Allah says in the Qur’an:
لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ
“You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves.”
— Surah Al ‘Imran: 186
Mental anguish is one of the sufferings that human beings experience. However, it is beneficial. The pain that arises in the mind drives a person toward their goal. As long as this mental anguish persists, he continues to progress. Without this pain, he would not be able to achieve his goal. Lifeless objects do not experience mental anguish.
— Maulana Rumi (Rah)
Every person living in this world lives with the hope that mental anguish will not touch them. However, no one is exempt from it.
It is only when a person faces adversity that the remembrance of God comes to them completely. When immersed in worldly pleasures, man becomes arrogant.
He proudly believes that the pleasures he possesses will be permanent. It is only when he experiences mental pain in some form that he realizes his true self. He recognizes his own helplessness.
Then, the hands of that person yearn for help in the presence of the Almighty. It serves as a remedy to reflect upon his sins. Even those who do not give charity begin to search for the poor once adversity strikes. They run in search of those who will pray for them.
A person does not draw close to God during times of prosperity the way they do during times of adversity.
Observing patience (Sabr) during adversity and remaining humble with gratitude toward God without falling into arrogance during prosperity is the true sign of Iman (faith).
A person who seeks help from God during times of adversity often returns to arrogance once he is relieved of it. Consequently, adversity seeks him out again. Seeking God during adversity and forgetting Him once out of it is part of human nature.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“No misfortune, physical harm, illness, sorrow, or grief befalls a believer—even if it is just a thorn pricking his foot—but that he bears it with patience, Allah expiates his sins because of it, and elevates his status in the Hereafter.”
— Bukhari
A lady named Umme Rafas came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and pleaded, “O Messenger of Allah! I suffer from epilepsy. When I get a seizure, my body is not under my control. Sometimes, my clothes also get displaced. Therefore, pray to Allah for me.”
To this, the Prophet (ﷺ) said to her, “If you bear the hardship caused by this disease with patience, Allah will grant you Paradise in return. Or, if you wish, I shall pray to Allah for you, and He will cure you of this disease.”
Hearing this, the lady replied, “O Messenger of Allah! I will bear the hardship of this disease with patience. However, pray that my clothes do not get displaced when I get a seizure.” The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed for her accordingly.
Once, a Sahabi (companion) woman was sitting near the grave of her deceased son, weeping and wailing. The Prophet (ﷺ), who happened to pass by, told her to observe patience in this adversity.
Not realizing clearly that it was the Prophet (ﷺ) who spoke to her, the woman replied, “You do not know my mental anguish. What concern do you have in my grief?” and continued to weep. The Prophet (ﷺ) then left the place.
Some people who noticed this told the woman, “You have spoken disrespectfully to the Prophet (ﷺ)!”
“I did not know that it was the Prophet (ﷺ) who spoke to me in my grief,” she said, and immediately went to the Prophet (ﷺ) to seek forgiveness. At that moment, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“True patience is that which is observed at the first stroke of adversity.”
In the aforementioned incident, the fact that the woman accepted the counsel of the Prophet (ﷺ) and endured the hardship reflects the strength of Iman that existed among the Sahaba.
The psychological training that the Prophet (ﷺ) provided to this Ummah (community) is to practice patience during times of adversity. Allah desires that no matter what affliction befalls a servant, the very first thing to manifest from them should be patience. Instead of doing that, crying and wailing, asking “Why did this hardship happen to me?” or seeking solace from others will yield no benefit.
Whether in prosperity or adversity, Allah alone must be the sanctuary we lean upon.
The Prophet (ﷺ) says:
“If a servant remembers Allah abundantly during times of ease and prosperity, then when some hardships or adversities befall him (and he calls upon God for help), the angels say, ‘An accustomed voice of a weak servant is being heard!’ and they supplicate to Allah on behalf of that person.
But if a person forgets Allah during times of ease and calls upon Him only when adversities strike, the angels say, ‘This sounds like an unfamiliar voice.’ No help is rendered to him from the presence of the Almighty.”
Allah says in the Qur’an:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
“Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”
— Surah Al-Baqarah: 153
