Facing Trials

Mutarrif states, “On one occasion, we said to Hazrat Zubair (ra), ‘O Abu Abdullah! With what purpose have you come here now? You have allowed one Khalifa to be harmed to the extent that he was martyred and now you seek retribution.’ Hazrat Zubair (ra) replied, ‘In the era of the Holy Prophet (sa), Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra), Hazrat Umar (ra) and Hazrat Uthman Ghani (ra), we would recite the following verse of the Holy Quran:

وَٱتَّقُواْ فِتۡنَةً لَّا تُصِيبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنكُمۡ خَآصَّةً

“And beware of an affliction which will not smite exclusively those among you who have done wrong,” [Surah al-Anfal, Ch.8: V.26]

(But instead this affliction will be commonplace). Yet we never thought that we would also be the ones on whom this verse would be fulfilled, to the extent that the trial has befallen us.’”

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 1, p. 451, Musnad Zubair bin al-Awwam, Hadith 1414, Alam al-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)