Narrated to us over and over in the Qur'an are stories of men before us who were tested. They were great men chosen by Allah to carry messages of Truth, but their position did not deem them safe from facing the trials of this life, thus proving that indeed the world is a place of test upon test. WHEN the trials of this temporary life burden us, piling heavily within us, a need to release them, to complain, to call out for help urgently arises. It is a means through which we lighten the load and hopefully find some light. The urge to release one's complaints exists in us all, even a camel felt it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the garden of a man from the Ansar (the people of Madina), and upon seeing him, the camel froze and its eyes watered. The Prophet (pbuh) came to it and rubbed its ears until it calmed down. He (pbuh) inquired about the owner and warned him to fear Allah for the camel had complained to him that ‘he starves it and tires it by overworking it and using it beyond its capacity.' (Ahmad and Abu Dawud). Narrated to us over and over in the Qur'an are stories of men before us who were tested. They were great men chosen by Allah to carry messages of Truth, but their position did not deem them safe from facing the trials of this life, thus proving that indeed the world is a place of test upon test. For if it were not, Allah would have spared such noble creation. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “The people who are tested the most severely are the Prophets, then the righteous, then the next best and the next best, and a man will be tested in accordance with his level of religious commitment; the stronger his religious commitment, the more severe will be his test.” (Ahmad). What then was their reaction in adversity? They were created beings with a need to release, complain and ask from others. But, over and over, in the Qur'an it is brought to our attention that they so often convey their fears, needs and hopes to One. The One who created them. Examining our own states for a moment, we can agree that at some point in the middle of a seemingly hopeless situation, thoughts race through our minds as to whose help we will seek. But the one who we search for is usually a created being, like you and I. Regardless of the level of trust or love we have of such a person, they remain in this universe as creation. Sometimes they can help, but many a time, they can only listen. We feel better, but it is not long when, again, we search for another person's help. Eventually we ask: is it possible to depend on those around us to release our complaints and fulfill our needs? Almighty Allah described Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) as the one who complained to Him, saying: “Verily Ibrahim (Abraham) was Awwah (one who invokes Allah with humility, glorifies Him and remembers Him much) and was forbearing. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi). (Qur'an 9:114). If such was the case of the father of the prophets, what then was the reaction of the other prophets in hardship? Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) After facing rejection and harm from the people to his call, Prophet Nuh (pbuh) turned to none but the One Who sent him: “So he invoked his Lord, ‘Indeed, I am overpowered, so help.'” (Al-Qamar 54:10). When he did so, Allah responded, helped him, and drowned the disbelievers, saving only Nuh (pbuh) and those who believed with him: “Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down.” (Al-Qamar 54:11) Prophet Ayyub (peace be upon him) Afflicted with an extremely difficult illness for many long years, loss of his wealth and family, and rejection by the people all took Prophet Ayyub (peace be upon him) to nowhere and no one but the One Who tested him: And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord, “Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the Most Merciful of the Merciful.” (Al-Anbiyaa' 21:83). Crying out to Allah in complaint, mentioning that which one has been afflicted with, does not contradict the meaning of patience, rather it is part of worship and submission to Allah. Prophet Ayyub (pbuh) mentioned his affliction, and Allah praised his example by mentioning his invocation in the Qur'an. When he knew that none would help him save his Lord, Allah responded, granting him relief: So We responded to him and removed what afflicted him of adversity. And We gave him [back] his family and the like thereof with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for the worshippers [of Allah]. (Al-Anbiyaa' 21:84). Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) Overwhelmed by layers of darkness; darknesses of the sea, the night and the stomach of the whale, Prophet Yunus (pbuh) never lost hope in Allah's Mercy. He had none to call out to except Him, and that's what he truthfully did: And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:87). From the depth of the ocean, his lips moved in a supplication that we recite till this day in the Book of Allah. This is the same supplication that our Prophet (pbuh) prescribed for he who is distressed: Laa illaaha illa Anta Subhanaka inni kuntu min adh-dhalimeen. (There is nothing worthy of worship but You; how exalted You are above all that they associate with You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers.) The Prophet (pbuh) said about it: “No Muslim ever prays to his Lord with these words for anything, but He will answer his prayer.” (Ahmad). And in another report: “I know words that will cause Allah to remove one's distress. These are the words (of supplication) of my brother Yunus, peace be upon him.” (Tirmidhi). When Yunus (pbuh) released such powerful words, Allah's Help arrived: So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers. (Al-Anbiyaa 21:88) Prophet Zakariyya (alayhi salaam) The example of the Prophet of Allah, Zakariyya (pbuh), in pleading and crying out to none but Allah is one of unfaltering faith and hope in Allah alone. His moving words, pleading, and begging his Lord move the hearts of those who recite them. His certainty in Allah's response and expectation of good from Allah, despite what stood in his way as ‘obstacles' to his need help eliminate feelings of despair in every troubled believer: [This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zachariyya when he called to his Lord a private supplication. He said, “My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy. And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir who will inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You].” Standing in the way of receiving what he asked for are weak bones, old age, and a wife who is barren. In addition, he knows that his people are in need of prophets after him to pass on the message. His need is great and his relentless supplication strong. After complaining and describing his situation to One Who knows it better than