Preparing for the reality of trial and strife is of utmost importance in Islam. The ideal strategy is that when times are good, we are fortifying our walls by remembering God, making duaa, being thankful for what we have, and detaching ourselves from the dunya (worldly life).
If we have worked on purifying our hearts during ease, then when hardship hits, it will extract from the good and pure in our spiritual cups. We would have practiced gratefulness so we will know how to be grateful during loss.
We would have made regular duaa in good times, so our duaa during desperation feels even more meaningful.
{Alif, Lam, Meem. Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried?} (Al-Ankabut 29:1-2)
For many, these verses of the Quran have been a reflection of the past few years. People have suffered job loss, food insecurity, intense anxiety, and not being able to see family. Some have lost their health and others lost their loved ones.
Unfortunately, many of us got caught up in life. We didn’t make the time to spend with Allah. So now that our hearts are broken, we’re forced to find Allah in the unfamiliar. So to make it a bit easier, we will revisit the sunnah of heartbreak: how do we cope when we feel at loss?
When revelation stopped: Coping with vulnerability
Loss and heartbreak is a very vulnerable experience. Many of us will naturally wonder what we did that contributed to this loss. We may play the game of “what if” even if our actions had nothing to do with our loss.
At the very beginning of prophethood, Allah halted revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This loss was distressing to the Prophet. He wondered if he had done anything that led to the withholding of Allah’s words. The exact amount of time in which the Quran was halted is debated but the Prophet was even mocked by the people of Quraish who would say “has your Lord abandoned you?”.
When revelation resumed, Allah began by sending Surat Ad-Duah.
{By the morning brightness. And [by] the night when it covers with darkness, Your Lord has not taken leave of you, [O Muhammad], nor has He detested [you].} (Ad-Dhuha 93:1-3]
The relief this short chapter brings is not just meant for the Prophet (peace be upon him). It belongs to us, too. To cope with our own vulnerability and, we have to remind ourselves of the favors Allah gave us. Allah explains in surat Qaf:
{We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.} (Qaf 50:16)
The person who is close to Allah can recover from all heartbreak.
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