While some were freed or escaped, the authorities’ waning interest and ongoing mass abductions by militants has left campaigners and families of missing pupils in despair

When her Boko Haram captors told Margret Yama she would be going home, she thought it was a trick. She and the other girls kidnapped from their school in Chibok, in north-east Nigeria’s Borno state, had been held for three years and had been taunted before about the possibility of release.

Conditions where they were being held in Sambisa Forest were harsh. Food and water were limited, the work was hard and the surveillance from the Islamist militants was suffocating. But then came the day in May 2017 when the girls were escorted to a Red Cross convoy on the edges of the forest.

Continue reading...

The Brighton Hill Roundabout. (Source: Auto Shenanigans)

Today I saw a video by a couple of guys who make YouTube videos about roads, accusing Hampshire county council in south-eastern England of spending £20 million on making a bad roundabout even worse. (Not the first time they’ve accused councils of doing this.) The roundabout is the Brighton Hill Roundabout on the A30 in Basingstoke, where it meets the old by-pass (now a local road) and three other local roads, and previously had a network of subways under both it and some of the feeder roads, linked by walkways inside the roundabout. Now, the roundabout has been enlarged, extra lanes added to the roadways, and the subways replaced by at-level pedestrian crossings. The two men opined that the pedestrian crossings make the extra lanes pointless, and point out other defects, some real (such as traffic lights obscuring traffic signs) and some spurious (such as traffic lights being on a roundabout at all). A friend told me that people she knew used the roundabout and did find the new layout confusing, but that this was nothing to do with the removal of the subways which she agreed with.

First, why have traffic lights on a roundabout? The answer is that a priority-only roundabout only works at a junction which isn’t too busy. Where you have multiple busy roads meeting at a roundabout, you end up with one stream of traffic dominating it and traffic from other directions queuing, sometimes for hundreds of yards, because they can’t get in edgeways. The Waggoners’ Roundabout in west London is a classic example: at busy times it can take a long while to get onto the roundabout from the westbound A4 (from Heathrow) because of fast-moving traffic coming round from the A4 from London and the A312 from Feltham. This may have been the situation at the Brighton Hill Roundabout and adding the signals would have ensured everyone could get onto the roundabout; however, it also facilitates the pedestrian crossings.

Second, why slow traffic down? Isn’t the whole point of roads and cars that you can drive fast? The answer is that the council might not want through traffic using local roads; they want them to take the M3 from the nearest place, which for much of Basingstoke is the eastern junction, or junction 6 (this is convenient for the town centre and the large industrial area on the north-eastern side of the town), rather than take the scenic route through the suburbs of Basingstoke. Slower traffic is also safer to cross for both pedestrians and cyclists. There’s a perfectly good motorway a few hundred yards away (which is maintained by central government, not the county council).

However, the biggest issue is why they got rid of those subways. Subways mean pedestrians can walk safely away from the traffic and the drivers can put their foot down because of nobody slowing them down, right? The problem is that subways and segregated walkways are a facet of twentieth-century urban planning that rapidly turned sour as they became favourite hangouts for undesirables of one kind or another; we have seen them removed from council estates where they used to link housing blocks, and from many other busy junctions. People, especially women, just don’t feel safe walking through them and a network of subways and walkways through a roundabout will, at less busy times and especially at night, be secluded; they will feel much safer using an at-level crossing where they can be easily seen and so can everyone else using it. Without them, they will be forced to take detours or just risk crossing the road, and many women would rather risk being run over than being raped. As a female acquaintance told me when I mentioned this on Twitter, “subways are a big no-no especially for lone women”. Yes, we all know that most rapes are acquaintance rapes, but every so often there’s an exception (here in the south-east we all remember Antoni Imiela, surely) and if you’re a man, you wouldn’t want your wife or sister to be the first to find out.

So, just because a junction upgrade or alteration means that drivers can’t speed through it as fast as they used to be able to, it doesn’t mean it’s bad or that it’s a waste of money. No doubt the council decided that it was more important that people be able to walk or cycle from one bit of their own town to the next safely than that motorists be able to speed across a suburban area without more than dabbing the brake pedal when they could well use the perfectly good motorway, or just slow down a little bit. In many towns in the UK, as in Europe, urban spaces are being redesigned so that pedestrian safety comes before driver speed and that roads aren’t the impenetrable barriers between neighbourhoods that they often have been since the 1960s. As frustrating as it may be for some motorists, an upgrade that makes pedestrians’ and cyclists’ journeys safer is money well spent.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Let’s de-toll the M6 Toll
• An unfortunately necessary upgrade
• Tories gunning for cyclists (during climate and cost-of-living crisis)
• Let’s put a stop to the dashcam vigilantes
• It’s not just Brexit

Weekly news roundup (01:21); Antony Loewenstein on Israel’s use of AI during its genocide in Gaza (18:08); Jon Elmer on resistance ambush in Khan Younis and Hizballah downing Israeli drone (01:10:22); A discussion on regional and political developments (02:00:39).

