This post was originally written on September 23, 2018. Please share this post with others so that this blog continues to get more views and hopefully, sponsors to help me keep this blog going. Thank you!
Lately, I’ve been going through a series of tests that have made me realize a few things. One thing is for certain, when Allah SWT wants to, He will test us, and this can happen at any time. The tests and tribulations come to us in a number of ways, and they can be short tests, or long tests. There is a hadith that says, “The enormous reward comes with enormous trials, and when Allah loves a people, He tests them.” (Al-Tirmidhi).
As we all know, or should know, Allah SWT gives us the love of 70 mothers. The number, 70, has a significant meaning.
It means infinite love. Seventy mothers is the symbol of infinite love.
I can barely handle the love of one mother, lol! So imagine the love of our mothers times 70!! That is a LOT of love!
Then the question comes, if Allah SWT loves us with SO much love, why does He want to test us all the time with trials and problems? I’m sure we all think about this and wonder why we have so many issues going on in our lives we seemed not to have asked for. We wonder why we’re being tested in many different ways.
The tests are not there because Allah SWT wants to see us suffer. Nor are they there so that we give up on what we believe in, and the tests are not there for us to give up on our yaqeen and tawakkul on Allah SWT. The tests are not meant for us to lose hope with the trials we’re going through, despite how tough it may be for us at the moment.
Rather, the main things I’ve come to realize and am sharing with you in this post is that Allah SWT tests us because He wants us to become stronger and better human beings who fully believe in Him. What we go through is what will make us stronger people, and these tests help us to learn from the mistakes we make so we don’t do them again.
The trials we go through also help us with growing an even stronger connection with Allah SWT because we are taught that we cannot rely on anyone else other than our Rabb.
Everything we go through in life happens for a greater purpose that is slowly revealed in its own time. The hardships in our lives are meant to be lessons for us so that we learn to live this life in the way of Allah SWT and become worthy of going to Jannah to live in the beautiful, lush gardens with Him.
Allah SWT wants to see which of us desires to be in Jannah and what we will do to get there. We are not in this world only to pray to Allah SWT five times a day, or read Qur’an daily. It’s so much more than that! We are also here to learn the important things we must understand and bring back to Jannah with us, all of which are a part of our Islamic lifestyle. For example, smiling at others, treating people with dignity, love and respect, remembering Allah SWT through the way He taught us to live THIS life while here on Earth and the Sunnah of our Prophet (SAW)…these are what we will bring back with us to Jannah, among other lessons we will learn along the way of this temporary life. We will be better people who will be worthy of Jannah because we strived to understand the lessons we were taught while being in this world.
In the last few months of the ordeals I’ve been going through, I’ve definitely learned many lessons that have helped me to become a better version of myself. I’ve had to go through changing the way I think about things, and how I react so that I am able to better handle any problem that will come my way in the future. I’ve learned to have more strength and confidence, and to take better care of my family and myself. Above all, I’ve learned to stay positive and have a good attitude no matter what’s happening around me.
That is what tests do – they change the way we look at ourselves, and the world and make us better people in the process. Our perspectives change for the better.
When we pass the tests, we are different – we are no longer that person we were when the issues first began. Our personalities change; our character improves and hopefully, we are able to better identify and understand how another person feels when they talk to us about their problems, seeking our advice about what they’re going through.
With so much that I’ve personally gone through in the last year and a half, the person I was at the beginning of 2017 is definitely not the same person who is writing this blog today. I’ve been able to work on improving myself in various ways due to many situations that I’ve been facing since last year.
The most imperative lesson I’ve discovered is that no matter the test, I have to always remember that Allah SWT is there for me, for us! All we have to do is to pray, and remember Allah SWT during our trials and tribulations. During sujood, we leave our problems in front of the doorsteps of Allah SWT, and He listens to us. He brings us this peace and the feeling that everything will work out – remember the Qur’an says, our hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah SWT. I tell Him about my problems and ask only Him to find me a way out because I have yaqeen, I have faith and trust that Allah SWT is the only One who will help solve my problems and that’s all I need. I don’t need to ask anyone else to help me except for when it is the Will of Allah SWT for that person to help me if I am being given the nudge to ask. Tawakkul is then shown through Allah SWT opening up the hearts of people who will provide help, assistance, or guidance that is needed.
From this, we learn other lessons that are important for us.
