Human life is a long journey of joy and sorrow, hope and despair, of getting and going without. Along the way come many moments when the heart grows heavy with pain.
Some sorrows cannot be told to everyone, and some pain is hard even to put into words. At such hard times, a believer should do the following.
1. Lay the sorrow before Allah. At such times a person looks for someone to whom they can speak their whole heart without fear. For a believer, that refuge should be sought first not with people but with Allah. The Holy Quran gives a striking example of this in the life of Jacob (peace be upon him).
In the deep pain of being parted from his beloved son, he said: “I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah.” (Surah Yusuf, verse 86)
2. Be humble and blame no one. In times of sorrow many people sink into complaint. Some blame fate, some their circumstances, others other people. But complaining does not lighten the heart; it only deepens despair.
Islam teaches prayer in place of complaint. To show one’s weakness and helplessness before Allah is not weakness; it is a sign of faith. Job (peace be upon him) did not lose patience through a long, severe illness and many trials. He prayed humbly to Allah: “My Lord, hardship has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” (Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 83)
That short prayer held complete surrender, humility and boundless trust in Allah.
In return for that trust, Allah granted him relief and honour.
3. Remember Allah in solitude. Every believer’s life should have times when they step away from the world’s busyness and speak to their Lord alone. The quiet of the night, the hour of tahajjud, the moments after the obligatory prayers or in prostration are especially suited to supplication. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The closest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is in prostration.” (Sahih Muslim, hadith 482)
4. Hold firm faith in Allah. A true believer knows that Allah knows every feeling in their heart, every sigh and every tear. It is said: “Indeed, He knows well what is in the hearts.” (Surah Al-Mulk, verse 13)
This faith gives hope, lends strength, and gives the courage to keep going patiently even in the hardest circumstances.
5. Make Allah your refuge. It is human nature to seek comfort from people when in pain. But a believer’s greatest strength is trust and reliance on their Lord. The Holy Quran says: “And whoever relies upon Allah, He is sufficient for him.” (Surah At-Talaq, verse 3)
In short, human life is full of trials. Yet within those trials lies a boundless chance to draw near to Allah. So in grief and hardship, the believer’s true refuge should be not complaint but patience, prayer and surrender to Allah.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report