Showing posts with label Test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Test. Show all posts
Depression is a condition which affects a growing population of individuals around the world. It does not discriminate with regard to race, educational background, social status or religion. Despite the fact that there is nothing to be ashamed of, individuals who suffer from this condition usually bear it quietly for fear of the stigma of being labelled as having a mental incapacity.
Islam being not just a religion but also a complete way of life has provided us with a solution out of every problem, and depression is one problem the solution to which can be found in the teachings of Islam. I must stress here that I will not discuss anti-depressants as steps for walking out of depression, the reason being, I consider them to be more chemical than practical. Speaking from personal knowledge and experience, we shall examine six ways of rising above the trials and tribulations of depression:
1. Reciting Suratul Nas:
Basically, depression mostly consists of feelings of self-doubt and extremely low self-esteem which I can attribute to the deceptive whisperings of Shaitan. When one peruses through the meaning of Suratul Nas, you will notice it is mostly a prayer for protection from the whisperings of Shaitan. Consistently reciting Surah tul Nas, whenever feelings of self-doubts surface; will safeguard one from depression and uplift the mood of one who suffers from depression.
Seringkali kita mengeluh dan mengadu, mengapa Allah tidak habis-habis menguji kita. Malahan diberi-Nya ujian yang sama setiap kali. Setelah satu, maka datang pula satu lagi masalah. Setelah habis dicuba dengan ujian yang merumitkan, didatangkan pula ujian yang menyesakkan dada.
Sungguh indah perancangan Allah dalam mentarbiyah manusia. Allah yang Maha Mengetahui menguji manusia pada titik-titik kelemahan diri kita. Pada titik-titik yang lemah itulah, bertubi-tubi Allah datangkan ujian kepada hamba-Nya. Di ruang-ruang yang lemah itu Allah datangkan ujian maha berat sehingga manusia merasakan dia tidak lagi terdaya memikulnya.
Allah menciptakan manusia dengan kelemahan, namun Allah tidak membiarkan kita terus menerus hidup dalam kelemahan tersebut. Maka Allah datangkan ujian bertimpa-timpa pada titik kelemahan tersebut sebagai latihan untuk membina sebuah kekuatan.
Bagaimana?
Seseorang individu yang lemah dalam akademik, maka pada titik akademik itulah Allah mengujinya berkali-kali. Sahabat-sahabat kita ramai yang diuji Allah pada titik akademik. Bukan sekali sahaja mereka diuji, namun berkali-kali. Ada yang mengalami kegagalan dalam 'Continous Assessments' kemudian dalam peperiksaan Akhir musim panas Allah menguji lagi dengan kegagalan walaupun telah berusaha keras.
Ada pula yang dipanggil ke 'Viva' namun masih gagal dan perlu mengharungi ujian musim luruh. Setelah berusaha keras menelaah, masih Allah menguji dengan kegagalan dalam peperiksaan itu sehingga perlu mengulang semula tahun pembelajaran. Malah, ada yang bukan pertama kali perlu mengalami kitaran ujian tersebut, bahkan mungkin pada tahun kedua mahupun tahun ketiga. Di titik akademik itulah Allah berkali-kali datangkan ujian pada mereka agar dengan adanya ujian-ujian itu mereka lebih kuat dan mantap pada sebuah pengharapan. Ya, berharap pada Allah setiap kali ujian datang menjengah.
It is said: “Whoever acts by what he knows, God will bequeath to him knowledge that he does not know.”1 Thus, as a person practices what they know, they are guided to a deepening of faith, a sharpening of the spiritual faculty, and an intensifying of taqwa. The Qurʾān insists:
While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their guidance, and bestows on them their piety. [Surah Muḥammad,17]
There are, we are cautioned, certain pitfalls along the path which we must steer clear of; and it is not uncommon for those committed to religious observance (“practicing Muslims” is the usual term) to stumble headlong into such dangers, corrupting works of faith and poisoning the Spirit and health of the heart. Of these pitfalls is 'ujb: vanity, conceit, vain-glory, egotism.
In the case of religious works, 'ujb is when we fail to realize that the act of worship we have performed, or the knowledge we have gained, or the charity we have given – for instance – is not of our own doing; but is a gift from God. Only when blinded to such a reality do we then start to see these works as being of our own accomplishment and efforts. We then begin to become vain, egotistical and bask in our own self-glory. Ibn 'Ata'illah counsels us: 'Let not acts of obedience make you joyous because they come from you. But be joyous because they come from God to you.'