Anti-Palestinian groups and individuals claim that criticism of Israel’s genocide is tantamount to anti-Jewish bigotry.

Muslims mark the start of the three-day festival that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan

Continue reading...

One Briton says celebration is ‘reminder of how blessed we are’ as thoughts turn to those facing famine in besieged strip

Millions of Muslims across the UK celebrated Eid on Wednesday after the first sighting of the new crescent moon, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Baitul Futuh mosque in London, one of the largest in Europe, welcomed more than 5,000 people to pray and celebrate the three-day festival, one of the most important holidays in the Islamic calendar.

Continue reading...

Air deliveries remain haphazard as those who refused to leave northern Gaza try to survive Israel’s imposed famine.

Irtiza Hasan and Zainab bint Younus consider how to celebrate Eid while the Ummah’s hearts grieve with Gaza; being mindful in light of Eid consumer culture; and how we can talk to our children about the heavy realities of our Ummah. How can we channel celebration as resistance against oppression? How can we celebrate Eid ethically without losing sight of the global context? Check out this episode and let us know your own thoughts and experiences below!

From the MuslimMatters family to yours, Eid Mubarak! May Allah accept all our worship from Ramadan, and let us witness a free Palestine soon, ameen!

Related:

Podcast: Gaza’s Strength, Our Weakness | Shaykha Zaynab Ansari

We Are Not Numbers x MuslimMatters – Faith Is Our Way Of Resistance

The post [Podcast] Palestine in Our Hearts: Eid al-Fitr 1445 AH appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

When will all this misery end?

By Ibrahim Moiz for MuslimMatters

 

Third U.S. Government Official to Resign Over Gaza Genocide

A senior foreign affairs officer has become the third American official to resign over Washington’s support for the Gaza genocide by Israel. Annelle Sheline, an officer with the Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour office at the American State Department, made a public resignation in order to draw attention to the Israeli genocide, the total support offered for it by Joseph Biden, and the unease that this support has caused among her erstwhile government colleagues.

The Gaza genocide has seen well over thirty thousand Palestinians, mostly civilians and about half children, killed since Israel commenced its assault after a Hamas-led Palestinian breakout from the besieged enclave in October 2023. Sheline is the third government official to publicly resign in its aftermath, following the autumn 2023 resignations of Tariq Habash, an education official of Palestinian Christian background, and Josh Paul. Like Sheline, Paul worked at the State Department – the American equivalent of a foreign ministry – as a director, before quitting his job over the regime’s unalloyed support for Israel even as it committed and sanctioned mass atrocities against Palestinians.

Overwhelming Disgust at Israel’s Actions

Sheline’s role involved the promotion of human rights in the Middle East, though not specifically with regard to Israel and Palestine. She explained in an interview with the Qatari state broadcaster Al-Jazeera that the overwhelming disgust by civil society groups in the region at Israel’s actions, combined with the discord between American condemnation of other states’ abuses and support for Israel, had made her job increasingly difficult. Though Sheline had tried to raise internal objections to the government line, co-authoring a cable to this effect and co-signing two more, her efforts bore no fruit and she was in the end compelled to resign.

Sheline had praised Biden’s early advice, at the immediate outset of the Israeli campaign, that Tel Aviv not overreact to the Palestinian raid the way that the United States had done after its own shores were attacked in September 2001, mounting several destructive regional wars that were often aggressively encouraged by Israel. Yet there was no accord between this advice for restraint and Biden’s subsequent embrace of the Israeli attack, which included not only major military and diplomatic support but even personal ridicule of Palestinian testimony and repeating of bloodcurdling Israeli propaganda points.

Naive or Wilfully Blind

She also highlighted that the far-right Israeli government, lavished with such support, had no incentive to moderate its behavior: “Prime minister [Benjamin Mileikowsky] Netanyahu’s political future depends on this violence continuing, and he has no incentive to either get his own hostages back or to end the violence.” The United States was “somewhat naïve or, you know, wilfully blind to the political incentives on Netanyahu’s side.”

