What should we do during trials?

Sheikh Umar bin Mohammad As-Subayyih

Sha’baan 10, 1422 (October 26, 2001)

All praise is due to Allaah, may peace and blessings of Allaah be upon His Messenger, his household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as He should be feared for in fear of Him lies protection, safety, peace and light.

"O you who believe! If you obey and fear Allaah, He will grant you a criterion and will expiate for you your sins and forgive you, and Allaah is the Owner of the Great Bounty." (Al-Anfaal 8: 29)

Brothers in faith! Allaah’s straight path is His Glorious Book and the guidance of His trustworthy Prophet which he and his followers followed and which he directed his nation to follow in matters of belief and deeds without exaggeration and negligence. That is the balanced way with which Allaah describes this nation when He says,

"This We have made you a just (and the best) nation."

This is one of the great virtues that distinguishes Islaam from all other religions. Therefore, Allaah enjoins us to stand firm on this path. He says,

"So stand firm and straight (on the religion of Islaam) as you are commanded and those who turn in repentance with you and transgress not. Verily, He is the All-Seer of what you do." (Hood 11: 112)

Brothers in Islaam! Truthfulness of one’s faith can only be demonstrated by one’s uprightness and firmness on Islaam and its laws in all aspects of one’s life and by adhering strictly to the sunnah of the Prophet, for he has directed his people to all good and warned them against all evil. He has left his nation on a clear path from which none can go astray except only the doomed. He informed us that there was going to be a lot of disagreement, dissention and greed among the Muslims and that the fire of these evils were going to be kindled by the enemies of Islaam. He also informed us that realities would be obscure and concepts would be mixed up and many people would be ruined as a consequence. These are the characteristics of trials and tribulations as described by ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib when he said, ‘It starts secretly and then becomes an open evil that misleads the upright hearts and leads guided ones astray. Things changed in the face of it… During trials, the wisdom becomes hidden and darkness becomes manifest…’ He then warned against trials and said, ‘…do not therefore be spreaders of trials and leaders of innovation. Hold fast unto the rope of the majority of Muslims and stay away from the path of Satan…’

Such is the characteristic of trials and the best way to avoid them.

Brothers in faith! Trials have continued to be affecting the Muslim nation throughout its history till this day. As for this age, Muslims and their countries are facing trends of tribulations and trials that render the people of wisdom perplexed. The mischievous take these incidences as an opportunity to spread falsehood about Islaam and make wild predictions that are not based on an iota of truth.

Fellow Muslims! The best way to act or react during events like these is to examine ourselves, blow out the fire of these tribulations, remove their causes and reduce its effects to the barest minimum.

As for the Muslim common folk, the best for them is to refrain from wading into these issues and every individual should rather face what concerns him personally like his acts of worship and worldly commitments. That is the instruction given by the Messenger of Allaah when he said, ‘The prosperous Muslim is the one who keep his distance from trials.’ He said it three times.

He also said, ‘There is going to be a serious trial. Whoever wades into it will be affected by it and to wade into it with one’s tongue is like wading into it with one’s sword.’

The honourable companions marched in the light of these Prophetic guidelines as well as those who follow them during their own days of trials. They stayed away from it and the whole muslim nation praises them for that.

Fear Allaah therefore, dear Muslims, and beware of trials, the manifest ones and the hidden. Repent to Allaah and do good deeds and continue to aid your Afghan brothers and the persecuted Muslims of Palestine and of other places.

"Whatever good you send before you for yourselves (including charity), you will find it with Allaah, better and greater in reward."

Also pray and beseech Allaah to remove these trials from the Muslims, for He is All-Hearing, the Answerer of supplications.

Fellow Muslims! Be firm in your obedience to Allaah and in seeking for His pleasure. Seek nearness to Him with all that He loves in sayings and deeds in accordance with the direction of the Prophet - peace and blessings be upon him.

It is also beneficial to spend one’s life doing acts of obedience before one is afflicted with tribulations that would not allow one to do any righteous deeds. Among the Prophet’s valuable instructions in this regard is his saying, ‘Hasten to do good deeds before these seven things reach you: poverty that makes you forget everything; wealth that makes one transgress; a destructive illness; old age; a ready death; or the Antichrist.’

Brothers in faith! Fear Allaah and keep away from innovation. Among the innovations that people do is the celebration of the middle of Sha’baan which has no authentic evidence and that was never celebrated by the Prophet or by any of his companions and their righteous followers. All the recognised scholars have condemned this act, for the best known word is that of Allaah and the best way is that of Muhammad - peace be upon him. The worst of all matters are innovations; all innovations are in error; and all such errors will lead to hell.