Faith will get us through the tough times

“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. They are those on whom are the Salawat (ie who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.” Al-Baqarah: 155-157.

Indeed the above ayat guides us on how we should respond to disaster and calamity, if we have faith that is.  

Faith in knowing that Allah is a God of justice and mercy, albeit realizing that that calamity in this life is a sure thing.

Ibn Mas’ud, an Islamic scholar once said: “Every joy will be followed by sadness and no house is filled with joy but will soon be filled with anguish.”  

Yes, there is always something lurking in the dark to overshadow the sunshine, but just like there are sunny and rainy days, through the spirit of human resilience that comes from the strength drawn from our faith that we continue to persevere and live life to the fullest.  

What Allah wants us to do is be assured that He sends both the good and the bad and it is how we respond that matters.

Most of us when faced with calamity and disaster respond angrily. 

We want to know why such and such should happen to us.  

This is normal and even expected given our human weaknesses, but we cannot drown in the sea of despair since this represent lack of faith and hope in Allah the Creator. 

Challenges

The past month has been one of continued challenges and sadness –– sudden death of loved ones near and dear to me has been such a challenge.  

However, because of my faith in the Almighty, my pain has been consoled to the point of having a peace that surpasses all understanding. 

Quoting the words of my beloved brother who lost his son Uthmani this week said that Uthmani was on loan to him and his wife and he thanks the Almighty Creator Allah for having given them such a beautiful son, though the loan was short, he and his family will dwell on the wonderfulness of Uthmani and they will not be ungrateful, but rather they are filled with gratitude. 

Isn’t that beautiful –– through travesty –– the family are grateful and full of thanks for the life and loan of Uthmani, their beloved son.  

May Allah, continue to grant them and bless them for their amazing gratitude. 

Uthmani’s life is far more memorable and precious than his passing. 

The following quote is so true that “Seashells remind us that every passing life leaves something beautiful behind.” (Unknown) 

The outpouring of love and condolences on the passing of Uthmani Talbot shown by the people of Bermuda was so touching and awesome, even our Governor sent a letter of comfort.   

So true holds the words of Pablo Casals: “The capacity to care is what gives life its most deepest significance.” 

Caring people are a significant component in the healing process. 

Hardships

The cure of grief is also reliance on God with patience and faith. 

All of the Prophets experienced extreme hardships, even though they were of the utmost excellence in character and piety. 

Allah Almighty puts each and every one of his creations through tribulations and ordeals in order to give us the opportunity to be patient, content and thankful for whatever He has destined on us.  

By doing so, Allah has promised us a great reward and a much higher place in the afterlife. 

Sometimes the severity of the calamity, tribulation and ordeal depends on the person’s faith; the stronger the person’s faith is, the harsher his/her calamity and ordeal would likely be, because Allah Almighty wants to purify his faithful slaves from their sins and reward them with an everlasting life of joy and happiness in the paradise. 

Allah has promised us that “Surely after hardship there is ease. After hardship indeed there is ease”. (Inshirah 94: 5-6) 

My prayer for us all and especially for the family of our beloved Uthmani is “O Allah (swt) please grant us patience and ease are hardships and may we obtain your pleasure and the paradise of peace and everlasting life. Ameen.”