Thus Tel Aviv had indulged in a wholesale, months-long massacre: instead of conducting the precision strikes for which they had the wherewithal, the Israeli military has instead tried “to engage in ethnic cleansing to try to remove the population of Gaza…to make life so unlivable there that people cannot survive or are forced to leave and to take over that territory.”

In an open essay explaining her resignation, Sheline claimed that her criticism of the United States’ unquestioning support of Israel was widely shared:

“So many of my colleagues feel betrayed. I write for myself but speak for many others, including Feds United for Peace, a group mobilizing for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza that represents federal workers in their personal capacities across the country, and across 30 federal agencies and departments. After four years of then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to cripple the department, State employees embraced Biden’s pledge to rebuild American diplomacy. For some, US support for Ukraine against Russia’s illegal occupation and bombardment seemed to reestablish America’s moral leadership. Yet the administration continues to enable Israel’s illegal occupation and destruction of Gaza.”

Haunted

According to Sheline, she had initially intended to resign quietly, as she claims several other colleagues did, but was encouraged to speak for other dissidents and draw attention to the crisis by making her resignation public.

Sheline has been “haunted” by the last social media post of Aaron Bushnell, the airforce officer whose public self-immolation in front of Israel’s Washington D.C. embassy in February 2024 helped refocus official attention to Israeli war crimes after months of wilful denial that made a mockery of the United States’ support, much professed by Biden, for international institutions and legality.

“I can no longer continue what I was doing,” Sheline concluded in her essay. “I hope that my resignation can contribute to the many efforts to push the administration to withdraw support for Israel’s war, for the sake of the 2 million Palestinians whose lives are at risk and for the sake of America’s moral standing in the world.

 

Related:

Religious Scholars Urge Maryland Senator To Stand For Justice On Gaza

Prophetic Lessons From The Muslim Men In Gaza

 

The post Foreign Affairs Official Resigns Over Gaza Genocide appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Footage from around the world has captured celebrations of Eid al-Fitr as Muslims marked the end of the fasting month of Ramadan with the three-day festival. For many, however, the six-month war in Gaza has cast a shadow on the Islamic holiday

Continue reading...

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters reached out to our regular (and not-so-regular) crew of writers asking them to share their reflections on various ayahs/surahs of the Quran, ideally with a focus on a specific juz – those that may have impacted them in some specific way or have influenced how they approach both life and deen. While some contributors are well-versed in at least part of the Quranic Sciences, not all necessarily are, but reflect on their choices as a way of illustrating that our Holy Book is approachable from various human perspectives.

Introducing, A Ramadan Quran Journal: A MuslimMatters Series

***

Solace For the Sincere and Vulnerable

by Sa’diyya Nesar

 

As a person with a physical disability, I have always naturally gravitated towards the opening of the 80th Surah—titled ‘Abasa (He frowned)—simply because of it including the encounter of the blind companion named Abdullah with Prophet Muhammad . This was when Abdullah unintentionally interrupted our Prophet when he was delivering the message of Islam towards the leaders of Quraysh. The chance of delivering the message of Islam to the elites of Quraysh—without them mocking him in return—was rare, that this unintentional interruption came at the worst possible time.

It is common to approach at the worst possible time when having a disability due to not necessarily having all the social cues to make an informed decision as to when it is the best time to approach. The social dynamics of one of our most vulnerable—a companion with a disability—approaching at not the best time while in the presence of the leaders of Qurayesh, therefore, naturally intrigued me. I hoped to further understand through this example how disability was approached in social context and how Islam helps eliminate social hierarchies that devalue the vulnerable.

I additionally understood when initially first reading the opening of Surah ‘Abasa how it is not easy to approach in the first place especially when having a disability. The fact that Abdullah approached by calling our Prophet by his first name—repeatedly—indicates how he felt safe with him and that there was a bond of familiarity. It was, therefore, clear from this example that there was a pre-existing caretaking dynamic towards Abdullah . Those with disabilities know that even our most loving carers have moments of frustration, especially when undergoing high-pressure social situations. Prophet Muhammad was going through a high-pressured social situation with the weight of the responsibility of being a Messenger. The period that this encounter occurred was when most who embraced Islam were from the most vulnerable. There was, therefore, the pressured need to have some of the leaders—and elites—be part of the Ummah for strengthening support.

