Introduction
Mankind comes across many afflictions and trials, sometimes in
overwhelming sequences. Removing the darkness of these worries,
distresses, depression and grief is a very important matter to which
Islaam gives serious attention...
Indeed the greatest darkness to envelope mankind and surely his
greatest affliction is disbelief in Allah and to associate partners with
Him in any form (kufr and shirk).
"Allah is the Protector of those
who have faith He will lead them from the depths of darkness into light.
. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are the devils: from light
they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will be
companions of the fire, to dwell therein (for ever). "
AL-BAQARAH 2.257
"Whereby Allah guides him who
seeks His good pleasure to paths of peace and safety. He brings them out
of darkness unto light by His decree, and guides them unto a straight
path." AL-MAAIDAH 5.016
"Those who deny Our revelations
are deaf and dumb in darkness. Whoever Allah wills He sends astray, and
whom He wills He places on a straight path." AL-AN'AM 6.039
The scholars of Islaam have extracted from the Qur'aan and the
authentic Sunnah many remedies and cures to help us in our daily affairs
and remove our problems.
At-Tawheed
Singling out Allah alone, Glory be to Him, for all types of worship
and recognising His Lordship and having faith in the unity of His Lofty
Names and Attributes. There would be anarchy if there was more than one
deity.
If there were, in the
heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been
confusion in both! But glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne, (High
is He) above what they attribute to Him! AL-ANBIYA'
21.022
Allah strikes a comparison between a Muslim and a mushrik
(disbeliever). The man with one master (i.e. upon Tawheed) has no
worries as to who to obey, so he has no confusion nor dilemmas. The
second man is confused as to who to obey first, in whom he must put his
trust especially as they are quarrelling amongst each other. The
mushrik is left to Shaitaan and his desires to direct him out of his
confusion. However the Muslim who recognises his Lord as One, knows
that Allah is the One who rescues His slave when he is in grief.
Allah puts forth a parable; a
man belonging to many partners quarrelling with each other, and a man
belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal? Praise be to
Allah! But most of them have no knowledge. AZ-ZUMAR
39.029
In the beautiful story of Yusuf (alayhe as-salaam) his fellow
prisoners were in distress to know the meaning or interpretation of
their dreams.
Now with him there came into the prison two young men. Said one of
them: "I see myself (in a dream) pressing wine." The other said: "I see myself (in a dream) carrying
bread on my head, and birds eating it." (They said) "Tell us the
meaning of the dreams, for we see that you are a good doer."
YUSUF 12.036
O what was the first thing that this noble prophet of Allah (alayhe
as-salaam) said to his companions? What was his reply? He called
them to that which will provide them with immediate relief - the b lief
that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah - at-Tawheed.
"O my two companions of the
prison! (I ask you): are many lords differing among themselves better,
or Allah, the Supreme and Irresistible?" YUSUF 12.039
Mankind without Tawheed is astray, captured by Shaitaan and there
lives in chaos as explained in Allah's statement:
Don't you see that We have
set the devils on the disbelievers to confound them with confusion?
MARYAM 19.083
So the one upon true Tawheed, Allah helps him and removes grief from
him. There are many verses which eludes to this but suffice us for the
moment the story of Yunus (alayhe as-salaam). He (alayhe as-salaam) had
lost hope in his people who were not responding to his call to Islaam.
So he (alayhe as-salaam) left them and eventually Allah caused him
(alayhe as-salaam) to be in the belly of a large fish.
So wait with patience for
the Command of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish,
when he cried out in deep sorrow. AL-QALAM 68.048
In his sorrow and anguish, Yunus (alayhe as-salaam) cried out, but to
whom? He (alayhe as-salaam) called his Lord.
And remember Dhun-Nun (Yunus), when he went off in anger: He imagined
that We had no power over him! But he cried through the depths of
darkness, "There is no deity
worthy of worship except You, glorified and exhalted be You, indeed I
was from the wrong-doers!" AL-ANBIYA' 21.087
Darkness upon darkness enveloped him (alayhe as-salaam):
a) the darkness of the depths of the ocean,
b) the darkness of the belly of the fish,
c) the darkness of the night.
He (alayhe as-salaam) called upon Allah, the One who can remove all
distresses, he called upon Him with correct at-Tawheed and Allah
removed his worries immediately.
