Page 264 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

THE WINTER OF ISLAM AND THE SPRING TO COME
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Times and that, insha'Allah, Hazrat Mahdi (as) has come, that the
Prophet Jesus (as) will come during this time and that Islamic moral
values will rule the world in this century.

Muslims Have Experienced Similar Difficulties

in the Past
Throughout this book we have seen many detailed descriptions of
the suffering inflicted in Muslim countries, including the bombing of
maternity hospitals in Chechnya, the savage killing of pregnant women
in Bosnia, and the slaughter of little children in Palestine. Yet it must
not be forgotten that similar and even worse examples of cruelty have
been suffered by many Muslim societies in the past as well. Atheist
rulers or prominent members of various nations have tortured prophets
and communities of the faithful, exiled defenseless people from their
lands and continually repressed them. One of the most clear-cut exam-
ples of this was the Pharoah. While he enjoyed a life of great plenty and
wealth, this ancient Egyptian ruler inflicted great suffering on the
Muslims of the time, in other words the children of Israel. Allah de-
scribes the suffering of the children of Israel in these terms:

Remember when We rescued you from the people of Pharaoh. They
were inflicting an evil punishment on you – slaughtering your sons
and letting your women live. In that there was a terrible trial for you
from your Lord. (Surat al-Baqara: 49)

One very important secret is indicated in this verse: Pharoah's cru-
elty was a means of testing the faithful. In the same way, Allah tests the
Muslims who are subjected to similar cruelty all over the world today.
These tests regarding a Muslim's efforts to win Allah's pleasure in this
world and gain the infinite blessings of His paradise all serve the pur-
pose of building up a rich store in the hereafter. The infinite blessings in
paradise are a recompense for what believers go through during the
short life of this world. Many Muslim communities have experienced
similar difficulties in the past, and that is now a criterion for believers of
today. Allah announces the following: