A Stencil Story: An Ayah For Courage {and a free printable}

“Allah does not burden a soul with more than it can handle”

This Ayah (Qur’an, 2:286) gives me so much strength whenever I face a challenge. I tell myself that if Allah ordained this unto me then he knows that I am strong enough to handle it.

I hear some people say:Why me? Why is Allah punishing me? What have I done to deserve this? And the worst being; This is not fair!!

These questions make it seem that Allah (SWT) is not fair and is out to get us! That all he wants to do is punish us and that is why he is giving us such hardship. But when we read the Quran we realize that Allah has blessed us with so much because he wants us to be comfortable and happy.

We take the cycle of the day and night for granted but can you imagine living in complete darkness or everlasting daytime? We take our own bodies for granted but can you imagine if we had to control our heart beat? Allah blessed us with so much that we can not and will not be able to count. He even gave us a cheat sheet to help us along the way! He clarifies right from wrong and then gives us the choice to decide which way to go. These are not the actions of someone who is out to get us or want us to be miserable!

I like to think of hardship as a challenge. Not a test. Not a punishment. But a challenge to empower me. To make dua’, seek help, or learn a way out and in doing so, hopefully get closer to Allah (SWT). Isn’t this the ultimate goal in life? After all, Allah promises that everything that happens to us is for our benefit. We might not see it at the time of the challenge. But it is. Trust in Allah.

My aunt passed away recently after years of suffering with infections due to a failed hip replacement surgery. I remember her as someone who was constantly thanking Allah. Even during her illness. She was very kind, too compassionate and always smiling. She spent the last 3 years of her life bed ridden. Some will say that this was a punishment for things that she had done in the past. I say that Allah, the most merciful, was challenging her patience and giving her an opportunity to elevate in her faith. At the end of the day, Allah has not given her something that she could not handle. She handled her illness with patience and was always thankful. May Allah bless her soul and accept her in Jannah.

If you’re like me, I choose to turn my favorite Islamic phrases into art that serve as daily reminders. If you’re not into creating your own art with stencils but would like to enjoy a meaningful and spiritual piece of art that you can just print and frame. I got you covered.

This is a FREE printable for your personal use-I hope you enjoy it! Download it here .

I hope you enjoyed this first post in “A Stencil Story” blog series and found it informative. I am curious to know how you deal with life challenges. Do you consider them tests or challenges? Does this Ayah give you strength? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

P.S. Never miss a post from this series. If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter, you are welcome to join here.