Episode 18 - Desperate.. Wild.. Anxious.. Afraid

My dear friends.. Imagine a conversation between two friends: Ziad and Raed..

Ziad: I heard, Raed, that you are close to an important person. Raed: Yes, he is wealthy and influential, no problem is too difficult for him. Ziad: And what is your relationship with him? Raed: He is my friend! He is ready to stand by me in any problem. He always tells me not to ask for help from anyone else.

Then, after days of this conversation:

Raed: Aaaaaah, Ziad.. I am worried! - About what? - I have been in trouble for a while, and my patience is running out. I feel afraid of the future, I feel loneliness, loss, weakness as I stand alone against this problem. - Strange, Raed! - What is strange about it? - Didn't you tell me about your relationship with the wealthy, influential man ready to solve all your problems? - Yes. - Are you still in contact with him? - Of course.. He is my close friend and is waiting for me to ask him. - Ziad: Excuse me, Raed.. You are contradictory! There is a mistake in your words. Either your friend is weak and limited in ability, or you are claiming his friendship to boast and are not actually in contact with him at all..

Brother.. Sister.. Isn't Ziad right? Isn't Raed contradictory in his claim? Before you blame Raed.. beware.. I fear that we are like him!

Don't we declare that we believe in Allah and worship Him, so we read in our prayers in one day {Iyyaka Na'budu} at least seventeen times and seek His help as we read {Wa Iyyaka Nasta'een} seventeen times, and believe that Allah is with us and we rely on Him as we say: (Bismillah, Tawakaltu ala Allah), and often repeat: (Hasbi Allah wa Ni'm al-Wakil), and declare that we are Muslims who have submitted our affairs to Allah as we repeat when we go to bed - as taught by the Messenger of Allah - : (Allahumma aslamtu nafsi ilayka wa wajjahtu wajhi ilayka wa fawwadtu amri ilayka wa aljaitu dhahri ilayka) (Reported by Bukhari), and we repeat morning and evening: (Radeetu billaahi Rabbah), meaning Creator, Provider, Manager of our affairs? Do we mean what we say? Are we truly believers in Allah, submitting ourselves and our affairs to Him, worshiping Him, seeking His help, relying on Him, being pleased with Him, entrusting our affairs to Him, and seeking refuge in Him?

Therefore.. Allah says: {And Allah is the Protector of the believers} [Al Imran: 68].. and He says: {So know that Allah is your Protector. How excellent is the Protector and how excellent is the Helper!} [Al Anfal: 40].. and He says: {And do not be weak and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.} [Al Imran: 139].. And He says: {Is not Allah sufficient for His servants?} [Al Zumar: 36].. (A correct tenfold reading) And He says: {And whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him.} [At Talaq: 3].. And He says: {And Allah is with you and will never deprive you of your deeds.} [Muhammad: 35].. And He says: {Indeed, Allah is with the patient.} [Al Baqarah: 153]..

So how can any of us allow ourselves, after all this, to feel extreme fear when facing a problem? How can we allow ourselves to feel lost, anxious, lonely, and alone against the problem? Or how can we allow ourselves to express these feelings to people? Where is our faith in Allah, our submission to Him, our reliance on Him, and our feeling of His presence? Shouldn't we be ashamed before Allah to complain about loneliness, loss, weakness, and anxiety about the future? Aren't we then contradictory with ourselves?

There is only one explanation for this contradiction: either our claim of faith, submission, reliance, and seeking help is false, even though we repeat it dozens of times a day! And then I fear that we are like those whom Allah said about them: {They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.} [Al Fath: 11].. Or that we relied on Allah and He abandoned us, sought His help and He left us, and submitted our affairs to Him and He ruined us.. Allah is far above that! He is the One who says: {And whoever relies upon Allah, then He is sufficient for him.} [At Talaq: 3].. {And who is more truthful in statement than Allah?} [An Nisa: 122].. {The promise of Allah. Allah does not fail in His promise, but most of the people do not know.} [Ar Rum: 6].. The third explanation for the contradiction is that this complaining person who claims reliance is like saying: (Allah was not enough for me, He is with me but I feel lost)! As if he attributes weakness to his Lord! Allah is far above that.

So which explanation do you choose, O "reliant" complainer? My dear friends in Allah, let us know the greatness of the Lord we worship and seek help from: - He is the Great, the Mighty, the Dominant, the Strong, the Firm, the Conqueror, the Controller, and He is capable of all things.. So it is a defect to complain of weakness while He is with us! - He is the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Loving, the Generous, the Forgiving, the Gentle, the Patient, the Near.. So it is a defect to complain of loneliness while He is with us! - He is the Hearing, the Seeing, the Peace, the Answerer of supplication.. So it is a defect to complain of anxiety while He is with us! He is Allah! {Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?} [Al Zumar: 36].. Yes, by Allah.

So what is the benefit of our faith in the names and attributes of Allah if this faith does not calm our hearts and bind our hearts in trials and afflictions? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: (He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Islam as a religion, and with Muhammad as a Messenger) (Reported by Muslim). So whoever is pleased with Allah as a Lord who manages his affairs and cares for his affairs will taste the sweetness of faith, its tranquility, and its reassurance. And whoever finds instead of that anxiety and fear has not tasted the sweetness of faith, and let him look at the sincerity of his pleasure with Allah as a Lord at that time!

He is Allah who does not disappoint those who rely on Him.. We are the ones who may not do well in reliance. Brother who is afflicted.. Do not complain to the people about Allah, I beg you! They are not more merciful to you than Allah.. Do not complain to the people about Allah, I beg you! Lest the enemies rejoice over us and say: Where is the help of your Lord that you claimed. As their predecessors said, as Allah narrated about them: {Deceived were these by their religion.} [Al Anfal: 49], so Allah replied to them: {And whoever relies upon Allah, then indeed Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.} [Al Anfal: 49]..

Whenever you want to complain about loss, fear of the future, despair, and loss of patience, imagine that a disbeliever is sitting next to you listening to what you say! What will he say to you if he hears your complaints?: (Didn't you advise me, O Muslim, to believe in the existence of a Lord who created us and provides for us, and to worship Him and seek help from Him to feel tranquility and the good of this world and the hereafter? I do not see any of that! But I see you as if you are saying: My affair is in the hand of Allah, so now I am worried)!

Within these meanings, I composed during a trial I went through a poem titled: (With the Love of Allah, I Patience) which had an effect, by Allah's permission, in strengthening me and expanding my chest until Allah allowed the trial to pass.. You will find it, brother/sister, in the following pages.. So contemplate it and absorb its meanings.. May Allah benefit us with it.