In his comprehensive advice to Ibn ‘Abbaas and all Muslims after him, the Prophet (saws) said: “Know Allah in prosperity, and He will know you in adversity.” [At-Tirmithi - Sahih]
This is an invaluable piece of advice for us if we wish that Allah protects us during times of adversity and tribulation, shields us against misfortune and afflictions, and guards our religiosity against temptations that lead us astray. So know Allah at times of prosperity. When a slave of Allah fears his Lord at times of prosperity, honors His boundaries, fulfills His Rights over him, obeys His Commandments, avoids His Prohibitions and glorifies Him at all times and in all states, he develops a special knowledge of Allah and a love and affection for Him that entail earning His Protection at times of adversity.
True Heroism
Heroism is not in remembering Allah at times of need, destitution, adversity and distress. Everyone is good at that. True heroism rather is in remembering Him at times of prosperity, showing gratitude to Him for His Blessings, striving to earn His Pleasure through good doing, fulfilling His Rights and adhering to the straight path He chose for us.
As for those who do not know their Lord except at times of adversity and forget Him at times of bliss and well-being, Allah rebuked their behavior and dispraised them in many verses of the Quraan. He says:
"And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him (alone); then when He bestows on him a favor from Himself, he forgets Him Whom he called upon before, and he attributes to Allah equals to mislead (people) from His way. Say, “Enjoy your disbelief for a little; indeed, you are of the companions of the Fire.”" [39:8]
"And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues (in disobedience) as if he had never called upon Us to (remove) an affliction that touched him. Thus is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing." [10:12]
"And when We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself; but when evil touches him, then he is full of extensive supplication." [41:51]
This is an invaluable piece of advice for us if we wish that Allah protects us during times of adversity and tribulation, shields us against misfortune and afflictions, and guards our religiosity against temptations that lead us astray. So know Allah at times of prosperity. When a slave of Allah fears his Lord at times of prosperity, honors His boundaries, fulfills His Rights over him, obeys His Commandments, avoids His Prohibitions and glorifies Him at all times and in all states, he develops a special knowledge of Allah and a love and affection for Him that entail earning His Protection at times of adversity.
If
we are enjoying good health and wellness, wealth and richness, safety
and welfare, comfort in our family, tranquillity in our marital life,
our children are obedient to us and our affairs are favorably going well
as we wish, then we are indeed relishing prosperity and bliss. This
should not hinder us from devoting time to worship, abundantly
supplicating Allah, reciting Quraan and Dhikr and performing good deeds.
Lets
not be an ungrateful slave who only knows his Lord and turns to him
during times of need and destitution. Lets not be an ungrateful slave
who supplicates his Lord only when afflictions befall him then, whenever
He bestows upon him a blessing, he forgets Him Whom he once called upon
and ascribes equals to Him! Instead, accustom yourself to resort to
Allah before adversities befall you. All people are good at turning to
Allah during times of adversity and need, even the Arab polytheists in
the early days of Islam, the disbelievers all over the world and the
atheists throughout the history of mankind. Allah says about them:
"And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in
religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate
others with Him." [29:65]
Someone
related that he once boarded a plane departing from an Arab capital
city and heading to Moscow - the capital of atheism in the world. The
plane carried a large number of those who say: “There is no god.” During
the flight the plane flew into a thundercloud and was tossed violently
in extreme turbulence, so much so that all the passengers were certain
of their imminent demise! He said: “Every single passenger on that plane
raised his hands asking God to save him.” Indeed Allah spoke the truth
when He said: "It is He
W
ho enables you to travel on land and sea until, when you are in ships
and they sail with them by a good wind and they rejoice therein, there
comes a storm wind and the waves come upon them from everywhere and they
assume that they are surrounded, supplicating Allah, sincere to Him in
religion, “If You should save us from this, we will surely be among the
thankful.” *But when He saves them, at once they commit injustice upon
the earth without right..." [10:22-23]True Heroism
Heroism is not in remembering Allah at times of need, destitution, adversity and distress. Everyone is good at that. True heroism rather is in remembering Him at times of prosperity, showing gratitude to Him for His Blessings, striving to earn His Pleasure through good doing, fulfilling His Rights and adhering to the straight path He chose for us.
