One of the best ways to know Allah is through His words, and through that, develop a strengthened heart. Every story, description, admonition, and advice give us insight into how Allah interacts with us and helps us to connect to Him, as well as understand our own role in this world and the nature of the world itself.

Part of being in this world is that we will go through periods of hardship. I recently found myself in an unexpected position, one that no person I knew could help me with, and one that I had no means to face on my own. At first, I so wanted human support. But the realization came to me that the lesson here is to turn to Allah first. Support from those around us is a means that can only be facilitated by Allah . And when people can’t be there for us, it is a reminder that truly, we only have Allah – and that is all we need. This is the secret in the remembrance that we recite every day in the morning and evening:

حَسْبِـيَ اللّهُ لا إلهَ إلاّ هُوَ عَلَـيهِ تَوَكَّـلتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ العَرْشِ العَظـيم

“Sufficient is Allah for me, in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the formidable throne.”

The Prophet said that whoever says this seven times in the morning and evening, Allah will spare him what worries him [Abu Dawud].

We may recite this absent-mindedly, failing to internalize the meanings, but when Allah wants us to learn, these words suddenly come to life and become a life-line. And the lessons in the Qur’an suddenly hit much closer to home, and our hearts are strengthened by something inexplicable because, on the outside, there is no reason for calm. Yet with an understanding of Allah , al-Salam (the Source and Giver of Peace), al-Mu’min (the Granter of Security), al-Muhaymin (the Controller), that grows in our heart, the external troubles are minimized.

This is how the Muslims were able to face their enemies when the odds were against them. We are told:

‘Those to whom hypocrites said, “Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them.” But it [merely] increased them in faith, and they said, ‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.”’ [Qur’an; Surah ‘Ali ‘Imran:173]

Serenity During Difficulty

For those of us with seemingly insurmountable struggles, Allah reminds us over and over in the Qur’an how trusting in Him grants us the internal fortitude to face these difficulties, even if it seems that nothing is changing outwardly.

When the Prophet and Abu Bakr were being hunted by the Quraysh, who were hell-bent on killing him , they hid in the cave of Thawr. His pursuers followed him there, getting so close to them that if they were to look down, they would see them. Allah reveals to us what happened in these moments:

‘…While they both were in the cave, he reassured his companion, “Do not worry; Allah is certainly with us.” So Allah sent down His serenity upon the Prophet, supported him with forces you ˹believers˺ did not see…’ [Surah At-Thawbah:40]

Allah sent His serenity upon the Prophet . Sometimes, in the midst of turmoil, we may find ourselves calm. And this can only come from what He gives us, when we turn to Him and realize that “Allah is certainly with us”.

Similarly, when Pharaoh was chasing Musa and Bani Israel, it appeared on all fronts that they were doomed. Pharaoh was adamant and had the stronger army. Bani Israel wailed, “…We are overtaken for sure!” [Surah Ash-Shu’ara:61]. Bani Israel did not trust in Allah . Musa , on the other hand?

‘Moses reassured ˹them˺, “Absolutely not! My Lord is certainly with me—He will guide me.’” [Surah Ash-Shu’ara:61-62]

The previous examples were of the greatest prophets; the beloved of Allah and the one spoken to directly by Allah . Is it possible to expect the same serenity?

Allah talks about giving calmness to the believers in the Qur’an. We are also taught the nuances in the serenity – one can have trust in Allah , while still feeling sad due to loss, and possess internal calm while still having moments of apprehension. In the story of the mother of Musa , she was inspired by Allah to throw her son in the Nile. By the will of Allah , baby Musa was picked up by Pharaoh’s palace. What was the reaction of the mother of Musa ? ‘The next day, Moses’ mother felt a void in her heart…’

The mother of Musa was a devout believer, trusted in Allah , and was beloved to Him; yet, she still felt a void in her heart. And what did Allah do?

‘…If We had not strengthened it to make her one of those who believe, she would have revealed everything about him…’  [Surah Al-Qasas:10]

The mother of Musa was given the strength she needed to protect Musa and to refrain from revealing everything. And so Allah may give us the strength required to deal with our hardship, even if we do feel the pain at the same time.

Connection to Allah

Does trusting in Him mean that things will work out the way we want all the time? Not at all – but that is the meaning of trust. We do what we need to do – what is required of our outwardly and inwardly – and trust the outcome to Allah . The mother of Musa wanted her child with her, protected; he landed in the belly of the beast, the house of Pharaoh, the butcher of babies. Yet he was protected, but in the house of his enemy.

Sometimes, the point of the lesson is not a miraculous external change, or even a gradual one, but an internal connection to the Most High that actually fulfills the purpose of the hardship: submission to and love for Allah in all circumstances. Asiya was the embodiment of this; she had everything this world could offer, yet professed her belief in Allah to her tyrannical husband, who claimed to be god. And she was killed for this. Yet, her heart was strengthened. She supplicated to Allah for what she wanted the most, for what truly gave her peace: ‘My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise.’

The next time you feel overwhelmed by your troubles, and see no way out, remind yourself that you have Allah . For what do we have, if we do not have Allah ? And if we have Allah , have we really lost anything? And when you are washed over with calm despite unsettling circumstances, and feel a deep sense of strength when there is no logical reason for it, remember that that is al-Salam, bestowing upon you true peace, and al-Aziz, giving you the ability to withstand from within.

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