7. When a calamity befalls upon you, then in order to develop the fear of Allah Almighty in your heart, to attain steadfastness over patience and to refrain from taking a wrong step, perform repentance and develop a mind-set that the calamity that has befallen upon me is a result of my own bad deeds. As Allah Almighty states in Part 25, Surah Ash-Shura, Ayah no. 30:

وَ مَاۤ اَصَابَكُمْ مِّنْ مُّصِیْبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ اَیْدِیْكُمْ وَ یَعْفُوْا عَنْ كَثِیْرٍؕ(۳۰)

Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: And whatever calamity befell you; that is because of what your hands have earned, and He pardons much.

(Part 25, Surah Ash-Shura, Ayah 30)

Under the aforementioned verse, Sadr-ul-Afadil, ‘Allamah Maulana Sayyid Mufti Muhammad Na’eemuddin Muradabadi رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه states: ‘This is addressed to those Mukallif [i.e. sane and Baligh (adult) Muslim] believers who commit sins. It means that the difficulties and hardships that believers face in this world are often due to their own sins. Allah Almighty makes these hardships atonement for their sins. Moreover, at times, a believer’s hardship is for the sake of the elevation of his ranks.

8. Another way of developing a mind-set of observing patience over calamities is also to read the books and booklets of Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ and Al-Madina-tul-‘Ilmiyyah published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah every now and then. We could also listen to them through someone reading them out to us. These books and booklets contain numerous Ahadees, instructive parables, sayings of the pious people of Allah and admonitory incidents.

For persuasion, let’s listen to a thought-provoking parable that is mentioned on page no. 386 vol. 1 page 17 of the book “Faizan-e-Sunnat” (Urdu) authored by Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ. Try to gather Madani pearls from it and adorn them in the Madani bouquet of your heart.