To Look at Events from the Vantage Point of the Future When believers realize that they are being tested in this world, they can see events from the standpoint of the future. So, what does this mean? No matter how great the difficulty or frustration, the situation is temporary. For example, people may be falsely accused of something and suffer unjustly for it. But the truth will ultimately be revealed. Even if the injustice does not end in this world, those who caused the injustice will be punished for what they did on the Day of Judgment. In the same way, those who suffered any injustice will look forward to that Day, upon which their patience will be rewarded. Time passes quickly, and, as with every earthly event, each difficulty will come to an end in the twinkling of an eye. Moreover, the Quran says that Allah has promised to send ease to each Muslim after each test has ended: For truly, with hardship comes ease; truly, with hardship comes ease. (Surat al-Inshirah, 5-6) So, believers trust in His endless justice, wait for this promised relief, and never lose hope. They remember that something good will come after the difficulty ends, either in this world or the next. This is what it means to view events from the standpoint of the future. Muslims know that they are observers of their own destiny and that of others. Knowing this, they observe everything with patience, trust, and submission. In addition, they know that they cannot interfere with, prevent, or stop how an event will unfold. They keep the following words firmly in mind: It may be that you hate something when it is good for you, and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know (Surat al-Baqara, 216). In other words, every bad thing that happens to believers will ultimately benefit them, provided that they remain faithful to Him and patient, for such tests enable them to train themselves, deepen their belief, improve their moral character, become more spiritually and intellectually mature, and raise their status in Paradise. Only sincere believers who have submitted wholeheartedly to Allah will experience this spiritual state. But people who do not submit to destiny and reject religion will be overcome by hopelessness, fear, and agitation, thinking that they will not be able to find any escape. Given that they have no hope or expectation with regard to the Hereafter, they live in a state of constant spiritual unhappiness and frustration. The following verse describes this spiritual state: When Allah desires to guide someone, He expands his breast to Islam. When He desires to misguide someone, He makes his breast narrow and constricted, as if he were climbing up into the sky. That is how Allah defiles those who have no belief. (Surat al-An`am, 125) This spiritual state of frustration is caused by peoples rejection of the destiny that Allah has created for them. It is an oppressive state that they have fashioned for themselves. The fact that Allah, with His endless power and intelligence, directs each persons destiny and rules over all things is a great blessing for the believers. But those with little or no belief do not know the value of this blessing and thus cannot submit to their destiny. As a result, they end up trapping themselves in frustration until they die. Actually, this state is a spiritual punishment given in this world in return for peoples lack of trust in Allah. Moreover, they deliberately bring it upon themselves: Allah does not wrong people in any way; rather, it is people who wrong themselves. (Surah Yunus, 44)
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 04:33:26 +0000
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