Abdullah could not see that Muhammad momentarily turned away with a slight frown due to the high pressured situation that he was in, but Allah revealing that our beloved Prophet frowned and redirecting him to focus on Abdullah , spills volumes that we are meant to learn something here on how we are encouraged to engage with our sincere and vulnerable.

Disability [PC: Henry Co (unsplash)]

Prophet Muhammad may not have had a disability, but he was at one point an orphan, and faced many vulnerable encounters when interacting with the leaders of Quraysh. Prophet Muhammad within Surah ‘Abasa was sincerely guiding the leaders of Quraysh who have not accepted Islam. Some among them were those who were not heeding the message, which put Prophet Muhammad in a different layer of vulnerability compared to the vulnerability that Abdullah faced.

Surah 93—titled Ad-Dhuha, the morning brightness—similarly depicts the layers of vulnerabilities that Prophet Muhammad experienced, especially due to the leaders mocking, and alluding that Allah had abandoned him by not giving him revelations for a period of time.

I, therefore, thought for this article it would be interesting to explore both the opening of Surah ‘Abasa and Surah Ad-Duh—that are both within Juz 30—to pinpoint the parallels, especially in the context of providing solace to the sincere and vulnerable.

Below are 3 potential parallels:

1. Allah mercifully intervenes at extreme periods of vulnerability

Prophet Muhammad was going through a period of sadness because of how some of the people of Quraysh—especially the leaders and elites—were mocking him over revelation not coming down for a period of time. They had alluded that Allah had abandoned him but this was when Surah Ad-Duha was revealed as a means to mercifully intervene.

Allah says,

                “Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does He hate you.” [Surah Ad-Dhuha: 93;3]

This revelation automatically removes Prophet Muhammad from the vulnerable position of having to continuously hear that Allah had abandoned him. It rather responds by showing otherwise by strengthening and reassuring our Prophet .

Similarly, at the beginning of Surah ‘Abasa, Allah mercifully intervened by not only removing Abdullah from a potentially vulnerable position of unintentionally not being attended to, but also removes the Prophet Muhammad from the vulnerable position of having to continuously engage with the leaders of Quraysh that were not necessarily taking heed.

Allah says,

“How could you tell that he (blind companion) might have sought to better and cleanse himself?

He may have got a reminder and that reminder may have benefitted him.

As for him (leaders of Qurayesh) who thinks himself self-sufficient.

To him you attend.

Yet the fault would not be yours if he will not become pure.” [Surah ‘Abasa: 80;3-7]

Allah is revealing here that the leaders of Quraysh are apathetic to the message that Prophet Muhammad was delivering to them. He is demonstrating how they feel free of need and are thus not deserving of any more of Prophet Muhammad’s efforts. Allah here is reassuring that it is not Prophet Muhammad’s fault if they are not receptive to purifying themselves. He is rather, redirecting Prophet Muhammad to Abdullah as someone who would not take him for granted. One is easily in a vulnerable position when taken for granted, and the fact that Allah mercifully intervened for both Prophet Muhammad and Abdullah demonstrates solace for the vulnerable.

2. Allah values the sincere

The way Allah describes the leaders of Quraysh juxtaposed to Abdullah , demonstrates how much Allah values the sincere above any manmade social hierarchies.

Allah says,

“And as for him who came to you running (with enthusiasm and zeal).

And is afraid (of Allah and His punishment).

Of him you are neglectful.” [Surah ‘Abasa:80;8-10]

Prophet Muhammad was not intentionally neglectful, but Allah valued the sincerity of Abdullah to the extent of compassionately reminding the Prophet to redirect his focus to Abdullah in order to not neglect. This is encouraged even more, because the sincere efforts from the Prophet guiding on the message of Islam, would have been more effective if done towards Abdullah . Allah values sincerity and does not take it for granted.

The fact that Allah does not take sincerity for granted is demonstrated even more within Surah Ad-Dhuha. This was when Allah was reassuring Prophet Muhammad over how things will only get better.

Allah says,

“And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world).

Your Lord is sure to give you so much that you will be well satisfied.” [Surah Ad-Dhuha: 93;4-5]

The time as to when this was revealed was when there were very few believers and most of them were among the vulnerable. Allah is suggesting here that the numbers will increase with time and acknowledging the difficulties—and vulnerabilities—that Prophet Muhammad was facing in sincerely spreading the teachings of Islam. Allah is emphasizing the harder the struggles—and the more sincere the efforts—the higher the victories until you are satisfied. Allah does not indicate how much He will give but assures it will be so much. This indicates that sincerity is met with limitless reward.

