Miḥna
Definition
Mihna refers to the trials and difficulties that come with the pursuit of lawful livelihood — the competition, the setbacks, the injustices of the marketplace, the slow times and the lean seasons that test the Muslim's patience and trust in Allah. Al-Ghazali frames these difficulties not as obstacles to be resented but as opportunities for the growth of patience, tawakkul, and the deepening of the relationship with Allah. The Muslim who maintains honesty and generosity through financial difficulty, who refuses to cut ethical corners when times are hard, has demonstrated a faith more valuable than comfortable prosperity would have produced.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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