By Shaykh Mustafa Abdulla
3 April 2026

﷽ 

My dear brothers and sisters, Allah says in Surah Yunus:

And He says in Surah Fussilat: 

These are not just words we read and move on from. They are a promise from Allah, repeated in His Book, by which He strengthens the hearts of His servants in their darkest moments.

When I reflect on the Qur’an, I find that Allah says these same words again and again to those whom He loves. He said to the mother of Musa عليه السلام in Surah al-Qasas:

Allah said to Lut عليه السلام in Surah al-ʿAnkabut:

The Most Merciful also said to the believers in hardship in Surah Ali ‘Imran:

And at Badr came that powerful reassurance in Surah al-Anfal:

It is as though the message is being said to every believer: just as Allah protected His prophets and supported His righteous servants, He is with us too, so we should not fear and we should not grieve.

These verses hold great value and meaning because we are living in a time when fear and grief have become almost normal. People are weighed down by pressures from every direction. Families are strained. Young people are confused. Hearts are feeling grieved. Minds are restless.

Some are worried about their studies, some about their future, some about their homes, some about matters they cannot even put into words. A person can reach a point where they feel darkness gathering inside them and they ask: what do I hold on to now? Where do I go with all of this? That is why these words from Allah matter so much. They do not remove reality, but they change how I stand inside it.

Ponder over Musa عليه السلام and the path Allah took him through. He was separated from his people, driven into hardship, and brought through trials that no one would have chosen for themselves. Yet none of it was random. None of it was without purpose. Allah was preparing him.

That is something I need to remember for myself as well: not every hardship is a sign of Allah’s abandonment. Sometimes The Most High is shaping us through what we would never have chosen for ourselves. Sometimes the road that feels harsh is the very road by which Allah prepares a person for something greater. 

Then comes the question: how do I deal with fear and grief? One of the greatest means of finding tranquillity is the remembrance of Allah. Allah says:

When our tongue remembers Allah, when our heart turns back to Him, when our soul stays connected to Him, we begin to find a peace that does not depend on life becoming easy. The waves may still come, but the heart is no longer left to drown in them.

And with dhikr comes another gift: yaqeen (certainty).

We need to know that our affairs are not random, that they are written, managed, and guided by the Most Merciful. We need to know that Allah is more merciful to us than we are to ourselves. We need to lean on Him with honesty, not just with words on the tongue. That is why these lines carry so much weight:

رَبِّ عَلَيْكَ اعْتِمَادِي

كَمَا إِلَيْكَ اسْتِنَادِي

صِدْقًا وَأَقْصَى مُرَادِي

رِضَاكَ الدَّائِمَ الْحَالِ

My Lord, upon You I rely, and to You I turn for support.

Truly, my highest desire is Your constant and everlasting pleasure.

If the world becomes tight around us, remember the beautiful lines quoted from the scholar and poet ʿAbd al-Salam al-Shatti (d. 1296 AH / 1878 CE): if the world becomes too much for you, then turn to none but the Most Merciful; for the people of virtue have passed away and now lie in their shrouds; so hold fast to obedience to the Creator, for all who are upon this earth will perish.

People cannot carry me forever. The world cannot comfort me forever. Everything temporary will end. Only Allah remains. 

I come back to this message again and again: do not fear, and do not grieve. Not because life is always easy. Not because hardship is not real. But because Allah is greater than every hardship, and His promise is truer than every fear we feel.

Relief is not far from Him. Allah says: “Indeed, with hardship comes ease.” And the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ said: “Relief comes with distress.” So even when life narrows around us, do not let go of Allah.  Remember Him. Rely upon Him. Hold firmly to obedience. And keep walking with certainty that the One who said these words to His prophets and righteous servants is your Rabb.

O Allah, make us among those whose hearts are strengthened by Your words. O Allah, remove fear from our hearts and remove grief from our souls. O Allah, fill our tongues with Your remembrance and fill our hearts with certainty in You. O Allah, let us rely upon You truthfully, turn to You sincerely, and find our peace in nearness to You. O Allah, make us among those who will be told in this life and the next: do not fear, nor grieve.

Ameen.

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