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“Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man” — Psalms 60:11

Assisting someone in trouble is characteristic of healthy community life.

Whether the issue at hand is of individual concern or of national consequence, there are those who want to know “what’s in it for me” before they are willing to offer support or assistance.

Fortunately, in our community, this is an exception rather than a rule. Never-the-less the above verse reminds us of the importance of placing our trust in The Almighty with our personal affairs and national issues.

We face challenges in our lives which are outside of our control. We have all had to wait anxiously on a life-changing event — an interpersonal relationship or perhaps a disturbing medical report.

In these situations we must find strength in patience. Somethings are so overwhelming that we can only find comfort if we ask The Almighty for assistance.

The same message is put forth in Qur’an Chapter 110. When The Almighty’s help comes, He guarantees a victory over difficulty.

When we receive the call that we had been awaiting, we are overjoyed. Evidence of the victory becomes apparent through our close relationships with others. Our good fortune becomes contagious; it puts a smile of the faces of our family and friends.

When this level of internal peace is achieved, the Scripture then reminds us to celebrate and praise The Almighty. We could not have achieved a successful outcome without His intervention.

The chapter closes by reminding us that He bestows mercy and forgives us time after time.

Sometimes the decisions that we make are not well thought out and can lead to destructive consequences. Yet The Almighty forgives us and turns a bad situation into one that has a potential benefit.

There are other larger, disturbing matters that are beyond our control. We are challenged by racial, ethnic, religious, economic and social partitioning. Intolerance is punctuated by mass shootings. Our children are dying in school, an edifice thought to be a safe space.

This malaise continues to worsen as our national leaders fight for partisan control. Violence, bigotry and discrimination run rampant through our communities as we hope desperately for a cure.

Clearly what is needed is Divine intervention. We ask ourselves, “When will God’s help come?” “Vain is the help of man,” but help from God is always near. We just need to ask.

Qadir Abdus-Sabur, Ph.D. is an Imam at the Islamic Center of Prince Edward. His email address is qas1944@gmail.com.