Responding and Complying
(Istijaabah)
To accept and answer to the deen of Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad
(SAAS) completely as the aayah says:
O you who believe! Respond
to Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger (SAAS) when He calls you
to that which will give you life; and know that Allah comes in between a
man and his heart, and that it is He to Whom you shall (all) be
gathered. AL-ANFAL 8.024
The repercussion of rejecting the Call to His deen is grievous and
its result is the greatest of sorrows in the Hereafter. The disbeliever
will be raised and wail to His Lord (Whom he denied in the world):
He will say: "O my Lord!
Why have You raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)?
TA-HA 20.125
Allah will reply to him with complete justice:
He (Allah) will say: So (it
must be). Our revelations came to you (in the world) but you did reject
them. In like manner this Day you are forgotten (rejected).
TA-HA 20.126
Not only will Allah reject the disbeliever but he will also be
humiliated by Shaitaan who the mushrik took as his close companion and
responded to his (Shaitaan's) call.
And Shaitaan will say when the matter has been decided, "Verily Allah promised you a promise of
truth. I too promised you but I betrayed you. I had no authority over
you except that I called you and you responded to me. So blame me not,
but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny
your former act in associating me (Shaitaan) as a partner with Allah."
Verily, there is a painful torment for the transgressors.
IBRAHEEM 14.22
So we urge you brothers and sisters to respond to and comply with
Allah's religion and enter it completely.
O you who believe! Enter into
Islam whole-heatedly and follow not the footsteps of the Shaitaan, for
he is to you an open, avowed enemy. AL-BAQARAH 2.208
Belief in the Divine Decree
(Qadr)
Qadr is an established part of the religion and is included in our
belief. In the famous "Hadeeth of Jibreel" (alaihe-as-salaam) when he
asked the Messenger (SAAS) about Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan, he (SAAS)
replied about Eemaan:
That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books,
in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgement, and you affirm your faith in
Qadr, the good and the evil consequences of it...MUSLIM
We must accept and be content with Qadr, knowing that whatever Allah
decrees he does so out of His all-encompassing Knowledge and Wisdom.
With this belief in Qadr (the good and the evil of it) firm in our
hearts Allah will guide our hearts:
No calamity befalls, but
with the leave of Allah, and whoever believes in Allah, He guides his
heart, and Allah is the All-Knower of everything. AT-TAGHAABUN
64:11
'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas (radhiyAllahu anhu) related one day he was
riding behind Allah's Messenger (SAAS) who said,
"Young man, if you are mindful of Allah (of His commands and
prohibitions), He will be mindful of you, and if you are mindful of
Allah you will find Him before you. When you ask for anything ask it
from Allah, and if you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the
people were to unite to do you some benefit they could benefit you only
with what Allah had decreed for you, and that if they were to unite to
do you some injury they could injure you only with what Allah had
recorded for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages are dry."AHMAD,
TIRMIDHI, AN-NAWAWI'S FORTY HADEETH
So with this knowledge that no harm or good can touch a servant of
Allah except with the permission of the All-Knower and All-Wise, the
hearts find tranquillity and contentment. This therefore encourages the
Muslim to patientiently persevere during an affliction and motivates
him to praise Allah when He bestows some portion of good upon him.
Whatever his situation, if the Muslim acts accordingly he has only
rewards to gain and nothing to lose.
Suhaib ibn Sinan al-Romi related that Allah's Messenger (SAAS) said:
Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every
affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the
case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he praises
(Allah), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into
trouble and shown resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a
good for him in it. MUSLIM
Sincerity (Ikhlaas)
'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (radhiyAllahu anhu) said that the Prophet (SAAS)
said,
"While three people were walking, rain began to fall and they had
to enter a cave in a mountain. A big rock rolled over and blocked the
mouth of the cave. They said to one another, `Invoke Allah (since ely)
with the best deed you have performed (so that Allah may remove the
rock).' One of them said, `O Allah! My parents were old and I used to go
out to graze (my animals). On my return I would milk (the animals) and
take the milk in a vessel to my parents to drink. After they had drunk
from it, I would give it to my children, family and wife. One day I was
delayed and on my return I found my parents sleeping, and I did not
wish to wake them up. The children were crying at my feet (because of
hunger). That state of affairs continued until it was dawn. O Allah! If
You think that I did it for Your sake, then please remove this rock so
that we may see the sky.' So the rock was moved a little. The second
said, `O Allah! You know that I was in love with a cousin of mine, the
deepest love a man may have for a woman, and she told me that I would
not have my desire fulfilled unless I paid her one hundred deenars (gold
pieces). So I struggled for it until I gathered the desired amount.
