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Al-Hamdulillaah (all praise is due to Allaah), the Most High, the One who said (in the translation of the meaning):

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient ones. Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided-ones.

Surah al-Baqarah (2:15 5-157)

May the salaah and salaam of Allaah be upon His Messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم : sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), the one who was tried and tested in various ways and who was patient and persevered. And may Allaah’s (سبحانه و تعالى : subhannahu wa ta’ala) salaah and salaam be upon his household, the noble companions who also were also tested and tried, as well as upon the righteous predecessors and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Resurrection.

The Nature of Tests and Trials

It is clear that this life is filled with calamities, tests, and trials and that every believer will be subjected to many of these. Sometimes these trials are within himself, sometimes with his wealth and sometimes with his loved ones. These preordained trials and calamities, from the One who is All-Wise, will touch the believer in various ways and manners; if the believer does not have the correct view regarding the matter of testing, then he may err seriously, especially since some of the calamities are painful and profound.

Many people are negligent about the wisdoms behind trials and testing; they may not understand that Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) does not test us as a punishment, but rather as a mercy. The believer should look at the matter of ibtilaa’ (testing and trials) through the textual proofs in the Qur’aan and authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) so that he can stand on a firm ground regarding these matters.

Yes, life is a test and a trial; we are tested everyday in this life. Our wealth is a test; the spouse is a test; the children are tests; poverty and wealth are tests, and likewise health and illnesses are tests. We are tested in everything we possess and in that which we encounter in this life until we meet Allaah, the Most High.

Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) said (in the translation of the meaning):

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned. – Surah al-Anbiyaa’ (21:35 )

In addition, Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) stated (in the translation of the meaning):

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ

Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allaah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allaah knows all that before putting them to test). – Surah al-‘Ankabut (29:2-3)

Even the one who is healthy is tested, and also, the one who is ill is tested. The one who is healthy may not know this until he is touched by a trial, and the one who is ill will may not feel that he is in a testing situation until he is cured. No one is safe from trials because of their prestige or status; such things do not safeguard us from the tests as proven by the hasan (good) hadith in which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

“The people who receive the severest trial are the Prophets, then those most like them and then those most like them.”

[Reported by at-Tirmidhi, hadith no. 2400 and ibn Maajah, hadith no. 4023; at-Tirmidhi said “hasan-saheeh; authenticated by Ibn al-Qayyim (Tareequl Hijratayen, p. 226), Ahmad Shaakir (Musnad Ahmad 3/52), and al-Albaani (see as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, p.19).]

Response of the Believer to Tests and Trials

Amongst us, there is no one who possesses the ability to reject the tests, but there are those who are tested and succeed through good faith in Allaah, patient persevering, and by anticipating Allaah’s reward. Also, amongst us are those who are tested but fail because of weak faith and objection to Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى); we seek refuge in Allaah from that.

al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad (rahimahullaah) said:

“As long as people are in a state of good welfare, then once they are tested, they will return to their reality. The believer will go to his faith, and the hypocrite will go to his hypocrisy.”

Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) preordained everything for us including our sustenance and our lifespan. He (سبحانه و تعالى) said (in the translation of the meaning):

نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُم مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا 

“It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world”

[Surah az-Zukhruf (43:32 )]

Sustenance and livelihood are preordained in certain measures; illness is preordained, and one’s welfare is preordained; everything in this life is preordained. The person should accept what Allaah has preordained for him and should not hate, dislike, or show discomfort towards these preordainments. Since this is the nature of the matter, one should submit his entire affair to Allaah and know that whatever befalls him will not miss him and whatever misses him will not befall him. It is as if the one who prefers this life to be monotonic wants the predecree of Allaah to be in accordance with his desires, and this is wishful thinking. Irrespective of the preordinance or test, it is a matter that is good for the believer; however, this is with the condition that one gives thanks for Allaah’s favor and is patient, as in the authentic hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم)

“Amazing is the matter of the believers, his affair to him is all good, and this is for none except for the believer, if he is touched by something good and then he thanks, then this is good for him. And if he is touched by a calamity or hardship, then he is patient and this is good for him.”

[Reported by Muslim, hadith no. 2999]

Allaah, the Most High, stated (in the translation of the meaning):

فَإِن كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا

“It may be that you dislike a thing and Allaah brings through it a great deal of good.” – Surah an-Nisa (4:19 )

Moreover, Allaah (سبحانه و تعالى) said (in the translation of the meaning):

وَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَن تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

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