Eman Sakina

The world is the place of striving and suffering and the Hereafter is the place of reward or punishment, where the believers will be lodged in Paradise and the disbelievers in Hell.

Paradise is good and none but those who were good will enter it. Allah is good and accepts nothing but that which is good. So, the way of Allah with His slaves is to test them with calamities and tribulations, so that the believer may be known from the ‘kaafir’ and so that the truthful may be distinguished from the liar, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

Friday Musings

“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 Allah 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 Allah knows all that before putting them to test)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:2-3]

“Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which they are now until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allah disclose to you the secrets of the Ghayb (Unseen)”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:179]

So, Allah tests His slaves, and He loves those who are patient and gives them the glad tidings of Paradise. Wealth and children are a trial using which Allah tests His slaves, to know who will give thanks for them, and who will be distracted from Allah by them:

“And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that surely, with Allah is a mighty reward” [al-Anfaal 8:28]

Testing is according to one’s faith; the most severely tested among mankind are the Prophets, then the next best, and the next best. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When I fall ill, my pain is equivalent to the pain of two men among you.” (al-Bukhaari, 5648).

Remember that this whole life according to our religion is a life of tests and trials and therefore every one of us will be tested in different ways. Patience and prayers are the two things that Allah has told us to seek help in. Patience is of levels and the highest level is beautiful patience. And beautiful patience is one when people do not even realize you are being patient, nobody knows other than Allah that you’re being patient. That is the perfection of patience…

Nobody can see you are frustrated; nobody can see you are agitated; nobody can see that you are feeling anger… You have mastered so much that only Allah knows and that is the perfection that Allah says: ‘Perfect your patience until it is a perfect and beautiful patience.’

If you’re patient for your Lord, then you will get it, and this is by the way of the first commandments that were given to Prophet Muhammad by Allah.

Tests from Allah are a form of His justice; they are a way to distinguish those who have firm faith in Allah regardless of how well they can manage the test itself.

They are also a blessing in the form of purification and a sign of His mercy and love

Allah’s tests are not the same as an academic test. Allah’s tests are not related to knowledge as such in the way that worldly tests are.

 Tests from Allah can come in the form of trials as well as blessings. Allah’s tests are a means of showing His qualities of Justice and Mercy.

On the surface, they may seem like negative things, but in fact, they are an opportunity for self-growth and development too so come with many benefits on the other side.