What Allah Was Hiding for Her

One can only imagine what her feelings were, running up and down those hills. Her heart must have been broken. She might have been crying because of the pain and suffering of seeing her son die in front of her eyes. Hājar (peace be upon her) was a believing woman, a righteous woman, and Allah (swt) was testing her, and Allah (swt) was hiding something in the future for her that she didn't know. So at the time, naturally, as a mother, she must have been in extreme pain seeing her son crying, and she's in the middle of nowhere, running up and down these mountains.

Just imagine if Hājar (peace be upon her) was resurrected at the time of Ḥajj, and she had a chance to see what Muslims from all over the world are doing. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), when he mentioned the story of Hājar going up and down Ṣafā and Marwah, said: "And that is why we go between Ṣafā and Marwah." So we are following the footsteps of Hājar; we go up and down Ṣafā and Marwah to follow the footsteps of our mother Hājar (peace be upon her). If Hājar knew that the time would come when people would come from the four corners of the world, in millions, to follow her footsteps, doing what she did, she would have gone through Ṣafā and Marwah with a big smile on her face.

As a Muslim, as a believer, going through trials often brings a certain mindset, a certain feeling, without knowing what is waiting on the other side — without knowing what Allah is hiding for the future. This is the gift, the present, that Allah (swt) gave Hājar in dunyā. What Allah (swt) will give her in the ākhirah can only be greater still. So in difficult situations, in trials and tribulations, this account of Hājar is worth remembering: Allah (swt) provided her with something better, and was hiding something for her all along.

Mūsā (peace be upon him), when he was with his family, when he was lost in the desert — it was a cold, windy night, and Mūsā (peace be upon him) lost his way. He didn't know which direction Egypt was, and he saw a fire in the distance. So he told his wife: "I will go to that fire, so that I can bring you back with light and guidance." He wanted to bring light, because it was a dark night, and he wanted some warmth in the cold weather, and he wanted guidance. He expected that since there was a fire in the desert, there must be people there, a bonfire, and some people around it, so he would go and ask them for directions. That is all Mūsā wanted: some light for that dark night, and guidance to Egypt.

But Allah (swt) was hiding something better for him. Allah (swt) tells us the story in the Qur'an: when Mūsā (peace be upon him) went there, he met Allah, and Allah spoke to him. And rather than Mūsā going back with light for that dark night and guidance to Egypt, he came back with light for humanity, and he came back with guidance — not to Egypt, but to Jannah. He went there, and that was the announcement of his prophethood, done right then and there.

Mūsā (peace be upon him), lost in the desert, went to the fire, and Allah (swt) told him: "I am Allah, there is no god besides Me. Worship Me, and establish prayer for My remembrance." Mūsā (peace be upon him) wanted something, but he got something better. The Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) would go through difficulties, but Allah reserved for them the top levels of Jannah. This is worth reflecting on whenever difficulty comes.