3. Care towards our vulnerable—social equality and social responsibility in Islam

Allah reassures Prophet Muhammad further within Surah Ad-Dhuha by reminding him of past solace to reiterate that, just like life got better in the past, life will be brighter like the morning sun in the future.

Allah says,

“Did He not find you an orphan and shelter you?

Did He not find you lost and guide you?

Did He not find you in need and make you self-sufficient?” [Surah Ad-Dhuha: 93;6-8]

Don’t ignore the orphan [PC: Katherine Chase (unsplash)]

The three scenarios of being an orphan without shelter, being lost, and being in need are all vulnerable scenarios a human being can endure. The need for shelter -especially out of being an orphan- is an extreme form of vulnerability. Allah is demonstrating His Care and reassuring solace even more through the use of rhetorical questions. The juxtaposition of finding shelter after orphanhood, receiving guidance after being lost, and being self-sufficient after being in need demonstrates reassuring hope. Allah here is showing that He is the primary carer and provides means—even if through people—to help you out of difficulty.

Allah demonstrates that He is the primary carer towards our vulnerable, but continues within Surah Ad-Dhuha on reminders towards social responsibility in Islam.

Allah says,

“So do not be harsh with the orphan.

And do not chide the one who asks for help.” [Surah Ad-Dhuha: 93;9-10]

Prophet Muhammad would always be kind to the vulnerable, especially as a Prophet who was once an orphan; but here, all of us are reminded of our social responsibilities in Islam. Allah looks after, but we must never ridicule, be harsh, or humiliate anyone especially those who are in a vulnerable position like orphanhood. We are additionally encouraged to not turn people away or tell them off, especially when they are asking for help sincerely. This is a way we can demonstrate care especially towards our vulnerable.

Abdullah within Surah ‘Abasa was asking for help in understanding the religion. He was asking sincerely in order to purify himself and grow. The honor that Allah gave to Abdullah by redirecting him to be addressed in juxtaposition to the leaders of Quraysh demonstrates social equality in Islam. Sincerity towards the religion is valued over anything else, and caring for the vulnerable is of the highest priority.

The fact that Allah additionally honors the Prophet Muhammad in Surah Ad-Dhuha by reassuring him of future rewards and successes—while also mentioning that he was once an orphan without shelter— and highly reassures anyone facing vulnerability of a secured honored outcome from their Lord. This especially being the case if we sincerely purify ourselves and grow for Him.

Allah , as shown in the opening of Surah ‘Abasa and Surah Ad-Dhuha, is assuredly there for our sincere and vulnerable—He does not abandon, and our sincere and vulnerable are never alone.

Related:

– The Missing Muslims: Living With Disability

– Structural Cohesion In The Quran [A Series]: Surah Abasa

 

The post A Ramadan Quran Journal: A MuslimMatters Series – [Juz 30] Solace For The Sincere And Vulnerable appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1 Juz 2 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6 Juz 7 Juz 8 Juz 9 Juz 10 Juz 11 Juz 12 Juz 13 Juz 14 Juz 15 Juz 16 Juz 17 Juz 18 Juz 19 Juz 20 Juz 21 Juz 22 Juz 23 Juz 24 Juz 25 Juz 26 Juz 27 Juz 28

[Transcript unavailable]

The post IOK Ramadan: The Importance of Spiritual Purification | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep30] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

Tehran’s foreign policy is rooted in its history and worldview, including anti-colonialism, expert tells The Electronic Intifada Podcast.

College with Mossad links benefits from funding.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1 Juz 2 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6 Juz 7 Juz 8 Juz 9 Juz 10 Juz 11 Juz 12 Juz 13 Juz 14 Juz 15 Juz 16 Juz 17 Juz 18 Juz 19 Juz 20 Juz 21 Juz 22 Juz 23 Juz 24 Juz 25 Juz 26 Juz 27 Juz 28

[Transcript unavailable]

The post IOK Ramadan: The Power of Prayer | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep29] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1 Juz 2 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6 Juz 7 Juz 8 Juz 9 Juz 10 Juz 11 Juz 12 Juz 13 Juz 14 Juz 15 Juz 16 Juz 17 Juz 18 Juz 19 Juz 20 Juz 21 Juz 22 Juz 23 Juz 24 Juz 25 Juz 26 Juz 27

