“We will test you with a certain amount of fear, hunger and loss of wealth, life and fruits.
But give good news to the steadfast.” (2:155)
“The steadfast will be paid their wages in full without any reckoning.” (39:10)
• Suhayb ibn Sinan radhiyallahu anhu said: Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam said, ‘What an extraordinary thing the affair of the believer is! All of it is good for him. And that only applies to the believer. If good fortune is his lot, he is grateful and it is good for him. If something harmful happens to him, he is steadfast and that is good for him too.’ (Muslim)
• Usama ibn Zayd radhiyallahu anhu said: A daughter of Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam sent a message to him saying, ‘One of my sons is dying, so come.’ He sent his greetings to her and said, ‘What Allah takes is His and what He gives is His. Everything has a fixed term with Him, so she should show fortitude and expect a reward.’ She sent to him imploring him to come to her. He got up with Sa’d ibn ‘Ubada, Mu’adh ibn Jabal, Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Zayd ibn Thabit and some other men. The child was brought to Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam and he was shuddering. The eyes of Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam were flowing with tears and Sa’d radhiyallahu anhu said, ‘Messenger of Allah, what is this?’ He said, ‘This is an aspect of mercy which Allah has put in the hearts of His slaves.’ One variant has, ‘In the hearts of whomever He will of His slaves. Allah is merciful to those of His slaves who are merciful.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)
• Suhayb radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam said, ‘Among those before you there was a king who had a sorcerer. When he was old, he said to the king, ‘I am old, so send me a lad to whom I can teach sorcery.’ He sent him a lad for him to teach. When the boy was on the way, he came upon a monk. He sat down to listen to his words and liked what he heard. Whenever he went to the sorcerer, he would pass by the monk and sit with him. When he came to the sorcerer, the sorcerer would beat him. He complained about that to the monk who said, ‘When you are afraid of the sorcerer, say, ‘My family kept me.’ And when you are afraid of your family, say, ‘The sorcerer kept me.’ While all this was going on, he came upon a great beast which was barring the people’s way on the pathway and said, ‘Today I will find out who is better, the sorcerer or the monk.’ He took a stone and said, ‘O Allah, if what the monk does is preferable to You to what the sorcerer does, then turn this beast aside so that the people can pass.’ He threw it and killed the animal and the people went on. He went to the monk and told him and the monk said to him, ‘O my boy, today you are better than I am. I see the point that your affair has reached. You will be tested and when you are tested, do not point me out.’ The boy used to heal the blind and the lepers, and treat people for all their ailments. A companion of the king who was blind heard this and brought him many gifts. He said, ‘All that I have gathered for you here is yours if you heal me.’ He said, ‘I do not heal anyone. It is Allah Almighty who heals. If you believe in Allah Almighty, I will pray to Allah to heal you.’ So he believed in Allah Almighty and Allah Almighty healed him. He went to the king and sat with him as he used to do. The king said to him, ‘Who has returned your sight to you?’ He said, ‘It was my Lord.’ He said, ‘You have a Lord other than me?!’ He said, ‘My Lord and your Lord, Allah.’ So he seized him and did not stop torturing him until he pointed out the boy. The boy was brought and the king said to him, ‘O boy, your sorcery has reached the point where you heal the blind and the lepers, and you do such-and-such and such-and-such.’ He said, ‘I do not heal anyone. It is Allah Almighty who heals.’ He seized him and did not stop torturing him until he pointed out the monk. The monk was brought and told, ‘Renounce your religion.’ He refused. He called for a saw and placed the saw on the centre of his head and split it until the two halves fell apart. Then the companion of the king was brought and told, ‘Renounce your religion!’ He refused, and the saw was placed on the centre of his head and split it until the two halves fell apart. Then the boy was brought and told, ‘Renounce your religion,’ and he refused. He handed him over to a group of his companions and said, ‘Take him to such-and-such a mountain, and take him up the mountain. When you reach its summit, if he has not renounced his religion, throw him off.’ They took him and brought him up the mountain and he said, ‘O Allah, save me from them in whatever way You will.’ The mountain shook and they fell. He walked to the king and the king said to him, ‘What has happened to your companions?’ He said, ‘Allah Almighty saved me from them.’ He handed him over to a group of his companions and said, ‘Take him and put him in a ship and take him to the middle of the sea. If he does not renounce, then throw him into it.’ They took him and he said, ‘O Allah, save me from them in whatever way You will.’ The ship capsized and they were drowned. He walked back to the king and the king said to him, ‘What has happened to your companions?’ He said, ‘Allah Almighty saved me from them.’ He said to the king, ‘You will not kill me until you do what I command you.’ He said, ‘What is that?’ He said, ‘You should gather the people together on one plain and crucify me on a palm trunk. Then take an arrow from your quiver and put the arrow in the centre of your bow and say, ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy,’ and then shoot it. If you do that, you will kill me.’ So he gathered the people together on one plain and crucified him on a trunk and then took his arrow from his quiver and placed the arrow in the middle of the bow and then said, ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy,’ and then shot it and the arrow struck his temple. He put his hand on his temple and then died. The people said, ‘We believe in the Lord of the boy.’ The king was brought and told, ‘Do you not see that, by Allah, your fear has brought about the very thing you were afraid of! The people have believed.’ So he commanded that a trench be dug with openings onto it and had fires lit in it. He said, ‘Throw into it, anyone who does not renounce his religion or tell him to jump.’ They did that until a woman came with one of her children. She hesitated to jump into it and the child said to her, ‘Mother, be steadfast! You have the truth.’ (Muslim)
• Anas radhiyallahu anhu said: I heard Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam say, ‘Allah the Mighty and Exalted says, ‘When I test My slave regarding the two things he loves and he shows fortitude, I repay him for them with Jannah.’ He meant his two eyes. (Bukhari)
• ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud radhiyallahu anhu said, ‘It is as if I could still see Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam talking about one of the Prophets alayhis salaam whose people beat him, making his blood flow. While he was wiping the blood from his face, he said, ‘O Allah, forgive my people. They do not know.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)
• Abu Hurayrah radhiyallahu anhu reported that Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam said, ‘No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his mistakes by it.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)
• Anas radhiyallahu anhu said: Rasulullah sallallahu alyhi wasallam said, ‘None of you should wish for death because of some harm which has befallen him. If he has got to do something, he should say, ‘O Allah, make me live if life is best for me and make me die if death is best for me.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)
Source:http://www.jamiat.co.za/newsletter/online_newsletter_0507.htm
