All Good and Bad is from Allah (SWT)

In this world, our creator – Allah (SWT) puts us through a variety of situations in different eras of our lives. Sometimes we are faced with hardships, failures, disappointments, griefs, adversities and calamities of different grades and intensities. At other times, we will be tested with riches, success, wealth, fame, triumph and prosperity of varying degrees. The way we deal with them will depend on what our beliefs, principles and convictions are, and how strong they are.

A true believer will see every situation, whether prosperity or hardship, of all grades as a test of Allah. While a non believer, or a “so called” believer with shaky beliefs and weak conviction is more likely to associate prosperity to his own hard work, worldly resources or good luck and hardships to bad luck, worldly enemies or his own mistakes. This will dictate the way these two types of people deal with the situations and their response to them.

In times of prosperity, the true believer will says thanks to Allah and try to help others, and in times of hardship, he will stay patient, work hard and ask help of Allah and thus earn more reward, whatever the situation. He is a winner in every situation. He will pass all tests of prosperity and hardships. Along with prosperity, even hardships are a blessing of Allah for him in absolute terms.

Conversely, the non believer or the weak believer, in times of prosperity, will become arrogant, complacent and pretentious, thus tempting the wrath of Allah. In times of hardships, he will become desperate and may try to change the situation by hook or by crook, potentially using forbidden methods or turning towards false Gods, all of which will plunge him deeper into the darkness of sin and disaster. Along with hardships, even prosperity is a damnation for such a person in absolute terms.

Whether we pass or fail the tests of hardship and prosperity will depend on the strength of our belief and conviction in Allah. The ultimate source of strong belief and conviction available to us Muslims today is Al-Quran. Reading and understanding This Word of Allah with the right intentions will guarantee the strength of belief and conviction that will equip us to successfully deal with the tests of this life, Insha-Allah.

May Allah make us all of the true believers and keep us steadfast until we die.