Nafsiya Reflections: Dunya of Tests

Welcome to another episode of Nafsiyah Reflections - Dunya of Tests

We all may know that this Dunya is Dunya of tests, 'bait al ibtila'. We are tested with all kinds of calamities, proving to Allah (swt) we have true Emaan (faith), through patience and perseverance, as Allah (swt) extinguishes all our bad deeds till we walk the earth with none, meeting Him (swt) proud on the Day of Judgement (Yom al Qiyamah), on the day of judgement. What do we do when we are desperate? When we want something so badly for something to be so different, to be “better”? To lose sense of satisfaction? Sometimes we begin to lose sense of our purpose... becoming a version of ourselves we don't want to become.

We have Ridaa, we accept what Allah (swt) has given us, while we strive to evolve, strive to become more than what we are, strive for what we see is better, what we feel will give us contentment, satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment, but doesn’t work out. We fight hard to get where we want to be, where we see ourselves, where our dreams seem connected to our reality. It seems we are shooting for the stars. Our dreams seem so near yet so far away.

Our belief in Allah makes us sure it is near, but this Dunya slithers into our hearts and changes our perception making us see everything so far away. Aiming for something that this Dunya (or shaytan we could say) shows us to be so “unrealistically” unreachable; throwing all these words around to confuse us and try to make us break our belief in the Mercy of Allah swt, AstaghfirUllah. Words like “Ya right... like that’s gonna ever happen”, or “if only I had this... if only this didn’t happen... if only I didn’t” or “I can’t take this anymore, it’s never gonna happen” or “You could never do this, don’t even try anymore.” These are all clear deceptions of Shaytan, of Satan, in an attempt to try to break us. So that we may not only lose contentment, live without Ridaa’ (acceptance) but continuously struggle to stop striving for change.

See, it’s not Haraam for us to strive to change any circumstance for the better. But we also need to know what is “better”. We need a clear definition. And that definition can only be defined by Allah (swt), and our beloved prophet Muhammad saw. By using the Quran and Sunnah as our guide for all our decisions. Once we go from there, we must strive to become better, not losing our Rida’ in Qadaa’ Allah on the way, not losing the peace within ourselves. We slip! It is only natural. Our Emaan dips slightly and rises; BUT Insha’Allah, when it rises again, it will rise even higher and therefore will slip even less.

The prophet saw guided us with this hadith,

مَا لَكَ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ قَالَ نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ نَكُونُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ فَإِذَا رَجَعْنَا إِلَى الأَزْوَاجِ وَالضَّيْعَةِ نَسِينَا كَثِيرًا ‏.‏ قَالَ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّا لَكَذَلِكَ انْطَلِقْ بِنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقْنَا فَلَمَّا رَآهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا لَكَ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَكُونُ عِنْدَكَ تُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ فَإِذَا رَجَعْنَا عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالضَّيْعَةَ وَنَسِينَا كَثِيرًا ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لَوْ تَدُومُونَ عَلَى الْحَالِ الَّذِي تَقُومُونَ بِهَا مِنْ عِنْدِي لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ فِي مَجَالِسِكُمْ وَفِي طُرُقِكُمْ وَعَلَى فُرُشِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً ‏"‏

Abu 'Uthman narrated from Hanzalah Al-Usaidi – and he was one of the scribes of the Messenger of Allah saw- that he passed by Abu Bakr while he was crying, so he (Abu Bakr) said to him:

“What is wrong with you, O Hanzalah?” He replied: “Hanzalah has become a hypocrite O Abu Bakr! When we are with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) we remember the Fire and Paradise as if we are looking at them with the naked eye. But when we return we busy ourselves with our wives and livelihood and we forget so much.” He (Abu Bakr) said: “By Allah! The same thing happens to me. Let us go to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w).” (Hanzalah said:) “So he went." When the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) saw him, he said: “What is wrong with you O Hanzalah?” He said: “Hanzalah has become a hypocrite O Messenger of Allah! When we are with you we remember the Fire and Paradise as if we can see them with the naked eye. But when we return we are busy with our wives and livelihood, and we forget so much.” He said: “So the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'If you were to abide in the state that you are in when you are with me, then the Angels would shake hands with you in your gatherings, and upon your bedding, and in your paths. But O Hanzalah! There is a time for this and a time for that.'” (At-Tirmidhi)

When we mention Abu Bakr (ra) we are not only mentioning one the best Sahabah’s of Rasul Allah saw, we are not only mentioning the father of sitna Aisha’ ra, or the second loved person to Rasul Allah saw. We are not only mentioning a man who was promised Paradise, nor are we only mentioning one of the greatest Caliphs that ever lived, BUT who was said to have half the Emaan of this world! That great man RA, agreed with Hanzalah’s feelings!

Umar (ra) said,

“Were the faith of Abu Bakr, to be weighed on one side of a scale and the faith of the people around the whole world on the other side, the faith Abu Bakr would outweigh the faith of all the people around the world.”

See, we will have dips and rises, feelings of struggle, of resistance, feelings of hypocrisy... but as long as we have Ridaa' and are striving, persisting and pushing through; knowing that whatever is best for us, we will have that sense of contentment in knowing we have the pleasure of Allah swt. Bithin Allah! One knowing that He will give us what we need, not what we want and sometimes it is what we want! But if it’s not... When it is time, He (swt) will give us so much more than we have ever imagined! More than what we have ever wanted! He (swt) will give us something that will make us forget all the struggle that came before it. It will be the greatest gift from Allah (swt) through this Dunya of tests.

May Allah make all our calamities easier...
May He (swt) bring Faraj to this Ummah...

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