Home About Us Contact Disclaimer Glossary Virtual Mosque Personal Development Relationships Islamic Studies Society Ummah Miscellaneous Multimedia Belief & Worship • Overcoming Hardships What Can We Learn From Experiencing Hardship and Spiritual Weakness? by Guest AuthorsOctober 26, 20155 min read https://stocksnap.io/photo/1D6KCNP75DBy Hiba Khan We all have them. Days and nights, perhaps weeks and months even, during which we feel disillusioned, dejected, numb. When that flame of spirituality and inspiration seems to have been put out, when we can no longer seem to see God and His miracles and gifts in the mundane struggle that life has become. No matter how much we pray, we remain with heavy loads and heavy hearts, and circumstances do not shift despite the desperate du`a’ (prayers). In his book, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis refers to these periods of ‘dryness and dullness’ as ‘troughs’; as fluctuations in the human state that are natural and can be our making as believers, or our breaking. Written from the viewpoint of a Senior Devil providing counsel and advice to a Junior Devil, there is much profound insight to be received from Lewis’ work. ‘It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in a state of dryness are those which please Him best. He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there, He is pleased even with their stumbles. Our cause [the devil’s] is never in more danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending to do God’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.’ We learn how the Devils will do all they can to subtly exploit us human ‘creatures’ when we are vulnerable, and that these same dreaded periods are incredibly instrumental in God’s ever Wise and Perfect plans for us. Sometimes those prayers that are offered in what feels like perpetual exhaustion, in that anesthetized, seemingly hopeless state, are the most beloved to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). The abstinence from sin despite the lethargy, the apathy or the sadness, every moment you trudge along the path to Him, Allah (swt) is right there with you, loving you and guiding you, teaching you how to walk though you do not perceive it. You cannot help a child to learn to walk if you forever hold onto their hand, and on letting go, they may feel scared, wobbly, confused and often fall down a few times. But you let go knowing you are still right there beside them; you have not forsaken the child, and in actual fact, you know that what they are perhaps painfully learning is an incredible gift. In letting go, you are equipping them with what they need to travel thousands of miles further than they ever could with you pulling them along. You may not be tasting the emotional sweetness or sparks of spiritual awakening as you once did, you may be disheartened and plain fed up. But so long as you continue to walk towards Him, know that He is pleased with you. There may be points where your pace is slow, or where you can only crawl, but He has not forsaken you. Quite the contrary, so long as you are obeying Him in sincere earnestness, His love for you is beyond your comprehension. When the instant gratification and motivation of a spiritual high is no longer there, but you continue to call Him, you are ascending. Higher and higher. Even the best of Muslims experience troughs; it is simply part of being human. In anticipating relief from the Lord of the Worlds, you are worshiping Him. And what a beautiful form of worship it is. Acknowledgement that all help comes from Him alone, hope for His unending mercy and trust in His timing and design for you. Persevering with a beautiful patience. Do not forget that even as you drag your limp existence along, you are being rewarded for your `ibaadah (worship). You will reap the rewards insha’Allah (God willing), in this life and the next. Ramadan was a recharge, a storing up of nourishment and sustenance for the year ahead, a cleansing and a return to what is pure and true. We must do everything we can to continue the habits we established and to ascend as we did during those blessed days, but do not slip into thinking that nearness to Allah (swt) manifests solely in a peak period. The emotional and spiritual sweetness you feel is not necessarily directly proportional to how pleased He is with you. Nothing is permanent. You will exit your trough as certainly as the day leaves us with night and the night leaves us with day. He who gave life to you when you were nothing, He who gives life to