Voids !

Throughout life there will be thagharāt or voids—moments of doubt, of uncertainty, of desperation, of outright confusion, of fear, of debilitating sadness’, of numbness as you anticipate the worst, of anxieties, of grief, of helplessness, of hopelessness and despair,… all of us at some point have faced these.

And a lot of times these aren’t real, so what we fear isn’t something real but it is the possibility of something real. Our anxieties are not a result of something tangible in the present but often they are a result of a hypothetical scenario in the future. We all have them.

What’s more is that Shayṭān loves these as we are at our weakest and thereby easy to overcome. Easy to fall into his trap. Easy to mislead and easy to stray.

These are voids that no one is immune from and there is ONLY one way to fill these voids and that is through, simply, Knowledge of Allāh.

How? The Qurʾān gives us the perfect example of this. In sūrat al-Baqarah, verse 268:

﴾Shayṭān threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality…﴿ — a void.

And, knowledge of Allāh, ﴾…while Allāh promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.﴿ — the only thing that can fill this void.

Now please note that shayṭān cannot give and he cannot take, so he can’t cause poverty but he threatens you with the illusion of poverty; perhaps in the future you might not have an income to sustain yourself, or a roof to shelter you, or food to satiate you, perhaps you will never find work, perhaps you will never see the fulfillment of your dreams, perhaps you will only see failure, perhaps your health will deteriorate. This is the illusion of poverty—it’s not real and neither is it tangible, and this is the only thing that shayṭān can taunt you with.

Whereas Allāh promises you forgiveness and endless bounty. Maghfirah is not just the dismissal of sins, but with maghfirah comes fatḥ—an opening in a dead end, rizq—a bucket of water from a once dried well, ease—a mountain that crumbled away leaving you a clear trail to march forward.

The greater your knowledge of Allāh is, the greater will be your conviction in His promises and the quicker these voids will fill—the quicker your anxieties will dissipate, the quicker your heart will find peace.

May Allāh grant us the purest of knowledge: knowledge of Him.

Via sister abeer

If we look at our problems as problems, they’ll continue to hold us down. See them as blessings in disguise and that’s what they will truly become.

Does Allah test us?

In this life we face many ups and downs/ difficulties and these difficulties are from Allah Almighty. These ups and downs are from Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty tests his believers with many disasters and crises.
There are many reasons behind these tests which are taken from Allah Almighty. Few reasons are being described here.
*1. For removing our sins and giving reward*
In Quran E Hakeem it is said that:-

And, when he was old enough to walk with him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you, so what do you think?” He said: “O my father! Do that which you are commanded, if Allah Wills, you will find me to be of the patient.” Then, when they had both submitted, and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead, and we called out to him: “O Ibrahim! You have fulfilled the dream!” Verily! Such do we reward the good-doers.”

It is narrated by Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas that it is said by the Prophet of Allah that:-

“Which of the people are tested most severely?” Rasulullah (SAW) replied: “The Prophets, then the righteous, then those who are most like them, then those who are most like them from the people. A man is tested according to his religious commitment. So, if his religious practice is sound, then his testing is increased, and if his religious practice is weak, then his testing is reduced. A servant continues to be tested until he walks the Earth without a single sin on him.”

 *2. For purifying the ranks*

In Quran E Hakeem it is said that:-

Allah was not such as to let the believers remain in the state in which you are, until He distinguished the corrupt from the good. And Allah was not such as to let you have knowledge of the Unseen, rather Allah chooses whom He will of His Messengers. Therefore, believe in Allah and His Messengers; and if you believe and are God fearing, then, for you is a great reward.
*3. For exposing the reality of human being in this world*
In Surah E Nisa it is said that:-

“Verily, we have created man from a mingled sperm-drop that We might try him, so We made him hearing, seeing. Indeed, we have guided him to the way, to be grateful or ungrateful.”
 *4. For revealing the patience*

In Quran E Hakeem it is said that:-

“And surely We shall try you with something of fear, hunger and depletion in goods, lives and crops. Give glad tidings then (O Prophet) to those who endure in fortitude. Such as those who, when visited by an affliction say, ‘To Allah we belong and to Him we will return.”
These are some good reasons which become the biases of the test which are taken from Allah Almighty. May Allah give us success in every test which He takes from us! Aameen….