As for those who do not know their Lord except at times of adversity and forget Him at times of bliss and well-being, Allah rebuked their behavior and dispraised them in many verses of the Quraan. He says:
"And when adversity touches man, he calls upon his Lord, turning to Him (alone); then when He bestows on him a favor from Himself, he forgets Him Whom he called upon before, and he attributes to Allah equals to mislead (people) from His way. Say, “Enjoy your disbelief for a little; indeed, you are of the companions of the Fire.”" [39:8]
"And when affliction touches man, he calls upon Us, whether lying on his side or sitting or standing; but when We remove from him his affliction, he continues (in disobedience) as if he had never called upon Us to (remove) an affliction that touched him. Thus is made pleasing to the transgressors that which they have been doing." [10:12]
"And when We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself; but when evil touches him, then he is full of extensive supplication." [41:51]
There
are many verses to the same effect and they point to a reality that
most of us live. As long as we are relishing well-being, we are heedless
of Allah, far from Him, far from worshiping and obeying Him and
neglectful of supplicating Him. However the moment an adversity,
anguish, disease or tribulation befalls us, we raise our hands to Him
with extensive supplication.
During times of adversity Allah only answers the supplications of those who knew Him and turned to Him during times of prosperity. Therefore, accustom yourself to resort to Allah before adversity befalls you, sharpen your arrows of supplication before shooting them to ensure their acceptance and increase your credit of good deeds with Allah at the time of ease so that you could withdraw from it at times of need and distress.
Ponder over how Allah treated His slave Yunus ibn Matta (as) when the whale swallowed him. He called upon his Lord while enveloped in three layers of darkness: the darkness of the night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of the whale’s belly. Allah says: "…And he called out within the darknesses, “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”" [21:87] Allah also says: "So, We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers." [21:88] Allah clarified the reason for accepting his supplication and saving him from this strange place from which no one ever comes out alive. He says: "And had he not been of those who exalt Allah, * He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected." [37:143-144] This means that if it were not for his abundant remembrance of Allah, supplication, and obedience at time of prosperity, He would not have saved him during times of distress and adversity.
On the opposite end is Fir‘awn who was blessed with Allah’s Favors but arrogantly disobeyed Him, disbelieved and stubbornly failed to show gratitude to Him for His Blessings and Grace. When he was drowning he supplicated his Lord – just as Yunus (as) did – but the response was drastically different; Allah says: "Now? And you had disobeyed before and were of the corrupters?" [10:91] It means, “At the time of prosperity, you disbelieved, turned arrogant and tyrannical, and you forgot your Lord, and therefore, you do not have any credit with Us like the credit Yunus (as) had, so: "...today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign..." [10:92]
The Prophet (saws) said: “Whoever wishes that Allah answers his supplication during hardship and grief, let him supplicate plentifully at times of ease.” [At-Tirmithi and Al-Hakim - Sahih]
If we wish that Allah aids us at the time of misfortune the way we like then we should devote ourselves to Him in worship and obedience at the time of prosperity the way He likes. If we wish Allah to know us at the time of adversity we should know Him at the time of blissfulness and ease, as the Prophet (saws) clearly said: “Know Allah in prosperity, and He will know you in adversity.”
During times of adversity Allah only answers the supplications of those who knew Him and turned to Him during times of prosperity. Therefore, accustom yourself to resort to Allah before adversity befalls you, sharpen your arrows of supplication before shooting them to ensure their acceptance and increase your credit of good deeds with Allah at the time of ease so that you could withdraw from it at times of need and distress.
Ponder over how Allah treated His slave Yunus ibn Matta (as) when the whale swallowed him. He called upon his Lord while enveloped in three layers of darkness: the darkness of the night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of the whale’s belly. Allah says: "…And he called out within the darknesses, “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”" [21:87] Allah also says: "So, We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers." [21:88] Allah clarified the reason for accepting his supplication and saving him from this strange place from which no one ever comes out alive. He says: "And had he not been of those who exalt Allah, * He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected." [37:143-144] This means that if it were not for his abundant remembrance of Allah, supplication, and obedience at time of prosperity, He would not have saved him during times of distress and adversity.
On the opposite end is Fir‘awn who was blessed with Allah’s Favors but arrogantly disobeyed Him, disbelieved and stubbornly failed to show gratitude to Him for His Blessings and Grace. When he was drowning he supplicated his Lord – just as Yunus (as) did – but the response was drastically different; Allah says: "Now? And you had disobeyed before and were of the corrupters?" [10:91] It means, “At the time of prosperity, you disbelieved, turned arrogant and tyrannical, and you forgot your Lord, and therefore, you do not have any credit with Us like the credit Yunus (as) had, so: "...today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign..." [10:92]
The Prophet (saws) said: “Whoever wishes that Allah answers his supplication during hardship and grief, let him supplicate plentifully at times of ease.” [At-Tirmithi and Al-Hakim - Sahih]
If we wish that Allah aids us at the time of misfortune the way we like then we should devote ourselves to Him in worship and obedience at the time of prosperity the way He likes. If we wish Allah to know us at the time of adversity we should know Him at the time of blissfulness and ease, as the Prophet (saws) clearly said: “Know Allah in prosperity, and He will know you in adversity.”
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