Respite: A Blessing or a Trial?
Respite: A Blessing or a Trial? is a spiritual discourse by Hazrat Pir Haroon-ur-Rashid Sahib (RA) that explains the wisdom of Allah Almighty behind worldly prosperity, hardship, and life’s trials. Drawing guidance from Surah Aal-e-Imran, Ayat 178 (3:178), Pir Sahib explains why the respite granted to disbelievers should not be mistaken for Allah’s pleasure or lasting success.
He teaches that hardship can become a blessing when it brings us closer to Allah through prayer, repentance, and sincere faith, while wealth and honour can become a trial if they lead us away from Him. This powerful Qur’anic teaching encourages us to remain steadfast in faith, show Gratitude to Allah in every situation, seek forgiveness, and trust Allah Almighty in times of both ease and difficulty.
This is Discourse #72, delivered by Hazrat Pir Haroon-ur-Rashid Sahib (RA) on 3 January 1987.
Below is the blessed address of Hazrat Pir Haroon-ur-Rashid Sahib (RA) on “Respite: A Blessing or a Trial?”
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
فَنِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلٰی وَ نِعۡمَ النَّصِیۡرُ
رَبِِّ اشۡرَحۡ لِیۡ صَدۡرِیۡ وَیَسِّرۡ لِیۡۤ اَمۡرِیۡ وَ احۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَۃً مِّنۡ لِّسَانِیۡ یَفۡقَہُوۡاقَوۡلِیۡ
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِ عَلٰی سَیّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اٰلِ سَیِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍوَّعَلٰی اَصْحَابِہٖ وَعَلٰی اَذْوَاجِہٖ اَجْمَعِیْنَ وَبَارِکْ وَسَلِمْ وَصَلِ عَلَیْہٖ
اَ لْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ
The Almighty Allah be praised that the Master of All Sovereignty once again granted us today the opportunity to gather in His remembrance and pleasure. Millions and billions of blessings and salutations upon the Leader of the Prophets, the Beloved of Allah, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa, peace and blessings be upon him, through whom this grace has been granted.
Respite: A Blessing or a Trial? Understanding Allah’s Wisdom
Respected listeners! Allah Almighty has said in the Holy Qur’an:
وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْٓا اَنَّمَا نُمْلِيْ لَھُمْ خَيْرٌ لِّاَنْفُسِھِمْ ۭ اِنَّمَا نُمْلِيْ لَھُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوْٓا اِثْمًا ۚ وَلَھُمْ عَذَابٌ مُّهِيْنٌ
Translation:
And let not the disbelievers think that the respite We grant them is good for them. We only give them respite so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment.
Respected listeners! This command of Allah Almighty should remove a common misunderstanding and the sense of bewilderment found among people. The reality that is explained is that the universe belongs to Allah Almighty, and those who choose servitude to Allah Almighty are blessed with the joys of both worlds. Yet it has also been observed that those who completely forget God, mock Allah Almighty and His servants, and consider this world and striving for worldly things to be everything, often live in great prosperity.
Seeing this situation, people become surprised and wonder what the reason is, and Satan misleads them by saying, “You are being foolish for no reason. Look at those who deny this reality; no harm comes to them.”
Allah Almighty has given the answer to this in this blessed verse: do not let their prosperity in this world amaze or trouble you. We have given it to them in return for their rebelliousness so that they may forget Us even more, become increasingly misguided, and become deserving of greater and greater punishment.
They cannot escape from God’s earth or from beneath His sky. The power of Allah Almighty encompasses them. When they become thoroughly rebellious, the grasp of Allah Almighty will come upon them, and then there will be no way of escape.
Hardship, adversity, and poverty, as long as they keep a person turning towards Allah, are blessings from Allah; whereas wealth and honour that take a person away from God are a punishment from Allah.
Hardship is such that a person immediately turns to Allah Almighty from the heart and seeks His forgiveness, because no other support remains. Then that Merciful Master takes him into the embrace of His mercy, his sins are forgiven, and he is blessed with happiness and honour in both worlds.
Therefore, respected listeners, one should remain steadfast in faith and, in times of hardship and adversity, should never become distressed and utter any word of disbelief. Rather, one should thank Allah Almighty for making him a supplicant at His Court and should seek forgiveness from Him.
And those who, despite their disbelief and sins, continue to prosper day and night should fear the wrath and punishment of God.
All praise is due to Allah that this gathering of ours is a gathering of those who, whether in sorrow or in happiness, remain grateful to Allah Almighty, seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty, and seek, through the mercy of Allah Almighty alone, deliverance from the sorrows of both worlds.
Therefore, after reciting these blessed invocations, which contain the blessed names of Allah Almighty, and presenting the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as a means of intercession, one should supplicate:
O Master of all sovereignty! We thank You for granting us the conviction and knowledge that salvation and happiness lie in servitude to You and in seeking Your pleasure, and in the love and servitude of Your beloved Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Accept in Your Court this humility and effort that You have granted us. Protect us from rebelliousness and forgetfulness. Grant us love and servitude to You and to Your beloved Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Grant us deliverance from the sorrows of both worlds and enrich us with the joys of both worlds.
Let us begin.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
The blessed Aurad-e-Naziriyah was recited, and supplication was made.
