Coping with Difficulty in our Current Times | Mawlana Yousuf Ghouse | 11/3

Coping with Difficulty in Our Current Times

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His noble Messenger. Glory be to You, O Lord, for You have taught us that You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Allah, teach us what benefits us and increase us in knowledge. O Allah, bless our Master Muhammad and the family of our Master Muhammad.

The Battle of the Trench: Two Responses to Crisis

I wanted to share a glimpse of an event that happened in the life of the Prophet ﷺ. I want us all to picture the circumstances.

The Prophet ﷺ had this small, young, emerging, almost fleeting community in Medina. They were just trying to get themselves established. And then there was another group of people who were not friendly towards them — they decided that they wanted to put an end to this Muslim problem once and for all. They gathered together to obliterate the Muslims from the face of the earth such that there would be no trace of Islam left ever again.

A coalition of tribes gathered together for exactly this purpose and formed an army the likes of which the Arabian Peninsula had never before seen — an army that was 10,000 strong. Keep in mind, Arabia was not a place where there was an organized, functioning government. It was a tribal society, so this was a huge number. They came together, all these different tribes, with this one purpose in mind.

When the Muslims — who were just trying to get themselves established and had already been weakened by several other battles and continuous war — heard about this, it sounded frightening. They discussed what they were going to do. Eventually they settled on digging a big trench around Medina to fortify the area. This huge impending army came and arrived at Medina with the purpose of wiping the Muslims off the face of the earth.

Now Allah gives us a glimpse into two different groups that were around and operating at that time. The first group — the Munafiqun, the hypocrites, the people who weren't actually true Muslims — saw what was going on and said this is bad. Whatever Allah and His Messenger promised you, all that hope of Islam prevailing — that was just lies. Allah says about them:

They tried to escape. Allah says:

They just wanted to get away. At the same time, there was another group of people facing the very same circumstance — seeing this enormous army bent on wiping them off the face of the earth. About them, Allah says:

When the true believers saw this impending army coming to destroy them, they said: "Oh, this is what Allah and His Messenger were promising us — and they have spoken the truth." And that only increased them in their faith, their iman, and their submission to Allah.

Now, if we think about it — wait a minute. They're saying Allah and His Messenger promised us that there's going to be an army that's going to come to destroy us. Did that ever happen? Not that I know of. So what are they actually saying? They're not pointing at the army itself coming. They're pointing at something beyond that.

The Promise: Help Is Near at the Breaking Point

In order to understand this, let's look at another verse. Allah says in Surah Al-Baqarah:

"Do you really think that you will enter Jannah, considering the situation of those who came before? They were afflicted by trial and adversity, and were shaken until even the Messenger and those that were with him said: 'Where is the help of Allah?' Then Allah responds: Indeed, the help of Allah is very near."

From this we understand that when the trials get almost too hard to bear — when you are pushed to the very brink of what you can handle — then Allah says at that point: أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ — the help of Allah is very close at hand.

So when the believers found themselves in a similar situation — if not worse — and they saw this army coming to destroy them, they said: "Oh, this is what Allah and His Messenger promised us." They weren't talking about the army coming to destroy them. They were talking about how in such circumstances, at the very brink of what a person can bear, أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ — the help of Allah is really near. This is completely counterintuitive. They're seeing this army, and they're saying this is indicative of the help of Allah coming.

The Battle of Uhud: Purpose Behind Loss

A year before that, the Muslims had been rocked by another battle — the Battle of Uhud. Regarding it, Allah says:

"If you have suffered losses, then the opposing army has also suffered losses. This is just how it works — sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Allah switches things around. But the purpose of these losses that you undergo is so that Allah can distinguish those who believe, and Allah will grant some of you the very great rank of martyrdom."

Our Ummah Today: The Situation in Gaza

Obviously all of us know what I'm alluding to. Our ummah is currently suffering an incredible disaster. We all know that the Muslims are suffering greatly in Gaza. And Allah is saying regarding this calamity — that the purpose of these sorts of calamities, or one of the purposes, is:

Allah will distinguish those who believe. The people who are actually there, suffering much greater difficulty than what we're suffering — their trial is much worse — and Allah distinguishes them by raising their ranks through the patience they are exhibiting. What about us? For us, it is a little bit different. Allah has blessed us by not subjecting us to such difficult circumstances as the people of Gaza are undergoing. But in another sense, this is a test for us too.

Let's go back to the scene of Ahzab, where the Munafiqun saw the circumstances at hand and said مَا وَعَدَنَا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا. Looking at the outward circumstances, they said everything Allah and His Messenger told us must be lies. Whereas the true Muslims were able to see beyond that.

So we learn that a Muslim always has hope in the help of Allah. A Muslim does not just look at the present circumstances — and it might be that the present circumstances are adverse, unfavorable, and it seems that all the cards are stacked against you. But to a Muslim it doesn't make any difference. A Muslim is not going to look at those circumstances and say, "I guess we're gone, I guess nothing is going to happen." A Muslim will look past those circumstances, even though it seems that everybody is lining up against the Muslims. A Muslim will see beyond that and say: أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ — and seeing everything going against the Muslims will say: "Oh, this is exactly what Allah and His Messenger promised us," meaning that the help of Allah is very close at hand.

Our Approach: Three Conditions for the Acceptance of Du'a

With that said, I want to briefly talk about what our approach should be to the current circumstances. What should we do? What about those people who are undergoing it — the actual oppressed people? And what about the oppressors?

Obviously, we know that the most important thing we can do is du'a. But in order for our du'a to be effective, we have to make sure that we are fulfilling the conditions of du'a. So briefly, we'll talk about three conditions.

First Condition: Consuming Only What Is Halal

The first condition — it's a longer hadith, but the Prophet ﷺ described a person in a very pitiful state, covered with dust, disheveled, such that anyone seeing him the scene would evoke pity. He is making du'a, calling out to Allah. Now if a mere human would have a sense of pity seeing him and want to help him, of course Allah, who is أَكْرَمُ الْأَكْرَمِينَ, would also help that person and respond to his du'a. But the Prophet ﷺ went on to say:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 12, Hadith 2214)

"His food is haram, his drink is haram, he is nourished by haram — so how could his du'a possibly be answered?" So we understand that if we want our du'as to be effective, if we want to help the Muslims who are suffering around the world and the people of Gaza, then we need to clean up our own acts. If we're engaged in haram transactions, if we have haram wealth, engaging in riba — may Allah protect us all — eating things that are questionable, and then we're making du'a and saying "our du'a is not working, nothing is happening" — what else do you expect? The first condition of acceptance of du'a is that we try to make sure that we're only consuming halal.

Second Condition: Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil

This is a hadith in Sunan al-Tirmidhi. The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2169)

"By the One in Whose hand my soul is, you should continue commanding towards good and forbidding evil — or it is likely that Allah might send a punishment upon you, and you will call upon Allah, and your du'a will not be responded to." The second condition of acceptance of du'a is amr bil ma'ruf wa nahy 'anil munkar. First we have to fix ourselves and make sure we're not doing anything wrong. Then our families. Then try to encourage others as well. If you see somebody doing something wrong, gently try to remind them. The Prophet ﷺ said that if we give this up collectively, then you'll call upon Allah and Allah will not respond to your du'as.

Third Condition: Never Losing Hope

This is a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated by Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه. The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Your du'as will be accepted as long as you don't try to rush things." And what is that? The Prophet ﷺ explained that a person will say: "I made du'a, but nothing happened — it's not working." If we give up hope and say "our du'as are not working, they're not accepted" — then yes, the Prophet ﷺ said, in that case your du'as will not be accepted. The third condition of du'a is that we should never give up hope.

So very briefly: the first condition of acceptance of du'a is that we consume halal and stay away from haram. Number two, we encourage ourselves and everyone else to do good and stay away from evil. Number three, we never give up hope.

And there is another hadith in Sunan al-Tirmidhi in which the Prophet ﷺ says that there are three du'as that are never rejected. One of them is وَدَعْوَةُ الْمَظْلُومِ — the du'a of somebody who is oppressed. His du'a will never be rejected. And then Allah says:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3598)

"By My might, I will undoubtedly help you — even if it takes some time. Even if I do not respond to you right away, I will still respond to you." So it is important for us to keep that in mind. Because just as I was saying before, if we only look at the outer, present circumstances and lose hope based on the fact that things don't seem favorable, then our du'as will not be accepted. If we maintain the conditions of du'a, then undoubtedly our du'as will be accepted.

For the Oppressed: The Rank of the Shuhadā'

I'm sure all of us are extremely moved. We see pictures on Telegram, WhatsApp, news articles every single day of babies dying, mothers crying over their children, children crying over their parents. It is very moving and very hard to bear.

Just as Allah reminds us in Surah Āl-'Imrān:

It is not all bad. Through these circumstances, Allah will distinguish the believers with high rewards, and Allah will grant some people the ranks of martyrdom. As Muslims, our gaze is not simply transfixed on this world. We know that there is something much beyond this world as well. Even if a person suffers a very unfortunate circumstance — violence — Allah grants them the rank of martyrdom. Allah is reminding us that a Muslim will look at the akhira as well and realize that things are not all bad.

