“Do not be surprised when difficulties happen in this worldly abode. It is only revealing its true character and identity.”
In this step, the servant of Allah Almighty purifies the intention, reflects, seizes time, and the light of faith starts to shine on him/her and the journey starts to draw closer to Allah Almighty…
And then something happens which is a test from Allah Almighty.
Why Tests?
And Allah tests those whom He loves. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned that Allah said:
My servant continues to draw near to Me with additional work until I love him or her. When I love him/her, I am his hearing with which he hears, I am his sight with which he sees, I am his hands with which he strikes, and I am his foot with which he walks. If He asks Me, I will give him; if he seeks My refuge, I will grant him My refuge.
Allah mentions that people in this stage will not be left without tests.
Do people think that on the mere claiming, ‘we are believers’ that they will be left to themselves and will not be put to a test?
But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. (Quran 29: 2-3)
Therefore, when you take steps towards Allah Almighty, Allah will test you in order to prove for yourself whether you are truthful or not.
And if you’re not that truthful in your journey, the test will melt the gold, as in Arabic we say fitnah. Fitnah is to melt the gold in order to purify it. The test will purify your heart as fire will purify gold when it melts.
Learn Beautiful Patience
This step of the journey means that you learn patience. All the Prophets had gone through trials so that they learn patience. The word that Prophet Jacob mentioned in chapter Yusuf, “a beautiful patience”.
This is the goal, it is to learn not just a usual patience, but the kind of patience that is “a beautiful patience.”
Beautiful patience means that you don’t fall in any sin because of the pressures on you. Beautiful patience means that you don’t even complain, but to complain to Allah only.
Prophet Jacob, in the same context, said:
I only complain to Allah.
Beautiful patience means that your heart is at peace. This is at the highest level of the beautiful patience. When you are not surprised when you see the difficulties and trials in the world.
When you go through the world with that strong heart and peaceful heart, then you have taken that step successfully.
That step of understanding the nature and the name of this world (dunya) which a lower life, and that is a very important realization to realize.
Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4 – Part 5 – Part 6 – Part 7 – Part 8
