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Overcoming tests from Allah

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the_truth View Drop Down
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    Posted: 11 October 2009 at 4:17pm
Overcoming tests from Allah

Allah, Glory be to Him, says in the Quran: "Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, 'We believe,' and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false" (Quran, 29: 2-3).

By virtue of being created as human beings, we will be tested. We will be thrown into countless trials, into situations that may arise unpleasant and awkward, and into times of difficulty when it seems as though there is little reason to hope.

Tests will come at us from every direction; events will test the very core of our character and the strength of our beliefs. And these are the tests we cannot afford to fail. And Allah, Glory be to Him, has not left us empty-handed.

Building our knowledge and our characters as Muslims is the only way to overcome the mild to the severe trials we will face every day until we die. He says: "Have you not seen how Allah has given the parable of a beautiful word like a beautiful tree whose roots are firmly established, and whose branches tower in the sky? It gives its fruits at all times by the permission of its Lord, and Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember" (Quran, 14: 24-25).

A "beautiful word" in this verse refers to the Islamic statement of belief: la illaha ill Allah (there is no being worthy of worship except Allah). And the verse goes on to refer to a beautiful tree, which illustrates the character of a believer.

According to this verse, a believer is one whose Iman, or faith, is unwavering and firmly established. He or she cannot be swayed from the straight path by the winds of trials, no matter how fierce the storm. Knowing and believing that there is no being worthy of worship except Allah, Glory be to Him, and following His commandments provides a believer with the stability and confidence he or she needs to succeed.

A believer's branches also "tower in the sky" like that of the beautiful tree. By this analogy, a believer's Iman cannot remain hidden. A Muslim cannot claim to have Iman solely in the heart while not having it show in his or her actions.

Contrary to that, Iman is something so significant that by its nature, it must be seen by anyone who looks at or interacts with a Muslim. Your Iman raises you up to a higher moral level, just as the braches of the beautiful tree reach upwards towards to the sky.

These verses also mention that this tree that is compared with a true believer "gives its fruits at all times by the permission of its Lord." The tree of Iman is ever fruitful, unlike a real tree that only gives fruits at certain times of the year.

Your faith and your belief in la illaha ill Allah sustains you night and day, in every season, during times of ease and times of great hardship. This is the parable of the believer whose good deeds never take a vacation � they are continuous throughout the day and the night. The chapter goes on to say "And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree uprooted from the surface of earth having no stability" (Quran 14: 26). An "evil word" in this verse refers to disbelief.

The verse describes the powerlessness and volatility of disbelief � it has no basis and he or she who disbelieves has little stability in life. The trials and difficulties of life can easily uproot such a person.

May Allah, Glory be to Him, make us be of those who are firmly rooted in their beliefs.

Islamic history is riddled with examples of Muslims who withstood tests that would seem unimaginably difficult today.

The Muslims of the past had an abundance of patience and perseverance which are two important traits of this beautiful tree of Iman.

Two Muslims who were of the most firmly rooted of believers were Sumayyah and Yasir, may God be pleased with them. After being among the first Muslims and agreeing to accept Islam in a very tumultuous period, Sumayyah and Yasir along with their son Ammar were tortured mercilessly at the hands of Abu Jahl. The family was left unprotected since they had no tribal affiliations in Makkah.

Unable to physically help them at the time, the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, would visit them and say, "be patient, O family of Yasir, because your promised place is Paradise." He would then turn his face to the sky and say: "O Lord! Forgive the family of Yasir." The prophet also prayed for the alleviation of Ammar's suffering by placing Ammar's head in his lap and saying: "O fire! Be cool and harmless for Ammar in the same manner in which you became cool and harmless for Ibrahim."

Sumayyah and Yasir were both martyred in the cause of Allah, Glory be to Him, after refusing to leave their faith which was dearer to them than life itself. The family was honoured with the best of honours: the prophet's guarantee of their home in paradise. These are the examples we should take as guides to our own lives. Too often do we compromise what we believe in to accommodate the uneducated assumptions of others. Too often do we forget the immense history of Islam and Muslims.

