The Response of Believers in Hardship - Acceptance and Patience

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "The greater the affliction, the greater the  reward. When Allah loves some people, He tests them with affliction. Those who accept, find satisfaction, and those who are discontented will only find iscontent."[1]

One day, some people passed by a man who was crippled, leprous, and blind He said, "All praise and thanks to Allah, Who spared me the affliction which He caused you." The people wondered at [his, and he said, "Allah has blessed me with remembering Him, and spared me the oblivion in which you live,"

It does not lake much for us to be satisfied with the Blessings of Allah and enjoy serenity. When a true believer encounters certain difficulties, he meets them with gratitude, even if the wisdom behind them is not clear to him. When Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet Muhammad [Peace be upon him), died, the Prophet said, "The eye sheds tears, and the heart feels grief, and we are sad to part with you Ibrahim.”[2] The issue of acceptance is not relevant to agreeable fate, but rather to painful Tate. Conversely, discontentment is the door to worries, grief, and sorrow. Allah, the All-Wise, is never unjust. The Prophet (Peace he upon him) used to say in part of a supplication, "Your judgment will be enforced upon me, and the fate You set for me is just." Anyone who is subjected to tragedy should think of the rewards for being patient during times of difficulty. In fed, he who praises Allah for a difficulty that he encounters may be led to a bounty much better than that which he lost. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "One of the causes of man's happiness is his acceptance of the fate ordained for him by Allah. One of the causes of man's misery is hi* failing to consult Allah. Another factor of a man's misery is his discontentment with the fate ordained by Allah.”[3]

We find a perfect example of a mature and noble surrender in the story of Jacob (Peace be upon him), when his sons came to him feigning tears over the alleged devouring of Joseph (Peace be upon him) by the wolf. Jacob's only response was, “So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allah (Alone) Whose Help can he sought against that which you assert.”[4] Several years after that incident, instead of finding the son lie was expecting, he lost his other son. Even with the second tragedy, he continued saying, “So patience is most fitting (for me). May Allah bring them both (back) to me. Truly He is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”[5]

He endured the second calamity with as much the same sensibility as he did with the first. He remained attached to the Mercy of Allah, wailing for tomorrow with a heart filled with the light of hope untouched by the grievous events. He said to his sons, “Go you and enquire about Yusuf [Joseph] and his brother, and despair not of the Spirit of Allah. Certainly no one despairs of the Spirit of Allah except the people who disbelieve."[6]

Such noble conduct is worthy to be taken as an example in order to build firmness against cruel storms. In fact, pain may awaken faith and return a person to Allah. In such cases, difficulty becomes a benefit in reality. This is undoubtedly the best product of certitude and acceptance of the acts of the Lord of all creation. In support of this notion, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "If you avoid what is prohibited, yon ore lite best of worshippers, and if you accept what Allah allocates for you, you are the wealthiest of men."[7] He also advised us, "Seek assistance from Allah and do not stand helpless. If you are struck by some difficulty, do not say as some say, 'If I had done such and such, then such and such would have happened', hut say, 'Allah has ordained and what He wilts He does', for 'if starts the works of the devil."[8]

There is no doubt that no benefit or harm can happen except by the Will of Allah. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "Be aware that even if all people unite to benefit you somehow, they ran only benefit you with something that Allah has ordained for you, and if all people unite to harm you somehow, they will only harm you with something that Allah has ordained against you. The pens have been lifted and the sheets are dry.”[9]

He also said, "What strikes you could never have missed you, and what misses you could never have struck you.”[10]

This was reiterated in the supplication of Imam Ash-Sha'rawi, "Our Lord, you have enabled some of your creatures to do magic and evil and kept for Yourself the permission to harm. I seek refuge with You by what you have kept for Yourself from what you enabled some of your creatures to do believing in your words, “They could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's Leave.)"[11]

It is said that a man was survived by two sons, for each of whom he left a considerable amount of money. The two brothers divided the money between them and each disposed of his share as he wished. The younger son dealt in trade and was sincere to Allah in his business. He used to give plenty of money in charity to the poor very generously. His trade grew, his wealth increased, and he became extremely rich. He had no enemies, and that is why his money was protected from the evil forces of envy. The second son, on the other hand, led a lecherous life and wasted his fortune on alcohol, gambling, and adultery. Eventually, he became penniless and hadn't even enough money to buy food. His brother was very kind to him and constantly gave him food, shelter, and clothes. However, instead of feeling grateful for his brother's kindness, he surrendered his heart to envy of his brother, and thus plotted to make his brother lose his fortune so that they would be equal in poverty and so that people would stop mocking him for his poverty while praising his brother. He endeavored to see his malicious plan through, and eventually Satan inspired him to seek the assistance of a man who was known for the evil power of his envious eye, the survivors of which were very few. This evil man had weak vision and could only see things from a close distance. Thus, the elder brother went to this man famous for his powers of envy, and asked him to inflict his envy upon his brother's wealth in return for a financial reward to be paid when the wealth was lost. He took the man along the path of his brother's trade caravan and pointed it out to him. He said, "Be prepared, my brother's trade is approaching and is now a mile away from us." The envious man said, "What power of sight you have! You can see it from so far? I wish my vision was as good as yours!" The elder brother immediately felt pain in his head and lost his sight, while his brother's trade passed safely![12]

Throughout life, man must choose one of two options: cither bending with the wind until the storm pusses, or else opposing it and risking one's life. If trees did not bend in the face or gusts, and remained stiff and rigid, they would soon brake and be scattered with the wind. We find this expressed by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his words, "A believer is like a plant that is swayed by the wind, for believers are constantly struck with difficulties. As for disbelievers, they are like a pine tree that does not budge until it is torn dawn."[13] Thus, believers remain in a stale of tranquility, whatever their situation. Playing down his torture by his opponents, Ibn Taymiyah said, "My prison is a solitude, my banishment is a travel, and to kill me is a martyrdom."

The words said by the Prophet (Peace be upon him), "What strikes you could never have missed you. and what misses you could never have struck you"[14] hold true even after death, where you are protected by Allah and hence remain unharmed except by His will. There is a wonderful example of (his ill the story of ‘Asim ibn Thabit, a noble Companion of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). On the day or the Battle of Badr, 'Asim had killed 'Uqbah ibn Abi Ma'it, one of the dignitaries of Ihe tribe of Quraysh, as well as Musafi and Julas, both sons of Talhah Al-‘Abdari. Their mother, Sulafah hint Sa'd, vowed to drink wine out of 'Asim's skull if she could ever lay hands on his head, Eventually, some disbelievers managed to kill him, hut when they tried lo decapitate him, Allah set a swarm of wasps upon them. Slinging them in their faces, the wasps prevented his killers from approaching his body. They agreed to repeat their attempts during the night, but Allah sent a torrent that carried his body where they could not find it. When 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) learned about this incident he said, "Allah protects faithful believers after death as in their lives. None can know the hosts of your Lord but He." [15]

Allah has hosts that support and protect believers. Almighty Allah says, “O Prophet, urge the believers to fight. If there, are twenty steadfast persons amongst you, they will overcome two hundreds, and if there be a hundred steadfast persons they will overcome it thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are people who do not understand Now Allah has lightened your (task), for He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there he of you a hundred steadfast persons, they shall overcome two hundreds, and if there be a thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousands with the Leave of Allah. And Allah is with the patient ones.” [16]