Patience in Hardship and Seeking Knowledge

• ‘Hardship’ is a Friend

At times it will be very difficult to worship Allah (SWT). Doing haram and worshipping the Satan is very easy. ‘Hardship’ is a friend who will escort you to Jannah.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “When Allah (SWT) created Paradise, He told Jibreel (as), ‘Go and look at it.’ So he went and looked at it, then came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, no one will hear of it but will be eager to enter it.’ So He (SWT) surrounded it with hardship and said: ‘Go and look at it.’ So he went and looked at it, then he came back and said: ‘By Your Glory, I fear no one will enter it...’”

Reported by Nasa’i, Trimidhi and Abu Dawud

The dunya has been made like a prison. We are very restricted, not free, can not talk to anyone – it is just like a prison. Indeed the Prophet (pbuh) spoke the truth when he said: ‘Dunya is a prison for the believers…’ If the dunya is a prison, we should be ready to endure the hardship with patience. No matter how hard it may get, as long as one knows the secret of all secrets, Insah-Allah they will succeed. This is where the secret lies – when someone knows the purpose of their life. The salaf truly understood this; one of them described how he dealt with trials:

“I thank Allah (SWT) for four reasons…

1) For a more severe trial has not come upon me.

2) For allowing me to be patience

3) For allowing me to attain some reward for my patience

4) For not allowing this trial to come between me and my Religion…”

Ibn Taymiyyah also said: “The real prisoner is some one whose heart is imprisoned from his Lord; the true captive is someone captured by his passion.”

So just remember, no matter how hard it gets, the relief is near and ‘hardship’ is a companion of those on the Straight Path.

• Seeking Knowledge is a Lonely Path

People who have depth of Knowledge – Allah (SWT) praise them.

The Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever follows a path to seek Knowledge therein, Allah (SWT) will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the house of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, but tranquility and peace descends upon them, mercy envelops them and Allah (SWT) makes mention of them amongst those who are with Him…”

Reported by Muslim

There are levels of knowledge; you have ‘surface knowledge’ and then it goes deeper and deeper. It is never ending like the ocean – wide, big, huge and deep. The deeper you go, the more breath you need, and more you have to strive, the more you have to be patient – it becomes dark and then you find the jewels! It is a lonely path where you are by your self. No one to cry to except your pillows or your books! No one to talk to, every seconds feels like and hour. It is a lonely path but and honorable one in the sight of Allah (SWT). The Knowledge is so vast, no one can grasp it, no one can say: ‘I have grasped it!’

To gain the light of Allah (SWT), you need to deserve this light, you will not deserve this light if you do not respect who carries this light. One should respect the knowledge, respect the People of knowledge and respect the place of knowledge. Feel like a student of knowledge and you will become a student of knowledge, the struggle for the Knowledge found the best of the people. When knowledge is given – it is like wahy; do not turn your back from this path while people are searching for the Truth. Everything comes through knowledge; seek until death [yakeen] comes. When the Truth comes, hold on to it with firmness. In this time and place, it is indeed hard to practice your Deen but know my brothers that when someone practices in Jahaliiyyah – they are higher in rank than the one ho practices Deen once Jahaliyyah has been removed. The best of you in Jahaliyyah are the best of you in Islam – that is, if you seek the Knowledge. May Allah (SWT) make us patience on this path! I will end with a fawaid:

“…Do not worship the action, but worship Allah (SWT) through the action and do not look at the test but look at the One Who the test is from…”