himself, the gates were opened and his need was fulfilled: [He was told], “O Zakariyya, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be Yahya John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name.” (Maryam 19:2-7). Some of the scholars said: Be like a young child who wants something from his father, and when his father refuses, he sits at his feet crying to him. Be the same if you ask your Lord, and if you don't get it, sit and cry to Allah for it. Prophet Ya'qub (pace be upon him) The bitter pain of losing one's offspring, a beloved, most upright son, along with his younger brother, depicts the trial of Prophet Ya'qub. Long years shadowed in grief and sorrow pass. He shed tears until his sight is lost, but what is not lost is hope and complaint to his Creator. Reprimanded by family for being too hard on himself, he firmly responds with words that abridge the message of this piece: He said, “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know.” (Yusuf 12:86) Indeed, he did not complain to them, for they were mere humans who grow tired of the complaint of their brethren. He called out to One Whose pleasure increases when He is asked of. Prophet Ya'qub's word ‘bathee' in the ayah refers to his greatest and most severe type of grief, whose difficulty makes one unable to restrain himself from releasing it and complaining about it. When he turned to Allah, Allah helped him and he was reunited with his sons in an honored state: And when they entered upon Joseph, he took his parents to himself and said, “Enter Egypt, Allah willing, safe [and secure].” And he raised his parents upon the throne (Yusuf 12:99-100). Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) The father was tested and patient and so was his son. Yusuf, son of Prophet Ya'qub (peace be upon them), faced with trials from which true faith shone, enlightening us with many lessons. He prayed to Allah in the dark well, the palace, and in the dreary prison. Every time, Allah helped him and saved him. When he was enticed by the wife of Al-Azeez to tread the forbidden, he turned to Allah praying: He said, “My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant.” (Yusuf 12:33) He was helpless, in need of aid. When he sought it from Allah, He rescued him: So his Lord responded to him and averted from him their plan. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing. (Yusuf 12:34) The one time, in his series of trials, that Yusuf (pbuh) spoke in an attempt to seek the help of the creation, it was of no benefit to him. This occurred when he told his companion in prison to mention him to the king so that perhaps he would be relieved from the prison. He told him: And he said to the one whom he knew would go free, “Mention me before your master.” But the desired result was not fulfilled as Allah tells us: But Satan made him forget the mention [to] his master, and Joseph remained in prison several years. (Yusuf 12:42) What was of true benefit was pleading to his Lord for His Help. In fact, Allah relieved Yusuf's situation in a manner that no human could ever plan or even attempt to plan: a dream seen by the king and his insistence on having it interpreted. At this, Yusuf's previous companion from the prison recalls Yusuf and his ability to interpret dreams. This was from Allah Alone. Eventually, the good end was for him, as he left the prison honored, granted royalty. Not forgetting his Lord in times of ease, He again turned to Allah in praise, gratitude and supplication: “My Lord, You have given me [something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous.” (Yusuf 12:101) Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) Musa (pbuh), a strong prophet, also faced difficulty. But his strength did not prevent him from humbling himself to Allah, seeking His assistance. Although he is an exhausted stranger, with no place of refuge, he maintains a high level of ihsaan. He helps the two women water their flocks, seeking no fee or reward of them. He does not complain to the other shepherds present of his situation. Rather, he sits in the shade, realizes his desperate state and complains to One: So he watered [their flocks] for them; then he went back to the shade and said, “My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need.” (Al-Qasas 28:24). His prayer, an attestation of weakness and reliance on Allah alone rightfully illustrates our need for Allah in every situation. The poor complain to the rich, and from the names of Allah is Al-Ghanniy (Rich, free of all needs), hence there is no shame in supplicating to Allah describing one's distress. When trials surround us and we begin to think of our need for the most fit person to ‘get us out', we are really in need of a moment to reflect on Allah's prophets and their turning to Allah in the most dire of moments. Most needed at such times is a pause to withhold our complaints, fears, and worries from the people and turn continuously to the One Above. As it is said, the more you knock, the door will eventually be opened for you. “So seek from Allah provision.” (Al-‘Ankabut 29:17). Those who we sometimes run after hoping they would help us in some way are mere humans like us in weakness. In turning our affairs to Allah, not only will He help us sooner or later, but He will fill our hearts with peace and tranquility that no one around you can ever give you even an ounce of. Allah tests His slave to hear him beseeching and invoking in complete humility and submission. It is true that Allah knows our complaints before we even speak of them, but He loves that we humble ourselves in front of Him. He Knows that it is better for us. Allah described those who do not turn to Him saying: “And We had gripped them with suffering [as a warning], but they did not yield to their Lord, nor did they humbly supplicate, [and will continue thus] (Al-Mu'minun 23:76). As the prophets were the most tested, the Best of Creation was too. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) led a life that was difficult yet filled with the tranquility that comes with closeness to Allah and reliance upon Him. His complaints were great in matters of this deen, related to the whole Ummah. His ultimate worry was the message with which he was sent. His reaction in the many hardships he encountered was turning to Allah. How could he not when he was the teacher of the powerful words to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): “Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah; if you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, it would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and that if they gather together to harm you with anything, they would harm you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.” (Tirmidhi). Be among the strong and withhold seeking your needs from the creation. But, in front of your Creator, expose your weakness and release your complaints just like the Prophets.
