Abu Uwais Abdullaah Ali [Rahimahullah] - Transcribed Lecture
Khutubatul-Haajah …..
The greater the hardship, or trial or tribulation the greater the
reward. The greater the difficulty the greater the reward. The greater
the trial or tribulation or difficulty that you are put through the
greater the reward will be for you and for me from Allah (Tabarak wa
ta'ala).
If Allah loves a people, He puts them to trial, He tests them and
places them in difficulty. Allah the Exalted states in Surah Baqarah :
"We
will test you with something of fear, and hunger and loss of wealth,
and souls and vegetation. And give glad tidings to those who have
patience. Those who if in any difficulty or trial, or tribulation
occurs to them or happens to them, they say: 'Verily We are from Allah
and to Allah we return.' They are those who will receive prayers from
their Lord and Mercy and it is those who are guided."
The great reward is in accordance to how great o要es trial, difficulty
or test is. The greater the test and trial, the greater the reward. And
everyone must have tests and everyone will have problems & trials
and everyone will be put to difficulty, everyone will have moments of
grief, moments of sadness moments when things are not as they feel or
would like them to be. But the difference is the believer is patient,
the believer believes in the decree of Allaah, the believer seeks the
reward of Allaah (subhana wa ta'ala) at that time.
The believer praises Allah. The believer will be rewarded in his time
of difficulty. The believer has burns and the Kaafir has burns. The
believer needs an operation and a Kaafir needs an operation. The
believer loses a mother and a Kaafir loses a mother. The believer loses
his wife and the Kaafir will lose his wife. Everyone experiences
difficulty. Everyone experiences trials and tribulations but the
believer because of what Allaah (subhana wa ta'ala) has given him of
Imaan and for what he has of patience and being pleased with the decree
of Allaah, and seeking a reward from Allaah and seeing the wisdom of
Allaah (subhana wa ta'ala) in his difficulty, he will be raised and he
will receive great rewards.
Abu Dawud mentions in the Sunnan, related by Ahmad :
It is in the Saheehah (when you hear as-Saheehah it means it is
authenticated by Shaikh Naasir ud-Din al-Albaani in his authentic books
of narrations – Hadith No. 959) :The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam) said :
"This my Ummah, is a Ummah that has mercy upon it, 'Marhooma'- a
Ummah that has mercy that's been wrapped in Mercies; there is no
punishment for this Ummah in the Hereafter except their punishment that
they experience in the Dunya --- killing and death and dying, trials
and tribulations, earthquakes and the like." And the wording of Abu Dawud is : 'This
Ummah reminds of the Ummah, that Allaah has placed His mercy upon. This
Ummah will not have any punishment in the Hereafter, this punishment is
in this world with fitn, trials, tribulations and punishments and
difficulties, and earthquakes and killings, murder, death.. like this.
'As recorded in Buhari and Muslim: The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said :
"Whoever Allah wants good for him, he puts them to test. He puts
them through difficulties. Like a diamond or some metal that has to be
burnt and then that which is bad from it is removed so that you have
that which is the pure diamond or the pure gold or whatever. Put them
to tests, trials and difficulties."
As narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah : (This is the Hadith that we
started with) - The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said :
'The greater reward is with the greater trial or the greater the
trial or difficulty of test or hardship is then the greater the reward.
And when Allah loves a person He will tests them. So he who will be
pleased and then He will be pleased. He who is displeased, then He will
be displeased.'(Sahaba's name not clear) 'The people as long as they
are in good health, good shape, good condition they are covered. You
don't know their true character because they are in good situation,
they are in good circumstance. As long as they are in a good
circumstances they are covered. But if a trial or difficulty or a
hardship comes upon them, then you will see their reality. They will go
to their reality. The Mu'min will run to his Imaan, the Mu'min will run
to his belief, the believer will run to his belief, his Imaan and the
hypocrite will run to his hypocrisy, and the hypocrite will run to his
hypocrisy. "Without being shaken, you don't not know what comes to the
top and what goes to the bottom. Without being shaken you don't know a
man from those who are faking; you won't know women from those who are
faking. You won't know those who truly believe from those who don't.
Those who make a claim o要 their tongue and is not really in their
hearts and from their limbs from those who are willing to die for this
matter. This can o要ly be shown by trials, the tribulations and tests
and difficulties."
Imam Ahmed brought it and Sheikh Nassir brings in his Saheehah No. 147
: Suhaib said that, 'we were sitting with the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam) and suddenly he laughed. Suddenly the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) laughed. He asked his companions: 'Won't you ask me what I am laughing about?.' So they asked the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) 'what are you laughing about ?' So he said : 'I laughed because I was astonished at the affair of a believer.'
(Listen these are words of Musthafa alaihi salam. He doesn't speak of
his own desires whatever he speaks it is revelation; Listen, these are
words of Rasulullah describing a believer.). All of his affairs,
all of his circumstances are good, all of it. If something happens to
him that he loves, if Allah blesses him with something that he loves,
then he praises Allaah and this is good. And if something happens to
him, if he is put into some difficulty, test or tribulation or hardship
or something that he hates, he is patient and that is good for him. And
no o要e's situation is totally good except the believer. And no o要e
else's affair, no o要e else's circumstance, no o要e else's condition,
no o要e else's situation is totally good except the mu'min, except the
believer.'
