Why is Allah (ﷻ) testing me?

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بسم الله والحمد الله
والصلاة واسلام على رسول الله

- By Ruh

Allah (ﷻ) Says:

Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test? We certainly tested those before them. And ˹in this way˺ Allah will clearly distinguish between those who are truthful and those who are liars.
- [Surah al-'Ankabut 29:2-3]

Know that your life will be full of tests and they will take many forms and levels of difficulty, but also know that you will not be tested by anything you cannot bare:

Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford.
- [Surah al-Baqarah 2:286]

Understanding the wisdom behind tests better equips us to struggle through them with patience. We will look at some examples to find comfort in the Guidance of Allah (ﷻ).

It may be a test of our sincerity in our servitude to Allah (ﷻ):

Allah (ﷻ) Says:

“And among mankind is he who worships Allaah as it were upon the edge (i.e. in doubt): if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter. That is the evident loss”
- [al-Hajj 22:11]

Here we can see that trials can bring out the reality of a person. Allah (ﷻ) Speaks of the people of doubt, who when faced with a difficult trial, they turn away from Allah (ﷻ). Although they hid their doubts when they were comfortable in their time of ease, this test uncovered the reality of their heart, of their faith.

Allah (ﷻ) expiates the sins of the believers through trials:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Trials will continue to befall the believing man or woman in himself, his child and his wealth until he meets Allaah with no sin on him.”
– [al-Tirmidhi - Sahih]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Allaah wills good for His slave, He hastens the punishment for him in this world, and when Allaah wills ill for His slave, he withholds the punishment for his sins from him his sin until he comes with all his sins on the Day of Resurrection.”
- [al-Tirmidhi]

Allah (ﷻ) Increases us in status through tests:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“The believer is not harmed by a thorn or anything greater, but Allaah will raise him in status thereby, or erase a sin thereby.”
– [Sahih Muslim]

Tests are a way for us to improve ourselves and prepare us for success and highlight the reality of this world. The Prophet (ﷺ) went through many trials. It is as though the Prophet (ﷺ) was being prepared for all the trials that lay ahead.

Allah (ﷻ) Says:

.Your Lord ˹O Prophet˺ has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful ˹of you˺. And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one. And ˹surely˺ your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased. Did He not find you as an orphan then sheltered you? Did He not find you unguided then guided you? And did He not find you needy then satisfied your needs?”
- [al-Duha 93:3-8]

It is as though Allah (ﷻ) is reminding us that Allah (ﷻ) is with us and will take care of us, so should we not rely on Him? Allah (ﷻ) is always there and He (ﷻ) will make a way out for us, so long as we are true to Him (ﷻ). And through our trials we are better equipped to deal with the harshness of this world and recognise that what awaits in the hereafter is far superior.

Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) said:

Were it not that Allaah treats His slaves with the remedy of trials and calamities, they would transgress and overstep the mark. When Allaah wills good for His slaves, He gives him the medicine of calamities and trials according to his situation, so as to cure him from all fatal illnesses and diseases, until He purifies and cleanses him, and then makes him qualified for the most honourable position in this world, which is that of being a true slave of Allaah (‘uboodiyyah), and for the greatest reward in the Hereafter, which is that of seeing Him and being close to Him. – [Zaad al-Ma’aad]

They remind us of our sins and to turn to Allah (ﷻ) in repentance:

Allah (ﷻ) Says:

“Evil (sins and disobedience to Allah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds), that He (Allah) may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon).”
- [al-Room 30:41]

Life will always be full of tests and we may not always recognise what it means to have succeeded.

Ibn Taymiyyah (RH) said:

“A trial which brings you closer to Allah is better than a blessing which makes you forget Him.” - [al-Wabil as-Sayyib]

- Ruh

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