One of my biggest tests right now is that of my finances. I’ve been going through some very tight times. And by that, I mean, I am at near zero due to a sudden financial loss that left me monetarily struggling in the last two months. I’ve been unable to pay most of my bills at the moment, and have barely been able to take care of the basics for my mom and I. I’ve been making so much dua for my situation to change, and I know that it will because I am resilient and have Allah SWT by my side.
The tests I am facing is not there to throw me under the bus. It’s to help me see what I need to take care of from within myself. Allah SWT is making me stronger through this, not weaker. He is teaching me how to be aware and vigilant with my finances and make smarter choices.
I learned that adversities will come in life, and I need to be able to best handle them financially, as well as emotionally. Yet, through all of this, I am working on my doctoral program so I can complete my degree and become a full Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership. I’m not giving up my dreams due to this, and I’m resilient. My passion for building my consulting business in leadership training has also come back to full bloom and I’m now looking forward to being one of the top 100 global HR (human resources) and Leadership experts in the world. What an honor that would be for me!!?
I’ve learned many lessons aside from being better with finances. I’ve discovered that no matter what tests and trials I am given in my life, I always have to have the right attitude. Our attitudes matter so much during the trials and tribulations that are handed to us. How we look at what we are going through is important. If we approach the tests with negativity that all is lost, then we have lost. If we look at the lessons behind the tests we are being given, and have the positive faith all will turn out well, that will bring us success in our tests and the issues won’t look so bad at the end. I know my situation is temporary and all will be well soon.
At present, the most important realization I’ve had is to take better care of my finances and not allow the financial, verbal, and emotional abuse doled out by my uncle to affect me any longer.
Allah SWT has answered duas and has been helping me by sending friends to me as angels (see the tawakkul in Allah SWT here) who have been able to lend me money for bills while I get my financial situation together again. They even give me work to do for them so they could pay me for my advice or to write content for their website. I’ve been working on creating a course that I will be selling on Udemy.com as soon as its done and I’ve been applying for professor positions while taking classes toward my doctorate degree. My mom and my friends have been standing by me 100 percent during my time of struggle and have provided support morally, emotionally and physically however way they can. Allah SWT sends angels to us when we need them and it is during these trials and tribulations that we know who is there for us, and who isn’t.
Allah SWT does test us with trials and tribulations – we are tested because there is something good in it for us.
You may be wondering, with all that has happened so far, why would I have such an upbeat outlook and attitude about my situation? You may be thinking, “but her bills aren’t being paid to write this, so why is she being positive??”
Because that is what adversity does – it helps you to look at things in a different perspective. Yes, everything I’m currently dealing with is hard, but with prayer, yaqeen and tawakkul that Allah SWT is the One Who will find us a way out of the predicament I was put in, my attitude has been one of positivity. I cannot look at this and ask, “Why me?” I can look at this and say, “No matter what life is giving me, I will take it as a lesson and see what I can do to use it to help others in the future.” With what I’ve gone through, and how I overcame these tests, I can empathize with others. I can work on improving my own character – my ikhlaas and ihsaas. I can work on finding solutions rather than worrying about my problems. I give my worries to Allah SWT, and that’s it.
And He provides the miracles we need to overcome the trials and tribulations sent our way. This is how we pass these tests given to us by Allah SWT.
So go back to what I said earlier – why does Allah SWT test us? When something happens, we wonder, “Why am I being tested? What did I do to deserve this?” We need to change our attitude and rather than ask why we are being tested, to ask Allah SWT to make us successful in this test by bringing us closer to Him, through a positive outlook, attitude, and education on why this is happening and what we need to do to change ourselves.
Here is something else to think about too.
Is it possible that we cause our misfortunes and issues in our own lives and can’t take responsibility for our actions and mistakes? Is it possible that we don’t see what we may be doing that is causing our problems? I think about this as well. Yes, there are things that happen in our lives beyond our control, but most things are within our control. Therefore, we should ask ourselves these questions when we are going through any predicament. It may help us solve the issue when we ask powerful questions, and could help us figure out the best path to pass these tests.
Why does Allah SWT test us? To help us become better, stronger and happier people who are worthy of attaining Jannah and to ensure we always remember Him no matter our bad and good times. That’s why we are tested and Allah SWT is the One who has the power to send us tests, and bring us the path to pass them for reasons that can only uplevel who we are.
Until next time, remember that all issues in our life are only temporary. Don’t give up if you’re facing your trails and tribulations. The faster we give up, the more we allow Shaitaan to overcome our ability to be pray and grow closer to Allah SWT. Keep praying, keep making dua and know that Allah SWT is there and His help is closer than you think.
Fi Amanillah.
-Dr. Aasiyah N. Ghazi