Social Interactions and

Coping with Hard Times

Social Interactions and Coping with Hard Times

‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﻟﻠﻪ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬

ِ‫ ﺳَﻤِﻌْﺖُ اﻟﻨَّﺒِﻲ َّ ﺻ َﻠَّﻰ اﻟﻠﻪُ ﻋ َﻠَﻴ ْﻪ‬: ُ‫ﻣُﻌَﺎوِﻳَﺔَ ﻳَﻘُﻮل‬

ٌ‫ “ﻟَﻢْ ﻳَﺒْﻖَ ﻣِﻦ َ اﻟﺪ ُّﻧْﻴَﺎ إِﻻَّ ﺑ َﻼَ ء‬: ُ‫وَﺳَﻠَّﻢَ ﻳَﻘُﻮل‬
ٌ‫”وَﻓ ِﺘْﻨَﺔ‬

Mu’awiyah said:

“I heard the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬say: ‘There is nothing left of this

world except trials and tribulations.’”[1]

Benefits for this subject:

Out of the 6 books of hadith Ibn Majah alone mentioned

this hadith and it has been graded as being Sahih by
Shiekh Muhammad Ethiopian in his explanation for Ibn
Majah.

Imam Ibn Majah placed this hadith in his collection

under the chapter heading “Hard Times”

The general meaning of the hadith is in era after era

trials and tribulations will increase and the people
living during those times will be tested [2]
 The hadith warns us about the Fitan that will occur
after the death of Muhammad ((‫)) ﺻﻠﻰ اﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻠﺒﻪ و ﺳﻠﻢ‬

This world is a testing ground wherein, trials and

tribulations must occur. The alert person must take heed
and prepare accordingly to deal with these tests to
safeguard his religion. This hadith the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
informed Muawiyah(radi Allahu anhu) that this World is
full of tests and tribulations, so much so, that this is
the only thing a person should really expect from this
planet. The good of it will perish and the evil will
remain on it, religious people will die and the
irreligious people will remain living .

The difference between trials(‫ )ﺑﻼء‬and tribulations

(‫ـــــﺔ‬‫) ﻓﺘﻨـ‬. Tribulations generally stem from desires
(‫ــﻮات‬
‫( ﺷﻬـ‬or a person placing his opinion over the Quran
and the Sunnah ‫))ﺷﺒﻬﺔ‬. Desires are defeated by remaining
patient and opinions from the people are conquered by
clinging to the path of the Salaf. Trials on the other
hand are things that person dislikes. In the end the
trial either brings out the best in a person or the
worst. I.e. he’s obedient and thankful, or sinful and
ungrateful.[3]

The beginning of these trials and tribulations on this

Earth started after Umar with the killing of Uthman
(Radi Allahu anhu). This resulted in bloodshed, division
and gave birth to the Khawarij. Following this began the
trials and tribulations of the Qadriyyah and the Rafidah
sect. These trials were like the waves of a tsunami.

Allah has made son of Adam a trial and tribulation for

each other out of His Divine Wisdom. He said:
َ
َ‫وَﺟ َﻌَﻠ ْﻨَﺎ ﺑ َﻌْﻀ َﻜ ُﻢ ْ ﻟ ِﺒَﻌْﺾٍ ﻓ ِﺘ ْﻨَﺔ ً أ ﺗ َﺼ ْﺒِﺮ ُون وَﻛﺎن‬
‫ر َﺑُّﻚ َ ﺑ َﺼ ِﻴﺮ ًا‬

And We have made some of you as a trial for others: will you
have patience? And your Lord is Ever All-Seer (of
everything).[25:20]

This verse applies to all of mankind and means that their

existence and presence are an ongoing trial and test for one
another. The men are a trial and test for the women and the
women are a trial and test for the men. The women today
acknowledge men’s masculinity, strength and power that Allah
has given them ; thus, the feminist movement are calling women
to behave like men and assume their roles. The men are being
tested with the women’s indecent behavior and as a result are
falling into sins.

The poor and the rich one, are both an ordeal for each other.
The wealthy one is tested with his wealth towards the less
fortunate to see if he will either help and support them when
needed, or will he simply just turn them away. What’s more,
between the sinners and the righteous people are trials. Also,
the believer and disbeliever both suffer from each other’s
existence.

The messengers are trialed by the people Allah sent them to.
The messengers are tested by calling their people to the
truth, and remaining patient with their harms and difficulties
by inviting them to Islam. The people the messengers are sent
to are tested by the messengers. Are they going to obey them,
aide them and believe in them, or are they going to disbelieve
in them and reject them and assassinate them?

The scholars are tested by the ignorant people. Are they going
to teach them, advise them and remain patient while doing so?
The ignorant are tried by scholars, are they going to obey and
follow their guidance? The rulers of the land are tested by
the people they govern and vice versa. The ruler of his people
is tested to do the right thing and deal with them justly.
Those governed are a trial for their governments. Are they
going to be law abiding citizens and be patient, or are they
going to be criminals? Those who enjoin what is right and
forbid evil are test by those who do evil. If they see the
evil and wrongdoing, will they have the courage to stand up or
will they simply remain silent? Those committing evil in
public are tested by those who ask them to stop and remind
them to fear Allah. Do they take heed or not? [4]

A person might ask a question that Allah already knows

the results of the servants’ tests before He tests them,
so why do so ?

Answer: Allah wants to reward His servant for his actions that
by he did and deeds he earned during the tests and trials. The
things he did or abandoned during the test and trial were by
his choice, and not by Allah’s knowledge. Hence, he deserves
to be rewarded. These tests and trial manifest the servant’s
true nature; thus, he’s rewarded accordingly.[5]

The following Dua is one can often say throughout his day

‫اﻟﻠﻬﻢ إِﻧﻲ أﺳﺄﻟُﻚ َ اﻟﻬ ُﺪ َى و اﻟﺘَّﻘَﻰ و اﻟﻌَﻔَﺎفَ و اﻟﻐِﻨَﻰ‬

“Oh Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, virtue and

sufficiency

Revive this Sunnah- When Times Get Hard Pray

Prepared by the one in need of Allah’s mercy

Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle

Doha,Qatar 1443 ©

[1] Sunan Ibn Majah 4035

[2]‫ ﻣﺮﺷﺪ ذوي اﻟﺤﺠﺎ‬vol 24 pg 238

[3] ‫ﻛﺘﺎب ﻧﻀﺮة اﻟﻨﻌﻴﻢ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻜﺎرم‬
‫ أﺧﻼق اﻟﺮﺳﻮل اﻟﻜﺮﻳﻢ‬vol 1/pg 8
[4] Refer to Tafsir ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali compiled by Tarqi
Awdallah vol2/205, Tafsir ibn Badess vol 1/pg 165

[5] Tafsir ibn Badees ibid