What Is the Wisdom Behind the Calamities That Befall Allah's Creation?
ما الحكمة من ابتلاء الله تعالى لعباده بالمصائب؟
1- Allah loves us and He loves to admit us to Jannah, and because Allah Almighty is Fair and Just, He tests man, and if man passes the tests, he will be admitted to Jannah. He tests man to see whether he will be patient when he gets sick, or he will get angry. He who is patient will be rewarded by being admitted to Jannah. Diseases and calamities are decreed by Allah to elevate through them the ranks of people and cleanse our hearts and morals from vanity, haughtiness, and grandeur. Moreover, at times of sickness and during calamities, the believer gets closer to his Lord by making Du'a to Him and remaining patient. As a result, his faith and rewards increase, and his Lord will love him. Furthermore, during sickness, man will realize the value of well-being and health.
2- Allah the Almighty has created the calamities so that the heedless person may remember the great mission for which he has been created, and therefore, he will wake up from his obliviousness, and he will remember Allah, seeking His Forgiveness, bearing the calamity patiently, and hoping for His reward.
3- Man should worship Allah in prosperity and adversity. This worship is performed in adversity when a man is tested by a calamity, and he bears it patiently, turning to Allah in repentance.
(Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that Allah may cause them to taste ˹the consequences of˺ some of their deeds and perhaps they might return ˹to the Right Path˺.) [Ar-Rum 30:41]
Man is also tested in prosperity when he is given blessings, so his worship of Allah is performed by being grateful to Allah the Almighty. Concerning this point, Allah the Almighty says:
(Every soul will taste death. And We test you ˹O humanity˺ with good and evil as a trial, then to Us you will ˹all˺ be returned.) [Al-Anbiya 21:35]
الله يحبنا ويحب أن يدخلنا الجنة. وبما أن الله تعالى عادل، فهو يختبر كل إنسان ومن ينجح في الاختبار يدخل الجنة. فهو يمتحن الإنسان هل سيصبر على المرض أم سيغضب؟ والله تعالى يكافئ من يصبر بدخوله الجنة، فالمرض والمصائب هي أقدار قدرها الله ليرفع بها الدرجات ويطهر بها قلوبنا وأخلاقنا من الغرور والعجب والكبر، وفيها يتقرب المؤمن لربه بالدعاء والصبر فيزداد إيمانه وحسناته، ويحبه ربه، وليتعلم الإنسان قيمة العافية والصحة.
فقد خلق الله المصائب ليذكر الإنسان الغافل بالمهمة الكبرى التي خلق من أجلها، فيتوقف عن لهوه وغفلته ويتذكر ربه فيستغفر ويصبر ويحتسب.
لله على عبده عبودية في السراء وعبودية في الضراء فالله يبتلي العبد ليحقق عبودية الضراء وهي الصبر ويرجع إلى ربه: (ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ) [الروم 30: 41]
كما ابتلاه بالسراء والنعم ليحقق عبودية السراء وهي الشكر، وهو قوله: (وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ) [الأنبياء 21: 35]
1. Tested With Good and Evil | ونبلوكم بالشر والخير فتنة
The scholar’s point that a servant worships Allah in prosperity and in adversity is the verse: We test you with good and evil as a trial (21:35). Ibn Kathir explains: We test you with calamities at times and with blessings at others, to see who is grateful and who is ungrateful, who is patient and who despairs; Ibn Abbas said: with hardship and ease, health and sickness, wealth and poverty. The Prophet said: How wonderful is the affair of the believer: if good befalls him he is grateful, and that is good for him; if harm befalls him he is patient, and that is good for him (Sahih Muslim 2999).
وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً (سورة الأنبياء: 35)
قال تعالى: (ونبلوكم بالشر والخير فتنة) (الأنبياء 21: 35)، قال ابن كثير: أي: نختبركم بالمصائب تارة، وبالنعم أخرى، لننظر من يشكر ومن يكفر، ومن يصبر ومن يقنط، وقال ابن عباس: بالشدة والرخاء، والصحة والسقم، والغنى والفقر، وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "عجبا لأمر المؤمن إن أمره كله خير، وليس ذاك لأحد إلا للمؤمن، إن أصابته سراء شكر فكان خيرا له، وإن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيرا له" (صحيح مسلم 2999).
2. So That They Might Return | لعلهم يرجعون
Some calamities are a call to return: Corruption has spread on land and sea as a result of what people’s hands have done, so that Allah may cause them to taste the consequences of some of their deeds and perhaps they might return (30:41). Ibn Kathir explains that the loss in fruits and crops became clear because of sins, and Abu al-Aliyah said: whoever disobeys Allah on earth has corrupted the earth, because the good of the earth and the heaven comes through obedience. What Allah asks of us in a calamity is explained in what Allah asks us to do when a calamity strikes.
ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُم بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ (سورة الروم: 41)
قال تعالى: (ظهر الفساد في البر والبحر بما كسبت أيدي الناس ليذيقهم بعض الذي عملوا لعلهم يرجعون) (الروم 30: 41)، قال ابن كثير: أي: بان النقص في الثمار والزروع بسبب المعاصي، وقال أبو العالية: من عصى الله في الأرض فقد أفسد في الأرض؛ لأن صلاح الأرض والسماء بالطاعة.
3. A Muslim’s Hardships Expiate Sins | حتى الشوكة يشاكها
We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure (2:155). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah tests His servants at times with ease and at times with hardship, and whoever is patient, Allah rewards him. The Prophet said: No fatigue, illness, worry, grief, harm or sadness befalls a Muslim, even a thorn that pricks him, except that Allah expiates some of his sins by it (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641). The believer’s trials are explained in the trials of the believer in this worldly life.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ (سورة البقرة: 155)
قال تعالى: (ولنبلونكم بشيء من الخوف والجوع ونقص من الأموال والأنفس والثمرات وبشر الصابرين) (البقرة 2: 155)، قال ابن كثير: أخبر تعالى أنه يبتلي عباده، أي: يختبرهم ويمتحنهم، فتارة بالسراء، وتارة بالضراء، فمن صبر أثابه الله، وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "ما يصيب المسلم من نصب ولا وصب ولا هم ولا حزن ولا أذى ولا غم، حتى الشوكة يشاكها، إلا كفر الله بها من خطاياه" (صحيح البخاري 5641).
4. To Allah We Belong | إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون
The patient are those who say, when struck by a disaster, Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return (2:156). Ibn Kathir explains: they comforted themselves with these words over what befell them, knowing that they belong to Allah, who does with His servants as He wills, and that not an atom’s weight is lost with Him on the Day of Resurrection. What to say when a calamity strikes is explained in what a believer says when a calamity strikes.
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ (سورة البقرة: 156)
قال تعالى: (الذين إذا أصابتهم مصيبة قالوا إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون) (البقرة 2: 156)، قال ابن كثير: أي: تسلوا بقولهم هذا عما أصابهم، وعلموا أنهم ملك لله يتصرف في عبيده بما يشاء، وعلموا أنه لا يضيع لديه مثقال ذرة يوم القيامة.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why does Allah test people with calamities?
To raise their ranks, cleanse their hearts of vanity and arrogance, bring them near Him through supplication and patience, and wake the heedless to the purpose they were created for.
Is a person tested with blessings too?
Yes. We test you with good and evil as a trial (21:35); the believer is grateful in prosperity and patient in adversity (Sahih Muslim 2999).
Do calamities expiate a Muslim’s sins?
Yes. No fatigue, illness, worry or grief befalls a Muslim, even a thorn that pricks him, except that Allah expiates some of his sins by it (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641).
Who is tested most severely?
The prophets, then the best, then the next best; a man is tested according to his religion (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2398).