The way to deal with afflictions and how to save ourselves from the enemy onslaught

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

At-Tirmidhi (no. 2398) reported from Saʿad Ibn Abī Waqās (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) that he said: “O Messenger of Allah! Which of the people are most severely tried?” He (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) replied: “The Prophets, then those who resemble them the most, then those who resemble them. A man is tried according to his religion, so if he is firm and steadfast in his religion, the more severely he is tried—and if he is weaker in his religion, then he is tried according to that. A person does not cease to be tried until he left walking upon the earth without a sin upon him.”  

A man asked Imām Ash-Shāfiʿī (d. 204 AH, rahimahullāh): “O Abu ʿAbdillāh which of these two men is best: the one who is given establishment and is grateful to Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) or the one who is tried and shows patience?” He replied: “A person is not given establishment until he is tried. Verily, Allah tried Nooh, Ibrāheem and Muhammad (salāwātullāhi ʿalaihim ajmaʿīn)—so when they showed patience, Allah gave them establishment—so a person should not think that he will be free from suffering and pain altogether.” (Al-Fawā’id of Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 294) And Allah (the Most High) has said:

وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ كَمَا ٱسْتَخْلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ

“Allāh has promised those who have believed among you and have done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them…” (An-Noor 24:55)

Regarding success and happiness, Ibn Al-Qayyim (d. 752 AH, rahimahullāh) stated: “Allah has instructed that you become from those who when he is bestowed blessings, he is grateful, and when he is afflicted, he is patient, and when he commits a sin, he seeks forgiveness. These three affairs are the embodiment of the happiness of a person, and the signs of his success in this world and in the Hereafter—a person must never detach himself from these matters. Indeed, the person should continually be revolving between these three levels.” (Al-Wābil as-Ṣayyib minal-Kalām aṭ-Ṭayyib, p. 3)

When a righteous person (a mu’min) is afflicted with trials, and then displays patience, Allah wipes away his sins, and his level is elevated, and he is given wisdom such that he is able to recognise goodness from wickedness, the right path from the evil path, and so on. Bukhāri (no. 5660) reported from Ibn Masʿsood (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) said: “There is not a Muslim who is afflicted with hurt, with sickness or other than that except that Allah will cause his sins to fall away just as a tree sheds its leaves.”

So, tribulations and afflictions such as sicknesses, pain, the injustice of others against you and their oppression all bring about purification of your sins and raising of you rank with Allah (the Most High). Bukhāri (no. 5645) reported from Abu Hurairah (radiyallāhu ʿanhu) that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever Allah wants good for, He afflicts him.”

Abu ʿUbaidah Al-Harawī said about this narration: “Allah tests him with afflictions, so he is rewarded due to them. And the ummah of Islām may be put to trial by the ferocious attacks of the Kuffār and by their transgressions against the Muslims as a punishment [from Allah] because of their deficiencies in obeying their Lord, or as a test and trial for them. Allah, the Most High, said:

ذَٰلِكَ وَلَوْ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ لَٱنتَصَرَ مِنْهُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَا بَعْضَكُم بِبَعْضٍۢ

‘And if Allāh had willed, He could have taken vengeance upon them, but [He ordered you to stive] so as to test some of you by means of others.’”

So, life and its trials are a test—did you think that once you entered Islam, or entered Salafiyyah, and followed the Sunnah that you would be not tried in the cause of Allah? Allah said:

الٓمٓ ١
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا أَن يَقُولُوٓا ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ٢
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ٣

“Alif, Lām, Meem. Do people think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘we believe’, and will not be tested? But We have certainly tested those before them, and Allāh will surely make apparent those who are truthful, and He will surely make apparent the liars.” (alʿAnkaboot 29:1-3)

We see in these times, how the Ummah has been tried through the attacks of the unbelievers in every place, both ideological and physical, a seemingly never-ending cycle of assault. That’s why we keep advising the Muslims to migrate to the lands of Islam so that at least they are somewhat safeguarded from the ideological attacks upon their religion. We’ve seen so times how the enemies of the Muslims unite in their physical aggression and ideological attacks against the Ummah.

And in our response to these challenges we cling to the Sunnah, and we do not seek the aid of the innovators, ahlul-ahwā and ahlul-bidʿah because this will lead the Muslims into further calamities. The noble Scholar, Al-ʿAllāmah, Sālih Al-Fawzān (may Allah preserve him) was asked: “I heard on one of the Islamic channels where a thinker stated that it is from wisdom that the various Islamic groups cooperate with one another against the secularists and those like them. Is this saying correct?”

