Reflections From The Qur’an (5): The Tests Are Meant To Continue

Alhamdulillāh… All praise and thanks are due to the Almighty Allāh. I send peace and blessings upon Ḥabībī Muḥammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path, till the Day of Judgement.

This is part 5 of the ‘Reflections from the Qur'an’ series, which is posted here on GSalam.Net, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, throughout the holy month of Ramaḍān 2014. I pray that Allāh grants us more understanding of His book and religion.

As long as you choose to live as a Muslim, you must be psychologically prepared to be tested in all you do, wherever you go. This is because your faith (imān) will be tested and challenged with or without a reason. You will encounter discrimination with or without reason. More so, from the enemies of Islam, who are from within and from without.

There’s no wonder, then to see the oppression against Muslims around the globe is escalated the way it is.

In Sūrah ʾĀli ʿImrān, 3:186, Allah says:

لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا، وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ

“You will surely be tried and tested in your possessions and your persons, and you shall surely hear many hurtful things from those who were given the Book before you and from those who set up partners with Allāh. But if you endure with fortitude and restrain yourselves, that indeed is a matter of strong determination.”

The meaning of this verse is emphasized in Sūrah al-Baqarah, 155-157:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ، وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّـهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾ أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ، وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

“We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives and crops. Give good tidings to those who endure with fortitude. Those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, “We belong to Allāh and to Him we shall return.” They are the ones who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord. And it is they, who are on the right path!”

The Arabic words used to initiate both verses “latublawunna” and “walabluwannakum” have clearly implied certainty with emphasis in what every true Muslim will undergo in his life.

Recently, a Muslim sister was murdered in England, due to her Islamic outlooking. Muslims are denied equity in job opportunities in countries they “belong to” and “call home.”

Muslims get their bank accounts and businesses frozen, for being practicing Muslims. As a result, Muslims are disallowed from giving donations and do charity, especially to foreign countries.

Muslims are discriminated at airports, borders and checkpoints for looking and being Muslims. Be prepared to be always selected randomly for security checks and interrogations.

Muslims are labelled ‘terrorist’ for the activities carried out by a small proportion of the entire global Muslim population, but when non-Muslims carry out the same kind of activities, they're never called terrorists. You are also a ‘terrorist’ if you ever ask (or think of asking) for your rights or you dare defend the dignity of your people and land. #SaveGaza, #PrayForGaza.

Muslims couldn't have their regular peaceful Friday congregation (20/6/2014), in Sri Lanka, due to the transgressions and killings they faced from the Buddhists. Meanwhile in Egypt, the Al-Sisi government has cancelled Friday prayers in 100s of mosques in Cairo, Alexandra and other cities.

These are (some of) the trials and challenges you and I will have to bear, in order to qualify for the true Muslim identity. A true Muslim identity is not proclaimed. It’s lived and then awarded by Allāh alone.

The only way to escape experiencing these pains is to denounce your Islam and declare your loyalty and favour for “those who were given the Book before you and those who set up partners with Allāh.”

Why? Because:

وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ، قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّـهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ

“Neither the Jews nor the Christians will be pleased with you until you follow their ways. Say, “Allāh's guidance is the only true guidance.”  [Sūrah al-Baqarah, 120].

And even if you do that (denounce Islam and follow their ways), racism will hunt you down. When you are not dealt with with racism based on your religion, you’ll be treated with it based on your colour and language. Sounds familiar?

This is to say, the only way to our salvation is to embrace and appreciate the religion, which Allāh Himself has chosen for us, and is pleased with. The remainder of the verse above (Sūrah al-Baqarah, 120) reads:

وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ، مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّـهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ

“If you followed their desires after the knowledge which has come to you, you would not have any patron or supporter against Allāh.”

Let’s reflect on the verses above again. After the reflection, if you are a Muslim, and you don’t experience any of the problems indicated by the verses, then, honestly, something is not right somewhere, and you need to find it out and fix it, or get it fixed.

It’s a test. And tests require sacrifice, resilience and perseverance. If you do encounter such tests from time to time, be patient, expect compensation from Allāh, and you shall never be disappointed.

Islam will never be outsmarted. However, Muslims shall continue to undergo tribulations, one after the other. This is meant to prepare the true Muslims for the eternal rewards and the Ultimate Pleasure of Allāh.

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا، وَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ 

“We will surely guide in Our ways those who strive hard for Our cause, Allāh is surely with the righteous.” [Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt, 29:69].

May Allah guide us, strengthen our imān and help us overcome our evil desires. Ameen.

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Allah knows best
Allahu Hafiz 🙂