Hijrah Journal #9: You Will Be Tested

We had finally reached a land I always wanted to visit with my family. We were so excited to spend Ramadan in a Muslim country in one of the safest cities in the world. Then it happened. We woke up at night to the sound of an intense alarm on our phones. I looked at my phone and saw a message I had never seen before: “The threat level has been elevated. Please remain indoors!” A few minutes later, we hear the sound of explosions outside. I carefully look out the window and witness missiles and interceptors clashing in the air. My children ask me when we can return home. I explain to them that flights will not operate now and we just have to sit tight.

A few weeks later, some of my friends message me to check on me. “Where are you? Did you go back home? Are you safe?” My response: “Alhamdulillah, I am still here. We have lived through worse in the past. Alhamdulillah, we are still having our best Ramadan in years, despite everything.”

The truth is that trials happen anywhere in the world, and there is no land that is 100% safe. If Allah wills for you to be tested with a calamity, it will happen wherever you are in the world. Despite this trial, life went on and my resolve to complete my hijrah got stronger. Two days after the first attack, I took a walk after taraweh and felt a deep sense of inner peace. I realized right there that I am where Allah wants me to be. In the land of the believers, seeking a way to stay here. Allah brought me here for a reason and He will take care of us.

This was not our first setback in our journey. We had to leave the land we initially wanted to migrate to because we were unable to secure a route to residency permits. Along the way, we found ourselves as a family in the immigration office explaining our case, and been given a second chance. On our way to the next country, we had to stop in a different “Muslim” land for a few hours. There, at the airport, our passports were taken away without explanation and we were forced to sit quietly for hours worried about what would happen next. After a full body scan, our passports were returned and we were allowed into the country. These are just some of the setbacks we faced in our journey, but we remain determined. With Allah’s Help, we will settle in the land that is best for us.

Anything worth doing is difficult

One of the realities of life is that anything worth accomplishing is difficult. If you choose to pursue a noble goal, you will be tested in your resolve. Only those who push through the difficult times, determined to achieve their goals, with firm trust in Allah, only they will make it to the finish line. The journey separates the strong from the weak. The real immigrants from those who only chase good times and luxury.

When King Saul led his army to fight Goliath. He tested the army on the way to the battlefield. The majority of soldiers failed the test and returned home. King Saul met Goliath with a small army, but they were the few who passed the test. They were the strong, the sincere, the worthy. Together, they defeated Goliath and achieved their goals.

When Saul set out with the troops, he said, “God will be testing you with a river. Whoever drinks from it does not belong with me. But whoever does not drink from it, does belong with me, except for whoever scoops up a little with his hand.” But they drank from it, except for a few of them. Then, when he crossed it, he and those who believed with him, they said, “We have no strength to face Goliath and his troops today.” But those who knew that they would meet God said, “How many a small group has defeated a large group by God’s will. God is with the steadfast.”

And when they confronted Goliath and his troops, they said, “Our Lord, pour down patience on us, and strengthen our foothold, and support us against the faithless people.” And they defeated them by God’s leave, and David killed Goliath, and God gave him sovereignty and wisdom, and taught him as He willed. Were it not for God restraining the people, some by means of others, the earth would have gone to ruin. But God is gracious towards mankind. (Qur’an 2:249-251)

When the companions migrated from Makkah to Abyssinia, they were tested in their resolve. They had to endure being far away from their homeland, living among foreigners in a different culture. The Makkans send representatives to try to bribe the king and encourage him to send them back. The companions endured, they stood their ground, they represented themselves well in court, and they were eventually able to settle in the land.

When the other companions had to migrate from Makkah to Madinah, they too were tested. They had to leave behind their wealth and homes which were stolen from them. Many had to restart life from scratch, with nothing more than what they could carry on themselves. Many got sick as their bodies adjusted to a new climate. Eventually, they had to face the Makkans in a series of battles as the threat of the pagans did not decrease. They faced hypocrites and traitors from within their own city too. Eventually, they won, and Islam was established in the land.

Know that when you choose to do something for Allah, your resolve will be tested. You will face difficult situations. You will face moments of doubt. If you migrate for Allah’s sake, you will miss home and your comfort zone. But eventually, you too will attain victory. Victory does not come easily, it does not come without a struggle, and when it does come, it is beautiful, it is sweet, it is worth everything you went through to attain it.

“Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and hardship with ease.” (Nawawi’s 40 hadith, no: 19)

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