'The o要es who received the most difficulty, and went through the most
hardship were the beloved people to Allaah --- the prophets. Allah
loved them more than the rest of mankind or creatures. He tested them.
He put them through test , he put them through hardship, he put them
through difficulties. Listen to this narration of Ibn Majah and Sheikh
Nassir also brings in his Saheehah No. 144 : (Sahaba's name not clear)
"I entered upon the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) before he
passed away whilst he was suffering having a fever -- I placed my hand
upon him and I felt the heat from above the blanket, I felt the heat of
his fever from above the blanket. I said : 'O Messenger of Allaah, how
hard it is upon you.' The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam ) said
: 'Yes,
it is like that. Trials and tribulations, hardships and difficulties
are doubled and multiplied and increased for us prophets. But also the
reward, the blessing, the level that he is raised with Allaah upon is
also multiplied and increased for him.' I said : 'O Messenger of
Allaah who are most put through difficulty? Who are the people who are
most tested? Who goes through the most trials and tribulation O'
Messenger of Allaah?' He said : 'The prophets, then the righteous (saalihun)' ,
some of them are tested with clothing, some of them are tested with no
clothing except an abaya that they place around their bodies, nothing
else. But o要e of them used to be so happy when he was put to trial or
test like you see enjoyment and pleasure and contentment through ease.
They were happy with trials and tribulations like you are happy with
ease."Allaah the Exalted states in Surah Al-Zumar:
"Verily the patient will get their reward without it being
estimated, without it being calculated. It can't be counted. O要e is
waiting for reward, for that o要e who is patient."
As-Sabr, patience Akhee Msulim, my brother Muslim, upon when you are
put to trial, upon when you are put to test, upon when you go through
sadness, upon when you go through hardship, upon when you go through
difficulties, patience – As Sabr, then it is a sign that you are upon
Khair. It is the sign that you are upon good. It is a distinguishing
characteristic, or it is a distinguishing matter that shows that you
are upon good. It is narrated in Abu Dawud :
'Then it is saheeh, the happy o要e, is the o要e who can avoid trials
and tribulations especially those that lead him astray or take him away
from his deen, but the o要e who is tested and is patient, so greater
reward for him, unimaginable reward for him.'
Also it has been related by Bukhari and Muslim : Abbas said to Ibn Rabah :
"Shall I show you o要e of the women of Jannah? Saudah, this black woman
who told the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) : Verily I have
seizures and I become uncovered, make dua to Allaah for me.' The
Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: If you are patient you will have Jannah. And if you want I'll make dua for you that you be healthy.
She said : 'I'll be patient, I'll be patient but make sure that I don't
become uncovered.' So the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) made
dua to Allaah that she does not become uncovered.'
This is how the Salaf were. Because of this some of the salafs used to
say : If a difficulty happens to you, a hardship happens to you, if you
are put to trial and tested and you are patient, then you have got
o要ly o要e difficulty. You have o要ly got o要e hardship. You have o要ly
got o要e problem. Whenever a difficulty or hardship or trial comes your
way and you are not patient, then you have two problems, and two
hardships. And particularly if it is a loss of a child, or a loss of a
loved o要e. You are not patient with that then you have two
difficulties.
The loss of the o要e you love plus the loss of the reward you would
have got if you had been patient. To be patient upon the tests, and the
trials, and the hardships and the difficulties as a worship for Allaah,
is a worship for Allaah. Many of us know that salaah is a worship,
Zakah is a worship, and ruku is a worship and sujud is a worship, and
reading Quraan is a worship , how many of us know that being patient
upon a hardship, upon a sadness , being patient upon a difficulty, upon
a test, upon a trial is a worship for Allaah. Allaah says in Surah
Al-Hajj (22:11) :
"And among mankind is he who worships All殠 as it were,
upon the very edge; if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but
if a trial befalls him, when fitnah comes to him, or a hardship befalls
him, if something that brings about grief comes his way, if he is
tested, if he is put to the test, when sadness comes his way, if a
hardship befalls him, what happens? He flips upon his face. He loses
both this world and the Hereafter. There is no doubt that this is the
clear loss."
Walhamdulillah. The greater the test, the greater the reward, the
greater the hardship the greater the reward, the greater the
difficulty, the greater the reward from Allaah (tabarak wa ta'ala). And
the Salaf understood this. Urwah Ibn Zubair, a well known from the
Salaf had a problem with his foot. So the doctors decided that they had
to cut it off, cut the foot off. When the doctors cut it off he didn't
say anything except these words: 'O Allaah, for you are Full praise.
