Insights on Hardship and Difficulty

Peace, one and all…

In a couple of recent posts (1, 2), we explored some possible ways of engaging with life’s difficulties. I wanted to share some beautiful insights from Sahl al-Tustari, which help deepen our understanding.

May the hearts of the lovers be opened.

‘…And to everyone who is conscious of God, God always prepares a way of emergence, and provides for him in ways he could never imagine, and for everyone who places trust in God, God is sufficient…’ (Quran 65:2-3)

‘Mindfulness of God (taqwā) means disclaiming all power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa) and all means (asbāb) other than [God]. By resorting to Him, the servant will find that God provides for him the means of acquitting himself of that which He has given him to do, without his circumventing it. This He does by extending to him His aid and protection. Trust in God (tawakkul) is not admissible from anyone except those who are mindful of God, and mindfulness of God is not admissible except with trust in God … That is, whoever entrusts his affairs to his Lord, will truly find that God, Exalted is He, suffices him in all that is necessary for him in both abodes. Abū al Ḥasan ʿUmar b. Wāṣil al-ʿAnbarī reported that he heard Sahl say: ‘I entered the desert seventeen times without any provision in the way of food and drink, or a money bag, or a drinking vessel or a staff, and whenever I needed something to eat, I would find it ready prepared for me. On one occasion as I was approaching the desert, a man gave me two genuine dirhams, so I put them in my pocket and proceeded on my way. I had walked for a while but did not find anything so I became weak. I started to say to myself, ‘What have you done that has resulted in that which you are accustomed to being withheld from you?’ Then I heard a voice from the air say, ‘Cast out what is in your pocket and what is in the unseen will come to you’, upon which I remembered that I had those two dirhams in my pocket, so I took them out and threw them away. I had not walked for long before I saw before me two pieces of bread spread with honey between them, as fresh as if they had just that moment come out of the oven. So from then on I returned to my former state [of tawakkul]’

Tafsir Tustari 65:2-3

‘Yet two men whom God had blessed among those who were afraid said, ‘Go in to them through the gate and when you go in you will overcome them. If you are true believers, put your trust in God.’ (Quran 5:23)

Sahl was asked, ‘What was that blessing?’ He replied: ‘God blessed them with fear (khawf) and vigilance (murāqaba), because fear, concern (hamm) and sorrow (ḥuzn) increase one’s good deeds, whereas exuberance (ashar) and arrogance (baṭar) increase one’s misdeeds.

Tafsir al-Tustari 5:23

 

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