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“17 Benefits of Tribulation” is a remarkable talk given by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf many years ago, based on the treatise of the seventh century scholar Al-`Izz Ibn `Abdus-Salam – Sultan of the `Ulama’ (may Allah be pleased with him).

This must be one of the talks I actually listen to quite often, especially when I’m feeling down. All of Shaykh Hamza’s talks leave a strong impact on one’s heart; however after listening to this specific talk, it leaves the person with a deeper sense of inspiration and himmah to snap out of the “feeling low” state and to invigorate the high aspirations one has set themselves.

One of the profound analogies Shaykh Hamza makes in the talk, and which I love is:

…we/you are all in the ocean of this duniya; if you panic or have anxiety about things or situations, you will drown. Just RELAX, and you will float because you are in good hands!…. [Paraphrased]

Shaykh Hamza focuses on the hardships the Prophet sallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam went through but never allowed any of those afflictions to perturb him. After listening to this lecture, I can say for sure that one will have a different attitude and outlook on calamities and hardships; and it will heal the broken or agitated heart no doubt.

The 17 Benefits of Tribulation are listed below:

1. You realize the power of Lordship over you.
2. You realize your object servanthood and your complete state of resignation and brokenness before the will and power of God.
3. Sincerity to God; one has no place of return in putting off or defending against the calamity except to Him.  It makes you sincere because the muhsin is the one who call on God without any shirk. A moment of ikhlas in this world is enough to save a person.
4. He returns to God and suddenly is fervent in his desire of his Lord.
5. It leads to a humbled state before God and it leads to prayers (du’a) that you call on God.
6. You’re forbearing towards the One who has afflicted you.
7. You forgive the one who has wronged you.
8. To be patient during the tribulation.
9. To be happy about what’s happening because of those benefits.
10. To be grateful for it.
11. Purification that these calamities have towards peoples’ wrongs and sins.
12. Compassion that God enables you to show to people who are in tribulation and to help them.
13. Tribulation gives you the blessing of having true knowledge of the extent of well-being.
14. God has prepared rewards for the calamities that you’ve beared patiently or with contentment.
15. What is hidden inside the folds of these calamities are blessings.
16. Tribulations prevent you from arrogance.
17. Contentment.  Tribulation afflicts the good and the evil (people), whoever doesn’t like it, it’s on Him, he’s lost the dunya and the akhira.  Those who are pleased with it, it’s because he knows it, because paradise is better than anything in this world and if these tribulations are what it takes for him to get to paradise, then he’s content with it.

[Courtesy of ihsaan.wordpress]

I strongly recommend everyone to buy a copy of this lecture and listen for themselves.

May Allah elevate Shaykh Hamza’s rank in both worlds, and protect him from all harm and evil. May we use each trial and tribulation as a means of reaching closer to Him Ta’ala.