The world is busy, and everyone is hasting and struggling to achieve something bigger and better than everyone else. When we have nothing, we strive to find something, and when we find something, we strive to find everything; but in the race of achieving everything, and puts aside our primary purpose due to which we are being sent to this world. we waste our whole lives in acquiring this world but this world belongs to no one, except Allah. Not even a leaf can drop without His order. Allah says in the Quran:
What is the life of this world but amusement and play? [Al-Ankaboot 29:64]
Keep in mind that we cannot get contentment and happiness even after reaching the heights of success if we follow this world. Even if we get millions of dollars in our bank accounts, we will never be pleased and our soul will never be contented. Allah says that you might have every luxury in this world, you might acquire your desired amount of wealth, anything that you want; but the peace of heart and contentment of mind can be found nowhere except in ‘my remembrance.’
Allah says in the Quran:
The ones who have believed and whose hearts (feel) composed with the Remembrance of Allah -certainly in the Remembrance of Allah the hearts are composed! (Ar-Ra’d 13:28)
We have everything in life, but even after having everything, we have nothing. Everyone is fighting a battle inside their mind. Why? Why are we depressed without any reason? Do we not have clothes to wear and food to eat? Do we not have a home to live in? Do we have to ask for money for others? No? Then why are we depressed? Do you want to know why? Because deep down, our souls are lonely. Our souls ache to meet Allah Almighty, the One who is the Creator of everything in the Universe. Just like your body needs food to live, your soul needs Allah’s remembrance to live. It wants remembrance of the One who created it.
We all know that this life is a test, and this world is our examination centre. Allah is our examiner. Everyone is tested differently. Questions are different, but the answer is the same, i.e., “La Ilaha Illallah.” A beautiful Kalma that can be said without moving lips. This is not just a combination of words; this is a lifetime agreement. When a person says these words from his mouth, he submits to the Highest diety, i.e., Allah. He ensures that he will submit to Allah, no matter what kind of situation he encounters. He will always remember Allah in joy and pain. And when someone realizes that only Allah sends every joy and every pain and no one except Him can soothe his heart, then there remains no stress and confusion in his mind. Allah says in the Quran:
And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out, And He provides for him for (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him [At-Talaaq 65:2-3]
If a person, for instance, has 1000 followers on Instagram, he would want to have 10,000; when he will have 10,000 followers, he would target getting 100,000 followers; after that, he would want to have 1,000,000 followers. The need for more and more never stops. More or less, every person has this basic instinct inside him. Man is weak and very impatient. But I am not saying that this instinct in bad this is your real motivation. I also have particular wishes that I want to be fulfilled in this life. Being a human, this is your fundamental right to wish for anything that you want; but the real problem starts when you cannot get things according to your plans, the real depression and discontentment starts at the point when we are not granted with something that we wish and pray for. This is the point when you lose faith in Allah’s plans. It is effortless to praise and worship Allah when he has given everything to you that you have ever wished for; but it is not easy to praise and love Him in the same way, when he does not fulfil your desires. Being patient at His decisions that are opposite to your desires is very hard, including me, especially. It is never easy to stand when the storm hits. And that’s precisely the point where Allah tests us. By sending the wind, He brings us to our keens: the perfect position to pray. He sends the storm itself to make us seek help and remember Him through calamities. If we are shown the home of a believer in Jannah, who is contented with every situation that Allah grants him, every hardship will become easy for us, and we will never stop doing Sajud in front of Him.
Allah says in the Quran:
It was We Who created man; We know what dark suggestions his Nafs (self) makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein. [Qaaf 50:16]
Ibn Attiallah al-Sikandari also said it beautifully:
Nothing is complicated if you seek it through your Lord, and nothing is easy if you seek it through yourself.
If there happen certain events in your life when you lose hope and you question Allah, why me? Why is it always me? Why such things always happen to me? Then remember the visit of Prophet (SAWW) to Taif and the way people of Taif treated him. When they threw stones at him and children made fun of him. He did not lose His faith in Allah even at the time of despair and intolerable behaviour of people. Did he ask Allah why me? Why is it always me who has to bear hardships? No. He never loses His heart because he knew that Allah is watching, and He loves him. Full of blood and covered with wounds, he still prayed to his Lord:
As long as you are not displeased with me, I do not care what I face. I would, however, be much happier with Your mercy. I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which all darkness is dispelled, and both this life and the life to come are put in their right course against incurring your wrath or being the subject of your anger. To You, I submit, until I earn Your pleasure. Everything is powerless without your support. [Dua-e-Taif]
Always remember that you can work hard for something, but only Allah bestows a reward. If a certain thing is not written for you, then you will never be bestowed with it, no matter how hard you try. If He does not give you something according to your wishes, then it means that your Creator has a better plan for you. Never lose your faith in him through any situation. If he deprived you off of something, he would bless you with the best one. Your thoughts cannot even reach the level of your Creator’s blessings towards you.
