or difficulty in hardship is on a different scale—an unseen scale. Whatever I face in life will be easy
or difficult, not because it is easy or difficult. The ease or difficulty is based only on the level of
Divine help. Nothing, nothing is easy, unless God makes it easy on me. Not a traffic jam. Not a paper
cut. And nothing is hard if Allah makes it easy on me. Not illness, not death, not being thrown into
fire, or tortured by a tyrant.
Ibn Attaillah al-Sakandari said it beautifully: “Nothing is difficult if you seek it through your Lord,
and nothing is easy if you seek it through yourself.”
Ibrahim (as) was thrown into fire. God willing none of us will ever face such a trial in this life. But
there is not a person who won’t get thrown into some sort of emotional, psychological or social fires
in their life. And don’t think for a moment that God cannot make those fires cool for us. Asiyah was
being physically tortured, but Allah showed her a home in Jennah. So she smiled. Our physical eyes
will not see jennah in this life. But, if Allah wills, the vision of our heart can be shown the home with
Him, so that every difficulty is made easy. And maybe we too can smile, even in those times.
So the problem is not the trial itself. The problem is not the hunger or the cold. The problem is
whether we have the provision needed when that hunger and cold come. And if we do, neither hunger
nor cold will touch us. It won’t hurt. The problem is only when the hunger comes and we don’t have
food. The problem is when the snow storm hits and we have no shelter.
Indeed Allah sends the trials, whereby we may be purified, strengthened and returned to Him. But,
know for sure that with that hunger, thirst and cold, Allah also sends the food, the water and the
shelter. Allah sends the test, but with it He can send the sabr (patience), and even the rida
(contentment) to withstand it. Yes, Allah (swt) sent Adam down to this world where he would have to
struggle and face trials. But he also promised His Divine help. The Qur’an tells us: “He said: [ Allah
] said, ‘Descend from Paradise—all, [your descendants] being enemies to one another. And if there
should come to you guidance from Me—then whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in
the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter]’”. (Qur’an, 20: 123)
Perhaps one of my favorite du`a’s is that of the Prophet at Taif. Bloody and covered with
wounds, he called out to His Lord: “I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is
dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right.”
Indeed Allah does test those whom He loves and He tests in proportion to the level of faith. But so
too does Allah send His Divine assistance whereby any test can be made easy and any fire can be
made cool. So too can Allah send His Divine assistance whereby a single glimpse of His light and the
home with Him can make us smile—even in the midst of the flames of trial.