Why do nice people always end up hurt? - Light Upon Light by IslamiCity - Episode 36

Welcome to another illuminating episode of Light Upon Light. Today, we are holding space for a pain that is profoundly human-a question that has echoed in sincere hearts since the dawn of time.

It is the cry of the kind soul who played by the rules of mercy, only to be betrayed. It is the confusion of the one who gave their trust, only to have it shattered. And they look up, with a heart on the verge of hardening, and ask:

"Why do nice people always end up hurt? Why does the one who caused the pain seem to walk away free, happy, and untouched, while I am left picking up the pieces?"

It can make you feel like you have to choose: either be kind and get hurt, or become heartless to be safe. Today, we seek light from the Quran, the Sunnah, and the stories of those who bore the greatest wounds for the sake of Allah.

The Reality of the Test: It Is By Design

Allah (SWT) does not leave us confused about the nature of this life. In Surah Al-Mulk (67:2), He reminds us:

"He who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed."

This world is not the final destination-it is the examination hall. The test requires situations where justice is delayed, patience is tried, and the moral fiber of the believer is stretched. Your pain is not evidence of Allah's displeasure; often, it is the opposite.

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, as narrated by Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas in Sahih Muslim:

"How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful, and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him."

Your hurt, when met with patience (Sabr), becomes a source of spiritual elevation and forgiveness.

The Prophetic Example: Pain with Purpose

Consider the very beginning of the prophetic mission in Makkah. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his small band of followers endured thirteen years of brutal persecution. They were righteous, kind, and called to goodness-but they were hurt immensely.

• Abu Bakr (RA) was beaten until he was unrecognizable.
• Bilal (RA) had a heavy stone placed on his chest under the scorching sun.
• Khadijah (RA) spent her wealth supporting the mission and passed away in the year of grief.

Meanwhile, oppressors like Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl seemed to walk freely, arrogantly prospering. Yet, their story ends in eternal loss, while the legacy of the wounded believers is immortal honor-in history and in the sight of Allah.

Faith in the Unseen: The Justice of Allah

This is where belief in the Unseen (Al-Ghayb) becomes essential. Allah warns us against being deceived by the glitter of this temporary life. In Surah Al-Imran (3:185), He says:

"Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion."

Those who hurt you are walking on borrowed time. Their apparent freedom and happiness are temporary illusions. As Allah reminds us in a powerful Hadith Qudsi:

"O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another. Your deeds are what I record for you, and I will recompense you accordingly."

The scales of the Day of Judgment are infinitely precise. Your suffering will be rewarded, and the wrongdoer will bear their due. Your pain is never wasted-it is spiritual credit awaiting redemption.

Guard Your Heart: Mercy Is a Treasure

The temptation to become hard-hearted is Shaytan's trick. He wants to steal your greatest asset: your capacity for mercy, which connects you to Ar-Rahman, The Most Merciful.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"No one will enter Paradise who has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart."

Here, arrogance includes rejecting the wisdom behind your test and letting pain turn into contempt. Guard your heart. Set boundaries, be wise, but do not let your spring of mercy dry up.

You Are Not Alone

To the one hurting, feeling the weight of betrayal: you are not alone. You are in the company of the Prophets, the Siddeeqeen, the martyrs, and the righteous. Your tears are seen, your patience is recorded, and your reward is secure in ways beyond your sight.

The one who seems to walk freely is, in reality, walking on a cliff's edge, unaware of the abyss awaiting unless they repent. Your path, though steep, leads upward to a place where "no soul knows what comfort is kept hidden for them as a reward for what they used to do."

A Du'a for Patience and Justice

"O Allah, make me patient in my affliction, accepting of Your decree, and reliant upon You against the aggression of the oppressor. O Allah, You are Justice and You do not oppress. Grant me victory and do not grant victory over me. And show me in my oppressor that which will amaze me, O All-Strong, O All-Firm."

May Allah grant you healing, vindication, and the strength to keep your heart soft and connected to Him.

To uphold the justice we spoke of, we must safeguard its evidence. At IslamiCity, we are running a critical archival project to preserve documentation from Gaza-videos, photos, and testimonies that are being systematically removed from social media. We are securing servers and protecting this data so the truth cannot be erased or forgotten. If standing for witness matters to you, please support this effort. Click here to donate and help us preserve these irreplaceable records.

In preserving these truths, we answer a divine calling to bear witness-so that what is hidden today may be revealed tomorrow.

May Allah grant strength to the oppressed, justice to the wronged, and make us people who stand by truth until the end. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.