For if you have taken some, you have left some. And if you have tested,
and put through difficulty you have also put in good condition. If you
have tested and tried and put through difficulty you have also put good
health, good circumstances and good conditions.'The next day his son
was riding a horse or mule and fell off of it and died. So they came to
Urwah with the information of the death of his son, he didn't say
anything except : 'O Allaah, for you is full praise. For if you have
taken some, you have left some. And if you have tested and tried you
have also placed us in good situations and good condition.' So when he
was asked about this he said: 'I had 4 limbs (meaning 2 arms and 2
legs) and Allaah took some and left some. 'I had 4 limbs 2 arms and 2
legs Allaah took o要e and left me three. I had 7 sons, Allaah (tabrak
wa tala) took o要e and left six. And he gave me good condition, or good
situation my whole life up until this time. Then he tested me. Should I
not praise Allaah for that? Should I not praise Allaah for that?'
Tests, trials, difficulties, hardships, grief, sadness, pain it raises
the level of the believer. It raises the level of the believer. It is
an expiation for sins. It removes sins, these difficulties and it
raises o要e's level higher with Allaah. Raises o要e's level higher,
places o要e in His station or circumstance that he might not have met,
he would never have reached if he had not gone through that test. It is
related in Saheeh also Muhammad bin Khalid Abi An Jaddi, his
grandfather was a companion that he went out visiting a brother. Then
he heard that the brother was sick. So he entered upon the brother and
he said : 'I came to you as a visitor, and now I am also o要e visiting
the sick and also someone giving you glad tidings.' The person said:
'how do you gather all this, i.e. somebody who is a visitor, somebody
who is visiting a sick, somebody who is giving glad tidings? How do you
gather all that?'He said : 'I came out, I wanted to visit you, it
reached me that you were sick, then it became that I am visiting the
sick person also I give you glad tidings of something that I heard from
the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) : If Allaah (subhana wa
ta'ala) has decreed or wants for his servant a certain Manzala, a
certain position in the Jannah, a high position in the Jannah, and the
servant is not going to reach it, he's going like he's going, he's not
going to reach it, Allaah (subhana wa ta'ala) would test him, put him
through hardships, would put him through difficulty regarding his body
– may be he will get sick or something; or regarding his wealth – may
be he will lose something; or regarding his children --- may be o要e of
them will pass away or become sick or whatever. So that this person can
become patient, have this Ibadah of worship, then what ? So that this
person can reach the position that Allah wanted him to reach. So that
he can reach the position Allaah wanted for him.
Same Hadith : 'Who are the people who will receive the most
difficulties, trials and tribulations? He said: the prophets, then
those most like them, then like them, a man will be tested in
accordance with his deen. A man will go through difficulties in
according with his deen. A man will go through hardship in according
with his deen. A man will experience sadness and grief in accordance
with his deen. If his deen is strong, then his difficulties will be
great. His trials will be hard. If he has in his deen some ease, or
some lightness then he will be tested in accordance with the likeness
of his deen. Because trials and tests want leave a servant until his
sins are forgiven. That is, because the servant, he undergoes so many
trials and tests, his sins are forgiven and it will be as if he is
walking upon the earth without a sin. That he is walking upon the earth
without a sin. In another Hadith (listen to this brother) : If you have
a difficulty in your life brother, if you have a difficulty in your
life sister, if there is some sadness in your household, if you lost a
child, if that child has been hurt, if there is a sickness in your
family or whatever the case, whatever difficulty or trial, whatever
problem you are going through, listen to the words of Messenger
(sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), it will make it clear. Listen to the
words of Rasoolullah (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), it will cool your
heart, it will take you to that which is right, it will correct you, it
will guide you, it will increase your faith, and your patience.
"There is no difficulty that happens to a Muslim except that Allaah
removes a sin because of it even if a thorn pricks him and even to that
degree."
If Allaah removes to that degree what about some other sadness? Or some
other loss or some other trial or some other difficulty? Lastly Abu
Huraira (radiyallaahu 'anhu) that he heard the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam) and also Abu Said Al Khudri : 'No
pain, or sickness affects a believer. No tiredness (this is also
sickness), or grief nor any worry except that Allaah removes from that
person a sin because of it.'
This should tell us to be patient. This should tell us that our
pathways are not going to be full with rose petals and life is not
always going to give you that which you want or think you deserve, that
they are going to come down your way or into your life things that are
sad, things that bring you grief, things that bring difficulty but your
test is shown, your character is shown, whether you can weather the
storm by being patient with the decree of Allaah, in praising Allah
(subhana wa ta'ala), in hoping a reward from Allaah (subhana wa
ta'ala), for no o要e can reward what Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) will
give the person who has patience. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) has granted
it and he will grant it without calculation. Will grant it without it
being something that we could calculate or imagine. So any difficulty
brother reflect upon this issue that is khair for you, is good for you,
if you are a believer and if you are patient and if you praise Allah
(subhana wa ta'ala) and it is a way to remove your sins and a way that
you have no understanding of what Allaah (subhana wa ta'ala) may be
preparing you for a better station, a better status in the Hereafter
that you would not have reached if He had left you in that state that
you were in. But when he tested you, you were patient and therefore
Insha-Allaahu wa ta'ala that position or that status will be their Haada