Never lose heart

It would be unnatural for mankind to live on this earth without a taste of sad moments. Difficult times and misfortunes have been designed by Allah to be a part of the natural course of life on this planet. Sorrowful and unpleasant moments should thus be seen as constructive sources of inspiration that would eventually lead us out of predicaments into prosperity. If men of God also experienced trials, ordinary men should know that life for mankind has not been made to be full-time luxury. For every positive situation, Allah (SWT) has created a negative phenomenon. Allah (SWT) created death as opposed to life in the same way that He (SWT) caused the phenomenal world to have day and night, hot and cold, up and down, long and short, right and left, front and back, good and bad, success and failure, happiness and sadness.

Allah (WT) asserts in Qur’an 51:49 “And of everything we have created in pairs: That ye may receive instruction.” This is why, as human beings, we are sometimes happy and at other times sad. Adversities are neither meant to discourage us from the path of struggle nor dampen our spirit to remain on the path of patience and perseverance. Since no two or more individuals are the same or have the same destiny in life, it is natural for different people to have different problems confronting them at different times. Even for one particular person, trials are not likely to be the same all the time.

While the acquisition of political power could be some individual’s greatest worry in life; joblessness, infertility, perpetual failure in one particular examination, bankruptcy, loss in business transactions or its total collapse, protracted illness, matrimonial instability could be the worst trial in the life of others. Each of these is a problem capable of making a person’s life miserable. In all adversities, Islam exhorts believers to keep their hopes alive and never to lose heart no matter how bad the situation in which they find themselves might be.

It could be disturbing, for instance, if one fails to get a husband or a wife to marry especially if age is no longer in one’s favour. It could similarly be frustrating if one’s marriage, as a husband or wife, is not blessed with children. It could be teasing if a worker fails to pass promotion examination after several attempts. It could be a source of depression to suffer from protracted illness. It could be a source of depression if one is unable to provide for his domestic needs including children’s school fees. We must neither lose heart nor allow any of these to weaken our faith.

Allah (SWT) commands in Qur’an 39:53 “…Despair not of the mercy of Allah…” No one despairs according to Qur’an 15:56 except “those who go astray.” Islam admonishes us to sincerely and firmly hold on to our faith and to practically express the sixth article of Islamic faith, which requires a Muslim to believe in destiny, good or bad. Let us accept anything that happens to us, pleasant or otherwise, as a part of that which Allah (SWT), the Omniscience, has destined to cross our path.

Let us know that the school of adversities has turned out many famous graduates. So, we must not allow ourselves to drop out from this natural school of ordeal. What sets successful people apart is not extraordinary talent. Rather, it is their indefatigable determination to keep their hopes alive through unceasing search for opportunities in hardships and misfortunes. With a living hope, we can always reach the top of that rocky mountain called success. Never should we allow any problem (economic, social or political) to push us into depression. Nothing is impossible in the sight of Allah (SWT) except what He (SWT) has not destined.

The ability to keep and preserve our hope, trust and confidence in Allah (SWT) alive puts the master-key to happiness in our hands. The extent to which we patiently persevere strengthens our determination to push the gate to success wide open. On the path that leads to this gate are some deep rivers. Let us cross these streams of audition where they are shallowest in order to reach the gate of success.

Do not allow deliberate intimidations by those who envy your principles (ethical, religious or ideological) to weaken or destabilize you. Just keep your hope in Allah (SWT) alive. Do not allow the false criticisms and the vulgar language of your critics to make you apprehensive. Just continue to maitain, preserve and sustain your hope in Allah (SWT). With patience, it will all come to pass as if the problem never existed. And gradually but steadily, you will by Allah’s grace attain the peak of your goals. Allah (SWT) affirms in Qur’an 65:3 “…And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.”

Sayyid Qutb kept his hope alive while in prison and succeeded in writing a commentary (Tafsir) of the holy Qur’an titled “In the shade of the Qur’an” (Fi Dhilal il-Qur’an). Shaykh Uthman Danfodio kept his hope alive at Degel and during his sojourn at Gudu launched a comeback that enabled him to establish an Islamic state not only over Gobir where he once fled but over a wide area of land geo-historically referred to as western and central Sudan. Those who preach Allah’s word are never deterred by the refusal of their audience to abandon the path unrighteousness. Rather, they continue to keep their hope for a decent society alive in the same way that Prophet Nuhu (AS) kept his hope alive for 950years preaching Allah’s word to people who would not accept his message.

If you think you have waited too long for a baby to arrive, remind yourself of the experience of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) who lived with his wife, Sarah, for over a century but without a child until in their old age when Allah (SWT) sent a group of angels to give them glad tidings of a son endowed with knowledge.

Believers have no reason to lose heart. Let us remember that no condition is ever permanent. For any hope to really remain alive, it must be accompanied with patience and prayers, sometimes for a whole lifetime. May Allah (SWT) give us the ability to keep our hopes alive in all circumstances and over all matters, Amin.

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