Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Summer, fall, winter, spring: The four seasons of a year each has very different characteristics. We experience changes in our lives which may be viewed in this metaphorical context. In spring, days become longer; warm rains and rising temperatures bring forth new life. Winter, on the other hand, is characterized by cold temperatures and dormant life.

We can think of our lives as passing through various seasons. As we engage in daily activities, we experience pleasure. Employment is steady, our family is peaceful, supportive and we feel The Almighty’s guidance and protection are near. During these times we undertake new opportunities. Our lives spawn new growth like spring.

Suddenly, the bottom drops out of our peaceful existence. Everything seems to go wrong. COVID-19 hits and we lose our jobs. Loss of income threatens our home and our peace is disturbed. A cold weather snap enters our spring-like existence. We lose loved-ones to the virus. Depression grabs us like a vise grip. Two years later we still sway from its long-term affects.

This is the period when we must remember that The Almighty is always in control — even during these difficult intervals. Sometimes, our trials seem so difficult that we cannot focus on our source of spiritual strength. We are reminded in scripture of the power of our Creator.

“His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory)” (Qur’an 2:255). Also we find, “How great are His signs! And how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:3).

The above verses remind us that nothing happens without His Divine knowledge or permission. So, if He permitted these difficulties for us, perhaps there is something to be gained from the experience. Just as a thunderstorm cleans the atmosphere of pollen and pollutants, so too, can life’s challenges bring us nearer to our spiritual selves, ridding us of “pollutants.”

We learned the value of positive human interactions when they were restricted; we saw the inherent injustice in our society when equitable access to human resources was denied.

Cool days in spring may be a precursor to warm days in summer. Let’s keep our eyes on the barometer and thermometer poised for change.

Qadir Abdus-Sabur, Ph.D. is an Imam at the Islamic Center of Prince Edward. His email address is qas1944@gmail.com.