Strength from Within

Chapter 1Trials in Life—A Seed Preparing to Sprout Life’s Reality ‘We have certainly created man into hardship.’(al-Balad 90: 4) Hardship was a constant reality early on in my childhood. Everyday tasks were hard to manage due to my muscular weaknesses. The struggle in doing everyday tasks was my norm, so it was easy to accept that life is difficult. A lot of peers and adults pitied me for the struggles that I faced. They went as far as apologizing, as if I had been greatly wronged. They indicated that I should not have to live this way, because life—especially for a child—should not be difficult. The sympathies throughout my early childhood gradually shifted my perception of the world. They caused me to question why life had to be filled with challenges or why I had to face them. I transformed from someone that considered difficulties normal—and very much part of life—to someone that grew troubled over my circumstances. The focus became not on trying to cope, but rather on why I had not been spared, especially as a child. This shift was shown by my increasing inquisitiveness: I asked my parents why I had to face difficulties. I questioned them about Allah ? and why He allowed pain and hardships to occur. My questions were an indication that I did not want to struggle when doing everyday tasks. It was a testament to how I was finding it hard to accept the reality that I was facing. It was a form of denial because I was not questioning with the purpose of understanding; I was questioning as a way of rejecting. It was a means to delay facing and accepting the reality of my life.We all must one day face the fact that we can never be immune from struggles, because not accepting this truth is living a life of denial. This denial prevents us from learning how to live with our hardships and from making the best of our circumstances. Denial limits us because by not accepting, we put ourselves in a bubble that will eventually pop, causing us to panic.Everyone will undergo hardships, whether physical, emotional, economic, or spiritual. Some may suffer from losing a child or their health. Others may endure conflicts within the family or strains at work. These are situations many of us are bound to face. Acknowledging these hardships, however, gives us the chance to learn how to better cope and endure.Difficulties in life exist mostly because this world—unlike Paradise—is one where struggling is required. We will not only taste joy but also sadness, relief along with pain, ease with hardship. Allah says,‘And We will surely test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; but give good tidings to the patient.’(al-Baqarah 2: 155) Tests are part of this life. However, the acceptance of this reality will not save us from experiencing fear. We will feel scared because it is our innate instinct to want to escape any difficulty. We all prefer to return to our life of happiness with our health regained. We all want the loved one that we lost returned to us. The experience of deprivation may lead us to feeling trapped.This entrapment can cause us to feel buried in helplessness, able to see nothing but darkness. We may fall into grief and despair. In this state, we are just like seeds that are buried beneath the ground, unable to see the light. A seed that is put under so much pressure that it ultimately cracks. Trial’s Reality Seeds crack to grow, just as the purpose of life’s trials is for us to grow. We may not see it at first, but with time and proper cultivation, we can witness the change. Change cannot occur if we do not accept both the reality of life and the existence of trials. Denial makes us consumed with how to get out, but acceptance gives us the chance to discover the strength from within to sprout. It allows us to shift our focus towards endurance, growth, and making the best out of the situation.There is an ultimate purpose for being put into pressure and darkness: attaining rewards. Part of this reward may be achieved in this life by noticing life’s blessings and learning from our experiences. Trials, therefore, distinguish those that are sincere towards growth from those that complain out of ingratitude and disbelief. As Prophet Muhammad ? described in a hadith,‘A believer is like a stalk where the wind constantly shakes it. The believer is constantly struck by misfortunes. A hypocrite is like a cedar tree [seeming to stand firm], but once it is shaken, it is rooted out [not to rise again].’ (Muslim)1 Cracked Seed to Bloomed Flower Seeds ultimately sprout from darkness into light through the absorption of water and minerals. The water and minerals that nourished me were the lessons from Islamic figures of the past, especially Prophets, and how they coped with trials. Allah ? says,‘We relate to you of these stories of the messengers so that We make firm your heart. And there has come to you, in this, the truth, instruction, and a reminder for the believers.’(Hud 11: 120) Prophets withstood the strongest of winds to be examples for us to learn from, so that we may also know how to withstand life’s trials and bloom. My Trial It was through reading the stories of the Prophets at the hospital that I got to see how their trials were relatable to my life with physical disabilities. Some of them were, like me, tested with health and disabilities, like Prophets Ayyub ?, Ya‘qub ?, and Musa. I learned through their examples that difficulties are temporary. That in itself comforted me. Then, I started to ask questions about the lives of the Prophets, not for the sake of questioning the decree of Allah ?, but for the sake of understanding my purpose. Their stories taught me several valuable lessons:I may have had ill-health, but that did not mean that I would remain ill. We may, at one point, lose something, but that does not imply whatever lost will never be found. We may feel pressured, but that does not mean relief will not follow. We may feel trapped, but that is not to say we will never break free. Our trial is not our eternal fate. Our reward—fruits of growth—is our eternal fate. My life with disabilities previously put me in a state of darkness where I could not see any hope or reason behind my circumstance. I was so focused on getting out of my difficulty and not wanting to accept my fate. This attitude prevented me from learning from the trial—it hindered my growth. Learning how the Prophets dealt with difficulties helped me change my outlook despite still living with physical disabilities. I started to believe that whatever I was going through was decreed for a reason. This allowed me to focus on what I could learn and value from the trial, the gains instead of the losses. This mindset led to growth. Like a seed beneath the ground, my focus was on how to endure and strive to reach my potential. Like seeds, we are bound to this Earth where we cannot escape. We can either dwell with complaints about why life’s trials cracked us open, or we can absorb the lessons from it and sprout.