Another gem..

 

 

“..Man needs tests. Tests provide the slave with an opportunity to prove himself to Allah. Allah constantly reminds us of this reality. “We will test you, so We may know the ones who strive amongst you and the patient ones, and relay your accounts.” Tests tell the slave what level he’s at, they grant him the ability to distinguish between true friend and false friend, you would know that in a time of ease, everyone is together, its only in hardship that you know what people are made of. Tests also allow the slave to have a chance, to be a slave. You see, if everything was going ahead as we, humans, desired it, we would grow arrogant and our souls would become disobedient and conceited. But Allah wishes to give His slave a stark reminder that no, the matter is in My hands. In the collection of Abu Dawud, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam used to invoke Allah with the following: “O Allah, make the sustenance of the family of Muhammad (bearly) sufficient.” Ibn al-Qayyim commented on this du’a saying, “This is so when he, sallallahu ‘alayh finds food he worships (iyaka na’bud), and when he doesnt he seeks Allah’s help (iyaka nasta’een), so his life pendulums between the two posts of ‘iyaka na’bud wa iyaka nasta’een.'”

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