Happiness is attained by three things: being patient when tested, being thankful when receiving a blessing, and being repentant upon sinning.
Ibn Qayyim Al-JawziyyaRead
From the perfection of Allah's ihsan is that He allows His slave to taste the bitterness of the break before the sweetness of the mend. So He does not break his believing slave, except to mend him. And He does not withhold from him, except to give him. And He does not test him (with hardship), except to cure him.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote illustrates the idea that hardships lead to personal growth and healing.
Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya's quote emphasizes that the struggles and tests one faces in life have a purpose: they are not meant to break a believer but rather to strengthen and mend them. The 'bitterness of the break' refers to the challenges and pains we experience, which ultimately lead to the 'sweetness of the mend,' representing the growth and positive outcomes that follow these trials. This perspective encourages acceptance of difficulties as part of a nurturing and healing process by a higher power.
Themes
HardshipGrowthFaithTestHealing
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about resilience in difficult times.
More from Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
All quotes →The keys to the life of the heart lie in reflecting upon the Quran, being humble before Allah in secret, and leaving sins.
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As long as you are performing prayer, you are knocking at the door of Allah, and whoever is knocking at the door of Allah, Allah will open it for him.
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Satan rejoiced when Adam (peace be upon him) came out of Paradise, but he did not know that when a diver sinks into the sea, he collects pearls and then rises again.
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One of the most beneficial of remedies is persisting in du’a.
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The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah (repentance) and protection [from transgression]. It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty, and its clarity is obtained by remembrance. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked, and its beautification is al-Taqwa. It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry, and its food and drink are knowledge, love, dependence, repentance and servitude.
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