The following relates to the different types of suffering that are faced when engaging in this work:
1) The suffering resulting from hostility from the son, family and relatives:
The poet said: The Zhulm (oppression) suffered at the hands of those who are close (in relation) is more severe many times over.
This type of suffering is from the Sunnah of Allah (swt) in regards to his creation and He narrated upon His Messenger what had happened with the Anbiyaa’ (Prophets) who preceded him. So there is the example of Sayyidunaa Nuh (as) who was put on trial and tested in respect to both his wife and son:
Allah (swt) states:
Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them (At- Tahreem 10).
And He (swt) says:
And Nuh called to his son who was apart [from them]: "O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers. But] he said, "I will take refuge on a mountain to protect me from the water." [Nuh] said: "There is no protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy." And the waves came between them, and he was among the drowned (Hud 42-43).
And He (swt) revealed the stories of the different nations and what they did to the prophets who had been sent to them including what was narrated about Bani Isra’eel, what they did and how they killed the prophets without any right or justification.
This suffering is part of the Sunnah of Allah and He (swt) says:
But you will never find in the way (Sunnah) of Allah any change, and you will never find in the way (Sunnah) of Allah any alteration (Al-Faatir 43).
And we also have our Messenger and our best example (saw) to see the extent of the trials that his own people chose to him put him through. There was his Uncle Abu Lahab and his wife, Quraish and their positions of hostility against him and all of the Arabs unified against him as if they were shooting an arrow from a single bow.
And here is the beautiful Du’aa of the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he returned from Taa’if after being rejected, set upon and stoned by the thugs of Bani Thaaqif:
“O Allah! To You do I complain of the weakness of my strength, of my helplessness and of my lowliness before men. O most Merciful of the merciful. You are the Lord of the weak and oppressed and my Lord too. Into whose hands have you entrusted me? Unto some far off stranger who receives me with hostility? Or unto a enemy whom you have empowered against me? I care not, so long as You are not angry with me. But Your favour is much more significant to me. I take refuge in the light of Your countenance whereby all darknesses are illuminated and all things of this world and the next are rightly ordered, lest You make descend Your anger upon me or lest Your wrath beset me. Yet it is Yours to reproach until You are well pleased. There is no power and no might except with You).
And by taking a glance at his Noble Sahaabah (rah) and the suffering and hostility they encountered from their children, fathers, mothers and relatives you will see the best of examples of this reality. So there was Abu Bakr (ra) who was put on trial by his father and son, Abu ‘Ubaidah (ra) who was tested with his son, Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqaas (ra) was tested with his mother and there was a large group from amongst them who had to perform Hijrah to Al-Habashah (Ethiopia) fleeing with their Deen. They did not have a helper or supporter from their families or relatives other than Allah (swt) and Allah is sufficient as a Wakeel.
This then is the very same that befalls the Kutlah and its Shabab in terms of suffering and what is needed of patient perseverance when being confronted by their family and relatives and the positions that they must adopt in relation to this matter. So the individual or party bloc (Kutlah) cannot expect to gain the support and assistance except after enduring the tests and standing firm in the face of them.
Download the book An-Nahdah (Revival) from here
