Success and trials are inextricably linked. No nation can prosper until it passes through various stages of trials and tests. Allah tested the believers through various trials in order to examine their faith; it was only after those trials that they were granted stability and strength on earth. Imam Ash-Shaafai’ee – may Allah have mercy on him – expressed a similar meaning when he was once asked, “What is better for a person: For him to be granted stability and prosperity, or for him to be tested through affliction?” He answered, “One is not granted stability and prosperity until he is tested through affliction. For indeed, Allah tested Nooh, Ibraaheem, Moosa, ‘Eesa (AS), and Muhammad (ﷺ). It was after they showed patience that Allah is granted them stability and prosperity, so in no way should anyone think that he can altogether be saved from pain.” It must be remembered, however, that the trials that believers in particular are afflicted with are merciful and not punitive in nature. They are not merely being tested, as opposed to disbelievers; rather, they are also being chosen for good things to come. Trials and affliction, if patiently dealt with, lead to Paradise, for the Prophet (ﷺ) informed us that, “Paradise is surrounded by disliked things (i.e., matters that one does not like, that require effort, etc.), and the Hellfire is surrounded by desires.”[1]
The wisdom behind and the benefits of trials and affliction are many; here are the most important ones:
1) Purifying the ranks of believers: Through affliction, the true believer is distinguished from the lying hypocrite, for the real character of a person often becomes clear not during times of ease, but during times of hardship. Consider, for instance, how the hypocrites, complaining about harsh circumstances, remained behind from the Tabook expedition. And Allah said:
“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: “We believe,” and will not be tested.” (Qur’an 29:2)
2) Laying bare the inner realities of people’s souls: Sayyid Qutub, may Allah have mercy on him, clarified this point when he said, “Allah knows the realities of people’s hearts before He tests them; His tests, therefore, make plain to the outer world what is already plain and clear to Allah. And so people are held accountable for the actions they carry out, and not merely for what Allah knows about them. This is a blessing from Allah on the one hand, and pure justice on the other.”[2]
3) Preparing believers for higher levels of piety and obedience: It is as if hardships melt the good soul and, in the process, rid it of impurities. At the same time, hardships encourage one to dig down deep for hidden strength and resolve, which one would not otherwise have done.
4) Allowing believers to become better acquainted with their inner selves: One should always know where one stands, in terms of both one’s weaknesses and strengths; and through hardship one gains that knowledge, thus becoming better able to improve one’s character and to fend off future attacks from Shaitaan.
5) Providing believers with a means of propagating the message of Islam: The patience of a believer in times of hardship and distress is a silent form of Da’wah. Illustrating this point are the examples of individuals from foreign tribes who went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and embraced Islam. When this occurred, the Prophet (ﷺ) sometimes instructed the individual to go back to his people and invite them to Islam. He would then return to his people and patiently endure their disbelief and harm, yet he would patiently continue upon his course until, sooner or later, he returned to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) – except this time, with the members of his tribe, all of whom were coming as new Muslims.
6) Encouraging strong souls to embrace Islam: When they witness the forbearance and many sacrifices of the Muslims, certain people with strong souls – who usually represent the small minority – become attracted to the religion that breeds such wonderful qualities.
7) Raising one’s ranking with Allah, and atoning for sins: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whenever the believer is afflicted with (the pricking of) a thorn or anything greater than that (i.e., in terms of harm), because of it Allah raises him one ranking or removes from him one sin.”[3] A person might have a ranking with Allah that he couldn’t have achieved through his deeds, and so Allah tests him with an affliction and raises him to that ranking. The aforementioned Hadeeth also makes it clear that affliction is one of the ways through which sins are atoned for.
8) By experiencing affliction, one gains an appreciation of Allah’s Greatness and Power, and one’s own weakness and subservience.
9) One is prompted to invoke Allah more so during times of hardship than during times of ease and comfort.
10) By experiencing hardship, one gains an appreciation for those times when all is well.
[The Noble Life of the Prophet (ﷺ) by Dr. ‘Ali Mohammad As-Sallaabee, vol: 1, p. 356-359]
Notes:
[1] Saheeh Muslim, “The Book of Paradise.” Hadeeth number: 2922. Bukhaaree related it as well (6487).
[2] Fee Dhilaal Al-Qur’an (2/180).
[3] Saheeh Muslim, “The Book of Piety and Joining Ties of Relation (with Relatives)”; chapter, “The Reward a Believer Receives when he Becomes Sick.” Hadeeth number: 2572.
