As we move into the new century, those of us privileged to live above the poverty line are faced with a unique set of challenges.
We have food enough to eat, shelter, and most of us can even afford life’s little luxuries.
Physically we have all that we need, but spiritually and emotionally, we are bereft.
Our minds are filled with sadness and worry. Stress and anxiety mount.
As we gather possessions, we wonder why we are not happy.
As we embark on yet another holiday we feel alone and desperate.
The Purpose of Life
A life that is far removed from God is a sad life indeed. No matter how much money we accumulate, or how grand our house is, if God is not the centre of our lives then happiness will elude us forever. True happiness can only be found when we at least attempt to fulfil our purpose in life.
Human beings exist to worship God. God wants us to be happy, in this life and in the Hereafter, and He has given us the key to real happiness. It is not a secret or a mystery. It is not an enigma or a puzzle, it is Islam.
{And I (God) created not the jinn and humankind except that they should worship Me.} (51:56)
Islam explains clearly our purpose in life and gives us guidelines to follow to make our search for happiness easier. The Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad are our guide books for a life completely devoid of sadness and worry.
This however does not mean that we will not be tried and tested because God states very clearly in Quran that He will test us. Our lives will be filled with situations that require us to reach out for God and depend upon Him. God promises us that He will reward those who are patient, He asks us to be grateful to Him, and He tells us that He loves those who put their trust in Him.
{…put your trust in God, certainly, God loves those who put their trust in Him.} (3:159)
{The believers are only those who, when God is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Quran) are recited unto them, they increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord Alone.} (8:2)
Life is filled with triumphs and tribulations. Sometimes it is a roller coaster ride. One day our faith is high and sweet, the next it has plummeted and we feel sad and worried.
The way to even out our journey is to trust that God knows what is best for us. Even when seemingly bad things happen, there is a purpose and wisdom behind them. Sometimes the purpose is known only to God, sometimes it is obvious.
Consequently, when we realize that there is no power or strength except from God, we can begin to relax. Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, once reminded one of his young companions that God was all-powerful and nothing happens without His permission.
“Young man, uphold the commands of God, and He will protect you in this life and in the next. Uphold the commands of God and He will help you. When you ask for anything, ask it from God, and if you seek help, seek help from God.
Know that if people were to unite to do you some benefit, they could benefit you only what God has recorded for you, and if they were to unite to do you some harm, they could harm you only with what God has recorded for you. The pens are withdrawn and the pages are dry.” (At-Tirmidhi)
Trust in God
When we are mindful of the fact that God has control over all things and that He ultimately wants us to live forever in Paradise, we can begin to leave our sadness and worry behind. God loves us, and wants what is best for us. God has given us clear guidance and He is the Most Merciful, and the Most Forgiving.
If things do not go according to our plan, if we do not see the benefits of the challenges we face in life it can become very difficult not to despair and fall prey to stress and anxiety. At this point, we must learn to trust God.
{If God helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in God (Alone) let believers put their trust.} (3:160)
{Say: “He is my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He! In Him is my trust, and to Him will be my return with repentance.} (13:30)
{And we shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt…, and in God (Alone) let those who trust, put their trust.} (14:12)
As believers, our trust in God must be constant, in all situations, good, bad, easy, or difficult. Whatever happens in this world happens by the permission of God.
He provides sustenance and He is able to withdraw it. He is the master of life and death. God determines whether we are rich or poor and whether we are healthy or ill.
We thank God for granting us the ability to strive and to go out and acquire that which is good for us. Whatever our circumstances may be we need to thank and praise God for them.
If need be we must bear our difficulties with patience and above all we must love and trust God.
When life becomes dark and difficult we must love God more; when we are overcome by sadness and worry we must trust God more.
Sadness and worry are part of the human condition.
Life is a series of moments. At the two extremes are joyful moments that make our hearts sing with gladness and dark moments that plunge us into sadness and worry.
In between is real life; the highs, the lows, the mundane and boring, the sweetness, and light. It is in these times that the believer must try to establish a connection to God.
The believer must forge a bond that is unbreakable. When the joy of life fills our hearts and minds we must not forget that it is a blessing from God and equally when we are faced with sadness and worry we must realize that this too is from God, even though at first glance we may not see the blessing.