One of the reasons we have the gift of Islam is because we stand on the shoulders of people like Sumayyah and Yasir, may Allah be pleased with them. People who did not waver, did not compromise their Iman to please others or even to save their own lives. Just like in our Islamic history, our strength as a community and as individuals today can only stem from the remembrance of and obedience to Allah, Glory be to Him. These times are difficult and the pain often hits close to home. But by holding fast to our belief in la illaha ill Allah , we will stay firmly rooted, our branches will tower high towards the sky, and our hearts will never lack sustenance, InshaAllah.

Sources: Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Volume 5

Allah tells us that we will be tested. He also makes it clear to us what is expected from us when we undergo these trials and what our reward will be if we are successful.

He says: �Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives and the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who, when misfortune strikes them, say: �Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him is our return. Those are the ones upon whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord and it is those who are rightly guided.� [S�rah al-Baqarah: 155]

The Prophet (peace be upon him)said: "No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his sins by it." [Sah�h al-Bukh�r� and Sah�h Muslim]

In another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: �No Muslim is afflicted by harm, whether it is but the prick of a thorn or something worse, without Allah expiating his evil deeds on account of it and his sins falling away from him like leaves off a tree.'" [Sah�h al-Bukh�r�]


The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When Allah desires good for someone, He tries him with hardships." [Sah�h al-Bukh�r�]

In reality, the entire Sacred Law is a tremendous blessing for us in this life and the next.

Obligations that initially seem difficult to fulfill have a polishing effect on the heart until eventually the one's entire perspective changes. Outward submission leads to inward submission and heart fills with love and gratitude for Allah.

Obligations are not meant to be hammered out reluctantly; they are meant to be offered in the spirit of heartfelt gratitude to Allah for the myriad blessings that each of us has been given. Someone who is realized in this state will do everything for Allah; "worldly" activities such as eating, drinking, and conversing with friends are all performed with the intention of drawing closer to Allah.

Such a person will not worry over possible future problems, nor will he grieve over past difficulties, for he is busy with the One he loves. This is true happiness and anyone who misses out on it will never know the meaning of contentment.

So know that Allah is testing us because he wants good for us and he wants to see if we are going to come closer to him or more further away from him.

Shaythan is wanting us to weaken and fail the tests from Allah so will we let shaythan win? Or will we make the best of these opportunities and get closer to Allah than we have EVER been?

For if we are patient then Allah is with us so NOTHING can hurt or effect us!

Allah mentions in the Qur'an:

�Indeed Allah is with those who are patient.�

If one is patient, and is among the ones described in the following manner in the Qur�an (Baqarah, 2: 256)

Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihee Raaji'oon

�To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return�:-

The Reward for Patience is Paradise

�Ata ibn Rabah related that he heard Ibn �Abbas say: �Shall I show you a woman of Paradise?� I said: �Yes, indeed.� He said: �A black woman came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said: �I suffer from epileptic fits, and because of these, (at times) my body becomes uncovered. Would you invoke Allah, the Exalted One, to cure me of this disease? � The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: �If you wish, you can be patient and you will attain Paradise (for this suffering). But if you prefer, I will pray to Allah, the Exalted, to cure you of it?� The woman said: �I will be patient,� then added: �I become uncovered (when I have fits), so invoke Allah for me that I do not become uncovered. � So the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed for her.� [Source: Fiqh-us-Sunnah, volume 4, #1a]

So tests and calamitys are a blessing in disguise and Allah wanting us to get closer to him so if we bare with in with Patience hoping for reward then Allah is with us and best of all we will get closer to Allah and feel true contentment and happiness in the heart and we will attain Paradise inshallah!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Full of Hopes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 December 2009 at 7:50am

  Masha' Allah. may Allah bless you for this..
And whoever seeks a religion other than Isl�m, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers(3:85)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fais Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 December 2009 at 10:51pm
Jaza kalla o khair,
 
Two Muslims who were of the most firmly rooted of believers were Sumayyah and Yasir--i think the strogest belivers were abubaker and then umer radiala talaanhu.
 
you can say they were one of the most firmly rooted,anyways thanks for this peace of information about sumaiya and yasir radiala tala anhu.may allah raise their rank in pradise and all of us.
 
regards
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote saima100 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 December 2009 at 3:17pm
Salam
   Very nice post.It makes understanding of hoping always for the best easier in each and moment.As if one is not able to believe in the hours of suffering and is not able to accept this suffering then ones iman is not strong.As what one really gets in any difficult situation is nearness to Allah and peace of heart and understands Allah plans for himself/herself.As Allah knows the best and it can be not getting exactly what we desire at that v moment.I personally feel i have come near Allah everytime i have had a difficulty and it has been blessing in this way.And Allah is the best judge and does justice with everyone.Its only our understanding which has to increase to understand this justice.
May Allah always guide us towards the right path and make our thoughts and feelings according to his will.amin.
   
