Al-Jabbar- Mending the Broken Heart by Jinan Bastaki
Taken from Imam Suhaib Webb’s blog
In our journey to gain tranquility of the heart, we explored what we need to know when faced with difficult situations. We need to understand that Allah has told us we will be tested, that these tests are for a reason, and that there will be relief insha’Allah (God willing). When we are worried thinking about the future, we need to work hard but have full trust in Allah that He will not leave us, and we must always think well of Allah because that is what we will find.
Yet in certain circumstances we just feel… broken. Perhaps it is the death of someone close, perhaps a hurtful word, or perhaps a reason we can not pinpoint. Yet this feeling of brokenness can be an invitation to be better acquainted with al-Jabbar.
But isn’t al-Jabbar one of the Names that indicates Majesty and Strength, not Mercy and Beauty?
The root of al-Jabbar is ja-ba-ra and has a wide variety of meanings indicating Allah’s strength and majesty, which Sr. Amatullah explained to us in this excellent article. One of the basic meanings of this name is the One who compels and restores, and demonstrates Allah’s Majesty and Strength over His servants. This is a Name for the tyrants and oppressors to be aware of, because their misdeeds will not go unpunished.
Yet this Name has another dimension: al-Jabbar is the One who is able to restore and mend what is broken. Some of the great scholars would supplicate “Ya Jaabir kul kaseer” when they were faced with overwhelming difficulty, meaning “Oh You who mends everything that is broken.” The Arabic word for a splint that is used to help an arm heal when it is broken is “jibeera” from the same root ja-ba-ra. Thus, when we feel broken, we need to go to the only One who can mend our state–al-Jabbar. Sometimes when we get this broken feeling, shaytan (satan) tells us not to go to Allah because we are being hypocritical by only going to Allah when we are down. Yet this is untrue– Allah has named Himself al-Jabbar and given Himself this attribute; you cannot go to the One whose attribute is mending what is broken, and not be healed by Him.
The example of the Prophet ﷺ is a beautiful one. Imagine being 50 years old, having just lost both your wife of twenty-five years and your uncle who took care of you as a child. Imagine walking into a town in order to ask people for their protection, and instead have them throw stones at you until your feet bleed. How would you have felt? How exhausted, both spiritually and physically, would you have been? And yet, the Prophet ﷺ calls out to Allah in one of the most beautiful and heartfelt du`a’ (supplication):
“O Allah! To you alone I complain my weakness, my scarcity of resources, and the humiliation I have been subjected to by people. O Most Merciful of those who have mercy! You are the Lord of the weak, and You are My Lord too.
To whom have you entrusted me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair?
But as long as You are not angry with me, I do no care, except that Your favor is a more expansive relief to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or Your displeasure descend upon me.
Yours is the right to reproach until You are pleased. There is no power and no might except by You.”
Read those words carefully. The du`a’ of the Prophet ﷺ was not “O Allah, please give me x and y.” It was literally the call of someone broken– complaining to Allah of his situation and expressing to Allah how he felt. What did Allah give him? A young boy by the name of Addaas saw the Prophet ﷺ, came to him with some grapes and kissed his bleeding feet. That is al-Jabbar. Imagine how the Prophet ﷺ must have felt after that, the relief he must have felt after the cruelty he was subjected to. And al-Jabbar healed the broken heart of the Prophet ﷺ in another way – He bestowed upon him the miraculous journey of al-Israa wal Mi’raaj (when the Prophet ﷺ traveled from Makkah to Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem to the Heavens in one night).
If we think about the journey, it did not accomplish a great victory nor did it help to convince the Quraysh that he was a rophet. Rather, Allah honored him after all the hardship he had gone through. Think of the resolve the Prophet ﷺ must have had in his heart and the tranquility he must have felt after such an experience.
Therefore, we have to always remind ourselves of this blessed name al-Jabbar; Allah will mend your broken heart. It may be through a kind word from someone that brightens your day or it may be a talk that you attend. It may even be something greater. But call on Allah like the Prophet ﷺ did, recognizing this attribute, and know that He will manifest this Name in your life.
Highly recommend reading “How to Achieve Tranquility of the Heart Series” on Imam Suhaib Webb’s blog.
16 comments
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March 28, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Halimi
Jamil!
I really needed this : ) jazakillah khair habibti.xxx
love and duas
xxx
March 28, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Anonymous
whenever reading these kind of articles the blessing are coming for those who r in the path of lightening the lifes of million with all these religious pieces of pearls…May allah shower the most choicest blessing summameen
March 28, 2011 at 5:11 pm
Ummu Sarah
Jazak Allahu kheir for the beautiful article Mash Allah no words to explain ..I can only cry .
would appreciate if you could write for us the dua in arabic form.
May Allah grant us all taufik ameen.
