Why did God let me go through this hardship?
It is not an easy trial. You could lose your trust in Allah which leads to losing faith and being void. Your enemy is invisible, evil, and spiteful. Holding strong to your faith will elevate your status because the pain and inconvenience you suffer through atone for your sins. A rule in Islam that Allah set forth in Quran is “Allah does burden a soul beyond its endurance”. If you go through it, that means that your creator knows you can withstand it. Reward time for your good deeds is coming but not in this life. Do not think because you make good deeds and pray that we will not get tested with hardships. We are only here to be tested over and over again. This world is not where believers settle. Your home is in the heavens, where we will have physical pleasure like food, drink and sex, beside the spiritual ones. You will settle back there again where you father Adam has started.
Do you know a Jewish magician set up Evil Magic to prophet Muhammed that lasted according to the most accurate narrations 6 months? Do you know that 2 of his wives were exposed to Sihr as well? Do you know Prophet Ayoub (Job) suffered through Mas of Shaitan for 15 years? Do you prophet Moses was exposed Sihr of false imaginations?
Prophet Muhammed said: “Whoever, of the Muslims, goes through fatigue, sickness, worry, grief, harm or frustration, even being poked by a thorn, but that Allah will apply it toward the redemption of his sins.” Authentic Bukhari
Going through this experience can either make us much closer to God or turn one into a faithless disbeliever. If every time you have a problem, you pray to Allah and He instantly responds, then where is your test? Allah said “I never created Jinn and Man except for the soul purpose of worshiping me”. Part of worship is to drive through calamity with faith . Even when this trial ends, there will be another trial, may it is going to be your neighbor, your boss.. May be it is going to be this accident or this loss. Calamity will put to test your patience and belief because hardships never end. It might feel like this is too much but look at this way: if you live to be a hundred years old and then you die and start your eternal life in either heavens or hell. Any number divided by infinity is equal to 0. So both your pleasures and your struggles will be reduced to nothing when compared to eternity.
Ibn ‘Abbas reported that Allah’s prophet (ﷺ) used to supplicate during the time of hardship (in these words): ” There is no god but Allah, the Great, the Tolerant, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Heaven and the earth, the Lord of the gracious Throne.” Authentic in Book of Muslim
Some wonder, why am I going through this when others who are much worse than I am, are not going through it. That is not our choice or our question to ask. We are like students in a final exam. Each student is a given a exam sheet that has certain number of problems different than the other students. God is fair, do not step into his decisions. If we do, will run out of time while we are resentful and then we will fail. Stay focused and positive, Work on problems with gratitude.
Ibn Abbas narrated that Prophet Muhammed told him “Young man, let me teach a few words. Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and He will be mindful of you. If you ask, then ask Allah. If you seek help, then seek help from Allah. Know well that if the nation would gather to benefit you with something, they wouldn’t be able to benefit you with anything unless Allah has decreed it for you. And if they would gather to harm you with something, they would not harm you with anything unless Allah decreed it upon you. The pens have been lifted and the papers have dried.”
Jabir Ibn Abdellah narrated that Prophet Muhammed said “No slave would become a true believer, unless he believes that good and bad Destiney is from Allah and unless he knows that what hit him would not have missed him and what missed him, would not have hit him.”
Abu Huraira narrated that Prophet Muhammed said “A strong believer is better and closer to Allah than a weak believer. Seek what benefits you in every permissible good. Ask Allah for help and don’t be crippled. If something wrong happens, do not say If I would have done so and so. But rather say: Allah has done whatever He has decreed, because the word IF triggers the actions of sheitan.”
How do people lose their faith because of Sihr, Ayn & Hasad?
A lot of people, in the beginning, think I can fix it easily. I will say I seek refuge in Allah and read some Quran and the problem will be over. However, they sometimes get worse or stay untreated. They try again and again but fail. Sheitan makes the patient feel one of two things. They may feel that Quran is not effective or they may feel like God has given up on them. Either way, they lose their faith.
The root causes of their failure are 1- Ignorance, they are not well equipped with knowledge on how to fight off Jinn. For example, If a man keeps telling you to do wrong things, you could read the entire book of the Quran on this man and they will not be affected. However, Jinn on the other hand, eventually gets affected by Quran. 2- People underestimate the evil Shaitan and infidel Jinn. Not all Jinn are the same, just like humans. Jinn differ in their ranks and levels of power. Some Jinn even have Jinn slaves that work for them.
Prophet Muhammed was asked, “We seek Ruqiah, we seek medicine and we apply caution. How could this override Allah’s decree?” He replied “They are all of Allah’s decree” Al-Tirmizi
5 verses guide the mindset of the believer during hardships
Scholar Hassan Al-Basri said, I wonder how challenged individuals could forget to follow the guidance in these 5 instances when Allah revealed how He supported those who followed this guidance. Whoever keeps reciting these verses during tribulations, Allah will relieve his suffering.
- Surat Al-Baqarah
155 We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and some loss of wealth, lives and crops. But give good news to the steadfast. 156 Those who, when a calamity afflicts them, say, “To God we belong, and to Him we will return.” 157 Upon these are blessings and mercy from their Lord. These are the guided ones.
١٥٥ وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
١٥٦ الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
١٥٧ أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ
- Surat Ghafir
44 You will remember what I am telling you. I entrust God with my affairs. God is Observant of the servants.” 45 So Allah protected him from the evil (consequences) of what they planned, while a terrible torment besieged the people of Pharaoh.
٤٤ فَسَتَذْكُرُونَ مَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِي إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ٤٥ فَوَقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَرُوا ۖ وَحَاقَ بِآلِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ
- Surat Al-Anbiya
87 And Jonah, when he walked away angry (with his people for refusing to submit to God), thinking We will not penalize him. But then He cried out in the darkness, “There is no god but You! Glory to You! I was one of the wrongdoers!” 88 So We answered him, and saved him from the anguish. Thus We save the faithful.
٨٧ وَذَا النُّونِ إِذْ ذَهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ٨٨ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
- Al-Imran
173 Those to whom the people have said, “The people have gathered against you, so fear them.” But this only increased their faith, and they said, “Allah is sufficient for us; He is the best Disposer of affairs.”174 So they returned with favor from Allah and bounty, no harm having touched them. And they pursued the pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Lord of great bounties.
١٧٣ الَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ فَاخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَقَالُوا حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
١٧٤ فَانْقَلَبُوا بِنِعْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍ لَمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوءٌ وَاتَّبَعُوا رِضْوَانَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ
- Surat Al-Anbiya
83 And Job, when he cried out to his Lord: “Great harm has afflicted me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” 84 So We answered him, lifted his suffering, and restored his family to him, and their like with them—a mercy from Us, and a reminder for the worshipers.
٨٣ وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
٨٤ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِنْ ضُرٍّ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُمْ مَعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ
Do not stop your prayers when you are inflicted with hardships. If one obeys these evil whispers, they will be miserable in this life, and in the next life, they will be regretful when it is already too late.
Shaitan whispers: “God, faith and worship are not a joke. You are being disrespectful to God by worshiping while commiting all these sins. Your prayers will not be accepted anyhow. You are not even paying attention in your prayers. Fix yourself first before going on the straight path. So drop the prayers and worship all together until you get yourself on the straight path and then come back to Allah.” Sheitan may whisper also this: “God does not care about the motions, he cares about what is in your heart. You are a very kind person and that is all what matters.” The other argument is “God is not fair, I know He is there but he did not give me what I need. So I will quit praying.” [sic]