If HE Forsakes You, Who Is There That Can Help You?

I realized that every time there is rain and thunder and lightning, I start remembering the sins I have done. It makes me remember what end I would have, whether I would end up in Jannah or …… The darkness seems mysterious and scary. It makes me want to know what lies beyond all of this that we see, but at the same time makes me think if I’m even ready for it. Most of the time, the answer is no.

But all of this fear is only for a while, isn’t it? I’m sure many of you have experienced it. We remember Allah when we are in trouble. We remember Allah when there is something that scares us and we know we do not have the power to save ourselves from it; we remember Allah only in these times. In normal routine, our days go without any thought of HIM being forever watchful. Even if we do remember that, we choose to ignore this fact because the world is just too pretty for us. That moment that we are enjoying is just too good to remember our end. We wouldn’t want to spoil our fun by remembering that Allah is watching us. We wouldn’t want to remember death – the destroyer of pleasures.

It reminds me of these verses of Surah Yunus:

22. He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea, till when you are in the ships and they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think that they are encircled therein, they invoke Allâh, making their Faith pure for Him Alone, saying: “If You (Allâh) deliver us from this, we shall truly be of the grateful.”

23. But when He delivered them, behold! They rebel (disobey Allâh) in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allâh) is only against your own selves, – a brief enjoyment of this worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us is your return, and We shall inform you that which you used to do.

How hypocritical are we? Whenever there’s an earthquake, a big storm, a flood, we remember Allah. He, being extremely Merciful, when takes us out of that problem, we immediately start disobeying HIM.

But imagine for a while what would happen if Allah didn’t help us? What miserable state would we be in? I get scared when I see a strong flash of lightning knowing that the sound is going to be very loud. I fear that it might fall on my house and the roof might fall and I might die within a second. Allah can do anything, can He not? It makes me remember when Allah mentions the hypocrites in Surah Al – Baqarah and says:

20. Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers.

21. The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.

We forget this don’t we? We forget the fact that if Allah is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem (Extremely Merciful and Especially Merciful) He is also Al-Jabbaar (The Compeller) and Al-Qahhaar (The Subduer). What would we do if Allah decides to punish us? Would we go on some other earth? Would that be out of Allah’s reach? Then why do we always forget that if Allah abandons us there is no one to help us? As Allah says in Surah Al-Imran:

160. If Allâh helps you, none can overcome you; and if He forsakes you, who is there after Him that can help you? And in Allâh (Alone) let believers put their trust.

Just think about this for a second. Weren’t you scared last time when there was an earthquake or big storm? Didn’t you ask Allah for forgiveness and decided you would obey HIM from now on? Did you keep up to what you said? If not, then what if the next time Allah forsakes you? Whom would you go to then……? Can’t think of anyone right? Then it’s high time we start fearing Allah even when we are not in any trouble.

I pray that Allah makes us truly understand the message in these verses and helps us implement it in our lives, Ameen.