The Muslim during times of trials

By Sheikh Omar Al-Sabil

All praise is due to Allaah, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon His Messenger, his household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as He should be feared for in this lies protection, safety, peace and guidance.
“O you who have believed, if you fear Allaah, He will grant you a criterion and will remove from you your misdeeds and forgive you. And Allaah is the possessor of great bounty." (Al-Anfaal: 29).

Brothers in faith! Allaah’s straight path is His Glorious Book and the guidance of His trustworthy Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam which he and his successors followed and which he directed his nation to adhere to in matters of belief and actions without exaggeration or negligence. That is the balanced way with which Allaah describes this nation when He says that which translates as: “Thus We have made you a median (i.e. just) community." (Al Baqarah: 143). This is one of the great virtues that make Islaam distinct from all other religions.

Allaah commands us to stand firm on this path. He says that which translates as: “So remain on a right course as you have been commanded, (you) and those who have turned back with you (to Allaah), and do not transgress. Indeed, He is Seeing of what you do." (Hood: 112).

Brothers in Islaam! Evidence of ones faith can only be demonstrated by one’s uprightness and firmness on Islaam and its laws in all areas of one’s life. Also, it can only be demonstrated by the strict adherence to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, for he has directed his people to all that is good and warned them against all that is evil. He has left his nation on a clear path from which none can go astray except those who are doomed. He informed us that there was going to be a lot of disagreement, dissention and greed among the Muslims and that the fire of these evils would be kindled by the enemies of Islaam. He also informed us that the truth would become obscure and that peoples concepts and thoughts would become mixed up, therefore, many people would be ruined as a consequence. These are the characteristics of trials and tribulations as described by ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taalib, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he said: ‘It starts secretly and then becomes an open evil that misleads the hearts that are upright and leads the guided ones astray. Things change in the face of it… During trials, the truth becomes hidden and falsehood becomes manifest…’ He then warned against trials and said: ‘…do not therefore be spreaders of trials and leaders of innovation. Hold fast unto the rope of the majority of Muslims and stay away from the path of Satan…’ These are the characteristics of trials and the best way to avoid them.

Fellow Muslims! The best way to react to these events like is to examine ourselves, blow out the fire of these tribulations, remove their causes and reduce the effects of them to the bare minimum.

As for the Muslim common folk, the best thing for them to do is to refrain from wading into these issues. In fact, every individual should only be concerned with that which concerns them personally such as acts of worship and worldly commitments. That is the instruction given by the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam when he said: ‘The prosperous Muslim is the one whom Allaah helps stay away from trials.’ - He said it three times.

He sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam also said: ‘There will take place a serious trial. Whoever wades into it will be harmed by it and to wade into it with one’s tongue is like wading into it with one’s sword.’

The honourable companions of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam put these prophetic guidelines into practice when they faced trials and tribulations, so did those who followed in their footsteps. They all stayed far away from them and the whole Muslim nation appreciates and praises them for that.

Therefore, dear Muslims, fear Allaah and beware of trials, both manifest and hidden. Repent to Allaah, perform righteous deeds and continue to aid your Afghan brothers and the persecuted Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere.

“… Whatever good you put forward for yourselves (including charity), you will find it with Allaah. It is better and greater in reward." (Al Muzzammil: 20).

Also pray to and beseech Allaah to remove the trials that are currently afflicting the Muslims, for He is All-Hearing and the Answerer of supplications.

Fellow Muslims! Be firm in your obedience to Allaah and in seeking His pleasure. Seek nearness to Him with all that He loves in sayings and deeds in accordance with the methodology of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

It is also beneficial and therefore recommended to spend one’s life performing acts of obedience before one is afflicted with trials and tribulations that will curtail the performance of any such deeds. From the guidance of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam is his saying: ‘Hasten to do good deeds before any of these seven things reach you: poverty that makes you overlook everything else; wealth that makes one transgress (the rights of Allaah); a destructive illness; old age; a sudden death; the Antichrist and the coming of the Hour which is more bitter.’

Brothers in faith! Fear Allaah and stay far away from innovations in the religion. Among the innovations that people are indulging in is the celebration of the middle day of Sha’baan. This event has no authentic evidence to justify its celebration. It was never celebrated by the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam or by any of his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them all, nor was it celebrated by their righteous followers. All recognised scholars have condemned this, for the only guidance is that of Allaah and the best way is that of Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. The worst of all matters are innovations in the religion; all innovations are errors; and all such errors will lead to hell.