The Prophet’s ﷺ Way to Deal with Hardship

by 19 June 20220 comments

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Prophet’s ﷺ Way to Deal with Hardship

by Abdul Rahman Rahuni

From every perspective, the Prophet  is the best role model to follow. He has received Divine revelation, and Allah has acknowledged him in His book about the Prophet  uswatun hasanah. As an apostle who was sent to correct a society that had strayed far from the pure teachings of Allah, the Prophet  has undoubtedly encountered a number of difficulties and conjectures.

He was asked: Who among us has been put to the greatest test? He said: “The prophets.” [Hadith narrated by Ibn Majah]

As a result, The Prophet  is the best person to follow in his footsteps in order to overcome the challenge, not only for his bravery but also because he is a human whom the Divine guides.

Patience

Patience is the key to overcoming all obstacles. Out of patience comes contentment with any state of affairs. Then, we will employ rational thought to solve the problem. When the misfortune reoccurs, it is necessary to have patience.

The Prophet  said: “Indeed, patience (which is rewarded) is in the first misfortune (when it was first overtaken).” – Muttafaqun ‘alaih.

During a disaster, the Prophet  was a very patient individual. The rejection of his preaching in Taif was one of the harshest he had ever experienced. In response to the rejection of his preaching in Taif, he was stoned until he was covered in blood, after which he complained to Allah. Then Allah dispatched Jibril with the guardian angel of the mountain, who awaited the command to destroy those people with the mountain.

But he patiently replied to the offer, ” I hope that one day Allah will bring forth from the descendants of those who worship Allah and do not associate Him with anything.”

When the Prophet  was praying in Mecca, a Meccan polytheist named Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ayt attempted to strangle him with a scarf, but Abu Bakar saved him. The Prophet  remained silent and continued to pray.

The same was true of other horrific experiences, demonstrating that the Prophet  was always patient in his response. Allah promises those who are patient through His word in the Qur’an: “Indeed, Allah is with those who are patient.” [Al-Anfal 8:46]

Allah, on the other hand, will guide those who have patience. He said: “They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from Allah, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.”

[Al-Baqarah 2:157]

No Rush to Act

Moreover, when a tragedy hits, we cannot swiftly punish something, and it is preferable to evaluate something thoroughly.

The Prophet  reminded us of a hasty attitude, saying, “Haste is of the devil.” As a result of his inability to reason, haste can lead to regrettable decisions and actions.

In his marriage, the Prophet  experienced a tragedy. A munafiq has accused his wife, Aisyah, of committing an adultery act with hadithah al-ifk (false story). The Prophet  was not in a hurry to punish his wife. He waited calmly for a month until Allah revealed verses 11-20 of Surah An-Nur, which exonerated her.

Discussion

The discussion will generate improvements that can be implemented. Collecting and discussing excellent ideas can result in the best outcomes. This is the significance of discussion or musyawarah, no matter how small or extensive. Discuss and listen to the perspectives of others, whether they are older or younger.

The Prophet ﷺ is a great and wise leader who sought the counsel of his companions when making major decisions. When the Battle of Badr appeared, the Prophet ﷺ agreed with a companion’s suggestion to establish a military base in a better location than where he originated. They moved to the proposed location with the water source.

In the war of Khandak, the Prophet  accepted Salman Al-Farisi’s recommendation to dig a trench as a military strategy. With Allah’s blessing, the Islamic army achieved victory.

Supplication

Doa is the primary weapon possessed by Muslims. It is a complaint space between a servant and God. There are specific situations, times, and locations where dua is required. Allah loves His servant who supplicates, even according to the Hadith, which states that Allah does not permit His servant’s hand to be returned empty after he supplicates. He said:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

“My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.”

[Al-Baqarah 2:186]

The Prophet  frequently prays to Allah in all circumstances, including challenging ones. Before the conflict, he prayed. During the battle of Badr, He prayed as follows: “O Allah, fulfil the promise You made to me. I weep at Your promise, O Allah.”

Good Assumption toward Allah

Positive thinking, or husnuzzon, is the recognition that Allah has decreed something to be good and that what is occurring is also good. From the beginning of his preaching until the end of his life, the Prophet  viewed Allah in a favourable light regardless of the difficulty of the situation.

When the Prophet and his companions were oppressed in Mecca, when he lost the battle, etc., he remained pleased with Allah provisions and continued to think positively. This is consistent with what He stated:

Allah said: “I am based on my servant’s presumption of Me. If he assumes positive thoughts, he will receive them. And if he assumes negative thoughts, he will receive them.” [Hadith narrated by Ibn Hibban]

As for the misconception of Allah, it is the attitude of the polytheists and the munafiq, as Allah has said: “And that He may punish the Hypocrites, men and women, and the Polytheists men and women, who imagine an evil opinion of Allah”

[Al-Fath 48:6]

When misfortune befalls him, he should think well of it in order to be pleased with taqdir, and Allah will reward him accordingly.

Contributed by: Abdul Rahman Rahuni

Ustaz Abdul Rahman Rahuni. The author is a graduate of the Islamic University of Madinah studying in the field of Islamic Sharia. He is currently an instructor at Sekolah Menengah Ugama Islamiah, Tawau, Sabah.

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