Trust in Allah (SWT)

By Minahil Hasan

Trust in Allah (SWT): A Lesson from Hajrah (AS)’s Story.

She couldn’t believe the sight in front of her. A stream of fresh water was gushing from the ground where she had laid her baby.  Just the thing she was looking for!

[Some time ago]

He had brought his wife and only child to barren land and was now leaving them there alone. His wife ran after him asking him why he was doing this to her and his child. He did not reply, instead, he kept walking away without turning back. His wife called from behind him, “Are you fulfilling a commandment by Allah by leaving us here?” He replied with a nod. She then let him leave and did not follow him.

Even though her husband’s reply satisfied her, that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried.  Where was she supposed to feed her child from and what if he became thirsty? How were they supposed to stay alive on this barren land?

Not long after, her child began to cry. He was thirsty! In the hope of help, she decided to call out to anyone she could see. Putting her child on the ground, between two hills, at a point from where she could see him, she started running and calling for help to anyone who could hear her. Up one hill, then down it, and then up the other one while keeping an eye on her son. Her son continued crying on the ground. After her seventh round, she discovered with astonishment that there was water gushing out of the ground next to her son. Worried that the water might not stop flowing she cried, “ Zam Zam” meaning, “Stop”.

Yes, this woman was no other than Hajrah (AS) the wife of the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) who had been commanded by Allah to leave his wife and child, Ismail, in the barren land of Makkah as a test. The hills in between which Hajrah (AS) had been running were Safa and Marwa. This practice is known as “Saee” and is now a part of Hajj as a testament to her efforts.

Every story in the Qur’an is there to teach us a lesson. The story of Prophet Ibrahim ( AS ) and Hajrah (AS) is no different.

The first lesson we learn is tawakkul (trust) in Allah.

Prophet Ibrahim (AS) had trusted Allah with his son and wife. Knowing He would take full care of them and indeed He did. We should remember He has a plan for every single life and we are told in the Qur’an that He is the best of all the planners,

“And they plan, and He plans, and Allah is the best of all planners.” [Surah Anfal, 8:30]

Whenever any difficulty falls on you, bow down to Him. Ask Him for help and trust Him to accept your prayers, to help you and to fix your problem no matter how big it is. If the difficulty remains there then there must be some logic behind it which our brains cannot get the hold of, but trust Allah (SWT).

Secondly, this story shows us the power of Allah. He can do anything. There are many examples of His miracles in the Qur’an including the miracle of Zam Zam. Even though no such miracles have taken place these days that doesn’t mean there aren’t any miracles at all. Isn’t the birth of a child a miracle? The rising and setting of the sun, isn’t that a miracle? The fact that the water of Zam Zam is still flowing? Surely Allah is Al-Qadeer.

Thirdly, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was tested to an intense level; leaving two people he loved immensely in the middle of nowhere must surely have been a difficult task. But that didn’t stop him; indeed, he went through with it. This shows his level of obedience. Moreover, Hajrah (AS) did not question her husband when she realised that he was obeying a command of Allah (SWT). She reacted calmly and got to the task at hand: to find water for her baby.

Obedience to Allah (SWT) is the first step towards developing tawakkul (trust) in him. Obeying Him brings us benefits while not obeying Him leads to our own downfall.

How do we usually react when we face a challenge?

We start panicking; we lash out; we blame each other; we, frankly, lose it whenever we have to deal with a test. We forget that this life was created to test us.

How are we supposed to react when being tested?

We are not told before being tested, so we do not know whether a difficulty we are facing is a test or a punishment from Allah (SWT). The first thing to do then is to ask for forgiveness from Allah (SWT) and protect yourself from Shaitan’s influences. Then we have to be patient and realise that Allah (SWT) does not burden a believer with more than he or she can deal with. You will get through whatever it is if you are firm in your faith. Before you know it, the difficulty will have passed, and you will be a stronger Muslim because of it.

These were just the lessons of one of the thousands of stories in the Qur’an. Our job as Muslims is to read them, understand them, gain lessons from them and adapt them in our daily life. May Allah give all of us the tawfeeq (opportunity) to become the best versions of Muslims we can be.  Ameen!