In this regard, there is a lengthy hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari narrated by Samurah bin Jundub رضي الله عنه, in which the Prophet ﷺ is taken by the angels and shown many different things. Finally, at the end, he sees a building:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7047)

"They took me to a certain building. I had never seen such a beautiful building before. In it I saw all sorts of people — men, women, young people, old people. Then the angels took me out of it, and they took me up a tree and into another building that was even better and more beautiful than the first."

Later at the end of the hadith, the Prophet ﷺ asks them what he was seeing. They say:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 7047)

"The first building that you saw — that is the building for the regular believers. And this second, amazing building that you've never seen anything like before — that is the special place Allah has reserved for the shuhadā'."

There is another hadith in Musnad Ahmad, narrated by Miqdam bin Ma'dikarib رضي الله عنه, in which the Prophet ﷺ says:

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 17182; also Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1663)

"A shaheed has six very special qualities with Allah. All of a shaheed's sins will be forgiven by the very first drop of blood that falls. And when the shaheed is passing away, they will see their place in Jannah." And there are many more as well.

The Story of Jabir and His Father

There is another hadith in Sunan al-Tirmidhi. The Prophet ﷺ saw the companion Sayyiduna Jabir رضي الله عنه and said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3010)

"It seems that you're really broken. It seems that you're really sad. What's going on?"

Jabir رضي الله عنه replied: "O Messenger of Allah, my father was martyred and he left behind so many dependents and debts. I just don't know what to do. I'm mourning the loss of my father." His father had been martyred in the Battle of Uhud.

The Prophet ﷺ, comforting him, said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3010)

"Shall I not tell you what Allah has given your father?" Jabir رضي الله عنه said: "Of course, O Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah never spoke to anyone directly — He spoke to your father directly. He said: 'O My beloved slave, wish for anything and I will grant it to you.' The father said: 'The greatest thing I could possibly wish for is that I am given life again and killed in Your path again.' Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: 'I have already passed a decree that once a person dies, they will not return.'" So then Allah revealed:

"Do not ever think that those who are killed in the path of Allah are dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, being provided for — rejoicing with what Allah has given them of His bounty. And they will be rejoicing for those who have not yet reached them from their family who are going to come."

So all these people that we are seeing pass away — it is certainly heart-wrenching. But we understand that Allah has prepared something much more for them.

For the Oppressors: Allah Does Not Overlook

What about the oppressors? Don't we see that they're just committing this oppression and nothing is happening — they're just doing this unabated? I'll just remind myself and all of us of a few verses of the Qur'an, and we'll end with this.

Allah says:

"Do not ever think that Allah does not know about what the wrongdoers are perpetrating. Allah is just giving them some time so that they can see such a punishment that their eyes will pop out of their heads in horror."

Allah also says:

Allah swears by all of these things — by the mountain Tur, by the written book, by the Bayt al-Ma'mur (a house like the Ka'bah in the heavens, visited by thousands upon thousands of angels every single day), by the lofty sky, and by the sea — and then after all of that, Allah says: "Indeed, the punishment of your Lord will certainly come to pass."

The subtle hint here is that after mentioning all of these things that seem peaceful and in your favor — Allah says وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ, everything in the heavens and the earth He has made for you, and اللَّهُ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْبَحْرَ, Allah has made the sea for you — all these things seem like they're peaceful and in your favor. But do you not realize that these very creations of Allah that seem to be in your favor, Allah can turn them against you?

Allah says:

"If Allah wanted, He could cause lumps of the sky to fall down upon you." Allah caused the sky to rain down things on different nations before He destroyed them. Allah destroyed certain nations through the sea: فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ. This sea that seems just for you — that you're using for your purposes, docking ships in its bays — don't you know that الْبَحْرِ الْمَسْجُورِ — the sea can become a fiery brink of destruction?

And Tur, this mountain — don't you know that mountains are still subject to the power of Allah? Allah says:

"When Allah put just a tiny manifestation of His tajalli upon the mountain, the mountain crumbled." Don't you know that you are also subject to the power of Allah? Allah can turn all of this and take you to task. Just a reminder for the oppressors — and for all of us:

Closing Du'a

We ask Allah to give all of us tawfiq. We ask Allah to assist the situation of those who are being oppressed. We ask Allah that our hearts never get hard, and that Allah allow us to continue making du'a for them, and that Allah alleviate their situation. We ask Allah to guide the oppressors — and if guidance is not written for them, that Allah take them to task.