Surah Ankabut - Last Day: Sabr, Tawakkul, and Dunya is a Play
Sat. April 11, 2026 · Molana Farhat Abbas
Review
- Why does Allah test us?
- How He tests us: fear, hunger, loss of: wealth, life, fruits of labor/life (children, job, respect, etc.)
The answer to getting through these tests: Sabr —
How to Do Sabr & Tawakkul
1. Sabr
- NOT passive, NOT suppressed emotion — not "bardash karna"
- Steadfastness of the soul across 4 fronts:
- Against Anger
- In Obedience
- Against Sin
- During Hardship
"Sabr is to faith what the head is to the body." — Nahjul Balagha
Multiple dimensions of success → health problems, spouse problems, school, career, etc. Putting in the work to fix these things is success.
Why We Fail at Sabr
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| No Knowledge | We endure through school because we know it leads to a career. Without understanding why hardship exists and Allah's divine reasoning, we may fail at sabr |
| No Meaning | Pain without meaning is unbearable. The soul cannot accept randomness |
| No Patience | Leads to rage, despair, abandonment of faith, succumbing to Shaytaan's whisper |
Root issue is lack of knowledge. You can go through pain if you understand why hardship occurs — that something better comes out of every trial ("that's life!").
- Sometimes the wisdom is not obvious. That's where you transition to Tawakkul.
4 Steps to Develop Real Patience in Trial
- Learn Allah's wisdom through past trials — study Quran verses, why trials exist
- Reflect on past hidden blessings — what pains ultimately brought good? What delays became doors for growth?
- Study the sabr of the prophets — Yusuf in prison, Ayyub with illness, Zaynab in Karbala
- Deepen Marifah of Qadr — understand that nothing happens without Allah knowing about it; every detail is measured
2. Tawakkul
Complete Trust in Allah → take every legitimate means, then leave the rest to Allah. Accept what comes after trying your best.
- NOT dropping all responsibility and doing nothing, waiting for God to save you — "tie your camel first!"
Dunya is a Play — Quran 29-64
- Dunya is not an evil place — just temporary
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." — William Shakespeare
- Analogy: We once took Monopoly seriously, but now laugh at kids doing the same. We are living in a big game of Monopoly. Angels look down at us and laugh.
- We need to work hard and care about issues and each other — but this is not the ultimate reality.
- Don't fall into extremes.
Dunya is a play — have sabr. Therefore, build trust with Allah. This is not where the story ends.
Key verses: