24. NECESSITY OF PATIENCE DURING HARDSHIP
One of the greatest forms of affliction (ibtila) is for a person to be placed in a position where he does not fit.
For example, for a righteous person to have to accommodate an oppressor; to intermingle with those who are not fit; to enact things that are inappropriate or to enact things that prevent him from achieving what he hopes for.
A scholar might not be able to forbid a Sultan from doing something evil, so his effort is wasted in attending to such inconveniences. A scholar may sometimes need to perform things that are not befitting of him—such as having to trade at the market place or having to work for someone else.
Those who are ever-watchful of Allah might not be able to do such things. He may be poor with a large family; he might lose a loved one or undergo a hardship regarding his body. His enemy might gain power over him, or he may see an oppressor oppressing him and the wrongdoer doing him wrong. All of these things make him feel bad and make his heart tremble.
The best thing to do in such cases of hardship is to surrender to the decrier. A stern believer is often seen holding up to such calamities. His heart does not change and his tongue does not speak of complaints.
Did not the Messenger ask, “Who is willing to protect me? Who is willing to support me?”
And he needed to enter Makkah under the protection of a nonbeliever. Were not the intestines of a dead camel thrown on his back, and his companions murdered?
Did he not have to accommodate those whom he was hoping would embrace Islam?
And did He not feel hunger?
All of this happened while he was firm, and did not change. This was because he realized that this world is a place for Allah to test people and to see how they will react. For the servant to realize the greatness of the reward, and that whatever he is going through is Allah’s Decree, will make it easy for the servant to be more accepting:
A wound will not hurt if it brings you Pleasure.
(source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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