watching someone I love deeply drown in financial hardship and despair and struggling with faith
Hello Fatima,
I am a female youth currently dealing with a situation that is breaking my heart and severely testing my faith.
Someone I love deeply is going through extreme financial distress. He needs money desperately for university admission fees, and the pressure has completely broken him. He is ready to give up on his future entirely out of sheer exhaustion and panic.
When I tried to gently encourage him to pray for himself, he pushed it away completely. He text me saying that if praying actually worked, no Muslim would be unhappy and innocent people wouldn’t be losing their lives in global conflicts.
Seeing him in this much pain, and hearing him say those things, has caused a massive crisis in my own heart. I now find myself struggling with the exact same questions he has. Why does Allah let people drop into such dark, helpless situations when they are just trying to build a basic future? How do I keep my own faith strong when everything around us feels so heavy and unanswered?
I am doing everything I can humanly do to support him, even emptying my own small savings, but I feel completely broke, exhausted, and spiritually lost. How do I navigate these doubts, and how can I be a source of strength for him when my own heart feels this broken? Thank you.
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Response from a “Fatima Counselor”:
Salaam,
This is one of the universal existential questions that many of us ask: if there’s a God, why is there so much suffering in the world? We must remember that we are not equipped with all the answers, and many things are beyond the scope of our cognitive abilities. Many believe that as the end times approach, life will get more difficult, and people will lose their iman – this will only make it harder to cope with life. We need to stay grounded in tawakul and taqwa (God consciousness and reliance on God). Remember how the prophets handled trial and tribulation: persistent, consistent patience and spiritual awareness.
Your friend is struggling with paying university fees. Can he take a gap year, earn and save during this time, then re-apply when he has the finances? Can you help him think of practical solution-focused activities that will get him out of this rut? Rather than falling into despair, can he change his plans? The Quran reminds us that sometimes we really want something, but it’s not good for us. And sometimes we don’t want something, but there’s blessing in it. Acceptance and surrender, together with re-directed efforts will open new doors. Bad days are followed with good days. With difficulty there is ease. So a flexible attitude with patience and hope, will help him.
Your friend’s despair has affected your own faith. Are there good things in your life that you are grateful for? Is there beauty in nature that reminds you of God’s Majesty? These are His signs. Ground yourself by remembering your blessings. Go back to your anchor in faith. As you go through the ups and downs, hold onto that anchor.
From,
“Fatima FL”
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Here are some additional posts on this topic that you may find helpful:https://www.stonestobridges.org/2026/09/10/my-iman-has-completely-disintegrated/ https://www.stonestobridges.org/2026/07/20/struggling-with-faith-identity-and-purpose/ https://www.stonestobridges.org/2026/10/06/questions-regarding-islam/
