All praise is truly Allah's. We praise Him, seek His help and ask His forgiveness. We take refuge in Allah from the bad of our selves and from the evil of our actions. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead him astray. And whomever He leads astray, there is none to guide him. I testify that there is no one worthy of worship but Allah alone, without any partner to Him. And I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger. May Allah's prayers and peace be upon our master Muḥammad, and upon his family and companions.
Now then:
Allah says:
“Do people think that they will be left (at ease) only on their saying, 'We believe,' and will not be put to any test? Indeed, We tested those who were before them: Allah will certainly make evident which ones are truthful, and He will certainly make evident which ones are liars.” (Qur’ān 29:2-3)
O slaves of Allah! Understand that this world was meant to be a test for us. It wasn't meant to be paradise. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
So please understand: not everything in this world was supposed to go your way. This world was meant to have its trials and struggles. It wasn't meant to be a place where everything happens just as how you desire. If you really want to live in such a place, then I guess you'll have to work hard now in this world until you get to Jannah.
Now, if we take even a brief glance at the life of Allah's Messenger ﷺ we quickly see that his life wasn't easy. By the time he was six, he'd lost both of his parents. When he went to Ṭā’if to call them to Islam, he was pelted out of the city with stones, such that he bled so much that the blood glued his blessed feet to his sandals. He and his clan were exiled of Makkah for two years and were left to survive out in the open in the harsh, scorching Arabian desert with no water supply, eating nothing but twigs and leaves. Even in Madinah, where he was now head of state, days would go by without a fire being lit in his home to cook food. And who was this again?
The Beloved of Allah ﷺ. The best creation of Allah ﷺ.
And yet things for him didn't go the way he wanted. So what makes you think that the world should revolve around you?
You think your parents are so frustrating to deal with because they don't give in to what you want? Well, first of all, they aren't your personal servants – they're your parents. Secondly, guess what Sayyidunā Ibrahim's father was telling him to do?
“Go worship idols, son.”
He was commanding him to do shirk, the greatest sin, a sin Allah does not forgive for the person who dies upon it. And how does Ibrahim respond? By yelling? By swearing? By going on a rage? No. He addresses his father respectfully. Tries to convince him nicely. And how does his father respond? He doesn't just remain stubborn upon his shirk – he threatens to stone his own son! And what does Ibrahim say in reply?
“Salāmun ‘alayk.” (“Peace be upon you.”)
Ibrahim doesn't get his way when he calls his father to what Allah demands, and yet he's patient with him. So what about us who whinge and shout and let it all out when the situation doesn't submit to our demands?
Brothers and sisters, let's learn not to complain. When you complain, you're essentially expressing your lack of content with how Allah willed for things to be in this world. When you're fuming because you're meat is too undercooked or your chips aren't salty enough, you're expressing your lack of content with what Allah decreed to be your rizq (sustenance). We're not saying that you can't have a natural dislike for certain things. But if you do find something you don't exactly like, don't complain about it, and see the positive side of it. Life will become so much easier, and you'll end up so much happier.
So to conclude: this world wasn't meant to be a paradise. It was meant to be a test for you and me. So when things don't go your way, don't complain. It's useless and it won't change what Allah has already decreed. Rather, stay patient, for the patient await for themselves a massive reward in the next world, a place where you can have everything go your own way.
Now then:
Allah says:
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ
“Do people think that they will be left (at ease) only on their saying, 'We believe,' and will not be put to any test? Indeed, We tested those who were before them: Allah will certainly make evident which ones are truthful, and He will certainly make evident which ones are liars.” (Qur’ān 29:2-3)
O slaves of Allah! Understand that this world was meant to be a test for us. It wasn't meant to be paradise. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
الدُّنْيَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَجَنَّةُ الْكَافِرِ
“This world is the prison of a believer and the paradise of a non-believer.” (Narrated by Muslim)
Now, if we take even a brief glance at the life of Allah's Messenger ﷺ we quickly see that his life wasn't easy. By the time he was six, he'd lost both of his parents. When he went to Ṭā’if to call them to Islam, he was pelted out of the city with stones, such that he bled so much that the blood glued his blessed feet to his sandals. He and his clan were exiled of Makkah for two years and were left to survive out in the open in the harsh, scorching Arabian desert with no water supply, eating nothing but twigs and leaves. Even in Madinah, where he was now head of state, days would go by without a fire being lit in his home to cook food. And who was this again?
The Beloved of Allah ﷺ. The best creation of Allah ﷺ.
And yet things for him didn't go the way he wanted. So what makes you think that the world should revolve around you?
You think your parents are so frustrating to deal with because they don't give in to what you want? Well, first of all, they aren't your personal servants – they're your parents. Secondly, guess what Sayyidunā Ibrahim's father was telling him to do?
“Go worship idols, son.”
He was commanding him to do shirk, the greatest sin, a sin Allah does not forgive for the person who dies upon it. And how does Ibrahim respond? By yelling? By swearing? By going on a rage? No. He addresses his father respectfully. Tries to convince him nicely. And how does his father respond? He doesn't just remain stubborn upon his shirk – he threatens to stone his own son! And what does Ibrahim say in reply?
“Salāmun ‘alayk.” (“Peace be upon you.”)
Ibrahim doesn't get his way when he calls his father to what Allah demands, and yet he's patient with him. So what about us who whinge and shout and let it all out when the situation doesn't submit to our demands?
Brothers and sisters, let's learn not to complain. When you complain, you're essentially expressing your lack of content with how Allah willed for things to be in this world. When you're fuming because you're meat is too undercooked or your chips aren't salty enough, you're expressing your lack of content with what Allah decreed to be your rizq (sustenance). We're not saying that you can't have a natural dislike for certain things. But if you do find something you don't exactly like, don't complain about it, and see the positive side of it. Life will become so much easier, and you'll end up so much happier.
So to conclude: this world wasn't meant to be a paradise. It was meant to be a test for you and me. So when things don't go your way, don't complain. It's useless and it won't change what Allah has already decreed. Rather, stay patient, for the patient await for themselves a massive reward in the next world, a place where you can have everything go your own way.
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