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Muslims on Hard Times

Assalam Alaikum wa rahmat Allah.
Peace be upon you dear visitor.

In this blog entry, I place my reflections about how Muslims on hard times are called to walk-through a path of two parallel sides to endure according to both the Islamic faith and beliefs, but firstly I would like to express personal feelings before going through the rest of the post.

Mercy from The Almighty Allah (swt) – GOD – touched me in this world, so nothing can express my deep thankful for Allah because HE is always there when I need HIM. I cannot find suitable words to express what I feel as I passed – and still passing – with many difficult situations in my life yet I say nothing about them except one word: alhamdulillah and this is an Arabic term which means (thanks for Allah) in English.

Muslims on Hard Times

How to endure Hard Times

As a Muslim on hard times, you are called to walk-through a path that is constructed from two parallel sides in order to endure hard times as follows:

1. Spiritual Side – Connect with The Almighty Allah: through duaa (suppliations), praying and reading in the Holy Quran.
2. Practical Side – Solving the Problem: through working hard yourself by taking practical plus studied steps for solving your problem.

You cannot spot one side while ignoring the other; this is irrational because the path shall not be clear. This is simply why focusing on one side contradicts with the Islamic faith and beliefs, hence I criticize the calls for laziness that we hear sometimes especially in the Arab world.

1. Practical Side: Solving Problems

Any human being is called to make choices in the easy times for a better life on different levels and this simply means going through the decision making process as it’s my life to live with all its aspects.

Nevertheless, during hard times we need to analyze what happened in order to endure them, restore ourselves after they pass and understand if any mistakes happened from us and this is a positioning oneself process both during and after these bad times. Hence, we are called to study, act and work by taking our directions while defining the first side of on the path that Muslims on hard times walk-through.

2. Spiritual Side: Connecting with Allah

Now we reach the second side of the path; however I am placing my personal reflections in more details. I believe that The Almighty Allah (swt) want Muslims to be with HIM all the time, which means to depend on him and take actions in order to gain success inshallah. Nevertheless, since life has its ups and downs therefore it is normal that we face hard times which are simply exams from Allah to see if we are really believers or not. Hereby, read and think about these verses from the Holy Quran:

{Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried?} — [Holy Quran (Koran) Translation - 29:2]

That is it; whenever or wherever you face troubles, your response as Muslims on hard times is to make supplication for Allah and he shall help you to endure them till they pass. Even if this takes sometime but at the end this will pass inshallah. Now read and think about the verse 155 as we find the problem yet the answer follows it directly in verse 156 of the Holy Quran:

{And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient} — [Holy Quran (Koran) Translation - 2:155] and {Who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah , and indeed to Him we will return”} — [Holy Quran (Koran) Translation - 2:156]

Consequently, another important point rises then: easy times are usually accompanied by hard times, in parallel and not after which means that mercy of The Almighty Allah (swt) is also found during these bad times. Read and think about these verses from the Holy Quran:

{For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease} — [Holy Quran (Koran) Translation - 94:5]

For me, this highlights the way that Muslims react on hard times according to the Islamic faith and beliefs: whenever you want to ask Allah, you can simply make duaa (supplications) with deep feelings and HE shall hear you as you have a direct 24/7 connection that not only lasts all your lifetime. Hence, read and think about this verse from the Holy Quran:

{And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided} — [Holy Quran (Koran) Translation - 2:186]

Consequently as Muslims, we are called to remember The Almighty Allah (swt) not only in hard times but in all times and we shall gain reward from HIM inshallah at last. In parallel, it is important to have another support during hard times and recite (read) the Holy Quran at least daily, even if we read 2.5 pages per day as:

• 2.5 pages = 1/4 hizb
• 5.0 pages = 1/2 hizb
• 7.5 pages = 3/4 hizp
• 10.0 pages = 1 full hizb
• 20.0 pages = 1 full chapter (2 hizb)

In a nutshell, it is not only about keeping the connection alive but also about working on solving in parallel as both construct the path that Muslims can walk-through to endure hard times according to both Islamic faith and beliefs till they end inshallah and sure they do!

Salam

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