[Transcript unavailable]

The post IOK Ramadan: The Weight of the Qur’an | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep28] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1 Juz 2 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6 Juz 7 Juz 8 Juz 9 Juz 10 Juz 11 Juz 12 Juz 13 Juz 14 Juz 15 Juz 16 Juz 17 Juz 18 Juz 19 Juz 20 Juz 21 Juz 22 Juz 23 Juz 24 Juz 25 Juz 26

[Transcript unavailable]

The post IOK Ramadan: Families of Faith | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep27] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters reached out to our regular (and not-so-regular) crew of writers asking them to share their reflections on various ayahs/surahs of the Quran, ideally with a focus on a specific juz – those that may have impacted them in some specific way or have influenced how they approach both life and deen. While some contributors are well-versed in at least part of the Quranic Sciences, not all necessarily are, but reflect on their choices as a way of illustrating that our Holy Book is approachable from various human perspectives.

Introducing, A Ramadan Quran Journal: A MuslimMatters Series

***

Preparing For Trials And Loss

by Waleed S. Ahmed

The twenty-ninth Juz of the Quran starts with a poignant declaration of one of the fundamental purposes of creation. It states,

“Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion, and He over all things hath Power;”

“He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving” [Surah Mulk: 67;1-2].

We are reminded in these verses of one of the main reasons we were sent to this world: to be tried and tested. Similarly, in other places in the Quran we are told:

“He is the One who created the heavens and the earth in six days -while His Throne was on water- so that He might test you as to who among you is better in deed…” [Surah Hud: 11;7].

“We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits…” [Surah Al Baqarah: 2;155].

These verses make it clear to us that we are living in the abode of tribulation; that difficulties and hardships are a part of this life. The ‘problem of evil’ thus doesn’t arise for the believer as he is aware that adversity is present in this world by design – and that our ultimate goal is to reach the world of eternal bliss where no tribulation, injustice, or suffering exists. One day is for you and one day is against you – that is the nature of this world.

Reflecting on these verses, a question naturally arises: if tribulations are bound to come our way, then what are we doing to prepare for them? We spend days and weeks stressing over an exam for school and getting ready for it. What then of the trials that the Quran warns us about?

Instead of gleefully going through life hoping that nothing bad ever happens, a more prudent approach is to be prepared for calamity before it strikes. We might be tried with poor health, the loss of employment and wealth, the injury or death of a loved one, heartbreak and the loss of a relationship, a natural disaster, an act of injustice, a war, a sudden accident, an entanglement in an unruly affair such as a legal battle or a toxic work environment; any of these incidents can overnight shatter our worlds and throw us into survival mode. It could happen to any of us.

So, what are we doing to prepare? While there are no simple solutions, this essay hopes to explore some wisdoms from our tradition to be better prepared for the challenging days before they arrive.

Having the Right Mindset

Premodern people were very aware of the notion of living in ‘peacetime’ or ‘wartime’. Peacetime was seen as a temporary period that was to end upon the onset of war, and it was used to train for wartime. This mindset is unfortunately lost upon those of us living in places that have enjoyed a prolonged period of peace, and many of us go through life under the illusion that peacetime is to last forever. More worrisome, is the belief that we are entitled to well-being and any misfortune in life is met with the ‘why me?’ attitude, often accompanied by anger, disillusionment, and complaints.

Patience and prayer [PC: Visual Karsa (unsplash)]

However, as already alluded to earlier, the Quran reminds us that we are living in the abode of tribulation and that we will certainly be tried with hardships in our earthly life. For those of us fortunate enough to be living in places away from violent battlefields, wartime for us will entail personal battles and crises that we ought to be ready for. This awareness will ensure that when calamity strikes, our response isn’t ‘Why me?’, but rather one of submission to divine decree and turning to God.

The Prophet taught us how to live during peacetime so that we are prepared for trials. He said:

“Acquaint yourself with Allah in comfortable circumstances, He will acknowledge you in severe difficulty. Know that what has missed you was never going to befall you and what has befallen you was never going to miss you. Know that help is with patience, deliverance is with distress and that with difficulty there is ease” [Ahmed]. In another narration, he mentions, “The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried” [Tirmidi]. [Hadith 19, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi]

This hadith highlights one of the keys to ensuring we are prepared for calamitous times: remembrance of Allah and being connected with Him during times of ease. Ibn Rajab al Hanbali in his commentary on this hadith says, “When the slave has taqwa of Allah, guards His limits, takes care of His rights when he is in comfortable circumstances, then he has made himself known to Allah by that and there comes into existence between him and his Lord a special recognition ‘ma’rifa’, so that his Lord will acknowledge him when he is in severe difficulty and will take care of him” [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam].

