What is it like, when Allah strengthens your heart? – Inspiration from people of the cave

What is it like, when Allah strengthens your heart?

This might be a question that ran through your head as you read the last episode. To get the answer to this question, let’s look at the story of As-haabul kahf (The people of the cave).

I don’t know about you but the first time I heard about As-haabul Kahf, I imagined a group of older men with baggy clothes. (Thanks to the TV show ‘Muhammadhu Rasoolullah’). And I assumed that there was nothing so special about them since they were not Prophets and we were not taught about them in school. Little had I known.

I only got to know how wrong my assumptions were, when I finally stumbled upon the explanation of Suratul Kahf. And I was absolutely mind-blown by their story in that surah. This was the first story from the Quran that had such an impact on my heart. Why? Well here goes.

The story of As-haabul Kahf, begins with a community of people who sacrificed their deen because of an evil king who took over them. The king ordered all of community to worship idols and anyone who went against that order was going to get persecuted. In fear of that punishment, the whole community started bowing down to the idols. Except for a group of young men.

Wait…..what?! A group of YOUNG men? Out of all the people in the community, were they the ones who stood up for their faith? I was even more shocked when I found out that they were in their teenage years and in their early twenties! Even more baffled to find out that they belonged to rich families and had all the luxuries in the world at their fingertips!!!

I don’t even have more words to describe the shock I was in. All my life, I saw older people taking their religion seriously and young people getting further and further away from deen. And I thought that nothing could be done about it because that’s just how it is. Young people are those who get carried away by what happens in society. They don’t have time to think about Akhirah because that seems too far for them. But there I was, listening to a story of a group of young people, who gave up all of their pleasures and were ready to face a tyrannical king just for their faith. Just because their iman was more beloved to them than even their own life. And they stood up, not just against the king. But against their own families and all of their community.

What happened next is what I really want to share with you. As I said before, the order from the king was anyone who goes against the king’s religion will get persecuted. So obviously those young people were going to get killed. But before that, they were arrested. And they were brought to the king just like criminals would be brought into court.

I want you to imagine the fear that those young people will have in their hearts at that moment. Let me remind you that these are just a group of teenagers. They have gone against their OWN families and everyone in their society. And now they were going to get a death sentence just because they said they will not worship anything besides Allah. Imagine the nervousness, as the well-built soldiers are dragging them into the palace towards the angry king. With some other soldiers standing at the side with weapons. And with their families and other elders in the court looking at them with sympathy almost telling them to give up their faith then and there. Imagine how their hearts would race as they finally face the king. How their legs would feel weak as they try to stand straight. How absolutely impossible it would feel to speak, when the king would question about their ‘crime’ right at that moment. But look at what Allah did for them, as they felt weak in their hearts.

وَرَبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِذْ قَامُوا فَقَالُوا رَبُّنَا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَن نَّدْعُوَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَـٰهًا قُلْنَا إِذًا شَطَطًا لَقَدْ
“And We made their hearts firm when they stood up and said, “Our Master is the Master of the heavens and the earth. Never will we invoke besides Him any other God. If we did, we would have certainly spoken, an excessive transgression.” Suratul Kahf, ayah 14

In that seemingly impossible situation, Allah reaches out to their hearts that were shaking and makes them firm, so that those young people can speak the truth that they always wanted to. As a result, they confidently face the king and start telling him about their Master. And tell him without any hesitation about how wrong it is to associate partners with Allah. Look at how the tables have turned. The king was going to ask them about why they did wrong. But now they are asking the king why he is doing wrong. Subhaanallah!

This, brothers and sisters, is how Allah strengthens the hearts. When those hearts have a firm faith in Allah, He is the One Who will give them strength when they need it. And especially the hearts of young people, who stand up for their faith, against all odds.

May Allah make us of those who stand up for Him, no matter how many challenges we come across and may He keep our hearts firm on His deen. Ameen!

PS: I only shared just the beginning of that awesome story! Go through suratul Kahf, if you want to know more about As-haabul Kahf In Sha Allah!

*Taken from a lecture by Ustadh Nouman