During times of tribulation and hardship, what kind of a Muslim are you, asks Sheikh Abdullah Oduro as he recounts the inspiring story of Um Salama, one of the wives of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Her resilience in the face of persecution in the early days of Islam in Mecca, her migration to Abyssinia then return to Mecca only to be separated from her beloved husband and and child, to her final migration to Madina and the loss of her husband, martyred following the Battle of Uhud. Throughout her entire ordeal, it would have been easy for her to go back on her faith, but she stood her ground, was blessed with a firm heart. Allah says that some people worship him on a verge but if a trial befalls them, they simply give up. Let us not be them. As Muslims today, we “perceive” that things will be evil for us, which is precisely the reason why we must connect with Allah. There will alway be an Abu Lahab in every generation and so it’s our responsibility to continue to serve Allah as best we can by serving other people, whether or not they are Muslim and whether or not they hate us.
