found you worthy to be elevated in rank and status in the aakhirah.

May Allah give you the heart that seeks Him night & day, in good times & bad, and may He give you the eyes that see life clearly for what it is worth. Ameen.