Ramadhan Day 2 -- Great Reward Comes with Great Trials

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Calamities befell the Prophets and the righteous persistently, and Allah, may He be exalted, made it an honor for them by means of which they attained high status in Paradise. Hence it says in the saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace): “If a certain status has previously been decreed by Allah for a person, and he does not attain it by his deeds, Allah afflicts him in his body or wealth or children.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood]

Allah Almighty says,

أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِكُم ۖ مَّسَّتْهُمُ ٱلْبَأْسَآءُ وَٱلضَّرَّ‌آءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَ ٱلرَّ‌سُولُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ مَتَىٰ نَصْرُ‌ ٱللَّهِ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ نَصْرَ‌ ٱللَّهِ قَرِ‌يبٌ ﴿٢١٤

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, "When is the help of Allah?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. (214)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:214]

This verse seems to indicate that nobody shall enter Paradise unless he goes through hardships and sufferings. Hardship and suffering have different levels. The lowest degree is to resist against one's own desiring self and the shaytan, or to strengthen the bases of one's beliefs by countering the forces working against the true Faith. This degree of achievement is within the grasp of every Muslim. Further on, there are the middle and the higher levels. The degree of one's strenuous effort shall be the degree of one's entry into Paradise. Thus, nobody remains untried by effort and struggle and the resulting hardship and suffering.

In a hadith, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has said: "The hardships faced by the prophets are the hardest faced by people, after that, by those closer to them."

It was narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Great reward comes with great trials. When Allah loves a people, He tests them, and whoever accepts it attains His pleasure, whereas whoever shows discontent with it incurs His wrath.” [Narrated by at-Tirmidhi]

The prophets and those who believed with them reached a point of suffering when they cried out as to when will the help of Allah come. This was not because of any doubt since that would be against the dignity of their station. In fact, the call was made in the background of Allah's promised help for which the time and place was left undetermined. Therefore, using these words in a state of distress indicated the desire for early help. Making such a prayer is not against one's trust in Allah (tawakkul) or against the station of prophethood. Rather, Allah Almighty favors the earnest supplication of His servants. Who else other than the prophets and the pious of the community would be more deserving of what Allah likes?

May Allah help us with our struggles and grant us patience. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.

Wassalaam