God is the Most Wise and the Most Just. Whatever condition we find ourselves in, and no matter what we are forced to confront, it is imperative that we open our eyes to the fact that God knows what is good for us. Though we shy away from facing our fears and worries, it may be that we hate a thing that is good for us and desire something that can only lead to ruin and damnation.
{…and it may be that you dislike a thing that is good for you and that you like a thing that is bad for you. God knows but you do not know.} (2:216)
The life of this world was designed by our Creator to maximize our chances of living a blissful life in the Hereafter. When we face trials, they help us grow and mature into human beings who are able to function effortlessly in this transient world.
Three Important Weapons
God has not abandoned us in face of the temptations and trials we face in this world. He has equipped us with potent weapons. Three of the most important are patience, gratefulness, and trust.
The great Islamic scholar of the 14th century CE, Ibn al Qayyim said that our happiness in this life and our salvation in the Hereafter depend on patience.
{Verily! I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that are successful.} (23:111)
{…to be firm or patient in pain or suffering, and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God fearing.} (2:177)
The Arabic word for patience is sabr and it comes from a root word meaning to stop, detain, or refrain. In his book (Patience and Gratitude) Ibnul Qayyim explained that having patience meant having the ability to stop ourselves from despairing, to refrain from complaining, and to control ourselves in times of sadness and worry. Prophet Muhammad’s son in law Ali ibn Abu Talib defined patience as “seeking God’s help”.
Whenever we are beset by sadness and worry our first reaction should always be turning to God. By recognizing His Greatness and Omnipotence, we begin to understand that God alone can ease our troubled souls. God Himself advised us to call on Him.
{And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names.} (7:180)
Allah’s Beautiful Names
Prophet Muhammad encouraged us to call on God by all of His most beautiful names. In his own supplications, he is known to have said:
“Oh God, I ask you by every name that You have named yourself, or that You have revealed in Your book, or that You have taught any of Your creation, or that You have kept hidden in the unseen knowledge with Yourself.” (Ahmad)
In times of sorrow and stress, contemplating the names of God can bring great relief. It can also help us focus on being calm and patient. It is important to understand that although the believer is encouraged not to thrash about in grief and anguish or to complain about the stresses and problems, he is allowed to turn to God and supplicate to Him and to ask Him for relief.
Human beings are frail. Our tears fall, our hearts break and the pain is sometimes almost unbearable. Even the prophets, whose connection to God was unbreakable, felt their hearts constrict in fear or pain. They too turned their faces to God and begged for relief. However, their complaints were surrounded with pure patience and pure acceptance of whatever fate God had decreed.
When Prophet Jacob despaired of ever seeing his sons Joseph or Benjamin he turned to God, and the Quran tells us that he beseeched God for relief. Prophet Jacob knew that there was no point in raging against the world, he knew that God loves and protects those who are patient.
{He said: ‘I only complain of my grief and sorrow to God, and I know from God that which you know not.’} (12:86)
Prophet Job’s Patience
The Quran also tells us that Prophet Job turned to God begging of His mercy. He was impoverished, stricken with disease, and he lost his family, friends, and livelihood yet he bore all this with patience and forbearance and he turned to God.
{And (remember) Job, when he cried to his Lord, ‘Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.’ So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them, as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us (God).} (21: 83–4)
Patience means accepting what is beyond our control. In times of stress and anxiety, being able to surrender to the will of God is a relief beyond measure. This does not mean that we sit back and let life pass by. No! It means that we strive to please God in all aspects of our life, in our work and play, in our family life and in our personal endeavors.
However, when things don’t go the way we planned or the way we wanted, even when it seems that fears and worries are pushing us under, we accept what God has decreed and continue to strive to please Him. Being patient is hard work; it does not always come naturally or easily. Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, said:
“Whoever tries to be patient then God will help him to be patient”.
The Key to Patience
It becomes easy for us to exercise patience when we realize that it is impossible to count all the blessings God has bestowed upon us. The air we breathe, the sunshine on our faces, the wind through our hair, the rain on the parched earth and the glorious Quran, God’s words to us, are all among the innumerable blessings of God upon us.
Remembering God and contemplating His greatness is the key to patience, and patience is a key to Paradise everlasting, God’s greatest blessing for the fragile creatures called humankind.