Page 125 - Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

imes of difficulty, which are
generally quite rare, are actu-
ally very valuable moments
created by Allah for believers
to show the strength of their love, faithfulness,
and submission to Him. Moreover, at the same
time they can earn greater rewards for the life of
the Hereafter. They may not make a special effort
to encounter difficulty and hardship, but when
they do they realize the reason why they occur.
The prophets sent throughout history expe-
rienced exile, oppression, danger, and sometimes
even death, but they endured it all with the eager
joy of belief. For example, the Prophet Joseph (as)
was falsely accused and spent years in prison,
leading members of the Prophet Abraham's (as)
people tried to burn him alive, the Prophet
Moses (as) was threatened and oppressed by
Pharaoh, and Prophet Lot's (as) people tried to
exile him. But each of these blessed individuals
remained faithful, trusted in Allah, and submit-
ted to Him in the face of these difficulties.