March 29, 2011 at 8:51 am
Al-Jabbar- Mending the Broken Heart (via Healing Hearts) | JoyManifest's Blog
[…] Mashaallahu ta’ala that this was written, and then that I find it here on a blog I am subscribed to. I’ve been away in the UK for a few days and caught this on Imam Webb’s website just before leaving. It was a wonderful read and I had to share it with my email brothers and sisters. Unfortunately I couldn’t add it on here then. Now Mashaallah Sr. Sidra has made it easy by posting it up on hers, and I am grateful to be able to reblog this very beautiful article. I would term it essential reading! Allah guide and help us all Al-Jabbar- Mending the Broken Heart by Jinan Bastaki Taken from Imam Suhaib Webb's blog In our journey to gain tranquility of the heart, we explored what we need to know when faced with difficult situations. We need to understand that Allah has told us we will be tested, that these tests are for a reason, and that there will be relief insha’Allah (God willing). When we are worried thinking about the future, we need to work hard but have full trus … Read More […]
March 29, 2011 at 8:55 am
'Aunty'
Assalamu alaikum, SubhanAllah, Allah Ta’ala never leaves us, it is we who neglect His grandeur thinking we can go alone. May He Subhanahu wa Ta’ala send Hidayah across the globe, Ameen.
@ Umm Sarah, you will find this Du’a in Arabic here: http://almiskeenah.com/?p=9249
along with photos of where our Beloved SallAllahu alaihi wasallam made this poignant Du’a, and here is the rock that he rested upon
http://almiskeenah.com/?p=9748
Wassalamu alaikum
March 29, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Ummu Sarah
@Aunty and our sister Sidra jazakAllahu kheir for the link .Keep us in your dua.
taufik
March 29, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Precious Star
I have been going through a very dark, sad, lonely time in my life, for many months. I have prayed and prayed but I am not getting any relief. So when I came across this article yesterday, I thought, here is another avenue by which I can ask Allah SWT to help me. All night I read “Ya Jaabir kul kaseer” on my tasbeeh and again this morning while I was driving to work. Maybe now Allah SWT will finally heal my broken heart.
March 29, 2011 at 6:27 pm
sidramushtaq
As-salamu’alaykum,
Jazaka’llahu khayran for all your kind comments. Please make dua for the write of this article.
Jazakallahu khayran Aunty Noor for posting the links!
Precious Star- May Allah heal your broken heart. Sometimes it doesn’t take a few months, but can take longer than that, even a year or so. the deeper the wound, the longer it takes. I know it sounds very disheartening and depressing but time really is a great healer but Allah is the Greatest Healer. The heart gets broken for so many reasons and only Allah knows why. Everything passes inshaAllah, the heart does and will heal and you will get the relief and ease you are seeking inshaAllah. Allah is always with the broken hearted.
Take care,
Keep us in your duas please as a broken heart is very beloved to Allah so no doubt your duas are accepted by Allah.
March 30, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Precious Star
Its been 8 months. I still cry everyday despite all the prayers. Its not getting better. And the person who broke my heart is happy – not because he is a bad man, but Allah brought someone else into his life so he did not have to suffer. Whereas I have suffered and cried every day.
March 30, 2011 at 7:59 pm
Tan
” Perhaps what has happend is in your best interest, even though you many not comprehend how that can be so”
March 30, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Tan
Believe me things will get better keep reciting dua ” Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun. Allahumma ujurni fi musibati, wakhluf li khairan minha.” _ We beling to Allah and to him we shall return. Oh Allah! compensate me in my affliction, recompense my loss and give me something better in exhange for it.”
My heart was broken too..but Alhumdulillah..i am much much beter now than before and i know insallah thinks will get better for you too..
Time really heals everything..and Allah is so merciful..” Relief comes from one hour to the next. Indeed, with each difficulty there is relief.”
April 3, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Ayesha
SubhanAllah beautifulll love it. JazakAllahkhair
April 5, 2011 at 11:29 am
SheharB
If you could help me ,I know that there is something bad in me but i don’t know it,I want to atleast know it so that I can mend it!!The reason i am sure of my weakness is that i get precious and pearl friends(having thoughts which are very rare and blessed with the devotion to serve humanity) but somehow they get bored fom me or angry at me but they still can’t tell the exact reason??Can anybody help me??Perhaps they think there is something in me which later on they can’t find,Whats that??
May 17, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Anonymous
I was never a staunch muslim, but I fear and respect the teachings of the Quran, Allah huta-Allah and the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). I am trying so hard to keep up with my salaah, but it is not always easy. My heart has been broken so many times and I wonder if ever I will be happy. I ask myself over and over: “Why me? Why am I so unlucky? Will I never be granted happiness and a wonderful person to share my life with?
July 25, 2012 at 1:56 pm
T
Really well written jazakallah 🙂 x
September 19, 2012 at 12:02 am
Hal
Jazakh’Allah, this is beautiful!