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One thing we must keep in mind is the reason we are steadfastly persevering.
[51:56] I did not create the jinns and the humans except to worship Me alone.
With that in mind, there are several instances where God tells us we need to steadfastly persevere.
[2:153] O you who believe, seek help through steadfastness and the Contact Prayers (Salat). GOD is with those who steadfastly persevere.
Here we can see God is telling us to persevere in seeking help. So, if I’m feeling down or unable to perform a task, it is important to humble myself to God. First, I should repent, then ask God to help me with whatever I’m doing. May God help me be humble and not forget that the One who created the heavens and earth can easily help me with whatever small task is going on in my mind or body. The one thing I must keep in mind when asking for help from the Almighty is I am not always asking for things that are good for me, and I must accept and be patient and grateful with the outcome of the situation.
[17:11] The human being often prays for something that may hurt him, thinking that he is praying for something good. The human being is impatient.
I sometimes am tired in the morning when I must go to work, and one day I was thinking to myself, “Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to work?” So, I decided to meditate, pray to God for help, and I asked Him for $19 million so I wouldn’t have to go to work anymore. Well, I woke up today and by God’s grace went to work, so the answer to my request was no. God owns the heavens and the earth so $19 million to Him is nothing.
God knows that it is not money that I need but a different outlook on getting up and going to work. First, God gave me a great low-stress job that I enjoy, and I can use the earnings to provide for my family. God gave me an opportunity with this job to pay Zakat to grow my soul, thank you God. God gave me an opportunity to talk with people at work about the message. I could go on and on finding things to thank God for with the job He gave me. God tells us to be steadfast, persevere, and ask for help, and we must remember to be patient, grateful, and accept the outcome.
[3:186] You will certainly be tested, through your money and your lives, and you will hear from those who received the scripture, and from the idol worshipers, a lot of insult. If you steadfastly persevere and lead a righteous life, this will prove the strength of your faith.
God is putting us through many tests repeatedly, to see if we will hold fast to Him, remember and reverence Him, and continue to worship Him alone. God gives us the answer of how to steadfastly persevere when facing the tests:
[13:22] They steadfastly persevere in seeking their Lord, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), spend from our provisions to them secretly and publicly, and counter evil with good. These have deserved the best abode.
From this verse we see that first we must seek God’s guidance and not just accept what someone else tells us. He is the All-Powerful, so seek answers from Him on how to deal with all situations in life.
Second, repeatedly, God tells us to steadfastly persevere observing the Contact Prayers, Salat. The contact prayers are a gift to us that help us keep the remembrance of God all day long and protect us from evil and vice (29:45). Right before, during, and right after I make a Contact Prayer God gives me a sensation of fullness and joy. However, the concept of soul growth is just a matter of faith for me,
and this is where the definition of persevere related to me with the contact prayers. I can’t see my soul, so when I’ve done Salat, I can’t be like, “Ohhh, did you see that, my soul just grew an inch!” Therefore, in the face of unbeknownst soul growth, I still steadfastly persevere to make contact prayer with God in hopes of attaining success upon leaving this earth.
Third, we must steadfastly persevere in spending the provisions God provides for us. Provisions are not always in the form of materialistic items. God provides us with happiness, a tongue, lips, mouth, and all other things associated with our ability to speak. We can share our provision of happiness by speaking to others and offering words of encouragement. Knowledge and wisdom are other provisions from God. We can also take material items such as money, clothing, or food and spend these provisions for the sake of worshiping God alone. God is the one who is the real Provider of everything. He wants us to steadfastly persevere in spending these provisions secretly and publicly.
The last way in 13:22 that God tells us to deal with tests is by steadfastly persevering countering evil with good. If God helps us to master this art, life is much easier. It is easy to say, “Just look at the bright side, and find the positivity in it!” It is much more difficult to do it when you are in the middle of a test.
By the grace of God, there is always a way to find something positive in any situation. God willing, we use the tools of patience, prayer, and meditation to counter evil with good. One focus that God gave me when trying to find light in what seems like a dark situation is to remember this earth is only a temporary illusion. [6:32] The life of this world is no more than illusion and vanity, while the abode of the Hereafter is far better for the righteous. Do you not understand?!
When God strengthens me to keep this focus, it helps me find good in places where most see evil.
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