Whisper 20 : Reflections on Patience and Hope

You are a believer. You observe your duty to God, but then a calamity befalls you all of a sudden. You ask yourself in the heart of the night: why did this happen to me? Many answers come to your mind. But you aren't really convinced. You compare yourself to others, to people who are very similar to you but haven't experienced such a sudden calamity. Then, you ask yourself: well, this has now happened, anyway; how can I get out of it? You think again and again, night and day, month after month. Then comes the time when you lose hope and sigh: how long will this last?

These whispers may not answer your questions, unfortunately. But they were meant to help you find answers in the Koran.

First, what's a calamity? Well, it could be a chronic illness, a long period of unemployment, debts, a state of poverty, a family problem, inability to marry, etc, etc.

Now, what could be behind your calamity?

One reason may be ibtila (test or trial).

"Do men imagine that they will be left (at ease) because they say, We believe, and will not be tested with affliction? Lo! We tested those who were before you. Thus Allah knoweth those who are sincere, and knoweth those who feign." (Al-Ankabut : 2-3)

If you are "sincere", as the Koran put it, then the problem is half solved once you say words that prove your sincerity.

"And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast, Who say, when a misfortune striketh them: Lo! we are Allah's and Lo! unto Him we are returning. Such are they on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided." (Al-Baqara : 155-157)

As you see, if you say those words there will be blessings and mercy on you from your Lord. But is that enough? No. That's just the first step. The next step is du'a (invocations).

By making invocations to God you are in fact proving your submission to Him. You realize that you are but a slave of God and that without God's grace you just can't really get what you want.

"O mankind! Ye are the poor in your relation to Allah. And Allah! He is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise." (Fatir : 15)

Some people say they would rather love God than submit to Him. God says:

"there is naught else in their breasts save pride which they will never attain." (Ghafir : 56)

What should you say in your du'a? Well, nobody knows better than you what you feel. So express your feelings in simple words. Ask of God what you expect Him to do for you. But before "asking" anything, do praise God. Glorify Him. Apologize to Him. Show that you "care" about God so that He will care about you in a way that you can feel it. God cares about you already -as long as you believe in Him- but now you'll feel God's care through things that happen in your life. God says to you : "Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer." So pray unto God and you will see that God did hear your prayer.

"And your Lord hath said: Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer. Lo! those who scorn My service, they will enter hell, disgraced." (Ghafir : 60)

"And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them bear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright." (Al-Baqara : 186)

Anyway, whatever you do, you won't really get what you want unless you are humble to God.

"We have sent already unto peoples that were before thee, and We visited them with tribulation and adversity, in order that they might grow humble. If only, when our disaster came on them, they had been humble! But their hearts were hardened and the devil made all that they used to do seem fair unto them! Then, when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We opened unto them the gates of all things till, even as they were rejoicing in that which they were given, We seized them unawares, and lo! they were dumbfounded." (Al-An'am : 42-44)

Why should you be humble? Well, when you do someone a favour wouldn't you expect some kind of thanks in return? Would you be pleased if that person you were kind to was an ingrate towards you? So would it be fair to pray unto God and when your prayer was answered you forgot all about God and what He did for you?

"And if misfortune touch a man he crieth unto Us, (while reclining) on his side, or sitting or standing, but when We have relieved him of the misfortune he goeth his way as though he had not cried unto Us because of a misfortune that afflicted him. Thus is what they do made (seeming) fair unto the prodigal." (Yunus : 12)

Now that I have made invocations to God, you wonder, when will my prayers be answered?

Nobody can tell you, to be honest. So if your ordeal lasts longer than you expected or hoped, then a question may nag you: isn't it true that anyone who has in his heart good faith equal to the weight of a wheat grain or a barley seed will enter Paradise? Since these people around me who share my belief will all enter Paradise, so why should they be "happier" than I--who am much more scrupulous about practising my faith than many of them? Why should I be deprived of the joys they are having now since we will all have quite the same joys in the Hereafter?

Well, it's not "quite the same joys",I'm afraid.

"See how We prefer one above another, and verily the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment." (Al-Isra : 21)

" And ye will be three kinds: (First) those on the right hand; what of those on the right hand? And (then) those on the left hand; what of those on the left hand? And the foremost in the race , the foremost in the race: Those are they who will be brought nigh, In gardens of delight; A multitude of those of old, And a few of those of later time, On lined couches, Reclining therein face to face. There wait on them immortal youths, With bowls and ewers and a cup from a pure spring, Wherefrom they get no aching of the head nor any madness, And fruit that they prefer, And flesh of fowls that they desire, And (there are) fair ones with wide, lovely eyes, Like unto hidden pearls, Reward for what they used to do. There hear they no vain speaking nor recrimination, (Naught) but the saying: Peace, (and again) Peace. And those on the right hand; what of those on the right hand? Among thornless lote tree, And clustered plantains, And spreading shade, And water gushing, And fruit in plenary, Neither out of reach nor yet forbidden, And raised couches, Lo! We have created them a (new) creation, And made them virgins, Lovers, friends, For those on the right hand; A multitude of those of old, And a multitude of those of later time." (Al-Waqi'a : 7-40)

You may even be reunited with your family there:

"And they who believe and whose seed follow them in faith, We cause their seed to join them (there), and We deprive them of naught of their (life's) work. Every man is a pledge for that which he hath earned." (At-Tur : 21)

Even in this life of the world your life is not quite the same as that of those you may be envious of:

"For those who do good in this world there is a good (reward) and the home of the Hereafter will be better. Pleasant indeed will be the home of those who ward off (evil)." (An-Nahl : 30)

"Or do those who commit ill deeds suppose that We shall make them as those who believe and do good works, the same life and death? Bad is their judgment!" (Al-Jathiya : 21)

"Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily We shall quicken with good life, and We shall pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do." (An-Nahl : 97)

Maybe -because of your distress- you don't perceive this "good life": you don't look beyond appearances.

It would be great if you had a steady job, a partner that you love, a house of your own and children at an early age. But life is not only a steady job; it's not only a good partner; it's not only a house of one's own; it's not only begetting children at an early age. Life is, above all, a feeling. Will you be happy with your job? Will you be happy with your partner? Will you feel at home in your house? Will your children be as successful as you?

The life of the world is just like a movie or play: actors play different roles, and each actor is judged on his/her own performance. A wretched beggar in a movie is not necessarily a wretched actor in real life. At the end of a play, all actors line up in a straight row and bow to the spectators, but some actors get more applause than others, depending on their talent. We shall all bow to God one day and we will be judged on our "performances" as believers, and only there shall we live the real Life--if we are good believers.


Innocent Whispers