Consoling One’s Heart in Times of Trial: A Guide to Spiritual Resilience
Shaytan wants us to be sad and depressed. In fact, he strives to cause us grief as Allah said:
{لِیَحۡزُنَ ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا}
“…in order that he may cause grief to the believers.” [Surah Al-Mujādilah: 10]
But why?
What does he get out of it?
Have you not seen how easy it is for us to utter statements which fall contrary to the Sharee’ah when we are sad and depressed?!
Why me???
What is this nonsense???
How can this be???
If only…
Maybe fulan-ibn-fulan afflicted me with evil eye.
We look for others to blame instead of referring blame to our own sins and shortcomings.
{وَمَاۤ أَصَـٰبَكُم مِّن مُّصِیبَةࣲ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتۡ أَیۡدِیكُمۡ}
“Whatever affliction befalls you is because of what your own hands have committed.” [Surah Ash-Shūrā: 30]
Have you not realised how in times of sadness & grief we offer Salaah with minimal Khushoo’? Perhaps if we are asked how many rak’ahs we prayed or what Surahs we recited, we would not be able to give an assured answer.
Have you not seen how difficult it is to attend gatherings of knowledge and merely concentrate, let alone trying to understand what is being said?!
Have you not seen how difficult it is for one in such a state to sit and memorise even a single Ayah or hadeeth?!
This is why Shaytan strives to cause us grief! This is what he gets out of it! When the believer is distressed, it’s easier for his enemies to get an upper-hand over him. Hence why Allah cautions us from falling prey to grief and distress:
{وَلَا تَهِنُوا۟ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُوا۟ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَوۡنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِینَ}
“So do not become weak, nor be sad, and you will be superior (in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers.”
[Surah Āli-ʿImrān: 139]
As-Si’di rahimahullah said in his Tafsir of this Aayah:
ولا تهنوا وتضعفوا في أبدانكم، ولا تحزنوا في قلوبكم، عندما أصابتكم المصيبة، وابتليتم بهذه البلوى، فإن الحزن في القلوب، والوهن على الأبدان، زيادة مصيبة عليكم، وعون لعدوكم عليكم، بل شجعوا قلوبكم وصبروها، وادفعوا عنها الحزن وتصلبوا على قتال عدوكم.
“{do not become weak} i.e. (physically) in your bodies {nor be sad} i.e. (spiritually) in your hearts when a calamity befalls you and you are afflicted with this affliction; for sadness in the hearts and weakness of the bodies is an additional calamity which aids your enemy against you. Rather, motivate your hearts, consolidate them, ward off grief from them, and be firm in fighting your enemy.”
This is why when we are faced with difficulties and trials, it is important to monitor our hearts’ reaction and take necessary steps to ensure that it does not become weak and to ward off grief, lest the enemy gets an upper-hand over us.
And if we do become sad or depressed, we should not waste any time to remedy our hearts by striving to overcome this grief by means of the Qurʿān and Sunnah.
Moreover, we must have good thoughts of Allah; because whoever has good thoughts of Allah, Allah gives him according to his thought, as Allah said in the hadeeth Qudusi:
((أنا عند ظن عبدي بي))
“I am as my servant thinks I am.”
These are the times when we have to strive to maintain good thoughts of Allah. If there’s any negative thoughts that come to mind then it should only relate to our own selves.
Examples of good thoughts 
Perhaps this perceived affliction is a blessing in disguise:
{وَعَسَىٰۤ أَن تَكۡرَهُوا۟ شَیۡـࣰٔا وَهُوَ خَیۡرࣱ لَّكُمۡ وَعَسَىٰۤ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَیۡـࣰٔا وَهُوَ شَرࣱّ لَّكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ یَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ }
“Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 216]
Perhaps Allah wants to facilitate for me acts of worship which I have become unmindful of (shedding tears for Allah’s sake, supplication to Allah with an attentive heart…)
Perhaps Allah wants to teach me some lessons:
-> life is a test…A FACT THAT WE SO OFTEN FORGET!
Sheikhul Islam ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah said: “Difficulties and trials are like the heat and cold. If a slave knows that they are inevitable, he does not become angry due to their occurrence, nor does he become depressed or saddened by them.” [Madaarij As-Saalikeen (3/361)]
-> I must not become lax with my morning and evening Adhkaars!!
It’s very likely that afflictions occur on days when we miss our Adh-kaar.
Abaan ibn Uthman said: “I heard Uthman ibn `Affan radhiyallahu anhu saying: ‘The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “There is no worshiper who says, in the morning of every day, and the evening of every night:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلاَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
‘In the Name of Allah, who with His Name, nothing in the earth or the heavens can cause harm, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.’ three times, (except that) nothing shall harm him.”
Abaan had been stricken with a type of semi-paralysis, so a man began to look at him, so Aban said to him, “What are you looking at? Indeed the Hadith is as I reported it to you (the narration is true), but I did not say it one day, so Allah brought about His decree upon me.” [Tirmithi 3388]
-> I have a Will and Allah has a Will, but Allah’s Will supercedes my Will
{ وَمَا تَشَاۤءُونَ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَشَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ}
[Surah Al-Insān: 30]
-> Allah is in control of everything. There is no might nor power except with Allah
لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله
-> Giving me the opportunity to practice the theory learnt in the books of Aqeedah (Qadr, Sabr, Tawakkul, husn Adh-dhann, etc)
Perhaps this ordeal will make me appreciate blessings that I had been overlooking.
Perhaps this ordeal is an expiation of my sins
Perhaps Allah is testing me because He loves me
Perhaps Allah wants to awaken me from my heedlessness
Whatever the case, I have come to terms with Allah’s decree; because whatever was meant for me was never going to miss me, and whatever missed me was never meant for me!
Ibnul-Jawzee rahimahullah said: “The best cure for sadness is to know that one cannot bring back what he has missed, and that by being sad, one is just adding a misfortune to an already existing misfortune, thus making it two misfortunes.” [Disciplining The Soul, Pg. 70]