Hardship

Posted Oct 19, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 2 Comments

Throughout our lives we are faced with hardships some big and others small. It might be the loss of a loved one or financial difficulties or genuine grief and sorrow. It is human nature to ask the simple question, Why? Why are we tested? Why is it only me that is going through this difficulty whilst the people around me seem to be smiling and happy. As Muslims we realise the reason behind hardships in life and that Allah never means to destroy us thereby rather it is a test to see who amongst us are thankful and who amongst us are ungrateful.

Our noble Prophet said:

The most in their suffering among the people are the prophets, then the best, then the (next) best. One is afflicted in accordance with his faith. If his faith is firm, his affliction is hard, and if his faith is weak, his affliction is light. Indeed, one would be so much subjected to adversity until he walks among the people without any sins

[Reported by Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad and Imaam Tirmidhee in his Sunan]

And in his Sharh [explanation] Shaykh Aboo Qutaybah Nathar Muhammad al-Faaryaabee brings to light a very subtle point whilst commenting on the Hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas in the forty hadiths compiled by Imaam Nawawi rahimahulAllah:

And his [i.e the Prophets] statement:

…Verily with difficulty there is [much] ease…

And in another hadith the Prophet said:

Difficulty will never surpass ease

This is because [in the hadith] difficulty has been mentioned twice and ease has been mentioned twice but [what is well known] amongst arabs is that if a word is in a definite form [i.e it has al before it] then it will always be just one even if repeated [i.e since the word difficulty 'usr is mentioned as al-'usr in its definite form then it is only refering to one difficulty] But if the word is undefined [known in arabic as nakirah] and it is repeated it shows a multitude [and in the hadith the word yusr, arabic for ease is undefined so it shows that alot of ease comes after just one hardship. This is the same for the Qur'aan where this is mentioned in surah alam nashrah]