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Worldly Difficulties |
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The Salaf would be happy and optimistic when something of this world became difficult for them.
I never quite understood this statement. Were they happy and optimistic because a difficulty meant eventual ease, as is Allāh’s promise? Was it out of anticipation of a fulfilment of a worldly need? Or was there something more to it?
Then it occurred to me after many years of returning to this statement that a man who sets out to find work and finds it easily and effortlessly is a man who misses out on a grand opportunity of begging Allāh and raising his worries and concerns to Him. The man who faces road blocks inevitably finds himself humble, submissive and desperate at the door of Allāh ﷻ.
A man who goes in search of a job, a wife, a car, a home, some wealth and gets it readily each and every time isn’t necessarily successful. A man who can easily dip into his plentiful resources and fulfil a need perhaps misses out on the opportunity of turning to Allāh in the depth of the night and in the broadness of day; in solitude and in public, beseeching the One who owns all resources to enrich him with something from His Dominion.
A difficulty from this perspective isn’t as much of a set back as it is an opportunity to display ones need to Allāh, and THIS is a reason to rejoice.
A big misconception people often have is they think success is only in getting what they want; if they achieve their goal, then they've been successful. If they get an immediate answer to their duʿāʾ then they've been successful. Here’s the thing, Allāh is al-Mujīb, He answers our prayers and He gives. If He answers our duʿāʾ, it’s not because of us, but it’s because of who He is. Our duty isn’t to get answers from Allāh, rather our duty is to make that connection to Him. Success isn’t in getting what we desire, but it is in doing what pleases Allāh.
Many moons ago, I was part of a conversation where the sisters were discussing a valuable device that each needed. One of them announces, “I’ll ask my dad, he’ll buy it for me.” The other, who didn’t perhaps have the same circumstances as the former, says at the same time, “I’ll ask Allāh for it.”
I couldn’t help but smile knowing who the more privileged party was.
♡: http://quranicreflections.com/2017/02/24/worldly-difficulties/
Via sister abeer sadary
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Source: received above message through whatsapp forward. Posted as it is. Visited the website on 25th Feb 2021 which is mentioned as source above, but the page is under maintenance.