Gold Is Tested With Fire — And The Believer Is Tested With Trials:
The believer is subjected to Tests and Allah’s Testing him through things that may harm or hurt him brings two great benefits.
The First benefit is that Allah tests this man concerning his Faith, to see whether his Faith is sincere or shaky. The Believer whose Faith is sincere will patiently accept the will and decree of Allah and will seek reward From Him. In this case, the matter becomes bearable For him.
It was narrated that one of the Female worshippers of Allah suffered a cut or wound on her Finger, but she did not complain about the pain or show any sign of distress. She was asked about that and she said: The sweetness of its reward makes me Forget the bitterness of bearing it. The believer seeks reward From Allah and submits to Him completely.
Allah highly praises those who are patient and says that He is with them and that He will reward them without measure. Patience is a high status which can only be attained by those who are tested with things that they bear patiently. If he bears them patiently, he attains this high status which brings great reward.
So when Allah tests the Believers with things that hurt them, that is so that they may attain the status of those who are patient.
Hence the Messenger (saw) who was the greatest of all people in Faith, piety and Fear of Allah, suffered twice the pain of an ordinary man when he Fell sick, and he (saw) suffered greatly at the time of death so that he might Fully attain the status of one who is patient — For he (saw) was the most patient of those who are patient. Hence the wisdom behind Allah’s testing of the believer with such calamities becomes clear.
The Second benefit is that Allah(swt) wants to raise in status the patient Believer, so He tests him with calamity so that he will bear it with acceptance and patience — then He will be given the reward of those who are patient in the Hereafter and will be recorded with Allah as one of the victorious.
Calamities befell the Prophets and the righteous persistently, and Allah(swt) made it an honour For them through which they attained high status in Paradise.
Hence it says in the Sahih Hadith From the Prophet (saw): “If a certain status has previously been decreed by Allah For a person, and he does not attain it by his deeds, Allah afflicts him in his body or wealth or children.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawud:3090)
It was narrated From Anas ibn Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (saw) said: “Great reward comes with great trials. When Allah loves a people, He tests them, and whoever accepts it attains His pleasure, whereas whoever shows discontent with it incurs His wrath.”
(Narrated by At-Tirmidhi:2396)
The two reasons are mentioned together in the Hadith of `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her), according to which the Prophet (saw) said: “Nothing befalls a Believer, a (prick of a) thorn or more than that, but Allah will raise him one degree in status thereby, or erase a bad deed.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari (5641) and Muslim (2573)
If the Muslim is a devoted worshipper, obedient and righteous, and there is nothing between him and Allah but true ‘ubudiyyah (servitude), gratitude, praise, repentance and submission to Him, may He be glorified, then it is most likely that this calamity is a kind of honour and raising in status, and people are the witnesses of Allah on earth — If they know him to be righteous, then they may give him the glad tidings of raised status before Allah if he is patient in bearing the calamity.
But if the one who is affected shows displeasure and panic, then it cannot be thought that his calamity is an honour From Allah to raise him in status, because Allah, may He be glorified, knew that he would not be patient and accept it with contentment. So in this case it is most likely that it is a requital and punishment.
One of the righteous said: “The sign of calamity by way of punishment and requital is lack of patience when a calamity befalls, and panic and complaining to people.
And the sign of calamity by way of expiation and erasing of sins is beautiful patience without complaining, panic or impatience, and lack of reluctance in Fulfilling commands and doing acts of worship.
The sign of calamity by way of raising a person in status is contentment and acceptance, peace of mind, and patience in accepting the will of Allah until relief comes.”
So,the point is that — the test that brings a person closer to Allah(swt) increases the level of a person through such a test, and the test that a person does not persevere but gives up on, then such a test becomes a punishment For a person.
We ask Allah, may He be exalted, to have mercy on us and Forgive us, to teach us that which will benefit us and reward us For our calamities, For He is All-Hearing and answers prayers.
May Allah(swt) Include Us Among His Grateful Servants. (Ameen).
JazakAllah (May Allah Reward You [with] Goodness)For Reading.
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