In Times of Difficulty - Mufti Abu Layth

bismillah i'd like to share today some thoughts with you on times of difficulty i have had some people ask me

about themselves whilst others have asked about people that they have known who have found themselves in incredibly testing situations circumstances which have made them question their iman on this note i'd like to share some thoughts allah subhanahu ta'ala teaches us

to we will test you with fear or with hunger or abstinence from or a loss in things like wealth or or people or prophets and fruits

that these things these things which are dear to you you may be tested in them at times and allah says and then give glad tidings to those who are patient we have to understand that times of difficulty will come upon each annual that nobody in this dunya will be devoid or absolutely free from some form of anxiety or anguish

or difficulty these are these things are with us for life but the amazing thing the amazing thing that we have is the guidance from this thing which teaches us there is a hadith in sahih muslim where the prophet islam teaches us says he says he says he said that wow like it the matter of a believer the whole thing is so amazing

in a s said if an amazing or awesome thing was to come his way over a way that they that he would be grateful and this was good for him and if he was to be afflicted with some type of difficulty he was patient and that was great for him

this guidance teaches us that yes at times you may face incredible difficulties but the prophet sallallahu alaihi said in namas that at the first strike that's when patience is tested we should know that in life no matter what it is that these two shall pass that our greatest glory is never and is not in never falling

but in rising each time we fall we have to have this type of hope this iman within us that drives us and propels us forward and understand that there are many things as allah says in the quran there are many things which we may dislike apparently yet it may have so much hair in it for us necessity is often the mother of invention

people when they have been put in very awkward or difficult circumstances that many of them have often seen great opportunity that had they have not been put in that situation perhaps their life would never have taken such a turn let's take a look at the example of abdul-rahman

somebody who finds his family being persecuted and murdered in damascus who runs for his life as a refugee he runs and leaves home and leaves his luxuries and whatever he had a life of comfort and finds himself in a desert desperate alone with nothing except his own determination and where does that take him it takes him to a a peninsula the iberian peninsula known as a landlus to set up and restore a dynasty that had

been wiped off the face of this earth to set in motion a rulership that would give birth to the caliphate upon european soil that would become one of the most greatest civilizations to have ever ruled in europe how would have he ever dreamt that such a destiny awaited him if it wasn't for perhaps the hardship and difficulty which came his way in allah that indeed

with difficulty comes east also that when difficulties before people we have to understand whether they befall us or other people around us that they may be also a test for those who are around you or that person sometimes allah may choose to test not only a particular person but the people around them but how would they respond and everybody should do their best to assist in the hadith we are taught

in that at times there will be mandatory rights upon your upon you upon your resources upon your wealth other than the necessary or mandatory mandatory zakat and sadaqah and that is when people around you may be in certain situations and sometimes it's not about resources it's about just support it's about comfort it may even be about a kind word or a smile also we must remember

that the the power of dua in a that nothing return or kind of repels destiny or the or the divine decree except the power of a torah is incredible and sometimes it is it's almost a test for us that people yes in helping somebody perhaps physically or helping them

with our resources or with our finances we may find a hundred a thousand a million excuses but can we truly find an excuse to make dua for somebody specifically that is a test for us as a person as an individual if you want to test the general generosity of your heart then try and make dua for somebody specifically see how how you how that settles with you and also in times of difficulty sadaka that in a hadith

is something that repels difficulties don't seem to they they can't they they struggle to overcome a sadaqa and then all always we must remember that no matter what the situation is there is there are only two type of directions we can take this that one it is something we can do something about then in that case

we need to stop or avoid stressing and do whatever it is that we need to do and in the other situation or the other outcome is that there's nothing we can do about then in that case we need to stop stressing because there's nothing we can do about and we need to understand that one of the greatest things we have in this dunya is our hope our determination which is driven by our iman and we see and we learn this generally in society as well

helen keller somebody who faced incredible disabilities and difficulties said that that to keep your head high she said look the world straight in the eye and we as believers have so many teachings to reinforce our iman we must understand that no matter how dark this moment of difficulty seems that it will always be succeeded by a new door

we must know that that with difficulty comes ease and we must have certainty that our lord is incredibly merciful that said people may allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alleviate and make easy make and grant ease to all each and all who are facing any difficulties out there and they should know that allah is with them

we find almost comfort as well in the words of the urdu poet that began he says that even when you find people around you may kind of dissipate or disappear don't kind of lose hope over things like this know that if nobody is there surely allah is most certainly there for us with that we ask allah subhanahu ta'ala

to grant us the best of this world and the next and may allah subhana wa ta'ala reconnect us with this thing of ours and reinforce our iman till we leave this world alhamdulillah washington