Tawheed stresses not only acceptance but also gratitude for whatever is granted by Allah, whether good or bad, sweet or bitter, soothing or painful. In Tawheed, hardships are hidden blessings that Allah sends to alert us to choose the right path, or to remind us how weak and fragile we are as humans without His help and guidance. They are also a test of faith and, by embracing difficulties with a welcoming heart, we ascend to higher levels of spirituality.
Indeed, prophets who are considered the closest to Allah are the ones who went through the toughest ordeals. Many accepted the ultimate suffering including Habeel, Jacob and Joseph, Abraham and Isaac, Job and his whole family, Zacharia and Johannes, and also Al-Hallaj, Al-Amir Al-Sayyed, Al-Sheikh Al-Fadel, and hundreds like them who were exiled, murdered, or abused by their closest people. They suffered to stabilize and spread the word of Allah. In fact, those religious figures are most likely to experience adversity, for it is said that “ ويبتلى المرء على قدر دينه” “One’s faith and hardships are as equal”.
Unlike many of us, these religious figures never even muttered or complained in any way.
In contrast, they were men of patience and faith and never gave up on their Creator or their role. Although it’s hard for us to attain their firm faith and tolerance or endure their sacrifices, a Muwahhed should follow in the footsteps of these role models or look up to them.
Life is a testing period. It’s all about the ups and downs, rights and wrongs, successes and failures, gains and losses. The challenge for every Muwahhed is to accept the opposites of life, and acknowledge that hardships are merely redemption for him/her.
When you lose patience, remember Allah’s patience with you throughout your life. No matter how intolerable things might seem, behind them, there is something brighter around the corner.
لذ عنده بالرضا ولا ترتعد من القضا – جلال الدين الرومي
? Ludh eindahu blridha wala tartaeid min alqada – Jalal Al-Din Al-Rumi
Go back to Him with contentment, and don’t fear fate and destiny
What Jalal El-Deen Al-Rumi meant by his quotes is that all we have to do is adopt contentment, and not fear what Allah is sending us next, for only the good, the bright and the beautiful emerges from Him. It’s our duty to dive into the depth of every hardship and find the secret blessing hidden in it.