Emotional Turmoil & Tribulations

قَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

“Allah has truly been gracious to us. Surely whoever is mindful ˹of Allah˺ and patient, then certainly Allah never discounts the reward of the good-doers.” — Qur’an 12:90

Emotional turmoil. Tests and trials. Life is full of ups and downs; events that are hard to deal with and push us to our limits. Our heart goes through a lot during these turbulent times and can leave us feeling despondent or broken.

A death in the family, a job that doesn’t work out, a friendship that ends, a marriage that comes to a close. These can be some of the hardest things in a person’s life. Why does Allah make life hard for us? Why do we go through these events? What can we do to make things easier when this emotional turmoil seems prolonged?

“فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا“

“So, surely with hardship comes ease.” — Quran 94:5

Allah loves us always

Al Wadud – The Most Loving

وَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا ۖ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ

“So be patient with your Lord’s decree, for you are truly under Our ˹watchful˺ Eyes. Glorify the praises of your Lord when you rise.” — Quran 52:48

The first thing we need to remember is that even if something of the creation rejects us. Allah always loves us. He is Al-Wadud – the Most Loving and the generous giver.

وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ

“Did He not find you lost and then He guided you? Did He not find you in need and then satisfied your needs?”– Quran 93:7-8

وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلْوَدُودُ

“He is the All-Forgiving, All-Loving” — Quran 85:14

He is the Most Loving – this love and kindness is manifest through his mercy, his constant wishing of good and well-being for all of those who receive his mercy.

Even when we can’t see that, even when we struggle to love ourselves, or struggle to see ourselves as worthy of love, it is important to remember that Allah still loves and cares for us.

Just as family love those close to them. Allah loves us more than any family member. He is the one that chose to create us and continues to love and protect us, throughout our ups and downs.

Al-Rahman – The Merciful

No matter how we my slip or how many mistakes we may make Allah is al-Rahman, Al-Rahim The Infinitely Good, the Merciful. Who forgives those who are deserving and undeserving.

He is The Infinitely Good and the bestower of good who is always willing to forgive and give us more. He loves and protects us, it is him alone we seek forgiveness and mercy from. Even if we don’t deserve it, He always forgives us and aids us in our difficulties.

مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. — Quran 1:4-5

Always increasing us from his blessings, He continues to bestow favours upon us. He loves us, He forgives us, and continues to love us. If we think of how many things have gone well in our lives, how much of that was truly down to us? Could the situation easily have turned out differently for reasons outside of our control?

Ultimately everything that happens to us is through Allah alone, the cogs were already in motion and we were there to witness the fruition. The fact that we’re still here today, with our body functioning is a testament to his allowing us to endure.

“وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍۢ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْـَٔرُونَ”

Whatever good things you possess come from God, and when hardship afflicts you, it is to Him alone you cry out for help — Qur’an 16:53

Even our own body, there is so much of it we don’t control. We’re not actively regulating our heart rate, or our blood pressure. If our heart were to stop or our blood supply were to be interrupted, our own body, through no volition of our own would cease to be ours.

۞ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلْفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ

“O humanity! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah ˹alone˺ is the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.”— Quran 35:15

However from His mercy and his love, every second he continues to actively pump our heart, and continues to give us breath — from his love, concern and care for us he continues to look out for us. He wants us to continue to live, to know Him, to witness Him.

أَلَمْ تَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُۥ ظَـٰهِرَةًۭ وَبَاطِنَةًۭ ۗ وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُجَـٰدِلُ فِى ٱللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍۢ وَلَا هُدًۭى وَلَا كِتَـٰبٍۢ مُّنِيرٍۢ

“Have you not seen that Allah has subjected for you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, and has lavished His favours upon you, both seen and unseen? ˹Still˺ there are some who dispute about Allah without knowledge, or guidance, or an enlightening scripture.” — Quran 31:20

Through reflecting- on Allah’s name we can better understand his nature and his plan for us.

Al-Ghaffur – The All Forgiving

We all slip, always. It’s inevitable, and it’s natural to feel down afterwards, but we should always have hope that Allah accepts our good, we ask forgiveness and strive to do better in future. It’s a simple formula, but to err is human and inherent in our being. None of us is without flaw.

إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ

“Surely humanity is in ˹grave˺ loss, except those who have faith, do good deeds, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance.” — Quran 103:2-3

It can be hard to see, but if we think of how we have spent our time in the past, or how we intend to spend it well in the future, we should feel happy and enlivened off of the back of our good deeds and good intentions. We hope that Allah accepts them from us, and allows us to do more. We hope they are pleasing to Him and we’ve lived a good life, helping others, serving Allah and pleasing Him.

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Allah certainly loves the good-doers. — Quran 2:195

Finding peace through God

Allah will be there for you in the beginning and the end. No one else will. Perfect your relationship with him first.

وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُۥ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ وَٱلْفُسُوقَ وَٱلْعِصْيَانَ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّٰشِدُونَ فَضْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةًۭ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ

“But Allah has endeared faith to you, making it appealing in your hearts. He has made disbelief, rebelliousness, and disobedience detestable to you. Those are the ones rightly guided. ˹This is˺ a bounty and a blessing from Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” — Quran 49:7-8

Not only is this the path to truth and happiness and our purpose in life, but it is also the path of fitrah. It is the natural inclination of our souls and it is what ultimately feels right and feels best to our souls. This is our path home, our path to peace.

“أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ”

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” — Qur’an 13:28