“Nobody Understands My Struggles”

Whenever you’re going through a tough time in your life and feel like nobody can understand your situation or feel what you’re feeling, remember:

– Financial problems
– Poverty
– Depression
– Abandonment
– Homelessness
– Loneliness
– Abuse (even by relatives)
– Bullying
– Marital problems
– Identity crisis
– Skepticism by others
– Criticism by others
– Slander by others
– Trials and hardships of war
– Death of parents
– Death of children
– Death of spouse
– Death of other relatives
– Death of friends

These are only SOME of the problems that the Prophet (saws) faced. Use your difficulties to connect with and fall in love with this blessed man (saws), who prayed for you before he even knew you. Who knew what it was like to deal with the absolute worst circumstances in life. The more you learn about his life, the more you will realize that he faced the same problems as us, and learn about how he overcame them (saws).

Allah purposely didn’t make the Prophet (saws) immune to these struggles and extreme difficulties, and He (swt) addresses this in the Qur’an:

“And we did not send before you [O Muhammad], any messengers except that they ate food and walked in the markets…” (25:20)

By mentioning that the Prophet (saws) (and all of the messengers) “ate food and walked in the markets, Allah is showing that they were not super-human; they had the same needs as everyone else. We are often the ones who categorize them as something “other.”

Don’t let anyone convince you that the Prophet (saws) had a perfect life, or that you can’t connect with him. He understood us before he even knew us. He felt our pain. He dealt with our struggles, and worse. And he showed us that yes, it is possible to make it through even the toughest of times, with prayer and perseverance.

“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with those who persevere.” (2:153)