Are You There God? It’s Me, Your Needy Servant

Our struggles connect us. We’ve all experienced this at least one time or another in our life; you meet someone who has the same struggles as you, or at least has gone through it, and immediately you feel a little bit connected to them. AL-WALIY -The Protector- is the one Who we should know we can have that connection with when we are deep in struggles.  Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala knows us so well – He knows of our struggles we face now and in the future. Not only that but even though that person you meet with whom you have felt-this oddly enough connection may not have all the answers for you, nor did they themselves overcome the obstacles that have plagued both of you, but our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic knows the solution to our problems! Our Lord speaks to us in the Qur’an by telling us more or less, “Yes, I know what struggles you face/will face, and I haven’t left you to your own devices. I’ve given you a way out, how to cope, how to deal.”

(2:153) “Oh YOU who have attained to faith! Seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: for, behold, God is with those who are patient in adversity.”

Lessons from this verse:

** Allah begins with ‘Eman’ here, He says ‘Oh you who believe!’ Eman is the greatest quality highlighted here. When someone has eman, having patience and upholding salaah (prayer) becomes easier.

** 3 types of patience 1.) Patience at times of difficulty 2.) Patience in obedience of Allah 3.) Patience in staying away from that which displeases Allah.

** In dunya, we are all here for a test! We can not get through these tests without support. We are weak, and this support lies in patience and salaah. The ease comes in the remembrance of Allah!

** Allah mentions Sabr (patience) before Salaah here,  because having patience is harder than doing prayer. It is hard and the reward of the patience is unlimited!

(2:155) “And most certainly shall We try you by means of danger, and hunger, and loss of worldly goods, of lives and of [labour's] fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity.”

Allah may not speak to face to face, but through His book He speaks to us, He consoles, He showers His mercy upon us, and reminds us that life is short, that struggles we face are temporary and to be patient. The reminders are there, but it is we who have to be smart, firm, and persistent in seeking that help through His noble book. The hard part after being hit with a calamity is to have “Inna lillaahi wa Inna Ilahi raji’oon” spew from our tongue. Patience takes on importance for the Muslim at the first moment of a trial. The Prophet said: “The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.” [Narrated by Anas and recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari vol 2 # 389]

(2:156) “Those who, when calamity befalls them, say, “Verily, unto God do we belong and, verily, unto Him we shall return.””

So as a reminder, Allah has given us the formula on overcoming obstacles.

There is great wisdom in the way the ayahs (verses) are set up. Allah first tells us, seek help in patience and salaah (prayer), and then He tells us of the calamities that may be fall us.

Allah is telling us prepare and remember these! He is giving us the solution already before He tells us the difficulty that is to come! He is telling us do this for our well-being- SubhanAllah (glory be to Allah)!

From personal experience in my own life I know that difficulty is easier to bear when I’m immersed in the remembrance of Allah. I look back in 2009 when my father (Allah yarhamo) passed away, and I remember Allah showering upon me His mercy and making it easy on me. I know this was the case because I tried my best to do works that Allah was hopefully pleased with such as attending halaqahs (circles of knowledge), Qur’an group, etc. So when the news came, the pain of losing my father was easier to bear, and I remembered Allah and continued to do whatever works I could do so that I could be of some intercession for my father on the Day of Judgment.

The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasalam) stated:  “Whoever has three daughters and he remains patient with them, provides for them and clothes them from his money, they shall be a shield for him from the Hellfire on the Day of Resurrection.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

I thought of Allah, I thought of the hereafter, and then I thought of my father. I share this one instant, but I know you (all of you reading this) have all kinds of struggles! It is not easy, but when we think of Allah knowing about our problems, understanding us more than anyone else, then it is easier to turn to Him for everything, because ultimately everything is by His decree.

Till next time, may Allah allow us to turn to Him for the smallest things, in between things, and everything else. May Allah grant us to be of those who turn to Him in times of ease as well as difficulty. Ameen!

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