What Are the Trials of the Believer in This Worldly Life?
ما هي ابتلاءات المؤمن في الحياة الدنيا؟
Allah Almighty has created mankind so that we worship Him Alone with no partners. He created us so that He may make us happy and admit us to Jannah. But for us to be admitted to Jannah, there is a price we have to pay; and that is we must obey Allah the Almighty and obey the Islamic Law He set for us.
Hence, Almighty Allah tests us; He tests our patience in poverty, our patience against the desires of the self, our patience at the death of people we love, and our patience with people who harm us.
Some trials are sent to test how we deal with the good things we have in our lives. If we are rich, will we feed the poor and give the needy? If we are educated and have vast knowledge, will we share our knowledge with others? If we are in positions of power, will we help people who need our help? Will we be thankful for the blessings we have?
Whoever passes those tests will be given the glad tidings.
(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.) [Al-Baqarah 2:155]
(And know that your wealth and your children are only a test and that with Allah is a great reward.) [Al-Anfal 8:28]
(We have indeed made whatever is on earth as an adornment for it, to test which of them is best in deeds.) [Al-Kahf 18:7]
(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]
(We will certainly test you ˹believers˺ until We prove those of you who ˹truly˺ struggle ˹in Allah’s cause˺ and remain steadfast, and reveal how you conduct yourselves.) [Muhammad 47:31]
(Your wealth and children are only a test, but Allah ˹alone˺ has a great reward.) [At-Taghabun 64:15]
إن الله تعالى خلقنا لنعبده وحده ولا نشرك به شيئا. وخلقنا كي يسعدنا ويدخلنا الجنة. لكن ثمن الجنة أن نطيعه ونلتزم بالشريعة التي وضعها لنا.
ولذلك يمتحننا الله تعالى حتى يختبرنا: يختبر صبرنا على الفقر، يختبر صبرنا على شهوة النفس، يختبر صبرنا على موت أحبائنا، صبرنا على من آذانا.
بعض الامتحانات تكون لاختبارنا بالتعامل بما هو حسن بحياتنا. إذا كنا أغنياء، هل نطعم الفقير ونعطي من الأموال للمحتاجين؟ هل نعطي الناس من العلم الذي أعطانا إياه الله؟ هل نساعد الناس الذين بحاجتنا إذا كنا ذوي مناصب؟ هل نشكر على النعم التي عندنا؟
ومن ينجح في هذه الامتحانات يكون له البشرى:
(وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ) [البقرة 2: 155]
(وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ) [الأنفال 8: 28]
(إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا) [الكهف 18: 7]
(كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ) [الأنبياء 21: 35]
(وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْ) [محمد 47: 31]
(إِنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ) [التغابن 64: 15]
1. Do People Think They Will Be Left? | أحسب الناس أن يتركوا
A claim of faith is followed by a test: Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test? (29:2). Ibn Kathir explains that the question is a denial, and its meaning is that Allah must test His believing servants according to the faith they have; he joins it to the verses that ask whether people expect to enter Paradise before Allah proves who strove and who stood firm (3:142, 2:214).
أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ (سورة العنكبوت: 2)
قال تعالى: (أحسب الناس أن يتركوا أن يقولوا آمنا وهم لا يفتنون) (العنكبوت 29: 2)، قال ابن كثير: استفهام إنكار، ومعناه: أن الله سبحانه وتعالى لا بد أن يبتلي عباده المؤمنين بحسب ما عندهم من الإيمان، وهذه الآية كقوله تعالى: (أم حسبتم أن تدخلوا الجنة ولما يعلم الله الذين جاهدوا منكم ويعلم الصابرين) (آل عمران 3: 142)، وقال في البقرة: (أم حسبتم أن تدخلوا الجنة ولما يأتكم مثل الذين خلوا من قبلكم) (البقرة 2: 214).
