With Every Difficulty There Is Relief

(Qur’an 94:5-6) So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief. Verily with every difficulty there is relief.

فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا (٥) إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرً۬ا

The story of Abdullah is an example of obtaining relief with difficulty.

In the 1980s I worked as a chaplain in the State Prison in Southern Michigan, known at that time as the largest prison in the free world. One day while visiting inmates in their units, I met an inmate for the first time who didn’t appear to be your average inmate. It was in the morning when he was dressed as if he just got up to cook breakfast in his apartment. He was wearing color coordinated house shoes, nylon pajamas, and a housecoat. My first impression was, “What is he doing in prison?”

Since I had access to his files, I decided to read it. Abdullah was quoted explaining his situation as follows. One day he ran into an acquaintance, John, who approached him for a loan. Since John had a stable income, he loaned him the money with the understanding that he would get it back sooner than later. After two weeks he met him and asked for his money. John told him that he would have it next week. Next week came and again John said he would have it next week. Satan had begun to tell him that he doesn’t have to repay that loan and that Curtis, Abdullah’s name before conversion to Islam, doesn’t need the money. What could he do about it?

Satan was approaching Curtis’ heart with negative thoughts. He was beginning to question John’s willingness to repay the loan. After tracking John down, he asked for the money. When John told him that he wasn’t going to repay the loan, so he should drop it. Then Satan said to Curtis, “Listen. This guy had no intention of repaying you. He thinks that you’re a chump. You need to show him.” So Curtis went to the trunk of his car. Pulled out a baseball bat and broke both of John’s legs. Then he put him in the trunk, drove to an interstate road a few miles from Detroit, and dumped John on the side of the road.

To make a long story short. John was found and Curtis was convicted of assault and kidnapping. He got a three to five year sentence and still didn’t get his money back. However, Allah, the Exalted, had mercy on him and guided him to Islam.

As Muslims, what can we do if someone asks us for a loan? First of all, we shouldn’t lend money we can’t afford to do without. Second, we should put the loan in writing, signed by two witnesses.

(Qur’an 2:282) “get two witnesses, out of your own men And if there are not two men, then a man and two women . . . .”

ٱسۡتَشۡہِدُواْ شَہِيدَيۡنِ مِن رِّجَالِڪُمۡ‌ۖ فَإِن لَّمۡ يَكُونَا رَجُلَيۡنِ فَرَجُلٌ۬ وَٱمۡرَأَتَانِ