Life isn’t easy for anyone. Life is anything but fair and we aren’t here on earth to focus on the reasons why it isn’t fair but to dwell on the ways to make it better as much as we can.
We are here for a purpose, a purpose higher than we can see. And, it isn’t that we don’t see it because we can’t. It is because we choose to be selectively blind to this awareness. We shut the doors to our higher self, being so consumed by the material aspect of our life. And where do we end up?
In hopelessness and despair.
It is because the soul needs to be nourished as much as the body needs exercise. Imagine a person lying on the couch for years. What do you think will happen to him?
The same is the case with a soul that has been starved for decades on end.
'Meditation' is not another word
being discussed over the years on television and on social media. Almost everyone seems to be spiritually starved. In one way or the other, we all feel that vague emptiness inside us at some point in life.
We aren’t exactly a happy lot.
But then, all holy books tell us that there is a way out of every crisis. That there is a silver lining to every cloud.
The holy Quran mentions in 94; 5,6
So surely with hardship comes ease.
Surely with that hardship comes more ease.
This life is nothing but a test. And who said a test was going to be easy? We have been given an empty answer sheet to fill up. There are hints and clues, but eventually, it is up to us to find the correct answers. And we do not have all the time in the world. We aren’t here forever.
In 57; 20 Allah tells us,
The life of this world is no more than the delusion of enjoyment.
It isn’t even real enjoyment, for the word mentioned in this verse is ‘delusion’. Come to think of it, we go to an amusement park, ride the roller coaster, and slide down the water slides. We have picnics and fun. In the dimension we live in, it is real. We are actually enjoying ourselves. Compare it now to the dimension the Quran is talking about.
That’s why heartbreak. That’s why unhappiness. We pin so much hope on a small word, a fickle sense of happiness. While it lies somewhere else and where does it lie?
2; 153 in the holy Quran reads,
Strengthen yourselves by patience and prayer, and know that God supports the patient people.
That is where happiness is. In being patient when calamities befall, for how would being impatient help? A tree that is fallen can’t be regrown. Patience will teach us to plant another in its place. Being impatient and tearing down the fallen tree to smithereens won’t help. We lose strength by being impatient. We can’t think clearly.
Allah tells us to pray and be patient. As they say. What it is, it is. Que sera sera.
Acceptance isn’t just another word. It is a way of life.
The Quran in 9; 51 tells us,
Say, nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has destined for us. He is our Protector.” So, in Allah let the believers put their trust.
In this verse, if you read carefully is the word ‘protector’. In today’s world, whom can you call a protector or to rephrase it, can you think of a person who can protect you from a calamity? Anyone?
No one can claim to be one because it is a huge responsibility. And Allah has taken it upon himself. Do your best, and be patient. He tells you to trust him. He is there. He will protect. He told you so.
28; 50 in the holy Quran reads as follows.
And who could be more astray than those who follow their desires with no guidance from Allah?
Now, why is this Ayah so important? Focus on two words here, astray and guidance. Going astray is a choice, and by making this choice, what do you lose? You lose Allah’s guidance. He won’t guide you and he won’t protect you. And that is a huge loss. But it all comes down to one factor, i.e., making the right choice.
Don’t be led astray by your desires; we all know how hard it is. But think about it. You are losing the support of your greatest benefactor. Is it even worth it?
A simple question that it might have raised in your mind, is that sometimes going astray is not even a choice. It just feels like the most natural thing to do. It’s like you aren’t able to choose your road, that your road is taking you to an unknown destination. You feel powerless and helpless in its face.
God knows that’s how it is going to be. It isn’t easy, remember, life is a test. But there are clues to help you through.
9; 129 tells us,
Sufficient for me is Allah; there is no deity except Him. On Him, I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne.
Ask him for help, for who else will you turn to? Who is going to get you through the calamity that has befallen you, the addiction you suffer from or the pain you are going through? You can treat your body but who is going to heal your soul?
And deep inside we all know, that there is a power much greater than us, the one whose existence encompasses the entire universe, the power that we cannot negate. Tap into that power and ask him to help you through it all.
Be one with the universe and you will see how many doors open up for you.
I hope these verses have a meaningful effect on our lives. May Allah guide us to the righteous path.
Amen.
This article was first published in The Kashmir Classic on 10 February 23
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