A Quran reciter during an interview was once asked why is there a sad tone to his recitation?
He replied saying, when I was young a calamity befell me (one of his parents passed away). And my sadness continued after that, it never stopped. One calamity upon another calamity upon another calamity!
Life is just like that, this catastrophe goes away, then another one will come up. This is the life. When you have that it's not necessarily a bad thing, it will purify you. People don't think catastrophes are a good thing but the reality of the matter is, if you don't face calamities in your life you won't be successful or appreciative.
Look at us when we fast, when we break our fast and we get food we are happy whilst during other days we just put food in our mouths without even thinking anything of it.
A person will not enjoy life until he faces calamities.
For example when you go to prison you learn to enjoy the freedom, when you get sick you learn to appreciate good health, when you face difficulty you learn to appreciate times of ease, and so on.
And no one in this life is free from trials.
A person won't enjoy life until a lot of things happen to him. Everything is like that.
In prison you learn to enjoy the freedom, when you are sick you learn to enjoy good health, in times of difficulty you learn to enjoy times of ease and so on.
No one in this life is without it.
Dhul Qarnayn before he died, he was a general and he used to lead the army here and there. When you're a general you get a lot of wounds, he died an early age. His mum used to love him a lot, he sent his mum money and he told her to invite the town (he's from Egypt), he told her to invite all the people of the town and make a walima (invitation) however there was a condition, just one condition.
Listen to what he said, whosoever had no catastrophe in his life invite him, anyone who had a catastrophe is not welcome.
You know what he means by that? That means he wants all the people without catastrophe and the individuals who have had problem, he doesn't want them.
You know how many people came? NONE!
See none came, why? Because everyone has problems!
Problems, people think they're bad but I swear by Allah the problems is what makes you who you are and it makes you reach the top. No one reaches the top except with a hard life.
Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 124
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِين
And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with commands and he fulfilled them. [ Allah ] said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [ Allah ] said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers."
- Shaykh Musa Jibril حفظه الله