I do.

The main thing that you need when something awful or difficult happens and you go to someone, is firstly, that the person you go to understands. For someone who doesn’t know, then and only then, will you believe they are sincere when they say, Allah is testing you, etc etc. For those who do know, repeating this does not help.

What humans need are different things, hence why the response is not going to be the same, why you must care, must listen – some simply need to know they are not the only one, some need to know they are still loved and valid people in spite of it, some need protection and solutions. It is better to listen, understand and offer whatever they need but say “I don’t know” than to force some ruling you happen to know into a situation that may not fit well, just for the sake of responding with a ruling. Ultimately only Allah knows the why of what happens and sometimes He will let that person – and that person only – understand, eventually.

Sometimes we really don’t know whether something is right or wrong for specific individual people in specific individual situations. few things feel more alienating and hurtful than being among people yet none of them cares about or understands what you’re going through. Oftentimes something can be true yet still not be the right thing to say. Timing, order, priority, are incredibly important – and difficult.

as for Allah putting us through trials as expression of love i dont think u can say this to ppl who r oppressed un-necessarily esp to women.

Is there a recording of that event available?

I don’t understand why imam Khalid kept saying, “would you say be patient, Allah is testing you”.. Yes I would say that cause this gives the person an ease of mind that Allah tests the ones whom he loves and is a means of expiating their sins.. That’s why the prophet said, the affairs of the believers is amazing when Allah tests him he is patient and he gets reward for it and when Allah blesses him with something he is thankful and he gets reward for it. Than after reminding them of that, than I would Suggest for them a way out of it and counsel them in that affair… So can up please explain to me why you were pushing away from saying this is a test be patient.. Jazkallah khair and I really benefit from the lectures.

Unfortunately, that was addressed in an event the next day–which explored lessons from Muslim history and applied them to our present consciousness. I’ll also be writing on this for Islamic Monthly’s upcoming issue, in an article titled “Lies Your Colonizer Told You.”

Salam Imam Haroon,

Hope all is well with you and your family. I would like to just thank you very much for the link, and I am very excited to get this book. Last year for 8th grade, I did a report on the revolting in North Africa so I am very familiar with this topic.

Salam Wissem,

Hope you’re well in health and heart insh’allah. The book I wrote is ‘The Order of Light,’ published by Penguin. Used copies are still available on Amazon.com, I believe:
http://www.amazon.com/Order-Light-Haroon-Moghul/dp/0144000121/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324915316&sr=8-1