Wisdom in Tests

People see Muslims undergoing adversity and tests, while seeing non-Muslims in positions of power and with great wealth. Questions go through one’s mind seeing the Palestinians for example going through horrific genocide for years on end while their enemies are enjoying economic prosperity and power. This can lead a person to think that goodness in this world is reserved for non-Muslims and only a fraction of it was given to the Muslims, and that Muslims will only enjoy goodness in the Hereafter.

This person might then interpret the verses of the Noble Quran which speak about victory for the Muslims to refer to the Hereafter only. When asked about the suffering Muslims undergo in the world, this person might rationalise it in one of two ways:

1. If he does not believe that there is any wisdom in this suffering, he will say that Allah Ta’ala does what He wishes and cannot be questioned about His actions.
2. If he does believe that there is wisdom behind these actions of Allah Ta’ala, he will say that this suffering is so that people may adopt patience and earn the tremendous rewards of the Hereafter.

Ibn al Qayyim rahimahullah says that both these approaches can lead to accusing Allah Ta’ala of oppression. A person might cry out, “My Lord! What sin have I committed for You to do this to me!” It can lead to people thinking that by following Islamic principles their worldly life will suffer, they will face adversity and lose out on an easy life.

He goes on to list the approach a Muslim needs to adopt in the face of suffering:

1. When a Muslim is afflicted with a difficulty, he accepts the Divine decision and hopes for reward. If he is unable to do this, he adopts patience and hopes for the reward. This in turn lightens the pressure of the test. Each time he does this and sees the result of this approach it becomes easier to bear the subsequent difficulties.
2. When a Muslim is put through a test, it is in accordance with his level of faith and sincerity. He can bear such difficulties which would have been unbearable to anyone else. This is the kindness of Allah Ta’ala for the Muslims that He only gives them trials which are well within their ability to bear and overcome.
3. The more love for someone becomes firmly embedded in the heart, the easier it becomes for the lover to endure harm and adversity in pleasing his beloved. What then can give a Muslim more pleasure than going through a test from Allah Ta’ala, who is his greatest object of love, to please Him?
4. The sinner and disbeliever gaining might and position comes with disgrace, scandal, and stigma even though it might not always be apparent outwardly. How many a wealthy person who attained his wealth through corruption ends up being hated? How many an affluent person who used his wealth in abusing others for his pleasure saw the scandal, once it is revealed, destroy his honour in the eyes of the public?
5. When a Muslim faces tribulation it is like a medicine which removes a disease. This disease, if it had to be ignored, would have destroyed him, or reduced his rewards and high ranks in the Hereafter. Trials extract the disease and make a Muslim attain a perfect reward instead of one that is reduced. As a result, trials are a means of giving a Muslim ultimate well-being. It is for this reason that those who went through the severest of tests were the Prophets and then those closest to them. The Muslim goes through trials to such an extent that he ends up walking on the earth with no trace of sin.
6. Tests such as facing defeat at the hands of an enemy, or being persecuted by them is a natural, unavoidable part of life like extreme heat and cold, illness, worries and distress. These are part and parcel of living in this world. A world with evil separated from good, benefit from harm and delight from pain is only found in the Hereafter.

In Muslims facing defeat and being oppressed by their enemies lies great wisdom some of which are:

1. A Muslim turns to Allah Ta’ala in times of distress, humbling himself before Him, realising his dire need of Allah Ta’ala and pleading in Dua. If Muslims were always victorious it could have led to them being arrogant. On the other hand, if they were always defeated, Islam would have never been established. In defeat, a Muslim turns on humility to Allah Ta’ala.
2. If Muslims were always victorious and never defeated, it would have led to people accepting Islam for ulterior motives. And if Muslims were always defeated, no one would have wanted to accept Islam.
3. Allah Ta’ala loves that His servant shows Him complete devotion in times of ease and difficulty. Therefore, the changes in circumstances serve to perfect this quality of servitude under all conditions. A sound body needs to experience both hot and cold, hunger and thirst, tiredness and hard work as well as the opposites. Trials are thus an essential part of allowing a Muslim to attain perfection.
4. Tests purify a Muslim. He attains the sublime rank of martyrdom having to go through the route of being killed by an enemy. They remove sins within a Muslim that he might not have otherwise repented for.
5. Allah Ta’ala created life and death, the heavens and the earth to test human beings. A Muslim must undergo these tests to prove that he is true in his claim of being loyal to Allah Ta’ala or not.
6. Izz al Deen ibn Abd al Salaam rahimahullah adds that tests make us truly understand the value of the blessings of ease and well-being because blessings are never fully appreciated until one loses them.

Ultimately, all this is a means of attaining the true goal of our existence. That goal is the love of Allah Ta’ala, taking comfort in Him and desiring to meet Him with great eagerness. This is the essence of Islam and of our actions and desires. Knowing Allah Ta’ala is the greatest of objectives, worshipping Him is the noblest of actions, praising Him is the best of speech.

Izz al Deen ibn Abd al Salaam rahimahullah writes that trials make us realise the greatness of Allah Ta’ala and His overwhelming power, and they make us realise our humility and devotion to Him. It makes us acknowledge that we belong to Allah Ta’ala and are nothing but His worthless servants; that we will return to Him; and that we are completely subject to His decisions.

The Hadith informs us, “By the One in whose Hand is my soul, the pious would show joy at the time when a calamity started as you show joy in times of ease.” (Ibn Majah) The pious would show this joy because they knew there is no comparison between the hardship and the numerous fruits and benefits in return for enduring it. They knew that the tests are like a bitter medicine which brings an amazing cure from sickness.

Challenges are a part of everyday life. They make us stronger and without them life can become somewhat meaningless because we have nothing to compare the good times to.