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So the Holy Prophet (saw) is being told to announce that the way to keep focus in this world, and to seek strength through the trials of life is to

1)    recite the Book,
2)    establish Salaat and
3)    engage in constant Remembrance or Zikr.

The parable of those who take guardians besides Allah is as the parable of the spider that makes for itself a house; and most surely the frailest of the houses is the spider's house did they but know. [Holy Quran 29:41]

This verse is likening the the security systems of human beings to the frailty of a spider’s web.

There are several rather interesting features about the web built by the spider:

Say: Travel in the earth and see how He makes the first creation, then Allah creates the latter creation; surely Allah has power over all things.[Holy Quran 29:20]

This verse invites us to travel the earth in order to appreciate the cyclical nature of creation and to reflect on the mysteries of the Universe.

Traveling has been mentioned often in the Quran to broaden our horizons and to gain insight and wisdom.

In verse 46 of Suratul Hajj, for example, the Quran says: Have they not traveled over the land so that they may have hearts by which they may apply reason or ears by which they may hear? [Holy Quran 22:46]

In other words, traveling affords us the opportunity to expand our thinking and learn from interacting with other cultures and ways of thinking.

Very different from the culture of modern tourism which fuels consumerism and hedonism,...

So when they ride in the ships they call upon Allah, being sincerely obedient to Him, but when He brings them safe to the land, lo! they associate others (with Him)[Holy Quran 29:65]

This is such an interesting verse and especially relevant during this time.

Have you ever been on an airplane during severe turbulence? Did you look around and noticed how quiet everyone became? Or perhaps you were too busy praying yourself to even notice what others were doing? Silently praying and perhaps promising God about how you will turn your life around and be faithful to your values only if you are given a second chance at life?

This is the human tendency that the above verse refers to. Human beings instinctively call upon the Creator when the going gets tough. They turn to Him when others fail them, when the crisis seems far too big and we begin to realize that only...

In verses 2 and 3, Allah says:

Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, we believe, and not be tried?

These verses are informing us about a fact of life: there will always be challenges to face and obstacles to overcome. In other words, we should not be surprised when we encounter challenges and upsets to our comfort and ease.  

What is the purpose of these trials?

It is interesting that the word for trial or test in Arabic is fitna, one of the meanings of which is "to melt gold in order to separate its impure parts".  Just like the true beauty and strength of gold is revealed once it is put in the furnace, our strength and resilience as human beings is revealed when we face adversity and obstacles.