Remove Stress In Life - Turn to Allah!

Always be conscious of the fact that Allah is aware, that Allah is there, that He is watching. When Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, commanded Musa and Harun to go to Fira'wn, go and invite someone to faith who believes he is God. You think you have difficulty with interfaith? Imagine you are talking to someone who thinks he is God. It was very stressful for Musa and Harun. What does Allah say? What does Allah tell them to help them manage their stress? "Qala la takhafa" (20:46) Don't be afraid. "Inni ma'a akuma asma'u wa ara." (20:46). "I am with you. I see and I hear everything." Know that Allah is there.

Imam al-Husayn, alayhi as-salam, on the day of Ashura, what does he say when his family members were being slaughtered? I mean, talk about emotional trauma. One of the things that Imam Al-Husayn says is, "Hawwana alaya ma nazala bi annahu bi ayni Allah." The one thing that consoles me on this day, the day when 'Abbas is being mutilated, the day when Ali al-Akbar is being killed, the day when the noble companions are being slaughtered before his eyes. The Imam says: "The one thing that gives me comfort is that Allah is watching." "Hawwana alaya ma nazala bi annahu bi ayni Allah." Know that Allah is there. He knows. He sees.

Number two, remember that Allah is merciful. Allah, in the Qur'an, Surah An-Nisa', verse 29, Allah says, "La taqtulu anfusakum." (4:29) "Don't kill yourselves." There is an ayah about suicide in the Qur'an. Allah says, do not take your life. Do not kill yourself. I know life can be difficult. There is a lot of stress. You feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But what does Allah say? "Inna Allaha bikum Rahima." (4:29).

Don't kill yourself because Allah is merciful. Don't allow Shaytan to convince you that there is nothing to live for, that Allah has not blessed you, that there is no mercy. Allah says, "Do not kill yourself." And the reason why Allah says, don't kill... "Because I'm Merciful." Don't do this to yourself. Don't become blind to My na'mah. Don't become blind to My Grace. Do not allow Shaytan to delude you, to deceive you.

Number three, we have to keep in mind that life is riddled with hardships. Sometimes, you and I, we have this expectation that I have to have a comfortable life, stress free life. That's an unrealistic expectation. "Sheikh, why is this happening to me?" It's happening to you because we're in Dunyiah. That's the nature of Dunyiah. Allah says: "Laqad khalaqna al-insana fi kabad." (90:4) "We created man to endure hardship."

This life is about developing your soul. Your soul will only grow and mature if you struggle, if you experience hardships. When a baby is born, what does a baby who's born do? What do they do? They cry. They enter this world crying, which is a sign that this is a place of suffering and trial.

And finally, we have to keep in mind that no matter if you are comfortable or you are suffering, no matter if you are at ease or you are stressed, no matter if you feel joyful or you feel depressed or sad, remember the impermanence of this life. It is all going to end. The good days are going to end. The bad days are also going to end.

Sometimes we have bad days and we think that we are having a bad life. You are having a bad day. Don't exaggerate. It is going to end. It is temporary. The Qur'an tells us in Surat ul-Hadid, verse 23, "Likayla ta'saw 'ala ma fatakum, wa la tafrahu bima atakum." (57:23).

Allah says: have this mindset. Don't get too excited about what you get in Dunyiah because you are going to depart it. You are going to leave it. And don't grieve too much about what you miss. Because we are all leaving. We are all leaving this world. Don't get too attached. It is temporary. Just like when you take a child to get a shot.

What does the doctor say? It is just going to hurt for a moment. It's just going to hurt for a moment. That's Dunyiah. Allah is the doctor and He is giving us the shot of Dunyiah and He is telling us, it is just going to hurt for a second. Be patient. It is going to end.