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote the_truth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 January 2010 at 2:26pm
Why Does Allah Test Us?

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate


"There is nothing like unto Him"



A fundamental tenet of our belief is that Allah is completely dissimilar to everything besides Him. He tells us in the Qur'an, "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him." (42:11) A consequence of this belief is that unlike human actions, divine actions are not driven by motives, because motives only make sense in the context of someone who is weak and needy.


To clarify this further, consider the following. When humans perform actions, it makes sense to inquire what drove them to do so because, being the indigent beings that they are, they always act to fulfill certain needs. For example, Zayd will put on a coat because the weather is cold and he needs warmth. Aisha will eat food because she is hungry and needs nutrition. Ali will go to university because he needs to earn a living through the degree that he will obtain. As you can see from these examples, the motives that people have behind their actions betray their fundamental neediness.


Allah is the creator of everything and needs nothing. This is easy to state but not so straightforward to comprehend. One of the implications of this absolute freedom from need of anything is that Allah is not driven by motives when He acts. Someone who needs nothing can have no motives. To ask "why" Allah did something makes no sense at all. In the words of the Qur'an, "He is not questioned regarding what He does, but they are questioned."


Allah has no need for our obedience and our disobedience does not harm Him. He does not need to reward us if we obey Him. And had He chosen to, He could have rewarded us for disobeying Him. This is why classical manuals of orthodox Sunni belief teach us that whenever Allah rewards someone, He does so out of His pure generosity; not because He is driven to do so by a need or because we have a right to His reward. The question, "Why?" is inapplicable.


Similarly, Allah does not need to punish us if we disobey Him. And had He chosen to, He could have punished us for obeying Him. This is why the same manuals also teach us that whenever Allah punishes someone, He is not wronging them, for they have no right over Him (recall that our obedience or disobedience does not affect Him). He punishes out of His pure justice. The question, "Why?" is inapplicable.


Qur'anic verses that seem to imply motives



This is the backdrop against which we understand statements that seem to imply that Allah did a certain act for some reason. For example, when the Qur'an tells us that He created us to worship Him, this does not mean that He needed to be worshipped and therefore created us to fulfill this need. Instead, what He is telling us is that he created us with the capability to worship Him by giving us the ability to choose our actions (Hashiyat al-Jamal `ala al-Jalalayn).


Similarly, when Allah tells us that He created us to test us, this does not mean that He needs to test us in order to find out whether we will do good or evil. He already knows what we will do. Rather, our playing out the actions of this life is merely a proof for or against us on the Day of Judgment.




The Practical Upshot


Allah created us and decreed that those of us who choose the actions of the people of Paradise will enter Paradise and those who choose the actions of the people of the Fire will enter the Fire. Because Allah is completely unlike everything else that exists, it does not make sense to ask why He did this. Rather, this is just how things are, and it is up to us to choose where we want to go.


In reality, the entire Sacred Law is a tremendous blessing for us in this life and the next. Obligations that initially seem difficult to fulfill have a polishing effect on the heart until eventually the one's entire perspective changes. Outward submission leads to inward submission and heart fills with love and gratitude for Allah. Obligations are not meant to be hammered out reluctantly; they are meant to be offered in the spirit of heartfelt gratitude to Allah for the myriad blessings that each of us has been given. Someone who is realized in this state will do everything for Allah; "worldly" activities such as eating, drinking, and conversing with friends are all performed with the intention of drawing closer to Allah. Such a person will not worry over possible future problems, nor will he grieve over past difficulties, for he is busy with the One he loves. This is true happiness and anyone who misses out on it will never know the meaning of contentment.


And Allah knows best.

Taken from Sunnipath
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote UmmFatima Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 March 2010 at 11:18am
Originally posted by the_truth the_truth wrote:


Outward submission leads to inward submission and heart fills with love and gratitude for Allah. 


So true!!
�Our Lord! Grant us comfort in our spouses and descendants, and make us leaders of the God-fearing.� -Al-Furqan 74
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