Wise Advice from Abdul Qadir Geylani, the Father of Sufism

The Almighty God says in the Holy Quran: "We will surely test you." Now, pay attention to the wording in this verse, my dear brothers. God says this very strongly. He doesn't just say, "We will test you." He underlines this truth with thick lines, saying, "Certainly, surely, definitely." How beautifully Hz. Ali (may God be pleased with him) puts it on this matter: "Trial is the fire that separates the gold of the believer." Isn't that true, my brothers? When hard times come, it becomes clear who truly has faith and who is only a Muslim in appearance. Hz. Ali (may God be pleased with him) also says, "The world is a bridge; cross over it, but don't build a house on it." So, what does God say He will test us with? Fear is the first thing. But notice, it's not just one kind of fear. It can come from every area of our lives. For example, when you wake up in the morning, you fear your health deteriorating. You wonder, "What is this pain? What does this ailment mean?" You experience the anxiety of not knowing what you will put on your table tomorrow. You worry that the water will run out or the electricity will go off. You reach a state of not knowing what to do. You fear losing your job, losing the wealth you accumulated over years of effort. You carry the unease of not knowing what the future will hold. This is how the first leg of the trial stands before us, my brothers. We can enter into all these fears with thousands of different faces of fear. My brothers, God says, "Yes, I will test you with these." The country we live in might be facing difficulties today, but don't forget, we are not the only ones in this situation. Even the most developed countries in the world are currently going through great hardships. Difficulty is everywhere. Only its form is different." How beautifully Hz. Ali (may God be pleased with him) said it.