Life-Lessons: Juz 24

Humans are Selfish

Surah Az Zumar Verse 49, Surah Fussilat Verse 51

فَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ضُرٌّۭ دَعَانَا ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلْنَـٰهُ نِعْمَةًۭ مِّنَّا قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍۭ ۚ بَلْ هِىَ فِتْنَةٌۭ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ٤٩

When one is touched by hardship, they cry out to Us ˹alone˺. Then when We shower Our blessings upon them, they say, “I have been granted all this only because of ˹my˺ knowledge.” Not at all! It is ˹no more than˺ a test. But most of them do not know.

وَإِذَآ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى ٱلْإِنسَـٰنِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَـَٔا بِجَانِبِهِۦ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَآءٍ عَرِيضٍۢ 51

When We show favor to someone, they turn away, acting arrogantly. And when touched with evil, they make endless prayers ˹for good˺.

Here We are almost halfway through Ramadan. Hope it goes well with all of you. Alhumdulilah mine went too fast just like every Ramadan, I am still counting on the duas I need to focus on.

Today, I went through a test with a materialistic thing in my life. I went grocery shopping with my kids. My daughter has a spring break. We decided to go out to get some fruits for fruit chat in iftar. It was supposed to be a quick visit but Qadarullah wa maa shaa’ fa’ala when I came to the car park, there was someone waiting for me pointing at my car. Someone has hit my car in the car park while reverse parking. That person went inside in search of whose car he has hit. When he came back he apologized and said that he will cooperate with insurance and everything that was required. I asked him if he could talk to my husband. He was kind enough to talk to him. Just then when I called my husband he said he would come there and do the bits for me. The person waited for my husband to arrive.  My husband reached and we exchanged our cars and he took over from there. When the person apologized, I just asked him if he was fasting, just like we were. He said Alhumdulilah yes. He also said that he has been driving for years now and he had never come across something like this.

 When I came back home, I went in prayer and did sajda e shukr I was saying Alhumdulilah a million times when my daughter asked me mommy why are you thanking Allah when it’s a sad thing that happened. Baba is sad about the damage. I told her “ Beta, from where I see. It could be worse. We would be sitting in the car for while this happened or the person would hit and run or Baba would not be working from home today to catch up with us.” Allah is so Raheem and Rahman that when He tested me with this hardship he already had made it simple and provided a solution for me. He knew how much I could handle and this ayat from Surah at Talaq struck me in mind,

لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍۢ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُۥ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَآ ءَاتَىٰهَا ۚ سَيَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍۢ يُسْرًۭا ٧

Let the man of wealth provide according to his means. As for the one with limited resources, let him provide according to whatever Allah has given him. Allah does not require of any soul beyond what He has given it. After hardship, Allah will bring about ease.

Just like a mother knows her children too well. My Allah knew that I could not handle the situation with kids with me, I would have panicked, I would not have been able to drive the crashed car, I would have just been so confused and would not be able to concentrate to get back home.” My Allah knows He knows everything. And then my daughter said Alhumdulilah too. “ I think what we need is the eyes that see. I don’t say that I have it but I love my Allah. I know I have been afflicted with difficulty. He will have the solution to it. I prayed that Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala guides my husband to do the right thing in this situation. Maybe Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala is testing us again by seeing if we would behave in the Ahsan way with a believer who is also fasting and who might be just as rightfully guided as you.  May we be able to be righteous and judge the situation by providing Haqq to both sides because Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala is watching. I also prayed for lots of patience for me and my husband because maybe it was a test for us and we would just contaminate our fasts by being angry with that person or showing rude behavior.

Coming back to the ayah that I actually started to write this post. It’s so comforting to run to someone when you are in a difficult situation. Alhumdulilah, for the past four years when I started to know Allah SWT through Qur’an, it made me build a balance within me in difficult situations. Something inside me kept saying” Whatever happens, there is Allah SWT to handle it with you”. The car damage is just a small example. People go through job losses, the loss of loved ones, and come out of it. How? Because Allah alone has the power to let you through this difficult phase as in the ayah it says surah Ale Imran Verse 173 :

ٱلَّذِينَ قَالَ لَهُمُ ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّ ٱلنَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا۟ لَكُمْ فَٱخْشَوْهُمْ فَزَادَهُمْ إِيمَـٰنًۭا وَقَالُوا۟ حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ ١٧٣

Those who were warned, “Your enemies have mobilized their forces against you, so fear them,” the warning only made them grow stronger in faith and they replied, “Allah ˹alone˺ is sufficient ˹as an aid˺ for us and ˹He˺ is the Best Protector.”

My car crash was just an example of how to deal with things now. Now compared to someone I was a few years down, I would still run to Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala. I would still beg for His Mercy. I asked myself why I would be doing that. I realized I would do that because  I know he is my Creator. Why would my daughter butter me for things she needs when she actually needs them. It’s because she knows I am her mother.

Taking this to everybody’s life now, I think we all do the same. We run to Him, We beg Him, and cry to Him when we need something. But We never think of what we do when we receive His Mercy in different forms. That is what I want to discuss in this post today.

Look into yourself and your life situations. Even the simplest bite of food, even the simplest form of dress, or even the simplest ride you have, it’s all because Allah Subhan Wa Taa’ala wanted to have it for you. If it was not for His mercy, You would have none of this. But we often forget this just like it mentioned in surah Al Ar’af  verse 10:

وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّـٰكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَـٰيِشَ ۗ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ ١٠

We have indeed established you on earth and provided you with a means of livelihood. ˹Yet˺ you seldom give any thanks.

Most of us are so fickle-minded that we end up thinking that the blessings we are getting are all because of ourselves. We forget that when no one was there for you, Allah heard your cries and prayers. For example, when you lose a job. You cry day and night to Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala, but when Allah Subhana Wata’ala grants you His mercy. You forget to thank him. Your nafs tell you “ Oh because you have 10 years of experience in this field, the hiring manager gave the job to you.” You end up becoming arrogant and feel it was something you did all by yourself. The reality is  If it wasn’t for Allah’s mercy,, you would have none of this. Also, Blessings are tests too. So, it’s very important to act wisely and with Taqwa after you have received the blessing too.

Life Lessons

•  Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala is the sole owner of you. Every hardship and ease comes from him.  Being loyal to Him and His Deen can only give you the goodness of this World and Hereafter.
• When afflicted with difficulty, ask for Allah’s help with sabr and duas.
• Once you receive it, do Shukr and be obedient to him. Do not follow the call of your nafs and do lots of zikr and shukr and keep this in your mind and heart always that this has happened because Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala wanted it this way.

Juz 1 – Evils of Pride  | Juz 2 – He is really near, Call upon Him | Juz 3 – Purity of Intentions

Juz 4 – The Burdens of Sins | Juz 5 – Bounties in the Obedience of Prophet ﷺ | Juz 6 – Be Just |

Juz 7- Beware of Shaitan’s Plan | Juz 8 – Heart Epicenter of Eman | Juz 9 – Dunya over Deen?? |

Juz 10 – Strive in the way of Allah | Juz 11 – Allah is All-Powerful | Juz 12 – Fruits of Patience |

Juz 13 – Peace in Remembrance of Allah | Juz 14 – Don’t be Distressed… | Juz 15 – Being good to your Parents |

Juz 16 – Acceptable Deeds | Juz 17 – Hold on to the Hope | Juz 18 – Do not Waste your Time | Juz 19 – Family is our Comfort Zone | Juz 20 –