Sometimes we want to know the answers to everything. Every situation that occurs in our life, every hardship we go through, every place we are placed in—we desperately seek the answer to “Why?” Why me? Why this situation? Why this place? Why this person? Why? For the past few months, I have been caught in this very chaos, overwhelmed by these questions. In the midst of this storm, I turned to the Quran, which reminded me of an important lesson that we often forget. It taught me that as believers, we are not meant to know the answers to everything. We are simply meant to believe and surrender to the decree of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. We are not meant to know the unseen or understand everything that Allah is managing behind the scenes. Sometimes, some things will not make sense to us, and that’s perfectly fine. Our role is to trust Him completely, just like a child who cries when his parents take away his toys. The child cannot comprehend the wisdom behind it because of the gap in age and understanding between him and his parents. Similarly, we may face situations in life that we can’t comprehend at the time, and we may not understand the plan of Allah. However, as we grow older and reflect, we begin to see the wisdom behind those experiences. What seemed incomprehensible back then eventually led us to something that was ultimately good for us, even though we didn’t understand it at the time.
We must accept, believe, maintain positive hope, and continue on our path. Let Allah do His part, let Him plan and unfold events in His perfect wisdom. When He chooses to keep something hidden from us, it is for our own benefit.
That day, Allah reminded me of the importance of accepting His decree, embracing each situation with patience and gratitude. Perhaps, I had forgotten this crucial lesson, and while I was pleading for answers to my questions, Allah responded to me in His own way.
The next day, as I was returning home, I came across many poor people sitting and lying on the roadside in dire circumstances that I could never imagine enduring. Some had lost limbs, some wore tattered clothes, and some did not even have slippers to cover their feet. As I passed by an old man, he said to me, “Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.” I turned around and saw him—an elderly man without a leg, with deep wrinkles on his face that bore the marks of immense pain and hardship. I approached him and returned his greeting.
In that moment, I realised something profound. Perhaps I had been comparing my life to those who appeared to have more, which had made me ungrateful and led me to complain to Allah. Yet, I had so much more than those I saw that day. I felt weak and ashamed of my ingratitude and my loss of patience. I turned to Allah, thanking Him for answering my questions in such a beautiful way—a way that reminded me of how truly blessed I am and how blessed we all are.
As Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala says in the Quran,
“If you are grateful, I will surely increase your favour.”
It is such a beautiful feeling when someone loves us so much that our gratitude alone is enough for Him, and He promises to grant us even more if we become thankful. Yet, for us, the simplest thing can often become the most difficult. We may have countless reasons for ingratitude, but when it comes to expressing gratitude, we sometimes struggle. Why is that?
Perhaps our negative thoughts have imprisoned us to the extent that we forget our true purpose—the purpose of worshipping and being thankful to Allah alone. If we reflect on Allah’s blessings, we will realise that we can never fully repay His favour. There is goodness in both His giving and His withholding. Instead of crying over what we couldn’t obtain, let us embrace gratitude for what we have. He is the All-Wise, and His wisdom prevails in all decisions.
This experience also taught me that the purpose of our religion is not just to live for ourselves but to live for others and become their sahara (support). This was exemplified by the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah placed him in hardship to instil kindness and mercy in his heart so that he could empathise with the pain of others. His entire life became a means of serving Allah and His creation. He did not live for himself but for Allah and His creation. He was a support for the elderly, the young, the poor, the orphans, the widows, the divorced, the slaves, and the needy. SubhanAllah.
When Allah sent those people into my path, I asked myself an important question: Am I fulfilling the purpose of my life? Have I become a sahara (support) for any soul on this earth? Am I paying the sadaqah (charity) of my life by serving the creation of Allah? How will I answer Him when I stand before Him and He asks, “What did you do when I sent so-and-so your way to help and ease their pain? Did you not promise that I am your Lord and your Creator?”
Even if we were to sacrifice everything we have, it would not be enough to fully express our gratitude to our Lord for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us. Alhamdulillah
May Allah keep us steadfast on the right path and make us a means to ease the pain and suffering of others. May He make us a source of happiness for someone. May He make us a light in someone’s darkest moments. May Allah make us humble and grateful. Ameen
“All praise is due to Allah in every circumstance.”
Islam is perfect, and any mistakes are solely mine. I take responsibility for my mistakes and seek your pardon for any errors I may have made. And Allah Knows Best!
