Sad Times
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[Shaykh Aaid Al-Qarni]
Allah Ta'ala says:
"Whosoever is in the heavens and on earth begs of Him. Every day He has a matter to bring forth [such as giving honour to some, disgrace to some, life to some, death to some, etc.]!"
[Surah ar-Rahman; Ayah 29].
When there is a violent storm and the seas are turbulent, the occupants of the boat call out, O Allah!
When the camel-driver and the caravan are lost in the desert, they call out, O Allah!
When disaster and calamity occur, the afflicted call out, O Allah!
When doors are shut before those who seek to enter through them and barriers are placed before those who are in need - they cry out, O Allah!
When all plans end in failure, all hope is lost, and the path becomes constricted, O Allah is called out.
When the earth, vast and wide though it is, is straitened for you, causing your soul to feel constricted, call out, O Allah!
To Allah ascend all the goodly words, the sincere supplication, the tears of the innocent, and the invocations of the afflicted. Hands and eyes are extended to Him in times of hardship and misfortune. The tongue chants, cries out, and mentions His name. The heart finds peace, the soul finds rest, the nerves are relaxed and the intellect becomes sharp - these are all achieved when we remember Allah, the Exalted.
Problems
The pleasures of life are short-lived, and more often than not, they are followed by sorrow. Life means responsibility, a journey wherein change is constant and difficulties are many.
You will not find a father, a wife, or a friend who is free from problems. Allah Ta'ala has willed for this world to be filled with two opposites: good and evil, righteousness and corruption, happiness and misery. Thus good, uprightness, and happiness are for Paradise; evil, corruption, and misery are for the Fire. The Prophet said:
'This world is cursed along with all that is in it, except for:
a) the remembrance of Allah and what follows it (i.e. good deeds and whatever Allah loves), and
b) the scholar and the student.'
So live according to your reality without always envisioning the ideal life, one that is free of worry and toil. Accept life as it is and adapt accordingly to all circumstances. You will not find in this world such things as the flawless companion or the perfect situation, because flawlessness and perfection are qualities that are foreign to this life.
You will not find the perfect wife. A hadith reads:
'The believing man should not brush (away) the believing woman if he hates a quality in her, there is another that he is pleased with.'
It is necessary for us to make amends; to take what is easy and leave what is difficult; and at certain times, to overlook faults and mistakes.
csw
