Benefits of believers' trials
- Categories: Asceticism and Heart Softening -
Q: Why does Allaah burden the believers
who do many acts of worship with sickness and other trials, when
the sinners are enjoying all the good things in life?
A: Praise be to Allaah.
This question may be asked in two ways, either as an objection or
as a quest for understanding. If it is asked as an objection, then
it is an indication of the questioner's ignorance. For the wisdom
of Allaah is too great for our minds to comprehend. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And they ask you (O Muhammad) concerning the Rooh (the spirit).
Say: The Rooh (the spirit) is one of the things, the knowledge of
which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have
been given only a little" [al-Isra' 17:85].
{وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ
الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّن الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ
قَلِيلاً}
Transliteration: Wa Yas'alūnaka `Ani Ar-Rūĥi Quli Ar-Rūĥu Min 'Amri
Rabbī Wa Mā 'Ūtītum Mina Al-`Ilmi 'Illā Qalīlāan
This spirit is something which is within us and is the very essence
of our lives, but we do not know it and the philosophers and
thinkers are unable to define and describe it. If we are unable to
know anything about this spirit, which is the closest thing in
creation to us, apart from that which has been described in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah, then what do you think about other matters
beyond that? Allaah is Most Wise, Most Great, Most Majestic and
Most Powerful, and we must submit to His will and decree with full
submission, because we are unable to comprehend the ultimate goals
of His wisdom. On this basis, the answer to the question is that we
should say: Allaah knows best and He is Most Wise, Most Powerful
and Most Great.
If the question is asked as a quest for understanding, then we
would tell this questioner: the believer is subjected to tests and
Allaah's testing him by means of things that may harm or hurt him
brings two great benefits. The first benefit is that Allaah tests
this man with regard to 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 Allaah, 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 Allaah
suffered a cut or wound in 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 Allaah and
submits to Him completely. This is one benefit.
With regard to the second benefit, Allaah highly praises those who
are patient and says that He is with them and that He will give
them reward 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 Allaah 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 (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), who was the greatest of all people in
faith, piety and fear of Allaah, suffered twice the pain of an
ordinary man when he fell sick, and he (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) suffered greatly at the time of death, so that
he might fully attain the status of one who is patient, for he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was the most patient of
those who are patient. Hence the wisdom behind Allaah's testing of
the believer with such calamities becomes clear.
With regard to His giving the sinners, evildoers, immoral people
and kaafirs good health and plentiful provision, this is in order
to let them get carried away (with their sin, and then punish them
severely later on). It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "This world is a prison for
the believer and a paradise for the kaafir. They are given these
good things so that they have their good things sooner, in this
world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will get what they
deserve of punishment. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"On the Day when those who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allaah
Islamic Monotheism) will be exposed to the Fire (it will be said):
"You received your good things in the life of the world, and you
took your pleasure therein. Now this Day you shall be recompensed
with a torment of humiliation, because you were arrogant in the
land without a right, and because you used to rebel against
Allaah's Command (disobey Allaah)" [al-Ahqaaf 46:20].
{وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا
عَلَى النَّارِ أَذْهَبْتُمْ طَيِّبَاتِكُمْ فِي حَيَاتِكُمُ
الدُّنْيَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهَا فَالْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ
الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ
الْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَفْسُقُونَ}
Transliteration: Wa Yawma Yu`rađu Al-Ladhīna Kafarū `Alá An-Nāri
'Adh/habtum Ţayyibātikum Fī Ĥayātikumu Ad-Dunyā Wa Astamta`tum Bihā
Fālyawma Tujzawna `Adhāba Al-Hūni Bimā Kuntum Tastakbirūna Fī
Al-'Arđi Bighayri Al-Ĥaqqi Wa Bimā Kuntum Tafsuqūna
The point is that this world is for the kaafirs to get carried away
in, then when they move to the Hereafter and leave the life of this
world in which they found pleasure, they will encounter torment -
we seek refuge with Allaah. The punishment will be so much harder
for them because they will suffer greatly, and because at the same
time they will have lost the delights and luxuries of this world
which they loved so much.
There is a third benefit which we may add to the first two, which
the believer will get from sickness and problems, for the believer
will move to a realm that is better than this world, for he will
move from something that hurts him and causes him pain to something
that will bring him happiness and joy. So his joy at the delight to
which he has come will be multiplied, because he has attained joy,
and the pain and difficulties that he was facing will have
ceased.
From the fatwas of Shaykh Ibn
'Uthaymeen, from Kitaab Fataawa Islamiyyah, 1/83.
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