Life is hard. That’s just a known fact. Maybe you’re not feeling it now. But there be a time in your life when you wish you could throw everything away, let everything go. The question is, who do you turn to in those crucial moments? When you hit rock bottom with no place to go, feeling hopeless and despair. What would you do?
While some would turn to their best friend, spouse or someone they could trust to seek counsel and comfort, others (by others, I mean most of us) would prefer to distract themselves with entertainment and worldly desire. But for a true believer, they turn to Allah SWT.
As Rasulullah SAW once called upon Bilal,
“Ar-raḥnā biṣ-ṣalāh” (Give us comfort through prayer) Riwayat Abu Dawud (4985)
In the eyes of our beloved messenger SAW, Solat is not seen as a mandatory ritual that burdens us. Rather, it is seen as a therapy for one’s soul and heart. Now why is that? Sure there are lots of reasons for that. But one that I like to focus on is Surah Al-fatihah.
Imagine you’re going through a hard time. (Or maybe you are right now.) You failed an exam, struggling to make ends meet, or someone close to you passed away. Then solat time comes by. Despite feeling hopeless and weakening, you still find the strength to get up and pray. As you’re standing there, raising your hand for takbir, one of the first things that you are asked to recite is
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil A’lammin (All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds).
The surah starts with gratitude towards Allah SWT. Regardless of what we’re going through, Solat (specifically in surah Al-Fatihah), teaches us a profound lesson about life, which is,
No matter how dark and miserable life could and will get, there’s always a reason to be grateful.
As we weigh our suffering with the countless blessings that He showered upon us, our suffering starts becoming insignificant.
“Gagal exam memang sedih, tapi at least Allah masih beri peluang aku untuk hidup”
On top of being grateful, the surah continues by reminding us of Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim (The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful). That He loves you, so much. And He’s reminding you that every time you recite Al-Fatihah.
I remember the time when I used to study in a boarding school. Since I rarely met up with my parents, as I was in Miri and they were in Bintulu, we usually called in the weekend. And by the end of every call, my mom would say,
“Mak sayang nya”
“Sayang mak juga” I responded.
Now let that sink in. Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim are basically just that. It’s when Allah SWT, the Rabbil A’lamin, Lord of the entire world, is telling YOU and ME, “I LOVE YOU” every time we recite the Al-Fatihah and every time we perform a prayer, for every single day.
And Allah’s love is not like the mediocre and even fake love that people go around and express to anyone and everyone. Like a young boy who says to his new girlfriend
“I love you till the day I die”, but eventually cheated on her 4 weeks later.
Allah’s Love is real and beyond our comprehension. As it was mentioned in a hadith;
Diriwayatkan daripada Umar bin Al-Khattab r.a., beliau berkata:
“Pada suatu ketika, terdapat sekumpulan tawanan perang yang dibawa kepada Rasulullah ﷺ. Di kalangan mereka, ada seorang wanita yang mencari-cari anaknya. Apabila dia menemui seorang bayi, dia segera mengambil bayi itu, mendakapnya ke dada, dan menyusuinya.
Lalu Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda:
‘Adakah kamu melihat wanita ini akan melemparkan anaknya ke dalam api?’
Kami menjawab:
‘Tidak, demi Allah, dia tidak akan melakukannya jika dia mampu menghindarinya.’
Lalu Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda:
“Sesungguhnya Allah lebih penyayang kepada hamba-hamba-Nya daripada wanita ini kepada anaknya.” Riwayat Bukhari (5999)
Thus, whatever happens in life, regardless of how painful and unfair it might seem, remember that there’s always a silver lining, a light at the end of the tunnel, a reason to be grateful and hopeful. Because He, in fact, no doubt, Loves YOU.
And all He’s asking for return is, for us to turn back to him.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ٥
“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.”