Friday Lessons

Why you should not give up patience while facing a difficult time?

by: Shaykh Zafar ul Hasan
Translated by: Nisaar Nadiadwala
WHY YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE UP PATIENCE WHILE FACING A DIFFICULT TIME?

"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided" (Surah al Baqarah)

The above three verses are from Surah al Baqarah, in which Allah has covered most of our issues and why they happen to us and what is what way out. Just because many of us remain ignorant about these issues we damage our happiness and also our akhera along with. Some people lose their patience and commit suicide.

  Allah Almighty tests each and every individual and it is a part of life. Allah has already announced, “ Do you think that you will enter Jannah without  undergoing those hardships like your previous generations underwent?”  Is entering Jannah so easy that you just recite Kalima and walk through the gates of Paradise. The previous generations underwent severe tests so that, “Allah would see who are truthful believers and who are false believers.” These tests are to distinguish between the truthful ones and the false ones.

What should your attitude be during  hardships?

 The tests come the form of poverty as well as prosperity, pain and happiness. In a verse, Allah declares, “We tested the people of the village through fear and loss”. Even in today’s circumstances we see markets go up and down bringing huge losses and fortunes to people. Every believer should realise that he is undergoing a test. “ The Prophets undergo the most severe tests.” said the Prophet (peace be upon him). In another Hadith we are told, “ a Believer is tested according to the strength of his Deen.” The stronger your faith, the harder your test. The Qur’an puts it, “We test you through goodness as well through evil.”

  In the title verse above, the Believers are addressed collectively and the Arabic term is “Kum” which means “you all” The verse predicts that each one of us will be tested by four types of tests, Fear and hunger,  loss of wealth and lives and fruits. These can be considered as four broad categories and from it we see various tests springing up. It can be fear of enemy or other fears, it can be hunger due to high price or shortage of food. It can be a loss in business or death of a relative. We see in our times that people’s profit as well as capital too being wiped out due to financial crisis.   

For those who accomplish the tests they undergo perfectly

Allah gives an example about those who accomplish the tests they undergo, “When your Lord tested Ibrahim with some commands, he accomplished it perfectly.” So When Ibrahim( peace be upon him) fulfilled the commands perfectly, Allah awarded him with, “I will indeed make you a leader of mankind.”  A man’s prosperity begins after he undergoes trials and hardships.

How virtuous is Patience!

We are in an age where we face different fears. Fear of losses in business, fear of enemy, fear of  severe illness, fear of financial meltdown are some fears in our time that breaks our morale or confidence. But those who survive through patience and perseverance, “Give glad tidings to those who are patient” .Some even rush to forbidden things and acts in order to get out of it. Those who lose patience they are actually losers.