Episode 2 - How to Overcome the Fear of the Unknown?

Imagine with me: gifts have come to you, and you know they are great and valuable gifts. However, some of these gifts came in a beautiful and shiny wrapping, while others came in an ugly one. Does the appearance of the wrappers matter much to you if you know that the gifts inside are precious, valuable, and great?

Similarly, if you know that everything that will happen in the future can be turned to your benefit, you will not care much whether it comes in the form of a trial or a blessing, for you are the one who decides what it will be.

Why do people usually fear and worry? Because the future is unknown to them. This fear spoils the happiness of worldly people no matter how much worldly comfort they have, because they fear that this comfort will disappear and circumstances will change.

A wealthy person may become poor... A healthy person may fall ill with a chronic disease... A free person may be imprisoned... A secure person may be terrified... Someone who loves another intensely may lose their beloved.

So, do you want to know how to overcome the fear of the unknown future? Simply: make a decision to be pleased with whatever Allah, the Exalted, does to you.

Note: Patience comes after the event, and it is the result of things you do before the event, so patience comes to you when you need it. Therefore, the question is often raised: (Patience is one of the acts of the heart that a person cannot control, yet it is required of him... how?) The answer is that what you can do is prepare yourself for patience and act in obedience to Allah so that He grants you patience when you need it.

Whenever the thought of fear of the unknown comes to you, renew your covenant and promise that you will be pleased and grateful, patient, and trust in Allah's help for you. If you do that, you will not fear the future because it is no longer unknown, but has become an open page for you! How? Simply, after making this decision, you are certain that everything that happens is for your good. Did not the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: (How wonderful is the affair of the believer! All his affairs are good, and that is only for the believer. If he is touched by something good, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he is touched by something bad, he is patient, and that is good for him) (Narrated by Muslim).

Therefore, after you make a decision to be grateful in times of ease and patient in times of hardship, do not say: (I do not know if the future holds good or evil for me). For, according to the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the future holds nothing but good for you in this case. The beauty of the matter here is that the issue is no longer about unknown quantities that may overwhelm you in valleys of loss... It no longer matters what the outward appearances are: poverty or wealth, health or illness, the presence of loved ones or their absence... You! You are the one who will make all of this turn to your benefit and good, by the will of Allah. All you have to do is make a decision of gratitude and patience. Do not say (Even if I make a decision to be patient and grateful, Allah may decree that I will not be patient), but remember that Allah, the Exalted, has said: {No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah. And whoever believes in Allah, He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things} [At-Taghabun: 11].. This verse carries great meanings, including that whoever surrenders his affair to Allah, the Exalted, believing in Him truly, then Allah, the Exalted, will guide his heart, strengthen it, and support him. Patience and gratitude are the results of the heart being filled with faith in Allah, the Exalted, and surrendering to Him.

Also, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) addresses this fear when he said: (And whoever is patient, Allah will make him patient) (Narrated by Muslim). Therefore, hasten and make the decision, and do not say that Allah may decree that I will not be patient afterward. Allah is wiser and more merciful than that. And He, the Exalted, has made patience a means and causes, and whoever adheres to them, his Lord will grant him patience, tranquility, and reassurance. So, through your action, you seek patience from Allah, and this is not beyond your ability.

You may say: (I try to make the decision to be patient, but I feel insincerity in that because I fear that the trial may be too severe for me to bear). We will cooperate in overcoming this fear as well when we contemplate something of His wisdom and aid in upcoming pages, by the will of Allah.

You may say: I can make the decision now because I love Allah, the Exalted. But if He tests me with a great trial, I fear that this love will be affected... We will also cooperate, by the will of Allah, in rebuilding our love for Allah, the Exalted, on sound foundations so that we may be reassured of His care and support, no matter the circumstances.

What is required of you now is to trust, believe, and be certain of Allah's wisdom and mercy, so that you make the decision to be pleased. The meaning of patience here is: complete and perfect satisfaction that is not tainted by any doubt, contrary to complaining to Allah, the Exalted, and objecting to His wisdom and actions. The meaning here is not being unaffected by what befalls you of evil or loving that evil. This is contrary to human nature, for if someone is afflicted with the death of a loved one, it is natural that he grieves and suffers, but he does not complain to fate or object to his Lord, the Exalted, with statements like (Why was I tested?) and (What did I do to deserve this), as a form of objection! Rather, he thanks his Lord, the Exalted, and is patient, thus earning the reward and blessing along with the pleasure of patience and reassurance... And among the supplications of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was: (And I ask You for contentment after decree) (Narrated by An-Nasa'i and authenticated by Al-Albani).

When you put your head down to sleep and say the supplication that our Prophet taught us: ((O Allah, I have submitted myself to You and entrusted my affairs to You)), say it with absolute certainty and complete surrender, so that you may be included in the address that the Most Merciful, the Most Merciful, directed to His Prophet where He said: {And be patient for the decree of your Lord, for indeed you are in Our sight} [At-Tur: 48]. That is: Do not fear, you are under Our protection and care, surrounded by Our mercy and kindness.

The conclusion of this station: Make a decision to be pleased with your Lord in every matter, to be rid of the fear of the unknown forever, by the will of Allah.