Hardship does not overcome ease

Our life is full of hard times. All the time, we have to fight, we fall a lot, we fail a lot, and so on. As a result, you find a lot of people getting upset, depressed, etc. Some of them say that even Allah said in surah Al Balad Ayah 4, “Indeed, we created man in toil and trouble.” They want to convince others that our life has no joy, happiness, or anything good. Others feel stressed and depressed all the time, and they used to mention every single bad moment that happened in their life to others and ignore all the blessings Allah gave them. But the question is, as a human and a Muslim person, should I forget all Allah’s blessings that he gives to me before even asking me to do anything and remember every single bad thing that happened in my life all the time and live in depression and anger? The best answer for all of these and any other questions that come to your mind is the repeated Ayah “ 5,6” in Surah Al Sharh, our topic today, “Surely with hardship there is ease, with hardship indeed there is ease.”

The Prophet’s Consolation in Surah Al-Sharh

First, let me give you a special example, mentioned in the Ayat itself, between Allah and prophet Muhammed, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. So, Allah revealed these Ayat in Surah Al Sharh when he spoke about prophet Muhammed, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. As we all know, the people of Makka were the prophet’s first enemies and were the first ones to say that he was a Liar and should speak or listen to him. These actions make the prophet himself so sad as they are considered to be his family, but they stab him in the back. As a result, Allah revealed the prophet’s pain by reminding him of everything good he helped him with. At the beginning of the surah, Allah said, “Didn’t I reveal the religion to you and teach you all the rules and rituals of Islam? Didn’t I remove your burden and help you find the right path and find hope that you were right and their idols are nonsense? Didn’t I exalted your fame, give you a high position, and make everyone love you?” This part just reminded Prophet Muhammed that Allah is always here for him. Then Allah wanted to inform him that their bad reaction and rude attitude toward you and other Muslims shouldn’t keep you away from spreading Islam and delivering your message. This was in the Ayat, which mentioned, “Surely with hardship, there is ease; with hardship indeed, there is ease.”

Balancing Hardship and Ease in Light of Allah’s Wisdom

So, prophet Muhammed was having a problem, and Allah was trying to relieve his burden, saying that after all the hardships, there must be a good time. And that is what happened with the prophet. After all of their suffering, he and all Muslims found another place to spread Islam and other friends, other homes, and so on. And so, this was prophet Muhammed; what about us? Should we have happiness and joy for our entire lives, or should there be a balance between hard times and good times? We must remember that every hardship and suffering happens to any person; Allah knows he can bear and deal with it. Life can not be so happy or sad; life is like what Allah said in surah Al Balad Ayah 4: “Indeed, we created man in toil and trouble.” Trouble is not only the hard times we have or the bad things that happen in our lives, but also it can be our choices. Allah created all of us and gave us all the options for the right and wrong path. So, we face the hardships of fighting ourselves not to follow the wrong one, and we already struggle. We fight everything around us to follow and stay on the right path. In case of trouble or hardship, we seek Allah’s help and refuge to complete the right path.

The Ultimate Solution: Drawing Closer to Allah

Then Allah gives the prophet, and as a result, all of us the solution for everything. Oh Muhammed, if you find out that all of these things will end one day and it is just a matter of time and Dunia, then return to Allah, try to be closer to him, and try to ask him for forgiveness and protection. Forgiveness for any single moment that you are depressed and forget the blessings of Allah for you, and protection from any coming moments that you will feel depressed or you are about to give up. And so that’s the solution for everything: try to be closer to Allah, and your life will change radically. Don’t be upset, depressed, or sad; Allah mentioned it two times, so you don’t have to worry about anything. Even in your dark moments, remember that even prophets were having hard and really hard times, and finally, Allah was there for them, and Allah is here for you all the time, too. Never give up; remember, when you have another extremely serious problem, Allah will help you. The only thing you have to worry about is your relationship with Allah; try to make it stronger, try to be closer, and try to return to him even if you have a lot of sins and shame. The best conclusion for all this is Ayah 186, Surah Al Baqarah: “When My devotees enquire of you about Me, I am near, and answer the call of every supplicant when he calls. It behoves them to listen to Me and believe they may follow the right path.”