Lost

﴿مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ﴾

Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you]. (Quran 93:3)

        Sometimes, life becomes too much to handle. It isn’t perfect for anyone, but at times it becomes wholly unbearable. Whether it is the challenges that become increasingly difficult day after day, or the obstacles we face preventing us from achieving our dreams, or perhaps the plethora of complications we face as we try to secure our happiness.Happiness, which for some of us seems unattainable due to the distress we have encountered in our lives.  Mistrust in those we thought were dear to us, loss of hope in achieving our goals, or pain from calamities that seem to be endless. Do not worry. He did not abandon you nor did He forget to grant His blessings upon you.  He did not befall all of these tragedies upon you because He is displeased with you as you suppose.  Rather, He is testing you; He is placing trials in your way because He wants you to turn towards Him. In fact, He loves you and wants your heart to ache for what is right, to settle on His guidance.

 

Image courtesy of @tazawadoo

﴿وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ﴾

And He found you lost and guided [you], (Quran 93:7)

         Yes, the struggles of this world have exhausted you and forced you to roam around desperately pleading for guidance. No, He did not forget you; in fact when you were lost the most, He caught you, and granted you His guidance. You have had your fair share of pain, loss, grief. Discomfort, insecurity, fear, and most importantly you are lost. You are lost because you cannot find happiness, lost because you cannot find yourself, lost because you are clueless of where to go, where to turn, where you should take the next step. It is this loss that arouses your belief in Him within you, which forces you to rely on Him because the world has turned its back on and has forced you to patiently persevere and turn in His direction. The world turned into a maze and you couldn’t find yourself out, until your endurance and trust in Him led you to the way out, to His guidance. His guidance which will lift you back up and place you onto His path, the straight path. As long as you keep faith in Him, He will hold your hand along the way to keep you from tripping over the obstacles in your way, looking right or left, or even turning back. With His guidance you will find your true self, accomplish your purpose, and most importantly find inner peace. 

  

Image courtesy of @tazawadoo

Reference

 “The path always starts with trials and tests, then comes the period of patience and reliance (upon Allah), and the end is enlightenment, guidance, and victory.” [Ibn Qayyim, Shifaa’ Al-Aleel, pg. 247]