Wednesday, 5 February 2014

The Quran's advice regarding hardships of this dunya and tawakkul


Allah says in the Quran, in Surah al-Baqarah:

Quran, 2:152
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, and be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me.

Quran, 2:153
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
O you who believe! Seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient.

Quran, 2:155
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
And We will most certainly try you with somewhat of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give good news to the patient,

Quran, 2:156
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
Those who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: "Surely we are Allah's and to Him we shall surely return".

Quran, 2:157
أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ
Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.


I don't think anything else needs to be said. These are powerful ayaat, which give us strength when we remember them. Ayaat which give us the strength to endure the hardships of the dunya through tawakkul, through the realisation that this world is subject to the will of Allah ta'ala and that He knows any problem we face. That He has the full capability of removing that problem as He is اَلْجَبَّارُ , the one by whose will all else is compelled; He is اَلْقَهَّارُ , the One who is dominant over all else. That He rewards our patience and trust in him with His mercy and blessings. 

This dunya surely has its trials, and these trials show us whether we really do have faith in Allah to the extent of tawakkul. We must remember Allah in our hearts and on our tongues (dhikr) and ask Him for strength and guidance, and to do what is best for us. 

Quran, 13:28
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ...
...Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.


May Allah ta'ala make us of those who are successful in being patient and humble during such trials, those who turn to Him before turning to anyone else, those who trust that He will do what is best for us - even if we can't understand it yet.