By Sh Aa'idh Al-Qarni

The pleasures of life are short-lived, and more often than not, they are followed by sorrow. Life means responsibility, a journey wherein change is constant and difficulties are relentless in their onslaught.

You will not find a father, a wife, or a friend who is free from problems. Allah has willed for this world to be filled with two opposites: good and evil, righteousness and corruption, happiness and misery. Thus goodness, uprightness, and happiness are for Paradise; evil, corruption, and misery are for the Fire.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam said: "This world is cursed along with all that is in it, except for these: the remembrance of Allah, what follows it (i.e. good deeds and whatever Allah loves), the scholar, and the student."

So live according to your reality without always envisioning the ideal life, one that is free from worry and toil. Accept life as it is and adapt accordingly to all circumstances. You will not find in this world such things as the flawless companion or the perfect situation, because flawlessness and perfection are qualities that are foreign to this life. It is necessary for us to make amends: to take what is easy and leave what is difficult; and very frequently, to overlook the faults and mistakes of others.

Look around you, to the right and to the left. Do you not see the afflicted and the unfortunate? In every house there is mourning and upon every cheek run tears.

How many tribulations and how many people persevere with patience? You are not alone in your troubles, which are few compared to those of others. How many sick people remain bedridden for years while suffering from unspeakable pain?

How many have not seen the light of the sun for years due to their imprisonment, having knowledge of nothing but the four corners of their cell? How many men and women have lost their dear children in thc prime of youth? How many people are troubled or tormented?

Find consolation with those that are worse off than you; know that this life is like a prison for the believer, an abode of grief and sadness.