Bad situations.
I was thinking, how we all understand, learn and view the concept of bad situations and circumstances. When we are faced with something that is not so pleasing or we are placed with a difficult person, point in life, or even when things we want do not come by, what do we think of that and how do we react.
As humans we have natural things that govern our bodies and our minds, naturally when we lose our job or when something wrong happens, we get upset, get angry and sometimes scream and 'lose the plot'.
But how do we see these situations? Do we ever think there may be something good from it, or do we ever accept it may be one of those 'apparent' bad, a hidden blessing in disguise or it is good, but due to our weakness we think it is bad.
Its something that is so interesting. The more you learn about Islam and the more you gain knowledge and 'drink' from the fountains of the spiritual side of islam
tasawwuf, you really change your 'humanly' condition of thinking and your thinking changes in looking at it totally different.
Take for example, someone who loses a job. A person who is not so practising, prays sometimes and indulges in alot of sinful matter, will see it as something bad. They may scream, they may lose hope, they may even think, how can this happen, etc. Whilst someone who prays and is trying their best to reach Allah and please Him, will see it as a good thing. They may think by losing this job, i shall get a better job, they may feel happy thinking maybe this job wasnt for me, and something else is on its way, they may think, it is time to change and move to another job, etc.
Its one action; losing the job, whilst there is two ways to take it, see it as a bad thing or take something good from it. In apparent sense, it implies losing a job is bad, of course it is not good for someone may require a source of income, but in a wider scope of thinking and reflecting it may be a source of good, which we normally find out later.
We should really think how we deal with situations. If we reflect back in life, when we had situations that really teared us apart or circumstances when we thought, even for slight second, how can this be, how can this happen, why me, etc. Even when times came when we wanted something, but it never came or we had something but it went. Even in daily life, today was great, then suddenly the next day seems to be so difficult due to someone, to family, to work, to friends, to illness, to wealth, to everything.
But if we truly reflect we find out that it was good. We learn so much from difficulties and 'apparent' bad things, and it makes us stronger. Ask yourself, when things get difficult, don't you make more dua, don't you think of Allah more, at least you do this. What is better than 'talking to Allah' and 'remembering Allah'. So when difficulties appear, and they make you 'realize' who you are and who Allah is, isnt the 'bad' actually 'good'?
This is the first thing we do or we should do, we turn to Allah, ask Him for help, assistance, we complain of our weakness, of the situation, and we ask Him to change it, and provide for us, etc. Isn't that the whole point of life, the shaytaan's main aim is to 'divert' us from Allah, so when bad happens, isnt it a way of Allah making us turn to Him, because we ourselves can't due to the whispers and due to our sins blocking us to turn to Him, isn't a difficulty,a bad thing, a bad moment, in actual fact good? Isnt it a mercy, a gift from Allah? A calling from Allah.
Plus, when the bad happens or that moment passess, don't we all learn something, don't we think later on, few days later or few weeks, that happened, now i understand. Or even for some later in life they realize that thing happened as a lesson in life. Many things happen to teach us a lesson. For example, a car accident, its bad of course, but so many have changed their lifes from coming out of it, so many relaize the value of life, the fear of death comes, the love of family increases, yes at the time it is bad when it happened, but in reality it helped those who survived to change. We all have examples, a friend who is so bad, his attitude, his way, we may think why do i have this person as my friend, this guy is so bad, etc. But then in life you realize he has taught you patience, he has given you lessons, he has made you stronger, by being with him, you learn how to be good in the face of bad character, you learnt how to refuse the invitation to bad, by being with him, etc.
These are some examples, we all have many, some are big some are small, some are daily, when things we 'think' is bad, do we really for a moment think it may be good? Should we really lose hope when things go 'wrong'...
Another point is, the fact that Allah knows our situation. As believers we should be happy in whatever situation we are placed upon. Of course He knows were you are, and those who are a bit more in love with Allah and are spiritually connected, would say, how can you complain to Allah of a situation and asking Him to put you in a another situation, isnt He aware of that, didnt He place you there. Its deep, but its true also. Do we ever think Allah placed us in the situation we are in, because of whatever reason that pleases Him. For He is the most Wise. So this is another way to see how 'bad' things can also be good, or they are always good, but we make it out to be bad, hmm..
Another angle is that notion that we are forgiven when a prick touches our feet, as related in the tradition of our beloved, sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Do we ever think, due to the illness or hardship, struggle, whatever it may be, however small or however large, duration it may be, it is a means for us to be cleaned. We are being purified. How kind Allah is, that as servants we should ask Him to forgive us and help us, in a normal sitaution if i wronged you, you come to me and say sorry, i don't say come and say sorry, nor do i hold your hand and say, i have forgiven you, look at Allah, subhanAllah, that we have sinned so much, we have angered Him so much, we have done so much bad, and due to our weakness and our lack of insight, He himself wants to forgive us, by using this means. By falling ill, He makes excuses to forgive us, He wants us to be clean and pure, and we do not even once thank Him for that, nor do we reflect and see the Kindness of Him, by this small action that we are placed upon by Him.
By falling ill, we complain more, we moan, by having some hardship we lose hope, complain to people, whilst in reality He is forgiving you, for all the bad you have done, that you yourself should repent for, but in His Mercy, He wants to forgive you, and He does it for you, without you even asking for forgivness, without you asking for any way for Him to forgive you, He uses these means to forgive you. How can this 'bad', be seen as 'so hard', subhanAllah.
If you read also history you find how people of the past, used to be happy when difficulty came, for they saw the verse and notion in Islam that says 'after difficulty comes ease', they used to smile when difficulty came, for them it meant something far greater in good is coming. Whilst we cry and moan when we are in difficulty. There was a group of great saliheen, pious people who used to make dua for difficulty, you may ask why do they do that, it was explained that, when we are in difficulty we call Him more. Think about it yourselves. You do make dua for all the things you have, but when somethings 'bad' happens you make more dua, you ask for more, you reach for Him more, and you turn to Him more, so does that change your vision of 'bad', to become 'apparent' bad? ..
InshaAllah we all try and raise ourselves to a level a bit higher than the one we are at. We should reflect and understand how beautiful life is and how Allah places us in situations in order to test us, in order to make us stronger, in order to raise us, in order to forgive us, in order to make us return to Him, in order for us to thank Him, in order for us to realize who we are, in order to make us humble, in order to clean our hearts, etc. Request of your duas.
themiddleplace.blogspot.com/2007/03/bad-situations.html
What do you think of bad situations?