2. Wealth and Children Are a Test | أنما أموالكم وأولادكم فتنة
The scholar’s questions about how we use what we have find their answer in the verse: And know that your wealth and your children are only a test and that with Allah is a great reward (8:28). Ibn Kathir explains: a test from Him, since He gave them to you to know whether you thank Him for them and obey Him in them, or busy yourselves with them away from Him; and His reward, gifts and Paradise are better for you than wealth and children.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَأَوْلَادُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ (سورة الأنفال: 28)
قال تعالى: (واعلموا أنما أموالكم وأولادكم فتنة وأن الله عنده أجر عظيم) (الأنفال 8: 28)، قال ابن كثير: أي: اختبار وامتحان منه لكم؛ إذ أعطاكموها ليعلم أتشكرونه عليها وتطيعونه فيها، أو تشتغلون بها عنه، وقوله: (وأن الله عنده أجر عظيم) أي: ثوابه وعطاؤه وجناته خير لكم من الأموال والأولاد.
3. An Adornment to Test Who Is Best in Deeds | لنبلوهم أيهم أحسن عملا
We have indeed made whatever is on earth as an adornment for it, in order to test which of them is best in deeds (18:7). Ibn Kathir explains that Allah made this world a passing home adorned with a fading adornment, a home of testing and not of settling, and he cites the Prophet’s words: The world is sweet and green, and Allah is placing you in it as successors to see how you act; so beware of the world and beware of women (Sahih Muslim 2742). Why calamities befall people is explained in the wisdom behind the calamities that befall Allah’s creation.
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مَا عَلَى الْأَرْضِ زِينَةً لَّهَا لِنَبْلُوَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا (سورة الكهف: 7)
قال تعالى: (إنا جعلنا ما على الأرض زينة لها لنبلوهم أيهم أحسن عملا) (الكهف 18: 7)، قال ابن كثير: أخبر تعالى أنه جعل الدنيا دارا فانية مزينة بزينة زائلة، وإنما جعلها دار اختبار لا دار قرار، وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "إن الدنيا حلوة خضرة وإن الله مستخلفكم فيها فينظر كيف تعملون فاتقوا الدنيا واتقوا النساء" (صحيح مسلم 2742).
4. Until We Prove the Steadfast | حتى نعلم المجاهدين منكم والصابرين
We will certainly test you until We prove those of you who truly struggle and remain steadfast, and reveal how you conduct yourselves (47:31). Ibn Kathir explains: We will test you with commands and prohibitions; there is no doubt in Allah’s prior knowledge of what will be, so the meaning is until We know it as it happens, and Ibn Abbas said of such verses: that is, so that We see. What a believer says when tested by a calamity is explained in what a believer should say when a calamity strikes, and what Allah asks of us then in what Allah asks us to do when a calamity strikes.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ حَتَّىٰ نَعْلَمَ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَنَبْلُوَ أَخْبَارَكُمْ (سورة محمد: 31)
قال تعالى: (ولنبلونكم حتى نعلم المجاهدين منكم والصابرين ونبلو أخباركم) (محمد 47: 31)، قال ابن كثير: أي لنختبرنكم بالأوامر والنواهي، وليس في تقدم علم الله تعالى بما هو كائن أنه سيكون شك ولا ريب، فالمراد حتى نعلم وقوعه، ولهذا يقول ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما في مثل هذا: إلا لنعلم، أي: لنرى.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Why does Allah test the believers?
The price of Paradise is obeying Allah and the law He set for us, so He tests our patience in poverty, against our desires, at the death of loved ones, and with those who harm us.
Are blessings a test too?
Yes. Wealth and children are a test (8:28): will the rich feed the poor, the learned share their knowledge, those in power help people, and will we be thankful for our blessings?
Does saying we believe spare a person from trials?
No. Do people think once they say, We believe, that they will be left without being put to the test? (29:2).
What is promised to those who pass the tests?
Glad tidings: Give good news to those who patiently endure (2:155); and with Allah is a great reward (8:28).