When I sat between her legs, she told me to fear Allah, and asked me not
to deflower her except rightfully (by marriage). So I stood up and left
her. O Allah! If You think that I did it for Your sake, kindly remove
this rock.' So two-thirds of the rock was removed. Then the third man
said, `O Allah! No doubt You know that once I employed a worker for one
faraq (three sa's) of millet, and when I wanted to pay him, he refused
to take it. So I sowed it and from its yield I bought cows and hired a
herdsman. After a time the man came and demanded his money. I said to
him: Go to those cows and the herdsman and take them for they are for
you. He asked me whether I was joking with him. I told him that I was
not joking with him, and all that belonged to him. O Allah! If You think
that I did it sincerely for Your sake, then please remove the rock.' So
the rock was removed completely from the mouth of the cave."
BUKHARI
So invoking Allah sincerely, seeking His Pleasure is one of the ways
of removing afflictions from us.
Supplication (Ad-Duaa)
O Ever Living, O
Self-Subsisting and Supporter of all, by Your mercy I seek assistance.
Rectify for me all my affairs and do not leave me to myself, even for
the blink of an eye. AL-HAAKIM, SAHEEH AT-TARGHEEB
WAT-TARHEEB, HISN-UL-MUSLIM (ENG. TRANS. P125)
In al-Saheehayn it was reported from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say, when
he felt distressed:
"La ilaaha ill-Allaah al-‘Azeem ul-Haleem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb
il-‘arsh il-‘azeem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb is-samawaati wa Rabb
il-ard wa Rabb il-‘arsh il-kareem (there is no god except Allaah, the
All-Mighty, the Forbearing; there is no god except Allaah, the Lord of
the Mighty Throne; there is no god except Allaah, Lord of the heavens,
Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne).”
And it was reported from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say,
when something upset him:
"Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom, bi Rahmatika astagheeth (O Ever-Living One, O
Everlasting One, by Your mercy I seek help).”
And it was reported that Asmaa’ bint ‘Umays (may Allaah be pleased
with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said to me: "Shall I not teach you some words to say when
you feel distressed? ‘Allaah, Allaah, Rabbee laa ushriku bihi shay’an
(Allaah, Allaah, my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him).’”
It was reported from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No person suffers any
anxiety or grief, and says:
‘Allaahumma innee ‘abduka wa ibn ‘abdika wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi
yadika, maadin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka, as’aluka bi kulli
ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw
‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghaybi
‘andak an taj’ala al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’a
huzni wa dhahaaba hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave,
son of Your female slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over
me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by
every Name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed
in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have
preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the
Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure
for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety)’
- but Allaah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in
their stead joy.”
Al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, edited by Shaykh
al-Albaani, p. 72
Seeking refuge in Allah
(Istiaadhah)
Anas ibn Malik (radhiyAllahu anhu) relates that the Prophet (SAAS)
said to Abu Talha (radhiyAllahu anhu),
"Choose one of your servant-boys to serve me on my expedition to
Khaibar." So Abu Talha took me, letting me ride behind him, when I was a
boy nearing the age of puberty. I used to serve Allah's Messenger when
he stopped to rest. I heard him saying repeatedly, "O Allah! I seek
refuge with you from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and
laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and
from being overcome by men." BUKHARI and HISN-UL-MUSLIM
(P.157)
Detachment from this world
(Az-Zuhd)
Anas ibn Malik and Zaid ibn Thabit (radhiyAllahu anhum) related that
the Prophet (SAAS) said,
"For the ones whose concern is this world, Allah will scatter his
affairs, place poverty between his two eyes and he will not get from
the world except what is written for him. As for the one whose
intention is the Hereafter, Allah will gather for him his affairs, place
contentment in his heart and the world will come to him willingly"
IBN MAJAH, SAHEEH-UL-JAAMI NO. 6386
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