Shaikh Al-Fawzān responded: “No. This is not correct. We do not cooperate with the people of falsehood, we do not cooperate with the deviated sects, ever. Rather we cooperate only with our brothers who are steadfast upon the obedience of Allah and upon the sound Methodology (Manhaj). As for the deviated, misguided and opposers of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamäah, then we do not cooperate with them because that would be cooperation upon sin and transgression; and it would justify what they are upon. Furthermore, the one who opposes you in your religion will not help you in establishing it!” (https://www.sahab.net/forums/index…..id= 151056)

Our scholars have repeated over and over that the weakness of the Muslims is a direct consequence of the weakness in their ʿaqeedah and adherence to the Sunnah, and their weakness in obeying Allah and His Messenger (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam).

Abu Dawood (no. 4297) reported that Thawbān (Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

يُوشِكُ الأُمَمُ أَنْ تَدَاعَى عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا تَدَاعَى الأَكَلَةُ إِلَى قَصْعَتِهَا فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ

“The nations are soon to invite one another and come upon you just as one is invited to feast from a platter.” Someone asked:

وَمِنْ قِلَّةٍ نَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ

“Is that because we will be few in number in that time?” He replied:

بَلْ أَنْتُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ كَثِيرٌ وَلَكِنَّكُمْ غُثَاءٌ كَغُثَاءِ السَّيْلِ وَلَيَنْزِعَنَّ اللَّهُ مِنْ صُدُورِ عَدُوِّكُمُ الْمَهَابَةَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَيَقْذِفَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمُ الْوَهَنَ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الْوَهَنُ قَالَ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا وَكَرَاهِيَةُ الْمَوْتِ

“No, rather you will be many, but you will be the scourge like the scourge carried upon the flood water―and Allah will remove the fear the enemies once held in their hearts of you, and He will throw weakness into your hearts.” Someone asked: “What is that weakness?” He replied: “Love for this world and hatred of death.”

Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Bāz (rahimahullāh), was asked to reply to the comment that ‘this is the time to unite the Islamic groups and assist in the efforts against the enemies of Islam—now is not the time to attack the followers of the other schools of thought, not the Ashāʿirah, nor the Ikhwānis, not even the Sufis.’  So, Shaikh Ibn Bāz responded: “There is no doubt that it is obligatory upon the Muslims to unite their ranks and to unite their word upon the truth—and that they to co-operate with one another in righteousness and piety against the enemies of Islam just as Allah (the Most Perfect) has commanded them in His saying:

وَٱعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ۚ

‘And hold fast all of you together to the rope of Allah and be not divided.’ (Surah Aal ʿlmrān 3:103)

And He (the Most Perfect) warned the Muslims from dividing and splitting in His saying:

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَٱلَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَٱخْتَلَفُوا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ ۚ

‘And do not be like those who differed and split after the clear evidences came to them.’ (Surah Aali ʿImrān 3:105)

However, the command to Muslims to unite and for them to unify their word upon the Truth and to hold fast to the Rope of Allah does not mean they should forbid and rebuke the evil that the people do or the evil beliefs that they hold whether they are Sufis or others [from Ahlul-Bidʿah]. Indeed, the command to hold fast to the Rope of Allāh includes the command to enjoin what is good and to prohibit what is evil, and to clarify the Truth to the one who has strayed from it or thinks that which opposes the Truth is correct—this is done with the Shareeʿah proofs until the people are united upon the Truth and they turn away from that which opposes it. This is encompassed in the saying of Allah (the Most Perfect):

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ

‘And help one another in righteousness and piety, but do not help one another in sin and transgression.’ (Surah al-Mā’idah 5:2)

And in His saying (the Most Perfect):

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُولَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ١٠٤

‘Let there arise from amongst you a group of people calling to all that is good (Islam), enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, they are the ones who are successful.’ (Surah Aali ʿImrān 3:104)

So, when the people of truth withhold from clarifying the errors of erroneous ones, and the mistakes of the mistaken ones, then they will not have achieved what Allah ordered them with, regarding calling to good, enjoining what right and forbidding evil. That which results from this is known that the sin is carried by the one who is silent and withholds from forbidding evil, and the erroneous one [therefore] persists upon his error, the opposer of truth remains upon his mistake—and this is contrary to what Allah (the Most Perfect) has prescribed about giving of sincere advice, cooperation upon goodness, enjoining what is right and prohibiting what is evil. And Allah is the One who grants success.”

Remember, my brothers and sisters, that in the end, this affair is for the believers, those who strive in the cause of Allah, are patient, enjoin the good, forbid the evil, help those in need, supplicate for them, giving from yourself whatever you are able to help them—and making duʿā for them and against their enemies. And we all have to better ourselves, and change what is wrong in our souls:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ

“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Surah ar-Raʿd 13:11)

Ahmad (4/103) reported that the Prophet (salallāhu ʿalaihi wasallam) said: “This affair will reach whatever is reached by the night and the day. Allah will not leave a dwelling of brick, nor of fur, except that He will cause this Religion to enter into it, bringing either honour or humiliation. Honour which Allah grants to Islam or humiliation which Allah brings upon unbelief.” (Authenticated by Al-Albāni, see the introduction to As-Silsilah as-Saheehah, vol. 1)

End.