It is not true that if we had true faith we would not be sad. Prophets (may Allah’s peace be upon them all), and righteous people experienced a great deal of sadness.

The Quran is full of stories in which the central theme is sadness. Sadness is a reality of life. The Quran is not there to eliminate sadness, but to navigate it. Sadness is one of the tests of life, just as happiness, and anger are tests.”22 Every single success you experience is a combination of two things: your effort and Allah’s help. When you do not put...