Hannah Being Happy with Allah Ta’ala

Ask our children:

1. Why do we not get everything that we want in this world?
2. If things do not work out for us, then how should we react?
3. How can we make sure that we are always winners?

Now tell them the story:

Hannah entered madrasah and removed her shoes. As she placed them in the shoe rack, she heard her father driving away from the madrasah. Her father’s car was very old and made a lot of noise. Because it was old and noisy, some of the other children would laugh when they would see it and would call it a “skorokoro”. Hannah felt embarrassed, but because they were poor, her father did not have money to upgrade their car.

After placing her shoes in the rack, Hannah saw another girl, Faatimah, arrive. This girl had a new sandal. Hannah watched as she unstrapped her sandal, and placed it on the rack, next to Hannah’s shoes. Faatimah’s new sandals were clean and shiny, while Hannah’s old shoes were battered and stained. Because Hannah’s family was poor, she had never worn new shoes before. Rather, she would wear her big sister’s old shoes after her big sister outgrew them.

Hannah entered madrasah and sat near some of the other girls. It was still early, so madrasah had not yet started. One of the girls, named Zainab, was talking to her friends and was inviting them to her home to bake cupcakes with her after madrasah. Hearing this, Hannah felt sad. She would never get invited to other girls’ homes. She was not one of the popular girls because she was not very pretty, very intelligent or full of fun. She was just quiet and shy.

A few minutes later, Aapa entered the classroom and began listening to the students’ sabaq. Hannah had learnt her sabaq for one hour the previous night, yet she still struggled to remember it and made a few mistakes. Zainab, however, was very intelligent. It only took her ten minutes to learn her sabaq, and she would read it without any mistakes! Also, Zainab had the most melodious voice. When she would recite the Qur’aan Majeed, her recitation would sound beautiful and everyone would become silent and listen to her. As for Hannah, then she had a normal voice, and read in a normal tone.

After madrasah that afternoon, as Hannah waited for her father, she watched as Zainab and her friends left together to spend some time together and bake cupcakes. Just then, Hannah’s father arrived, making noise as usual. As he pulled over so that she could get into the car, the engine died! Hannah’s father tried to start the car a few times, but the engine refused to start.

Eventually, he had to push the car down the road to kick start the engine, and finally, when the engine started, they were able to set off for home. All this time, Hannah felt sad over the old car that her father was driving.

When they arrived at home, Hannah entered through the front door, making salaam. As she was hungry, she went straight to the kitchen. She wanted a snack and opened the pantry door – but found that the pantry was empty. There were no biscuits, no chips, and no chocolates. In fact, there was not even any fruit to snack on! Hannah realised that she would have to wait until supper time to eat something. Poor Hannah was so hungry that her stomach was grumbling like an angry bear!

One hour later, when Hannah, her mother and her father sat on the dastarkhaan to eat, Hannah saw that they were having mug lentils again! Meat was expensive, so they could not afford to eat meat often. That is why they ate a lot of mug, as mug was cheaper and more affordable. However, Hannah was so hungry that she even scraped the pot clean!

The next day was Saturday, so Hannah was at home with her mother. Around 10 ‘o clock in the morning, Hannah’s father took them, in his old car, for the weekly ladies’ ta’leem. This week, an old, pious man from a visiting jamaat was giving a bayaan. Hannah sat in the ta’leem and listened attentively as he spoke.

The old, pious man said, “Allah Ta‘ala did not create us and send us to this world to fulfil our pleasures and enjoy ourselves. Allah Ta‘ala created us and sent us to this world to test us. Allah Ta‘ala will test different people in different ways. Allah Ta‘ala will give some people a lot of money, or make them beautiful and intelligent, to see whether they will pass the test by being grateful to Allah Ta‘ala, using these blessings in the way pleasing to Allah Ta‘ala, and remaining humble, or whether they will fail the test by not being grateful to Allah Ta‘ala, by using the blessings in a way displeasing to Allah Ta‘ala, by wasting the blessings and by being proud and boastful.

“Other people, Allah Ta‘ala may test by not giving them a lot of money, or not giving them a lot of beauty and intelligence, to see whether they will pass the test by being patient, remaining happy with the decision of Allah Ta‘ala and being grateful for what they do have, or whether they will fail the test by being unhappy with the decision of Allah Ta‘ala, complaining against Allah Ta‘ala and not appreciating what they do have.

“We cannot choose what test we want for ourselves. Allah Ta‘ala loves His servants and chooses for them the test that is best for them so that they can pass the test and reach Jannah. If we are tested with difficulties, then we must be patient, and for this, we will be forgiven and rewarded, and our stages in the Hereafter will be raised. At times, Allah Ta‘ala brings a difficulty over a person in order to save him from bigger difficulties or calamities.

“If we are tested with blessings, then we must be grateful, and for this, we will also be rewarded. From this, we understand that no matter what condition we are in, we can always be a winner by pleasing Allah Ta‘ala and acquiring the great rewards of the Hereafter.

“We must always look at those who have less money, or beauty, or intelligence, than us. This will help us to remain grateful for what Allah Ta‘ala has granted us and it will stop us from complaining and feeling unhappy.

“Remember, Jannah is the place where everything will be perfect. In Jannah, we will have the best food, best houses and best clothing. In Jannah, everyone will be most beautiful. There will be no hardships or difficulties in Jannah. So, the main thing is to worry about pleasing Allah Ta‘ala so that we can reach Jannah. We must turn to Allah Ta‘ala at all times and make Him our friend, as He will never abandon us or let us down. Allah Ta‘ala does not look at whether we are rich or poor, intelligent or not so intelligent, beautiful or not so beautiful – Allah Ta‘ala looks at our hearts and actions. If we have good hearts and good actions, then we will become friends of Allah Ta‘ala.”

As the old, pious person spoke, his words were not entering Hannah’s ears – they were entering her heart. Hannah felt as though a huge weight was removed from her. All the unhappiness she had been feeling went away, as she realised that Allah Ta‘ala loved her, and He was testing her so that she could pass the test and reach the magnificent Jannah that He had prepared for her.

Hannah was not worried about what other people had compared to her, or whether the other girls liked her or not – now she was only worried about being happy with the decision of Allah Ta‘ala, and making Him pleased, at all times.

The most important lesson Hannah learnt that day, which always made her feel happy, was that a Muslim is never a loser. Rather, a Muslim can always be a winner if he pleases Allah Ta‘ala all the time.

Lessons:

1. We do not get everything that we want in this world because this world is a place of being tested. If we pass the test, by obeying and pleasing Allah Ta‘ala, then we will get everything that we want in Jannah.
2. If things do not work out for us in this world, we should turn to Allah Ta‘ala in dua and remain patient. We must be happy with the decision of Allah Ta‘ala at all times, and we must never complain against Allah Ta‘ala for any difficulty that comes over us. Rather, at the time of difficulty, we should think of all the favours we are enjoying from Allah Ta‘ala. We must understand that Allah Ta‘ala loves us, and look at this test as a means of our forgiveness, our rank in the Hereafter being raised, and a means of us becoming close to Allah Ta‘ala and acquiring the great rewards of the Hereafter.
3. A Muslim is always a winner if he pleases Allah Ta‘ala at all times. In good times, a Muslim must be thankful to Allah Ta‘ala, use the blessings of Allah Ta‘ala in a way that is pleasing to Allah Ta‘ala and remain humble. In times of difficulty, a Muslim must remain patient, happy with the decision of Allah Ta‘ala, and grateful for what he has.