Turning a ‘negative’ situation around

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

Alhamdulillah continuing on the same thread of realistic positivity, we previously touched on, (click on this link for previous post) today, we will look at different ways we can actually turn what we consider a negative situation into a more beneficial one by looking at it from a different angle, an angle that will benefit us the most in this life and the next.

Worries & Stress

Your car just broke down, your child is sick, you are short on money to pay a bill, you are unemployed with mouths to feed, you are stressed by the pandemic etc…..

No matter the stressful situation you find yourself in, take a moment to breathe deeply from the belly and instead of continuing on the worry train, pull the emergency stop and get off! That train is leading you no where productive, instead it’s leading you to sadness, feelings of ingratitude, negative thoughts about your Qadr and your Lord…

What will help us far more dear sis, is to use this time to make dua to Allah ﷻ with all your heart and all your focus with strong conviction that He hears you and knows your situation better than yourself. Keep making heartfelt du’as until you feel some relief in your heart, until you feel lighter. If you are able to pray, go ahead and make wudhu, and pray and while in your sujood, pour your heart out to HIM ﷻ. 

Turn each worry into a Dua and each Dua into an action plan.

In addition to du’a, you can also write down your worries, and brainstorm different ways you could tackle them. Seeing all your worries on paper helps to gain perspective. From personal experience, once you put it all on paper, things don’t seem as bad as they felt inside your head.

Focus on the things you CAN change and the things that are outside your control such as a pandemic, trust Allah Azza Wajal to do the best for you.

I have a free trigger list for brain dumping at this link , if you want more inspiration about this topic. Doing the Brain Dump/Thought download will help you feel less helpless about a difficult situation bi idhnillah.

Keep in mind that the results are in the hands of Allah ﷻ, so after doing the above, submit and accept the Qadr, the decision of the Almighty ﷻ. Remember that He is Al Hakeem, the Most Wise and Al ‘Aleem, the Most Knowledgeable. He always knows best. Find comfort in that. 

Insomnia

You’re lying in bed eyes wide open. Sleep alludes you, yet the clock keeps ticking the night away and you are feeling frustrated. No worries my dear sister, take advantage of this time when others are asleep. Maybe, out of His Mercy for you, Allah ﷻ wants you to stand up at night in prayer. Maybe He wants you to be among the ones whom He will grant their requests to in the last third of the night, when He comes down to the lowest heaven.

Abdullah bin Salam (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “O people, promote the greetings, feed (the poor and needy) and perform Salat when others are asleep so that you will enter Jannah safely.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

Turn your insomnia into a special meeting with your Lord and Master, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and of all that is in between.

Threats, wrongful accusations and defamation

All of us have found ourselves in these situations in which we are being threatened or defamed. It’s not pleasant I grant you but again take a moment to remember that better people before you were threatened and defamed. Think of the prophets of Allah Azza Wajal whose noble duty was to call people to salvation. Just because they spoke words of truth, they were persecuted, cursed, tortured, threatened and some were even killed. 

Who are we to expect that everyone will be loving and honest towards us? If people don’t feel shy cursing and defaming Allah ﷻ Who gave them life and are providing for them, how can we, mere mortals expect a better treatment?

No, my dear sister, do not grieve if you find yourself in that situation. Instead, think of all the sins that are being washed away from you for the injustice. Think of how this moment brings you closer to Allah and provides the perfect moment for your duas to be more acceptable to Allah Azza Wajal.

Indeed, the dua of the oppressed is not rejected. Use this moment to make dua for yourself and your loved ones as well as the ummah. 

In the end we realize that nothing is bad for the believer. Get inspired by Sh. Ibn Taymiyyah who is quoted as saying:

“What can my enemies do to me? My paradise is in my heart, it is with me wherever I go. To imprison me is to provide me with seclusion. To send me into exile is to send me away in the Path of Allah. And to kill me is to make me a martyr.” ~ Ibn Taymiyya

Alhamdulillah! No matter the situation a believer finds himself or herself in, there is always the opportunity to turn it around into a much more positive and beneficial situation.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him”.

[Muslim].

So the questions I have for you my dear sister are, how will you turn your trial into a beneficial situation? How will you use this unique opportunity that is found in trials to get closer to Allah and earn His pleasure?

And Allah knows best!

Go ahead and do some good by sharing this post with anyone you think might benefit. 🤩

_{Binta Umm Yahya is the owner of Al An 4 U Online Coaching which is an online platform for Qur’an lessons, Islamic studies and Lifecoaching for Muslimas and women interested in Islam. She has an ijazah in teaching Qur’an with Tajwid and  has been teaching Qur’an for over 7 years now and is an ongoing student of Qur’an with her husband imam Ahmed Abu Suhailah. She loves reciting, teaching and reflecting on the Qur’an. She is a Certified Master Lifecoach and a NLP Practitioner who absolutely enjoys coaching her sisters in faith to help them gain clarity, focus and understanding of their religion so they live their best life and connect to their Maker. Whenever she is not teaching or coaching, you can find her staring at the sky, reading or journaling with a big cup of tea. 🙂}