the barren earth, will give life once again to your weary heart. Though you perceive it not, know that your steadfastness during exhaustion, your prayers and resilience during the troughs may be the ones Allah (swt) is most pleased with. The times during which you grow the most, and earn His pleasure as He teaches you how to walk. Do not be fooled into feeling as if you are sinking, away from what is good and away from Allah’s (swt) love; as if ‘that buzz’ is just for Ramadan, like you’ve somehow lost it for good. Instead, promise yourself to do even more. Continue to be steadfast and sincere in your prayers, your dhikr (remembrance of God), your du`a’ and your deeds, and ascend the most beautiful ascension. https://stocksnap.io/photo/5IPJA59MET Who is the Greatest? Al-`Aliyy, al-`Aẓeem https://stocksnap.io/photo/5PFQXFE49E “Do not leave me to myself for the blink of an eye…” You may also like Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself The Morning Person Ramadan Letters 3: To the Limbs that are Busy Ramadan Letters 2: To the Heart that is Numb About the author Guest Authors Guest Authors As a virtual mosque, we strive to provide a safe space for learning and discussion. We would like to invite our readers to join this process. Everyone has a reflection to share, expertise on a specific topic, or a new idea. We hope, by opening up submissions from guest authors, that we can highlight the work of new, talented writers in our virtual community. View all posts 8 Comments Fara Madisa October 27, 2015 at 7:03 am MashaAllah. Such a beautiful piece, at the right moment. Thank you. Jazakallahu khairan kathira. Reply nemomil October 27, 2015 at 5:10 pm Thank you for writing this beautiful article. It is wonderful to see someone quoting from the Screwtape Letters, one of the most affecting books on Belief ever written; it is a book every Muslim should read. Reply Osama Siddiqui October 31, 2015 at 10:35 am JazakAllah for the amazing article! The ‘troughs’ part is something we all can relate to. Praying that all of us hold fast and feel His divine presence as a Teacher and Guide. Reply Nimra Rauf November 3, 2015 at 7:04 am Masha’allah very nicely written😊. This piece relates to every Muslim individual. I want to ask a question : isn’t this book “screwtape letters” a Christian novel .I mean if this is based on Christianity so won’t it effect our faith in anyway?Should I read this book?? Reply nemomil March 30, 2016 at 11:24 am The book is about Belief in God. Please read it and judge for yourself. Reply FKhan November 30, 2015 at 4:56 pm I feel like I am going through that trough now. Before it has always been my friends that have tried to hold me up. Now that I’m 25 and most of my friends have significant others/families/more responsibilities they cannot hold me up like before. I think God is trying to get me to stand on my own. It’s hard for me to feel motivated these days I feel like I’m in such a fog. This article definitely helped, I’ve read it a few times this past month to remind myself. Reply Insha Rafe January 20, 2016 at 9:50 am An awesome piece of writing… I really wish you all the very best..May Allah reward you with the best ! Ameen Jazak Allahu khairan kathira Reply Live.sama February 2, 2017 at 3:38 am Spiritual healing remedies are most effective very nicely written , JazakAllahu khaira Reply Leave a Comment Comment Name * Email * Website Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. Post Comment Type here to search... Like us on Facebook! GET MORE STUFF LIKE THIS IN YOUR INBOX Enter your email here SIGN UP NOW Recent Posts Ramadan and Ill Health 5 Marks of Exceptional MSA Leaders The Best Days of this World Two Words 10 Guidelines for Gender Relations in Islam Recent Comments Mujahidah lillah on The Abandonment of the Qur'an Islamic bayanat on I Want To Study Islam: The Scholar Laila on Living with Depression and Islam Ayu on Taking Off the Hijab Johnathan Waters on Man’s Best Friend? 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What Can We Learn From Experiencing Hardship and Spiritual Weakness?
By Hiba Khan
We all have them. Days and nights, perhaps weeks and months even, during which we feel disillusioned, dejected, numb. When that flame of spirituality and inspiration seems to have been put out, when we can no longer seem to see God and His miracles and gifts in the mundane struggle that life has become. No matter how much we pray, we remain with heavy loads and heavy hearts, and circumstances do not shift despite the desperate du`a’ (prayers).
