Answered by Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil
Question: Assalam aleykum,
I have recently watched some Islamic lectures stating that the more Allah loves a person, the more trials they face.
However, I don’t face any trials. I asked for easy child labour, and it was relatively painless. I once lost a job, only to be offered a better one later that week. Does this mean I have a weak faith?
Answer: Assalamualaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray this finds you well. May Allah reward you for reaching out to us.
Gratitude
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ ” [Qur’an, 14:7]
SubhanAllah. The Mercy of Allah is beyond human comprehension. You are indeed blessed by Him. Do not fear that Allah has forgotten you.
Many believers fall short, and are only woken up through trials. Alhamdulilah, you are one of those who remember Allah without needing to be so tested.
Blessings
Please reflect on this aphorism by Ibn Ata ‘illah:
Whoever does not draw near to God
as a result of the caresses of love
is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune.
Alhamdulilah, you have been blessed with an awareness of some of the blessings Allah has given you. I encourage you to reflect deeply on what else Allah has blessed you with, and continue to make shukr. Show your gratitude through increasing your acts of worship such as daily istighfar, prayer, fasting, dhikr, giving in charity, recitation of Qur’an, and being of service to others.
Implementation
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (upon him be blessings and peace) said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful servant: he hates death and I hate hurting him. [Bukhari]
One of the signs Allah loves one is finding ease in obedience to Him. I pray that you are one of these. Getting things right with Allah brings about tremendous ease in your life. Rejoice in His countless blessings, make daily shukr, and please make dua for the ummah.
Please see:
A Reader on Thankfulness to Allah and True Gratitude
What Is the Best Way to Express Our Gratitude to Allah?
Wassalam,
[Ustadha] Raidah Shah Idil
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Raidah Shah Idil has spent almost two years in Amman, Jordan, where she learned Shafi’i’ fiqh, Arabic, Seerah, Aqeedah, Tasawwuf, Tafsir and Tajweed. She continues to study with her Teachers in Malaysia and online through SeekersGuidance Global. She graduated with a Psychology and English degree from University of New South Wales, was a volunteer hospital chaplain for 5 years and has completed a Diploma of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. She lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with her husband, daughter, and mother-in-law.
Photo: Luan Anh