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Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “A man became needy and he got out to the wilderness. Thereupon, his wife said: ‘O Allah, provide for us so that we can make dough and bread.’
When he returned, he found the bowl full of dough, something was being roasted in the furnace, and the hand mill was operating. He asked: ‘Where has this come from?’ She replied: ‘From the provision of Allah.’ He then swept what was around the hand mill.
Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘If he had left it, it would have continued to revolve - or grind - till the Day of Judgment.’” [Narrated by Al-Tabarāni in Al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat; Sahīh (authentic)]
This is a message to anyone who has been hit by distress, weakness, difficulties, and tough living. Rejoice and expect imminent relief, clear support, ease, and strength. {[It is] the promise of Allah. Allah does not fail in His promise...} [Surat ar-Rūm: 6]
We shall pause here with one of the beautiful names of Allah, namely “Al-Matīn”.
{Indeed, it is Allah Who is the All-Provider, Lord of Power, the Mighty.} [Surat adh-Dhāriyāt: 58]
Our Lord, Exalted be He, is the Strong.
He possesses unlimited power and strength. His strength is boundless and endless, and He never suffers any difficulty or fatigue in whatever He does. All might belongs to Him, He has full power over His affairs, and He is the Omnipotent Who never experiences inability.
Allah Almighty informs us about past nations that deviated from His commands and messengers and even claimed to be strong and dominant, and so He subjected them to a severe punishment. {As for ‘Ād, they were arrogant in the land without right, and said, “Who is more powerful than us?” Did they not see that Allah, Who created them, is more powerful than them? Yet they continued to reject Our signs.} [Surat Fussilat: 15]
Their end was as Allah Almighty says: {...And they became such that there was nothing left visible except [ruins of] their dwellings. This is how We recompense the wicked people.} [Surat al-Ahqāf: 25]
Where are the kings and those who used to populate the earth?
They departed and left behind what they had built and developed.
And they now lie in their graves, subject to the result of their deeds.
They have turned into rotten bones after leading a life of luxury.
Where are their soldiers? They could not help them.
And where are their wealth and fortunes?
The command of their Lord came to them unexpectedly.
So, neither their wealth nor their soldiers could support them.
The true believer knows that Allah is powerful, strong, and that He is Competent over all things. He fulfills wishes, brings close what is distant, and turns dreams into realities.
Here is Ibrāhim (Abraham) (peace be upon him) as an example. He brought his family to a valley empty of plants and left his weak wife and little child to reside in that valley. Putting all his trust in the power of Allah Almighty, he said: {Our Lord, I have settled some of my offspring in a barren valley near Your Sacred House...} My Lord, I brought them near Your door and cut their hopes off anyone but You: {...Our Lord, so that they may establish prayer...} My Lord, so that they can serve You; indeed, You are more entitled to them than me and than themselves: {...So make hearts of the people incline toward them...} [Surat Ibrāhim: 37] My Lord, subject Your servants to help them if they needed anything; indeed, You are Capable of all things.
If you are weak, but your Lord is powerful and strong, then do not be afraid. Indeed, whoever relies upon Allah, He grants him sufficiency, and whoever presents his needs to his Lord, He fulfills them. Our Lord, Exalted be He, feels jealous when the believer’s heart gets attached to anyone other than Him, when he depends on or yields to anyone other than Him, or humbles himself before anyone other than Him.
The story of Yūsuf (Joseph) (peace be upon him) is one of the best and clearest indeed. It contains different stages and shifts from one condition to another, from a crisis to a blessing, from humiliation to honor, from slavery to authority, from disunity and dispersion to reunion and harmony, from grief to joy, from opulence to famine to opulence again, and from denial to acknowledgment.
Then do not complain to the weak about the All-Powerful Lord.
If you ever complain to human beings, you are complaining about the Most Merciful to those who have no mercy.
Real strength lies in holding onto Allah Almighty alone, and not onto others, be they individuals or nations. Do you not see the bad situation in which the Muslim Ummah has fallen after they abandoned reliance upon Allah Almighty and pinned their hopes upon their enemies? They fell in the sight of Allah Almighty as well as in the eyes of their enemies. That is why they are in humiliation and loss and will not be able to restore their glory and strength unless they turn to the powerful and strong Lord, alone, with no partner.
Allah Almighty says: {Allah has written: “I will surely overcome, I and My messengers.” Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.} [Surat al-Mujādilah: 21]
O Allah, we ask You by Your name “Al-Matīn” to forgive us, our parents, and all Muslims.