In his book, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis refers to these periods of ‘dryness and dullness’ as ‘troughs’; as fluctuations in the human state that are natural and can be our making as believers, or our breaking. Written from the viewpoint of a Senior Devil providing counsel and advice to a Junior Devil, there is much profound insight to be received from Lewis’ work.
‘It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in a state of dryness are those which please Him best.He wants them to learn to walk and must therefore take away His hand; and if only the will to walk is really there, He is pleased even with their stumbles. Our cause [the devil’s] is never in more danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending to do God’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.’
We learn how the Devils will do all they can to subtly exploit us human ‘creatures’ when we are vulnerable, and that these same dreaded periods are incredibly instrumental in God’s ever Wise and Perfect plans for us. Sometimes those prayers that are offered in what feels like perpetual exhaustion, in that anesthetized, seemingly hopeless state, are the most beloved to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). The abstinence from sin despite the lethargy, the apathy or the sadness, every moment you trudge along the path to Him, Allah (swt) is right there with you, loving you and guiding you, teaching you how to walk though you do not perceive it.
You cannot help a child to learn to walk if you forever hold onto their hand, and on letting go, they may feel scared, wobbly, confused and often fall down a few times. But you let go knowing you are still right there beside them; you have not forsaken the child, and in actual fact, you know that what they are perhaps painfully learning is an incredible gift. In letting go, you are equipping them with what they need to travel thousands of miles further than they ever could with you pulling them along.
You may not be tasting the emotional sweetness or sparks of spiritual awakening as you once did, you may be disheartened and plain fed up. But so long as you continue to walk towards Him, know that He is pleased with you. There may be points where your pace is slow, or where you can only crawl, but He has not forsaken you. Quite the contrary, so long as you are obeying Him in sincere earnestness, His love for you is beyond your comprehension. When the instant gratification and motivation of a spiritual high is no longer there, but you continue to call Him, you are ascending. Higher and higher. Even the best of Muslims experience troughs; it is simply part of being human.
In anticipating relief from the Lord of the Worlds, you are worshiping Him. And what a beautiful form of worship it is. Acknowledgement that all help comes from Him alone, hope for His unending mercy and trust in His timing and design for you. Persevering with a beautiful patience. Do not forget that even as you drag your limp existence along, you are being rewarded for your `ibaadah (worship). You will reap the rewards insha’Allah (God willing), in this life and the next.
Ramadan was a recharge, a storing up of nourishment and sustenance for the year ahead, a cleansing and a return to what is pure and true. We must do everything we can to continue the habits we established and to ascend as we did during those blessed days, but do not slip into thinking that nearness to Allah (swt) manifests solely in a peak period. The emotional and spiritual sweetness you feel is not necessarily directly proportional to how pleased He is with you.
Nothing is permanent. You will exit your trough as certainly as the day leaves us with night and the night leaves us with day. He who gave life to you when you were nothing, He who gives life to the barren earth, will give life once again to your weary heart. Though you perceive it not, know that your steadfastness during exhaustion, your prayers and resilience during the troughs may be the ones Allah (swt) is most pleased with. The times during which you grow the most, and earn His pleasure as He teaches you how to walk.
Do not be fooled into feeling as if you are sinking, away from what is good and away from Allah’s (swt) love; as if ‘that buzz’ is just for Ramadan, like you’ve somehow lost it for good. Instead, promise yourself to do even more. Continue to be steadfast and sincere in your prayers, your dhikr (remembrance of God), your du`a’ and your deeds, and ascend the most beautiful ascension.
About the author
Guest Authors
As a virtual mosque, we strive to provide a safe space for learning and discussion. We would like to invite our readers to join this process. Everyone has a reflection to share, expertise on a specific topic, or a new idea. We hope, by opening up submissions from guest authors, that we can highlight the work of new, talented writers in our virtual community.
I really wish you all the very best..May Allah reward you with the best ! Ameen
Jazak Allahu khairan kathira
very nicely written , JazakAllahu khaira