Azizah Magazine Volume 4, Issue 3 "Single Issue" : Tapping the Power Cover Story

TAPPING THE POWER WITHIN
Fill in the blanks. "I don't know what I would do ifŠ." and "I really hope I never have to deal withŠ" All people have fears. While no one wants to experience misfortune, it is a fact of life that there will be good times and there will be some bad times in all of our lives. Difficulties might come as something as innocuous as a minor disappointment and it might be as devastating as a death, disease, divorce or disaster. It is at these times, precisely when strength is needed the most, that it is the hardest to demonstrate it. Learning how to tap the power within helps people convert life's obstacles into steppingstones to peace of mind. For Muslims, it means being patient and prayerful.
Dr. Zainab Alwani, a respected shaykhah who teaches religious studies at Northern Virginia College says, "During times of deep trial, despair, and sadness, Muslims seek comfort and guidance in the words of Allah in the Qur'an. 'Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer; for Allah is with those who patiently persevere. Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, who say, when afflicted with calamity: To Allah We belong, and to Him is our return. They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah, and mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance' (2:153-157)." One way people access that power is by thinking of the difficulty as a test. This is what Muna Shibley, a mother of five did when she learned she was going to have heart surgery. "You pray every day and fast every Ramadan. It is easy to go through the motions and to pay lip service to faith. But until you have a test, you really don't know where you are on the scoreboard and how much you really believe." Thinking of life as a test is a mindset of many Muslims who strive for self-mastery. Shaykhah Zainab states, "God reminds us that all people will be tested in this life, and calls upon believers to bear these trials with Œpatient perseverance and prayer.' God also reminds us that many people before us have suffered and had their faith tested; so too will we be tried and tested in this life." While some visualize life as a test, others find complete reliance on God as the route to inner strength. When Sheila Manning was suddenly laid off her administrative assistant job, she first panicked, worried about her financial obligations. "One morning, I read Surah Al Talaq and it said, "And those who fear Allah, He always prepares a way out. And He provides for them from sources they could never imagine. And if anyone puts their trust in Allah, sufficient is Allah for them.' When I read that, I thought, okay, Allah has this covered and I just let go and let Allah handle it. It took all my strength, but I figured, if you trust in Allah, you have to trust completely."