Relieving the hardships of a believer

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim


In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Relieving the hardships of a believer

"He who relieves a hardship of this Dunya (this earthly life) for a believer, Allah will relieve a hardship of the Day of Resurrection for him;

He who makes it easy for an indebted person, Allah will make it easy for him in the Dunya and the Hereafter;

He who covers a Muslim (his mistakes and shortcomings), Allah will cover him in the Dunya and the Hereafter;

Allah will be in the slave 's need, as long as the slave is in his (believing) brother's need."
[Saheeh Muslim]

The Virtue of Relieving Hardships For Other Muslims


The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "He who relieves a hardship of this Dunya for a believer, Allah will relieve a hardship of the Day of Resurrection for him."


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Relieving a hardship involves removing it or lessening its impact. The Kurbah (meaning the hardship or the disaster) is the severe difficulty that causes sadness and depression for those whom the Kurbah befalls, "Verily, We have created man in toil." [Soorah al-Balad (90): 4]

Ibn Jarir said that the "toil" mentioned in this Ayah, entails suffering the various difficult matters and hardships.



In this life, mankind suffers various types and forms of hardships, that which will cause sorrow and depression, especially when such hardships and trials befall and touch people's bodies, property, offspring or religion. When such difficulties befall a certain Muslim, his Muslim brethren are obliged to rush to his aid and to defuse this hardship, so that his pain will subside, as much as can be.



Furthermore, a Muslim may fall victim to injustice, as Al-Mutanabbi (a famous Arab poet) has said, "Injustice is a human trait. Hence, if you can find an honourable person, there is a hope he will not commit injustice". In this case, the Muslim brethren are obliged to remove this injustice that has befallen their brother (or sister) in Islam, as much as they can. The Messenger of Allah said: "Aid your (Muslim) brother when he is unjust, or when suffering from injustice." He was asked, "What about when he is unjust, how can I aid him?" He said, "You prevent or forbid him from committing injustice, for this constitutes giving aid to him." [Saheeh al-Bukharee]



A Muslim may fall victim to injustice because of his being firm in the religion. In this situation, the Muslim may feel sadness and oppression that which the firm mountains cannot bare, by the hands of the unjust people and the tyrant. This is when other Muslims are obliged to rush to the aid of such Muslims, so that they will defuse and remove these hardships and injustice, using everything in their power: themselves, their wealth, their tongues and pens, etc. Allah said, "But if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them." [Soorah Al-Anfal (8): 72]



When Muslims fulfil the obligation of aiding their believing brothers when they are in distress, then the reward will be of the type of the deed. Allah will then protect the Muslims and will remove some of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection for them, in which, "The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her load, and you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet they will not be drunken, but severe will be the Torment of Allah." [Soorah al-Hajj (22): 2]



Further, Umm Al-Muminin, Aa'isha narrated that she heard the Messenger of Allah say, "On the Day of Resurrection, people will be gathered while barefooted, naked and uncircumcised." She said, "O Messenger of Allah! Women and men, both looking at each other?" He replied, "O Aa'isha! The matter is more serious than some of them thinking of looking at each other." [Sharah Muslim]

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa'sallam said:

"The Muslim is a unique Ummah among the whole of mankind:

Their Land is ONE, their War is ONE, their Peace is ONE,

Their Honour is ONE and their Trust is ONE."

[Ahmad]"