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._001.jpg) 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.” (Quran 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.
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, Ibnul 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.” (Quran 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.” (Quran 2:177)
The Arabic word for patience is sabr and it comes
from a root word meaning to stop, detain, or refrain. 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.” (Quran 7:180)
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.”
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.’” (Quran 12:86)
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).” (Quran 21: 83-84)
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”.
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.
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