Seven things to do in times of hardship

Whenever a person faces hardship, it’s easy for him/her to give up and walk away from their challenges or complain and blame those around him/her. They fall into depression, feel sad about their situation and feel powerless. They don’t understand “why this is happening to them” or “what they did to deserve this”. But for a productive Muslim, his/her way of thinking is completely different.
Whenever a productive Muslim faces hardship, he/she takes a step back from their difficult situation and thinks about it from a higher level. They step back from their life with all its worries, anxieties, problems, and thinks about it from an Akhira perspective, then, they ask themselves the question: what does this all mean when compared to the hereafter? What does this all mean when compared to eternity in Jannah?
One of the main misunderstandings we all have in this life is that we think that if we do well, we should get good in this life and hereafter. This is not entirely true.
This life is not the life we’ll get justice in. If this was the case, there would be no need for a Day of Judgement or Akhira.
This life is a life of duality. There’s good and bad, justice and injustice, mercy and oppression, love and hate, truth and falsehood etc. Your role in this life is to live your life according to how Allah (Subhanahu Wa’Ta’ala) asked you to do, seeking His pleasure, avoiding His anger. And Allah (Subhanahu Wa’Ta’ala) promises you in many places in the Qur’an, that if you do just that, He’ll give you a ‘good’ life. Allah says in the Qur’an: “Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, a life that is good and pure and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.” (Surat Al-Nahl, Verse 97)
“He that is righteous and patient, never will Allah suffer the reward to be lost, of those who do right.” (Surat Yousef, Verse 90)
During times of hardship, it’s essential to remember there are effective ways to deal with any difficulty.
Here are seven practical steps to help you face any difficult situation
Sallah. Make sure you stick to praying on time five times a day. Never miss a sallah and do your best to pray each Sallah with sincerity as if it’s your last Sallah in this world.
Read Qur’an. This Qur’an is so beautiful that no matter what difficulties you face you’ll find solace in it.
Make Du’a, especially the du’a for removing anxiety.
Give sadaqah. Give lots of charity, as much as you can, because it helps push away hardship. And if you can’t give money, even kind words or physical sadaqah can do (i.e. helping people physically or emotionally).
Set goals and have vision. Don’t let Shaytaan play with you and keep replaying the video of your hardship in your mind over and over again, move on! Set new goals, new projects, and remember you’re with Allah, nothing should stop you!
Wake up Early. Wake up before Fajr and work on your ideas and projects, or simply read Qur’an. Getting busy before day break is a definite way to move away from your hardship and overcome challenges. Get most of your idea/work done in these early hours, these are blessed hours.
Hardship is not lost. Remember, Allah will never forget the injustice/hardship you faced, so don’t worry about seeking revenge or trying to get justice
In the end, I pray that Allah (Subhanahu Wa’Ta’ala) removes all your ordeals and hardships, blesses you all with a good life and helps you remember Him day and night, for “Verily, with remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest”. (Surah Ar-Ra’d, verse 28)

Faris, an international speaker, author, and coach, is the founder and CEO of ProductiveMuslim.com.