Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan (عنه هللا رضي (reported: The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said,

“How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allaah جل جلاله and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is good for him” (Muslim).

Abu Hurairah ( عنه هللا رضي (reported: The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم (said, “He whom Allaah intends good, He makes him to suffer from some affliction” (Al-Bukhari).

Abu Hurairah (عنه هللا رضي (reported: The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم (said, “A Muslim, male or female, continues to remain under trial in respect of his life, property, and offspring until he faces Allaah جل جلاله, the Exalted, with no sin record” (At-Tirmidhi).

The above Ahadith should not be mistaken for a call to fatalism and defeatism. The message the Ahadith convey is that every Muslim should expect hardships and prepare to weather them. This point makes a distinction between one who trusts in Allaah جل جلاله and believes in His mercy and one who feels that he is alone in this world, that he faces its formidable challenges isolated from any source of support or assistance.

So, these Ahadith are meant to infuse the Muslim with hope and vigor and drive away the destructive thoughts of failure and hopelessness. To get a better understanding of them, they should be considered in light of the following Ahadith:

Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

“A strong believer is better and dearer to Allaah جل جلاله than a weak one, and both are good. Adhere to that which is beneficial for you. Keep asking Allaah جل جلاله for help and do not refrain from it. (If you are afflicted in any way), do not say: ‘If I had taken this or that step, it would have resulted into such and such,’ but say only: ‘Allaah جل جلاله so determined and did as He willed.’ The word ‘if’ opens the gates of satanic (thoughts)” (Muslim).

In line with this hadith comes the Prophet’s advice to his cousin Ibn `Abbas (رضي الله عنه) to know that with patience comes victory, with distress comes relief, and with hardship comes ease.

In this respect, one idea may be a source of worry and disturbance. How can we approach afflictions with such optimism when they are clear signs of Allaah جل جلاله‘s wrath and manifestations of His punishment? Has not Allaah جل جلاله said:

ثِۡ ٍ ا َ ۡن َ ۡ َعُفو َ ُ ُۡک و ۡ ِدی ۡ َ ةَ ۡ اَ ا َ َ َِتم َۃٍ ب ۡ ُّم ِطی ۡن ُ ُۡک ّمِ َ َضاا اَ {Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things your hands have wrought, and for many (of them) He grants forgiveness} (Ash-Shura 42:30)

Actually, these questions haunt many people, especially the practicing ones when they are afflicted with a calamity, deprived of a cherished person, or plagued with an illness. The problem is that in many cases this thought becomes a source of frustration and depression.

Instead of being an incentive to hastening to Allaah جل جلاله and drawing closer to him, the idea serves sometimes as a dispiriting factor.

In his comment on this verse, Imam Al-Qurtubi reports that `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said:

“This verse is the most hopeful one in the Quran; if my sins are to be expiated through afflictions and calamities, and in addition to that, Allaah جل جلاله forgives many other sins, then what will remain after such expiation and forgiveness?”

The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), being a man of wisdom and thought, accepted the challenges and overcame them. Therefore, Allaah جل جلاله gave him victory. Otherwise, if he and his community were people who were unable to overcome the challenges or remained inactive, we would not be Muslims today.

Mercy and forgiveness are shown when the case is evaluated. One of the best examples is the conquest of Makkah when the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) returned to Makkah from Madinah. One of the companions, Sa’d ibn Ubaadah (رضي الله عنه) said:

“Today is the day of slaughtering. Today is the day wherein Allaah جل جلاله will put down the Quraish.”

Abu Sufyan, who became Muslim at that time, was worried about the statement of the companion and submitted the affair to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), to which he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied:

“Today is the day of mercy. Today is the day when Allaah جل جلاله will elevate the Quraish.”

He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) analyzed the situation and showed mercy and forgiveness as they are more beneficial than slaughtering, with the hope that the people will accept Islam.

In an authentic hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr, The Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

“Those who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth, and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.” (Tirmidhi)

Often, people tend to become reactionary or they do not pursue a challenge because they get tired of it, or they had a past experience from it and they simply don’t want to go through it anymore, and they even get scared of it sometimes. But Islam teaches us to be people of courage and not to fall because one time we failed, so we won’t try again. Life is not like that.

Allaah جل جلاله says in the Qur’an (Surah Baqarah -214):

َ ََّّت وا ُ ِ ل ْ َ ُزل ُ و ال ََّّضَّاء َ ُ و َساء ْ أ َ ب ْ ال ُ ْْتُم َّ ِ ُُک َّم ل ْ ْوا مِن قَت َ َن َ ل ََِّّلی ِ ُُک َّمثَ ُل ا ت ْ َأ ا َّ م َ ل َ َة و َجنَّ ْ ُُوا ال أن تَ ْدُ ل َ ْم َ ِ ةُُْتْ أ َ ِر ٌي قَ َّن هَ ْ َ ا َّلِلِ ِإ َۡل ا أ َ َن أَٓم ُوا َمَعُ َمََّت هَ ْ ُ ا َّلِلِ ََِّّلی ا َ َّ ُسوُل و ُقوَل الر

Or do you expect to enter Paradise before the example of those who came before you had reached you? Adversity and hardship had afflicted them, and they were so shaken up, that the Messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is Allaah’s victory?” Indeed, Allaah’s victory is near.

We must evaluate the problem and not get scared when approaching the challenges and not play the blaming game and start blaming others. This is not going to solve the problem either. We need to think deeply about the situation and look for changes. Allaah جل جلاله says in the Qur’an in many places that Allaah جل جلاله loves the ‘Muhsineen.’ He loves those who are progressing and part of being a progressing person is to evaluate the situation and learn from them and let go.

Letting go means being in peace with yourself and with things that you don’t have control over. However, letting go does not mean that you completely forget about it. And letting go is not to remain with fear, worry, and anxiety in your heart because of that. We ask Allaah (جل جلاله) to give us the courage to face the challenges that we have ahead in our life.