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To speak the truth when nobody is listening is easy. For most of my blogging career, I have been blessed to have hardly any readers. Such obscurity granted me the freedom to write about whatever I wanted, whether it was of interest to others or not.

But to speak the truth when it suddenly occurs to you that you’re dealing with very dangerous people? Will you still witness to the truth, as you are called to, or will you hurriedly retreat, protective of everyone and everything you love?

It never really occurs to you as a simple believer that others don’t share your idealistic visions of faith, until it gets serious. It’s one thing to have a good opinion of others, quite another to be completely oblivious to who you’re dealing with.

I admit I was oblivious. We are called to be truthful, so I believed we were a people of truth. We are called to be merciful, so I thought be were a people of mercy. We are called to live righteously, so I thought we were a righteous people.

But the reality? Let’s just say that the powerful have their protectors, and they don’t always play by the same rules as you. If you thought you were dealing with kind and humble brethren, think again.

Perhaps you’re dealing with those who would smash their way into your home, or beat you to a pulp. Perhaps you’re dealing with those who would edit public records about you, or create internet profiles to impersonate you, or send threatening letters.

So now ask yourself: will you truly be a witness to truth? If faced with a wrong, will you truly change it with your hand or tongue, or will you content yourself with the weakest of faith and simply hate it in your heart?

When it gets serious, will you still aspire to be amongst the Siddiqin (people of truth), the Shuhada (people who stand for truth) and the Saliheen (people who live in harmony with others)?

This is certainly our test. Verily, God is sufficient for the truthful, and He is the best of protectors.