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Sultan ul Ashiqeen Quotes

Trials and Afflictions

Trials and Afflictions

Divine teachings for Trials and Afflictions

The Purpose Behind Hardships

Calamities, troubles and illnesses are written in man’s destiny, everyone has to face them at one or the other point in life. It’s not that you face trials and tribulations solely because you follow the path of Allah; even worldly people endure difficulties. Without trials and afflictions, man would become exceedingly arrogant. Consider Pharaoh, who never experienced any ailment throughout his life, not even a minor headache, and this led him to declare himself a god.

Trials Elevate the Faithful

Allah tests His servants through trials and afflictions, and grants them new heights and milestones in their spiritual journey on success. The stronger a person's faith in Allah and His Oneness, the more levels of success and spiritual elevation he attains.

Trial vs Affliction in Sufism

According to Sufism, the difference between a trial and affliction is that a trial brings grief and distress to the seeker’s inward without necessarily affecting his body whereas affliction affects both the inward and the body, causing internal and external pain. The greater the pain and the stronger the faith in Allah, the higher the rank the seeker achieves. The seeker must not misconstrue that he is in pain and facing hardships just because he is walking Allah’s path, neither should he think that since he is on the right path he should not be facing any hardship. How is this possible! If Allah won’t test you, how would He promote and elevate you in rank?

True Reliance on Allah

Difference between worldly people and true men of Allah is that when a worldly person is in pain he often places his trust in his children, relatives, friends or doctors etc. but when Allah's true servant gets ill, he although goes to a doctor for treatment but does not place his faith in the doctor or someone else. He believes that the cure is only and only with Allah as He has said in the Quran that only He grants healing. If there is some other calamity or trouble, Allah has promised that He will relieve His servant from it in a way he cannot even imagine. He might be looking towards a certain source for remedy, but Allah will help him from where he least expected.

Hardships Turn Into Blessings

The trials and tribulations that come upon a seeker of Allah turn into blessings and Allah’s mercy because he patiently endures them for the sake of His love.

Steadfast on the Path of Faqr

A seeker of Allah unapologetically treads the path of Faqr. No matter how many hardships and trials come upon him, he does not deviate from this path.

Perfect trust comes under test

When a seeker relinquishes all his hopes from every support besides Allah and submits entirely to Him, then Allah subjects him to trials for some time to ascertain whether he has truly and completely become indifferent to all other sources or still has some inclination towards them. If the seeker proves his perseverance, then Allah takes charge of all his matters and neither disappoints nor dishonours him.

Complaints Worsen Trials

Raising objections (to Allah) at afflictions or trials only makes the situation worse.

Trials Teach Patience

After facing trials and hardships, a person gets patient and mild. Only a pampered person gets angry when he does not get what he wants.

Beloved of Allah Faces the Hardest Trials

The most cherished by Allah faces the most trials and difficulties. It is through these challenges that Allah elevates his spiritual status, demonstrating to everyone that His servant has steadfastly and successfully traversed all spiritual stations and thus earned the title of His beloved.

Enduring Criticism on the Path of Faqr

On the path of Faqr, a true seeker has to face various trials including harsh criticism from people and sometimes even physical punishments from his own parents.

Punishment or Test — Know the Difference

Pain or hardship from Allah is either a punishment or a test. A person surely does realize whether it's a punishment or a test. The one receiving punishment becomes anxious and seeks refuge from worldly sources, placing trust in them for relief. However, the one undergoing a test does not panic because he understands that the hardship is from Allah and only He can alleviate it. He turns to repentance and relies solely on Allah.

Success or Disgrace After Trials

After a trial, some emerge victorious from the court of Allah while others depart in humiliation. Those who succeed in the trial ascend to higher spiritual levels.

Never Abandon the Afflicted

Leaving someone alone in sickness and distress is not considered good.

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