ALLAH'S MESSENGER

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don’t say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your” if” opens the (gate) for the Satan. [Muslim Hadith 6441] So what does this Hadith really mean? We all should try to understand the meaning behind this Hadith.What is meant by “strength” and “weakness” in the believer is “strength of faith” and “weakness of faith.” The rest of the hadith explains some of the the signs of strong faith: to be avid for what brings one true benefit in the next life, to not give up when striving to fulfill the rights that Allah Most High has over one, and to bear patiently with the trials of destiny.Shaykh Muhammad Ibn `Allan (Allah have mercy on him) mentions in his commentary on Riyad al-Salihin that the strong believer is the one whose faith is so strong that the wordly causes and effects do not distract him from the One who is really running the world, so that he has complete reliance on his creator. The outward sign of strong faith is increased worship: the stronger a believer is in his faith, the more he will busy himself with the worship of His Lord.The point of the hadith is to get us to roll up our sleeves and get busy in trying to purify ourselves from disobedience to Allah Most High–inwardly and outwardly–and to adorn ourselves with His obedience–inwardly and outwardly.When the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said that there is “good in both”, he meant–as explained by Shaykh Ibn `Allan–that the good that is in both of them is the faith that is in their hearts. In other words, although the faith of the strong believer is stronger than the faith of the weak believer, both are, at the end of the day believers, and belief is a tremendous blessing from Allah Most High.And Allah Most High knows best.