Finding ‘Balance’ in the Trials of Life

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) is reported to have said:

'This life is the dwelling of crookedness; not straightness, and the residence of sadness; rather than happiness. Those who acquire knowledge in its true reality will not feel joy in times of ease, nor grieve in times of hardship. 

Verily, Allah the Exalted has created this life as a test and the Hereafter as the dwelling of recompense. He made the test of this life a reason behind earning the reward of the Hereafter and the reward in the Hereafter as compensation for the test in this life. He takes so that He gives and tests so that He recompenses.

The life of this world vanishes rapidly and changes suddenly. Therefore, beware of its sweetness so as to avoid the bitterness of its depriving, and beware of its delights so as to avoid the pains they lead too. 

Do not excessively build a life that Allah has decided is bound to destruction, and do not recline to (or like) it. Verily, Allah has ordained on you that you should avoid its danger. Otherwise, you will expose yourselves to His Anger and justifiably earn His Punishment."

This prophetic wisdom is, in many ways, also a summation of the Qur’anic message on the fleeting nature of our fortunes in this world, and that everything is subject to a law of nature or the Divine Law. The Holy Qur’an says, “No misfortune can happen, either in the earth or in yourselves, that was not set down in writing before We brought it into being- that is easy for God- so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain.” (57: 23) Long ago, Luqman the Wise counselled his son to endure with fortitude what befalls and the Qur’an notes: “Bear anything that happens to you steadfastly” (31:17).

Our Wishes and Divine Expectations

The Qur’an alludes to the wisdom behind this balanced approach to our earthly life’s contingent circumstances- fortunes and misfortunes; situations that can and will evolve in the fullness of time in the life of a believer. With a deeply flawed sense of the human self- "foolish and unjust", according to the Qur'an- man is inherently incapable of making the wise decision as regards what is harmful or beneficial for him without Divine guidance. Our wishes, desires and inclinations are to be tempered in accordance with Divine commandments and expectations wherever applicable, depending on the varied circumstances of one’s life. 

Allah (swt) encourages the believers to trust in His better knowledge of how things will turn out to be in the end, and of what benefits a person in his present life and the Hereafter. Submission to God and adherence to Divine expectations would better serve and suffice the believer's larger interests, says the Qur’an in its own inimitable style: 

“You may dislike something although it is good for you, or like something although it is bad for you: God knows and you do not.” (2: 216)

“Live with them (your wives) in a goodly manner: if you dislike them, it may well be that you dislike something which God might yet make a source of abundant good." (4:20) 

One of the Divine revelations recieved by the Promised Messiah (as) in the previous era on the same theme is as follows: 

"God will bestow your reward in full and will be pleased with you and will perfect your name. And it is possible that you hold something dear, yet in reality it is harmful for you; and it is possible that you dislike something , yet in reality it is beneficial for you. God Almighty knows the end results of things and you do not know." [Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part IV, p. 391, UK: Islam Int'l Publications, (2016). 

Imam Ibn al Qayyim al-Jawziyya (691-751 AH; 1292-1350 CE), the medieval polymath and classical commentator of the Holy Qur’an, has left behind a deeply insightful exposition on this theme of the Qur’an, advising the believing servants on how to profit from these profound words of the Book of God.

Special Advices for a Brilliant Future

A Blessed Friday 

....(B)y the grace of Allah, today “it is a blessed Friday for the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam of Mauritius, of course!” It is verily a grace, a blessing for the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam of Mauritius. When Allah is blessing the members of our Jamaat, it is tantamount to Him blessing the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. When Allah is pouring down His grace and blessings upon His chosen servants, upon people who show obedience to Allah and His Prophet, then definitely Allah shall reward them. 

When Allah gives an instruction, the instruction/ message comes from Allah, or even when the Messenger of Allah gives some instructions, advices and messages, then you simply have to say: Labbaik! (Here I am - (In other words) I am ever ready to follow the instructions, to submit to the will of Allah). Likewise, ponder over how many “Labbaik, Allahumma Labbaik” our brothers and sisters who are going for the Hajj shall pronounce. We also, in all our sacrifices for the cause of Allah and to please Allah, we say “Labbaik”. We do not go against those instructions, we do not start any dispute and lengthen it but instead we simply submit and obey Allah and His Prophet.

Benefits of Spiritual Obedience 

And you shall agree (with me) that you have witnessed that, whenever Allah has given an instruction in the past and we have shown obedience, then we have witnessed the (positive) result of such obedience (to Allah) - when we did the works of Allah - despite the countless difficulties we encountered and the restrained means we have. But Allah indeed put in His Spirit/ Breath and blessings in such efforts (from our part) and by the grace of Allah, it is that very obedience which have borne its fruits. It is through that obedience that we were successful.

If there is no obedience towards our Creator and towards the Messenger of Allah, then we shall never succeed in anything. Therefore, obedience towards Allah and His Messenger, like Allah mentioned in the Holy Quran - in many verses therein - “Obey Allah and Obey the Prophet” (Obey Me and Obey My Prophet). Allah says, “Whenever I give you a message, an instruction, a revelation, you just need to obey, and then I shall turn your obedience into success.”