A strong faith can keep you focused on the fact that Allah alone ultimately controls all destinies and has power over all things. Remembering that fact alone at the moment of affliction can help you in conquering the pain and provide you with hope and the energy to keep moving forward. As believers, we should recognize that only Allah’s Grace and Mercy can deliver us from challenging situations. Allah says:
إِن يَنصُرْكُمُ اللَّهُ فَلَا غَالِبَ لَكُمْ وَإِن يَخْذُلْكُمْ فَمَن ذَا الَّذِي يَنصُرُكُم مِّن بَعْدِهِ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
“If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is thereafter Him that can help you? And in Allah (Alone) let believers put their trust.” (Surah Al-Imran: 3:160)
A strong faith can help us to hold our heads high. When faith seems to be dwindling, we should get back to Quran and remind ourselves that only Allah can let us out of our ordeal and problems. You must, therefore, keep that faith and not let Satan instil thoughts that could weaken your faith. Allah says:
إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
“Your wealth and your children are only a trial (fitnah). And Allah – With Him is a great reward (Paradise).” (Surah At-Taghabun 64:15)
The believers needed it and it indeed did purge them. It purged each individual from all impurities. It purged them from the love of this Dunia, the main reason for their defeat. It purged them from the thought of turning away from supporting the truth. It purged them from the sins they possessed before the difficulty. Allah says:
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْإِنسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
“And that is not for man except what he strives (for).” (Surah An-Najm 53:39)
During hardships and calamities, it is natural to get swept away by the affliction of the moment. During such trials of faith, unless we are careful, Satan can inject fear and plant doubts in our hearts and minds. Our beliefs in such vulnerable states may become overpowered by feelings of the moment resulting in the dwindling of our faith.
The faith of Islam helped various Muslim peoples in their struggle to gain peace:
- Faith tell yourself you’ll work on the dreaded task
- Faith truly appreciate and enjoy your lazy time
- Faith gain to start with a small step forward
- Faith is a dream come true with hard work
- Faith greater you’ll feel when you achieve
- Faith is remembering Allah in good times
- Faith make sure you’re not overwhelmed
- Faith asks for Allah’s Mercy and Grace
- Faith has no substitute for hard work
- Faith is pondered over Allah’s words
- Faith stays patient in hard times
- Faith takes care of your eating habit
- Faith recall you in the Divine Decree
- Faith thinks and is free to negative habits
- Faith is thinking about the consequences
- Faith in life rewards those who work hard
- Faith is thought of and meditate on hard work
- Faith remember, nothing changes until you do
- Faith means nothing worth having comes easy
- Faith revive to all roads lead to through hard work
- Faith rub your hands to open up your drowsy eyes
- Faith is the hard work that puts you where the good luck
One of the best remedies for tough times is to be patient. A state of patients requires that we not resort to complaining, and remember Allah often. We take this lesson from the story of Prophet Yousuf (A.S.) who went through various ordeals in life only to be rewarded with a large kingdom in his later years. Allah says:
وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“And Dhun-Nun when he went (while) angry and thought that never We would decree upon him. Then he called in the darkness(es) that, “(There is) no god except You, Glory be to You! Indeed, [I] I am of the wrongdoers.” (Surah Al-Anbiya` 21:87)
Allah states that He can defeat His enemies without the help of the believers. He, sure, is capable of anything. However, the Sunnah (law) of Allah is to do that through us so we would be tested. This life is nothing but a test. Part of this test is for Allah to show who would stand for the truth and support it. If it were not for these tough times, people will always claim they stand by the truth. These claims have to be verified by tests and tribulations. Allah says:
أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
“Do people think that they will be left to say we believe and they will not be tried?” (Surah Al-Ankabut 29:2)
Difficult times are decisive and differentiating. They show those who are truthful and those who are not. Even when all doors appear to have been closed, as true believers we should never let feelings of helplessness succumb us.
Motivational Verses from the Quran, Allah Almighty says:
- “And to help purge the believers…” (Al `Imran 3:141)
- “It has come about by your selves.” (Al `Imran 3:165)
- “And to know those who are hypocrites …” (Al Imran 3:167)
- “….For everything, there is a time prescribed.” (Quran 13:38)
- “Is there any reward for good other than good?” (Quran 55:60)
- “It is He who created death and life to test you …” (Al-Mulk 67: 2)
- “When are the victory and the support of Allah?…” (Al-Baqarah 2:214)
- “I have not created jinn and men except to worship Me…” (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
- “No one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest good fortune.” (Quran 41:35)
- “O you who believe! be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful.” (Quran 3:200)
- “No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah – He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things.” (Quran 64:11)
- “Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (Quran 3:31)
If we want to be successful in this world and the hereafter we have to be patient. Allah sets out the ingredients for success: perseverance, prayer, steadfastness, and the fear of Allah. If one does these things one is going to act according to the laws of Allah. One will also accept and say that whatever happens is by the will of Allah. Allah says:
وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ
“And seek help through patience and prayer, and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah].” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:45)
We all need a little motivation from time to time because life can sometimes bring happiness as well as sorrow. Allah who has created us knows our nature very well. It is why you’ll find many verses in the Quran that deal with our natural inclinations and bring us peace when it’s most needed. Allah says:
وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“And Dhun-Nun when he went (while) angry and thought that never We would decree upon him. Then he called in the darkness(es) that, “(There is) no god except You, Glory be to You! Indeed, [I] I am of the wrongdoers.” (Surah Al-Anbiya` 21:87)
We, as Muslims, should accept Allah’s Decree both as it manifests itself around us and in our lives. It should be a relief to us that only Allah is the master of our destiny and we are only going to be tested about whether we reacted to what befalls as true believers and Mo’mins, i.e. being patient in adversity and grateful in prosperity. Allah says:
قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلَانَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
“Never will befall us except what Allah has decreed for us, He (is) our Protector.” (Surah Towbah: 9:51)
Allah does what He wills for reasons that are only known to Him. Any attempt to comprehend the wisdom of it all using our limited faculties, or to understand how our current situation fits in His overall plan can only lead us to erroneous conclusions resulting in increased frustrations. Those who fail to see the wisdom behind the difficulty will also fail to see the ease. May Allah show us the truth and help us to follow it. May He grant us Sabr when times are difficult, and grant us ease in this life and the hereafter.