How to Bear our Difficulties

﴿ وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ (97) فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِّنَ السَّاجِدِينَ(98)  وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ (99)﴾

And We already know that your breast is constrained by what they say. So exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him]. And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty. (Quran 15: 97-99)

 

There comes a time when things become out of control. Or perhaps too much to handle; when your life doesn’t seem to be going as you might have planned or challenges are coming at your way unexpectedly. Sometimes it hurts; a load is burdening your chest, strangling your neck, stinging your heart.  Life was never meant to be completely blissful, but it’s how we handle our difficulties that changes the way we live this life, the way we accept it, the way we tolerate our challenges and bear our difficulties. The first step of dealing with our struggles is by recognizing that Allah is the A’lim, the Knower of All. Regardless of how far or near we are to Allah, He is well aware of the pain we are experiencing. He knows that our hearts are throbbing as a result of all the difficulties, struggles, and hardships that have filled our lives. 

The second step to coping with the hardships of life is to seek the treatment for an ailing heart. The only cure that treats an aching heart is to get closer to Him. To exalt Him and bow down to Him, for He is the only One you can trust, for He is more than enough to resolve all your hardships and heal all of your pain. Exalt Him by praising Him, thanking Him, and contemplating the blessings He has bestowed upon you. Bow down to Him in prostration and draw yourself closer to Him. Bow down to Him in prayer and seek the most sacred form of communication with your Lord, supplication. The road to peace of mind and inner peace is often clouded by our own misconstruction of the way communicating with Allah works, yet there are no barriers between you and your Lord while you are in prostration or supplicating Him. Therefore, seek Him In prostration and pray for relief, pray for strength, pray for support, pray for guidance, and pray for peace. 

Worship your Lord, not merely for the reward in the hereafter or to be an ideal Muslim. Worship Him because you need Him, you need His love, His mercy, His understanding, His support, and most importantly His guidance. Worship Him to let loose the rope that strangles your neck and find security, serenity, and relief to your worries. Worship Him to find the ability to bear your difficulties and overcome your challenges. Worship him, find Him, and approach Him until you are close enough to feel that you are certain, that you are convinced that as long as you are under His mercy and guardianship gradually the noose will start to loosen and everything will be okay. 

Image courtesy of @tazawadoo

 

 

Reference:

Tafsir ibn Kathir (English Version), pg 2654 - 2656