Having the right mindset also entails rejecting the commonly held ‘why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people’ attitude.

The Prophet taught us that the most difficult trials are those of the righteous. He said, “The people who face the most difficult tests are the prophets, then the righteous, then those following them in degree. A person is tried according to his religion. So if there is firmness in his religion, then the trial is increased, and if there is a weakness, then it is lightened. Verily a trial remains with a servant until he walks the earth having no sin left upon him.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 4023]

The great scholar Abdul Qadir al Jilani explained that the reason for the tribulation is evidenced by the response one has to it: impatience and complaint is a clue that the hardship is a punishment for the individual, patience and obedience is a sign of expiation from sins, and contentment is a sign that the trial is to raise one’s rank with Allah .

The Prophet’s life is a lesson in dealing with extreme difficulties and hardships. He was an orphan who buried his spouse and five of his six children. He was rejected by his own people and driven from his land. From dealing with wars to poverty, the Prophet showed us how to patiently handle calamities when they strike. Reflection on the tribulations in the Prophet’s life is thus one of the main ways of coping with difficulties in our own personal lives.

Understanding the Dunya and Detaching Oneself from It   

One of the main causes of severe heartache when experiencing loss is an attachment to this fleeting world and the heedlessness of God. Ibn Ashir in his famous poem states:

“Know that the root of all blight is love of leadership and rejection of the afterlife, and the chief of all faults is love of this world” [Murshid al Mu’een].

Our love and attachment to this world comes from a poor understanding of its nature. The Prophet taught us that, “This dunya is cursed and what is in it is cursed, except the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and what is conducive to that, or one who has knowledge or who acquires knowledge” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2322].

Shackled to life. [PC: Grianghraf (unsplash)]

Early Muslims like Abu Sulayman al-Darani defined dunya as “whatever busies you from Allah ”. When used in a blameworthy sense, dunya refers to worldliness, and sages like Abu Hamid al Ghazali warned that “dunya is at enmity with Allah and it is at enmity with the awliya of Allah , because it cuts off the path [to Him] for the servants of Allah ” [Ihya ulum al-din].

The great gnostic Imam al-Junayd said, “I have taken as an axiom that has enabled me since then to never be disturbed by what afflicts me from this world. And it is this: that the abode of this world is an abode of stress, despondency, tribulation, and strife. And this world—all of it—is wanting (sharr). Its nature is such that it will confront me with everything I detest, and should it meet me with what I love, it is simply abundant grace. And if not, its nature is as was stated.”

Ibn Ata’ Allah in his famous Hikam warns us of the dangers of forming attachments. He states: “You do not love something except that you become its slave and He does not love that you be a slave to other than Him”. He also cautions that, “Whoever does not draw near to God as a result of the caresses of love is shackled to Him with the chains of misfortune.”

Detachment from this temporary world (zuhd) and attachment to the Eternal is therefore one of the best ways to prepare for calamities. The Prophet advised us to “be in this world as if you were a stranger or traversing a way” [Bukhari]. Ibn Rajab in his commentary explains that the believer should imagine himself to be in a foreign land and this would ensure that “his heart is unattached to the foreign country but on the contrary, his heart attaches itself to the homeland to which he is returning, and so he is only resident in the world to finish the repair of his equipment to return to his homeland” [Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa al-Hikam].

Build a Fortress of Strength and Stability

In order to deal with the chaos in the outside world, one must have stability at home. In addition to having the right belief system and core values, one should also take pragmatic steps during ‘peacetime’ to build strength in all key aspects of life: physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual. Training actively to strengthen these areas is extremely important as it is well known that under pressure we perform at the level of our base training.

In his book Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life, Dr. Phil McGraw discusses the idea of an ‘adaptability breakdown’ during a crisis. Your adaptability is your ability to handle the demands of your life without falling apart. During a crisis you lose this ability, become overwhelmed, and have difficulty managing the simplest aspects of life. Thus, the stronger you are physically and emotionally, the better you will be at handling a breakdown during adversity.

One of the key ways to building emotional health and avoiding an adaptability breakdown, according to this work, is to reduce ‘stressors’ in one’s day-to-day life. Stressors are things in your daily life that drain you out and put pressure on you mentally and physically. Examples of these include: a long commute, being stuck in daily traffic, noisy neighbors, bickering with your children or spouse, working long hours, and lack of sleep.