Say: “In the grace of God and His mercy, in that let them rejoice. This is better than that which they hoard.” [Surah Yunus, 58]2
Akin to the dangers of 'ujb is that of kibr – arrogance, haughtiness, pride, hubris. One hadith defines arrogance as being:
batr al-haqq wa ghamat al-nas – 'rejecting the truth and looking down on others.' [Muslim, no.91]
Seeing ourselves as better than others or viewing others with contempt, disdain or as being inferior, is outright arrogance or kibr. There are many manifestations of kibr. Being boastful about one's looks, wealth, worldly achievement, or social status are among the most common; as is considering oneself to be religiously more devout or more pious than others. Ibn 'Ata'illah writes: 'Disobedience which bequeaths humiliation and extreme brokenness is better than obedience that bequeaths conceit and arrogance.'3
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Dalam Al-Qur’an banyak ayat yang berbicara mengenai kesabaran. Jika diteliti, terdapat 103 kali disebut dalam Al-Qur’an,
Ini menunjukkan betapa kesabaran menjadi perhatian Allah S.W.T.
1. Sabar merupakan perintah Allah S.W.T. “Hai orang-orang yang beriman, mintalah pertolongan kepada Allah dengan sabar dan shalat, sesungguhnya Allah beserta orang-orang yang sabar.” (Al-Baqarah: 153). Ayat-ayat yang serupa Ali Imran: 200, An-Nahl: 127, Al-Anfal: 46, Yunus: 109, Hud: 115.
2. Larangan isti’jal (tergesa-gesa). “Maka bersabarlah kamu seperti orang-orang yang mempunyai keteguhan hati dari rasul-rasul dan janganlah kamu meminta disegerakan (azab) bagi mereka…” (Al-Ahqaf: 35)
3. Pujian Allah S.W.T bagi orang-orang yang sabar: “…dan orang-orang yang bersabar dalam kesulitan, penderitaan dan dalam peperangan. Mereka itulah orang-orang yang benar imannya dan mereka itulah orang-orang yang bertaqwa.”(Al-Baqarah: 177)
4. Allah akan mencintai orang-orang yang sabar. “Dan Allah mencintai orang-orang yang sabar.” (Ali Imran: 146)
5.Allah S.W.T. berfirman : “Dan bersabarlah kamu, karena sesungguhnya Allah itu beserta orang-orang yang sabar.” (Al-Anfal: 46)
6. Mendapatkan pahala surga dari Allah. (Ar-Ra’d: 23 – 24)
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- by Abu Muntasir M. Manwar Ali -
"Surely, before that, they indulged in ease and plenty." [Sūrah al-Wāqi’ah (56): 45]
Engrossed in the pursuit of our desires we keep ourselves back from reflecting upon the state of our souls. Scholars have always taught and lived by the truth that love of this world is the source of all error.
`Umar (raḍī Allahu ‘anhu) thought about the following words in the noble Qur’ān:
Fair in the eyes of men are the love of things they covet.
Women and sons; heaped up hoards of gold and silver;
Horses branded (for blood and excellence)
and (wealth of) cattle, And well-tilled land.
Such are the possessions of the life of this world;
But the best (thing) to return to is in the presence of Allāh.
[Sūrah Āl-I-Imrān (3): 14]
Women and sons; heaped up hoards of gold and silver;
Horses branded (for blood and excellence)
and (wealth of) cattle, And well-tilled land.
Such are the possessions of the life of this world;
But the best (thing) to return to is in the presence of Allāh.
[Sūrah Āl-I-Imrān (3): 14]
`Umar (raḍī Allahu ‘anhu) then responded, “O Allāh! We cannot but be happy with those things which You (yourself) have made fair in our eyes. (So) O Allāh! I request You to give me power to spend all those things in the right way.”
We have the great gift of intellect and plainly some of us never lack in our will power to rake in all sorts of gains we wish to gather in this world. However, let us try to imagine for a moment all the gaps we have in our lives. We have gaps in empathy, understanding of realities, compassion, courage, knowledge, and self-reliance to gaps in gratitude, charity, justice, inventiveness, appreciation and being resourceful. Put all these gaps together and they form a great void indeed. With our faith and the knowledge we have of it, especially with regards to the life story and practices of the last Messenger of Allāh, Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu `alayhi wa-sallam), we have little trouble in recognising this void as nothing else but a great emptiness of the soul. Being able to impose my intellect and will; my mind; on that great emptiness, so that it can take shape and leave a beautiful trace in time, forever to my credit, is what true devotion, learning and service to humanity is all about.
This is the Sunnah that can neither be expressed in a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ nor set down as a dry list of rules. It is the comprehensive Sunnah of worshipping Allāh in sincerity and love. It is as much to do with removing the sins in our lives as to fill that emptiness within. It is a way to behave with our hearts, minds and bodies; so that God is witnessed in truth in our being who we are. At its core is Tawḥīd and purification of the heart. The pure heart fills the emptiness of the soul and makes it peaceful and sound. That is the goal of faith and the result is not union with Allāh but nearness to Him in this life and then a vision of Him in the Hereafter in Paradise.
