how to relieve hardship

On my fourth wedding anniversary, two days before our first child was due, my marriage crumbled.  My husband abandoned us without warning, like a thunderstorm that suddenly shifts the winds and darkens the skies on an otherwise clear day and passes just as quickly, leaving in his wake the debris of debt, women, and lies.  The next night, I went into labor alone desperately reciting hasbunallahu wa ni`mal wakil, pleading Allāh to save my family, the physical pains of labor engulfed by the sharper, more seething pain of a broken heart.  On Friday afternoon, immediately after Jumu'ah Ṣalāh, my son silently entered the world; not a breath, cry or squirm announcing his arrival, prompting a controlled frenzy of doctors and nurses.  Although my son survived, my heart died.  I sold my house, I resigned from teaching, I struggled to pray.  I refused to leave the house for 10 months.
Such is the unexpected nature of divorce, splitting asunder the very foundation of a woman's existence, destroying her confidence, stifling her capacity to love, and paralyzing her faith.  It is in this condition that I found myself facing a tremendous test from Allāh – the responsibility of single motherhood.
A human being's instinctual response in the face of tragedy is survival, the struggle to fulfill basic human needs – cleanliness, warmth, sustenance, and sleep.  For a new mother, the needs of her newborn child supersede her own, as she responds to his cries, nursing, changing, and soothing him tirelessly, forcing her into an unfamiliar solitude and causing bouts of anxiety and depression. For a divorced new mother in 'iddah, the solitude is tenfold, requiring tremendous love, concern, and support from others.  Yet, tragedy repels people from the one who suffers.  Too numb from my own pain and fatigued from attending to my son, I welcomed the solitude, reflecting on my relationship with Allāh, repenting for my sins, weeping and begging for His mercy.  I found solace in the du'ā' of Umm Salamah (raḍyAllāhu 'anha), which she recited after the death of her husband, Abu Salamah, and before her marriage to the Prophet:

Oh, Allāh, recompense me for my affliction and replace it with something better.

 In quiet dhikr and reflection, my days ebbed and flowed testing my ṣabr and building my resilience.

Here are 7 practical steps to help you face any difficult situation

1. Salah. Make sure you stick to praying on time – 5 times a day. Never miss a salah and do your best to pray each Salah with sincerity as if it’s your last salah in this world.
   
2. Read Quran. This Quran is so beautiful that no matter what difficulties you face you’ll find solace in it. Especially read Surat Yusuf. The scholars say that no one is faced with hardship and reads surat Yusuf except he finds sweetness and calm.
   
3. Make Dua. Especially the dua for removing anxiety.
   
4. Give Sadaqah. Give lots of charity, as much as you can, because it helps push away hardship. And if you can’t give money, even kind words or physical sadaqah can do (i.e. helping people physically or emotionally).
   
5. Set Goals and Have Vision. Don’t let shaytaan play with you and keep replaying the video of your hardship in your mind over and over again, move on! Set new goals, new projects, and remember you’re with Allah, nothing should stop you!
   
6. Wake up Early. Wake up before fajr and work on your ideas and projects, or simply read Qur’an. Getting busy before day break is a definite way to move away from your hardship and overcome challenges. Get most of your ideas/work done in these early hours, these are blessed hours.
   
7. Hardship is Not Lost. Remember, Allah will never forget the injustice/hardship you faced, so don’t worry about seeking revenge or trying to get justice