This barrage of daily demands that are constantly pecking at you is what leads to stress i.e. the mind and body’s reaction to stressors. The more stressors you have in your life, the more chronically drained your body will be, and the more likely you are to collapse in crises mode. Identifying and eliminating stressors is thus key in ensuring you are in a healthy state before challenging days come your way.

Building healthy relationships, particularly with family, is also an important part of having stability at home. This is one of the reasons families in traditional societies would live close to each other, often in one big house. Strong familial ties serve as a vital coping mechanism in times of distress. Being alone in a crisis is one of the worst situations to be in. Nurturing ties of kinship thus not only serves to fulfill a religious duty for the believer, but also helps strengthen him in this worldly life.

The importance of being spiritually strong and having a connection to God during times of ease was discussed earlier. The primary way of achieving this is by establishing religious routines (wird) and observing them consistently. This has been discussed in more detail in a previous post on purification of the heart.

Seek Help with Prayer and Patience

After warning us about the trials that await us in this life, the Quran immediately tells us of the response of the believer to afflictions:

“Give glad tidings to the patient—those who, when affliction befalls them, say,

“Truly we are God’s and unto Him we return.”

“They are those upon whom come the blessings from their Lord, and compassion, and they are those who are rightly guided” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2;156–157].

We are taught here that the correct response in any circumstance is turning to God: we are to turn to Him in gratitude in times of ease, and we are to turn to Him with patience in times of distress. We are also reminded to “seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 2;153].

Circumstances are often completely out of one’s control during challenging times which can lead to a sense of complete powerlessness. Focusing on actionable items in one’s realm of control is thus an important coping strategy and prayer should certainly be on top of that list. While it is best to consult a knowledgeable teacher who could advice based on one’s circumstances, following are a few prayers that are suitable to recite for anyone experiencing hardships:

1) Salatul Hajjah: The prayer of need
2) حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ [Surah ‘Ali-Imran 3;173]
3)  رب اشرح لي صدري، ويسر لي أمري [Surah Taha: 20;25]
4) Surah al-Inshirah [Surah 94]
5)  اللَّهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إلاَّ مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً، وأنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الحَزْنَ إذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلاً
6) لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ [Surah Al-Anbiya: 21;87]
7) اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مَحَمَّدٍ النٌَبِىِّ الأُمِّىِّ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحبِهِ وَسَلِّم

In summary, trials and tribulations are at the heart of the human experience, and it is our responsibility to ensure we respond to them in a fashion congruent with Prophetic teachings. It is also important this foreknowledge of tribulations does not become a reason for us to have a dismal outlook on life. The Prophet was always positive, encouraged us to pray for well-being (afiya), and reminded us that God is as the servant thinks of Him. We are also taught to recite every night the last two verses of Surah Baqarah where we ask “ Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make mistakes. Lord, do not burden us as You burdened those before us. Lord, do not burden us with more than we have strength to bear ” [2;285].

The believer thus should always be full of hope, never despair, and always turn back to God. It is appropriate to mention here, in closing this essay, words from the great gnostic Ibn Ata’ Allah:

Let the pain of tribulation be lightened for you by knowing that it is He Most Glorious who is making trial of you.

 

Related:

– When Problems Have No Solutions: Making Peace With Endless Trials

– The Bigger Picture: Understanding Loss, Sacrifice, and Purpose in Dhul Hijjah

The post A Ramadan Quran Journal: A MuslimMatters Series – [Juz 29] Preparing For Trials And Loss appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.

This Ramadan, MuslimMatters is pleased to host the Institute Of Knowledge‘s daily Ramadan series: Keys to the Divine Compass. Through this series, each day we will spend time connecting with the Qur’an on a deeper, more spiritual, uplifting level.

Previous in the series: Juz 1 Juz 2 Juz 3 Juz 4 Juz 5 Juz 6 Juz 7 Juz 8 Juz 9 Juz 10 Juz 11 Juz 12 Juz 13 Juz 14 Juz 15 Juz 16 Juz 17 Juz 18 Juz 19 Juz 20 Juz 21 Juz 22 Juz 23 Juz 24 Juz 25

[Transcript unavailable]

The post IOK Ramadan: Humility in Front of the Messenger | Keys To The Divine Compass [Ep26] appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.