This is the reason why it is so very hard, perhaps impossible, to understand with acceptance, the constraints and motives of those who confuse, or hinder, or put to trial others about Islam when we all need to come closer to Allāh. This is the reason why it is so difficult, perhaps impossible, to understand with acceptance, the constraints and motives of those who do not inspire sacrifice or striving or sincerity for Allāh when all of us do need to come closer to Allāh.
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“Do not grieve; Indeed, Allah is with us.” -Qur’an, 9:40
We have to trust and remember that Allah truly has the best plans for each of us. Some steps along the way may be difficult, but light follows darkness in the skies, just as ease follows hardships in our lives.
Be grateful for every single person who was part of your story. The ones that hurt you. The ones that helped you. The ones that came, and the ones that left. They all taught you. Don't think for a moment that any of it was random. There are no oversights with God. Only perfectly crafted chapters in each unique journey - Yasmin Mogahed
Jumu’ah Mubarak!
- Source jumuahgems.tumblr.com -
Allah subhanahu wa ta`la, exalted and free from imperfection is He, states that every man and woman will be tested with difficulties, hardship and loss in life. Allah tests us for the following reasons:
- To distinguish between those who sincerely believe in Allah and those who don't.
- To encourage mankind to strive to do good deeds.
- To purify the soul and expiate sins.
- To distinguish between those who believe in the Hereafter (akhirah) and those who do not.
- For believers to earn the reward of Paradise (Jannah), if they remain patient and faithful to Allah throughout adversity.
"Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: 'We believe and we will not be tested'?" (Qur'an, Al-Ankabut, 29:2)
"Who has created death and life that He may test who is best in deed." (Qur'an, Al-Mulk 67:2)
"Whatever trouble, illness, anxiety, grief, pain and sorrow afflict a Muslim, even if it is the pricking of a thorn - Allah removes some of his sins because of it." (Narrated by Abu Sa`eed al-Khudri, Bukhari and Muslim)
"...We might test him who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it: and the Lord watches over all things (All-Knower of everything i.e. He keeps record of each and every person as regards to deeds and then He will reward them accordingly.)" (Qur'an, Saba 34:21)
"Did you think that you would enter Paradise without Allah testing those of you who fought hard in His cause and (also) test those who are as-Sabireen (the patient ones)?" (Qur'an, Al-`Imran 3:142)
As mentioned before Allah subhanahu wa ta`la tests his creation to distinguish between those who have faith and those who do not. The stronger they are in faith, the more He will test them. Although this may seem unfair, Allah is never unjust.
The more He tests the believers, the more He will reward them in return. The opportunities to earn the rewards of Allah are equal for both men and women. However, the rewards for believers and non-believers (or disbelievers) are quite different. Rewards for non-believers are only awarded in this life, whereas the rewards for believers are rewarded in this life and in the Hereafter (akhirah).
The life often feels like a prison to the true believer because of all the Islamic restrictions, sacrifices, and severe hardships he has to endure. His life is spent in constant struggle between his own wanton desires and his moral conscience. However, Allah is aware of all his efforts and self-sacrifice and will either rewards for it in this life or in the Hereafter (or both). Every times a believer makes a sacrifice for Allah's sake, he sins will be expiated. A good deed will be written for him and its reward multiplied hundreds of times. Allah provides incentives such as these to encourage us to strive harder and make more and more sacrifices in our lives.
If a person embraces Islam sincerely, then Allah shall forgive all his past sins, and after that starts the settlement of accounts: the reward of his good deeds will be ten times to several hundred times for each good deed, and an evil deed will be recorded as it is, unless Allah forgives it too out of His Mercy.
Worship consists of three levels of belief and striving:
- Islam - total submission and obedience to Allah.
- Imaan - true faith consisting of belief in the heart, speech of the tongue and action of the limbs.
- Ihsaan - perfection of worship, doing good deeds as though you see Allah, and if you cannot achieve this feeling or attitude then you must remember that He sees you.
Every believer should try to live his life according to these basic levels of worship.
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If mother of Prophet Isah (Jesus) (AS), Maryam, had carried and delivered him all in a single day, world would have praised it as a miracle. They would have referred her as a woman with divinity (special powers from God). No one would have thrown stones at her, isolated or accused her of wrongdoings.
Why did not Allah make this a miracle happening all in a single day?
That is the natural procedure Allah would carry out his decision. We can understand this fact from many mentions in Qur’an. If Allah decides to test His slave, that would occur in all normal and ordinary way- be it an ailment, hunger or fear- everything happens in its natural way. But, we have been completely wrong in perceiving this in real sense. A believer must comprehend that whatever Allah orders would certainly happen in his life and whatever happened in the past and present are as per the decrees of Allah. This comprehension is something which is possible only for a believer. Let’s see what Allah orders to the gallant warriors who fight with the enemies in the battlefield.
He says in Surah Thouba, verse 51:
Say: “Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us, He is our protector”, and on Allah let the Believers put their trust (Qura’n 9:51).
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