Tests For The Believers
Source: The
Inevitable Journey (QSS)
Article ID :
TZK050012 [15260]
A
person life in this world is not stable. One passes through alternating periods
of happiness and dismay, strength and weakness, wealth and poverty, health and
sickness etc. A true believer is one who maintains a clear level of
Eeeman throughout the worldly fluctuations. He continues to remember Allah and
ascribe the bounties to Him; and he turns to Him in submission, asking for
relief from his affliction. This is described by the Messenger
(sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) who said:
“Indeed
amazing are the affairs of a believer! They are all for his benefit; If he is
granted ease of living he is thankful; and this is best for him. And if he
is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres; and this is best for him.” [ Muslim ]
And
Allah (S) said (which means):
“Certainly, We
shall test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits; but give glad
tidings to the patient – those who, when afflicted with calamity
say, ”Truly to Allah we belong,and truly to Him shall we return. ”It is those who
will be awarded blessings and mercy from their Lord; it is those who are the
guided ones.” [ 2:155-157 ]
Thus,
a believer shows gratitude and thankfulness for all the wonderful blessings
that Allah grants him. And he displays patience and submission during sickness
and hardships, hunger, or other afflictions.
HARDSHIP BENEFIT THE BELIEVER
Allah
has decreed that in this life, hardships and disaster strike both believers and
non-believers. For a non-believer they are inconveniences that hinder him from
proceeding with his normal involvement in the worldly life. For a
believer, on the other hand, they are instances of rest and remembrance, tests
that promise great rewards and indications of atonement and expiation of sins. Regardless
of how little is the harm that strikes a believer, it carries with it good news
of forgiveness and elevated rank (in Jannah). The Righteous Predecessors used
to be pleased when hardship afflicted them seeing it as a token of Allah’s
forgiveness and benevolence.
EXPIATION OF SINS
Abu
Hurayrah (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam) said:
“Hardships
continue to befall a believing man and woman in their body,family, and
property, until they meet Allah (Subhanaahu wa ta’alaa) with no sins.”[ Tirmithee ]
SIGNS OF ALLAH’S LOVE
Abu
Hurayrah (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam) said:
“Whenever
Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity.”[ Bukharee and others ]
SIGN OF EEMAN
Abu
Hurayrah (radiallaahu anhu) and Ka’b Bin Malik (radiallaahu anhu) reported that
the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“The
parable of a believer is that of a fresh and moist plant; the wind tilts
it this way and that way; and so is the believer; he continues to be subject to
affliction. And the parable of a hypocrite is that of a firm cedar tree; it
does not shake - until it is
uprooted all at once.”[ Bukharee and Muslim ]
SIGN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The
prophets and righteous people are afflicted the most and their rewards
are the highest. Sa’d (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu
alaihi wasallam) said:
“The most in their suffering among the people are the prophets, then the best, then the (next) best. One is afflicted in accordance with his deen (faith). If his deen is firm his affliction is hard, and if his deen is weak, his affliction is light. Indeed, one would be so much subjected to adversity until he walks among the people without any sins.” [ Ahmad, Tirmithee ]
EARLY PUNISHMENT
Anas
(radiallaaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)
said:
“When
Allah wills good for a servant of His, He expedites his punishment in this
life; and when He wills retribution for a servant of His, He holds his sins for
Him to judge him by them on the Day of Resurrection.” [ Tirmithee ]
MULTIPLICATION OF REWARDS
Anas
(radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam) said:
“The
amount of reward is in accordance with the amount of suffering. When Allah
(SWT) loves some people, He tries them (with affliction). He
who then is content (with Allah’s decree) has achieved the acceptance (of
Allah), and he who is dissatisfied (with Allah’s decree) will attain the anger
(of Allah).” [ Tirmithee ]
REWARD FOR SICKNESS
One
should not look to sickness as a gloomy episode, but should remember the great
good in it. It is one form of affliction with which Allah (Subhanaahu wa
ta’alaa) tests His ‘ibaad (servants), giving them a chanceto acquire rewards, as was explained above, as is further
emphasized below.
REMOVAL OF SINS AND ELEVATION IN
RANKS
Abu
Hurayrah (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam) said:
“Whenever
a Muslim is afflicted by harm from sickness or other matters, Allah will drop his sins because of
that, like a tree drops its leaves.” [ Bukharee and Muslim ]
Abu
Sa’eed al-Khudree (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallalaahu
alaihi wasallam) said:
“A
Muslim is not afflicted by hardship, sickness, sadness, worry, harm, or
depression – even if pricked by a thorn, but Allah expiates his sins because of
that.” [ Bukharee and Muslim ]
Sa’eed
said: ”I was with Salmaan (radiallaahu anhu) when he visited a sick man in
Kindah (in Persia) and he said to him, ”Expect good because Allah (SWT) makes a believers sickness an expiation (for his sins) and a period
of rest. However, when a disbeliever falls sick, he is like a camel whose owner
ties it then lets it loose – it does not understand why it was tied nor why it
was freed.”"[ Bukharee ]
‘Aishah
(radiallaahu anhu) narrated that once some pain afflicted the Prophet
(sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) causing him to suffer and turn about in his bed, she
said: ”Had one of us done this, you would have blamed him.”He (sallallaahu
alaihi wasallam) replied:
“An
ailment is intensified for the righteous, whenever a believer is
afflicted by a hardship, whether it is a thorn or more, a sin is
taken of from him because of it, and he is elevated by one rank (in Jannah).” [ Ahmad ]
RETAINING REWARDS FOR DEEDS
BEFORE SICKNESS
Usually,
when a believer falls sick he would not be able to do the same amount of
good (prayer, fasting, helping Muslim etc.) that he used to do when he was
well. But Allah out of His great mercy, continues to record for him the good
deeds that was forced to stop because of his sickness. Abu Moosa Al-Ash’aree
(radiallaahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“For
a travelling or sick person, his deeds will be recorded in accordance
with what he used to do when he was resident or well.” [ Bukharee ]
Abdullah
Bin Amr (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam) said:
“No
(believing) person gets sick, but (his deeds) will be recorded for him in
accordance with what he used to do when he was well.” [ Bukharee ]
Anas
(radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said:
“No
muslims body is afflicted by Allah, but He will record (his deeds) for him in
accordance with what he used to do when he was well – as long as he is sick. Thus,
if He takes his life, He forgives him; and if He cures him, He washes him (from
sins).” [ Bukharee ]
‘Uqbah
Bin Aamir (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu
alaihi wasallam) said:
“Each
days deeds are sealed with it, thus when a believer gets sick,the angels
say,”Our Lord! Your servant such and such, You have restrained him (from doing
good this day).”And the Lord replies,”Seal his day in accordance with his
(usual) deeds, until he is cured or dies.” [ Ahmad ]
REASON FOR THE REWARD
‘Atta
Bin Rabaah reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas (radiallaahu anhu) told him,”Do you want
to see a woman from the people of Jannah (paradise)? ”He said “Yes”. He
said:”It is a black woman. She came to the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam) saying,”I have (epileptic) seizures, and I get exposed, so supplicate
to Allah for me. ”He (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said:’
“If
you wish, be patient and you will attain Jannah; or if you wish, I will ask
Allah to cure you.”
She
replied, ”I will be patient! But my body gets exposed (because of
the fall), so supplicate to Allah for me that I do not become
exposed.”And he (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) did.”[ Bukharee and Muslim ]
The
scholars have differed in opinion as to whether a sick person will be rewarded
for the sickness itself or for being patient during it, the correct
opinion is that if he is patient and submits to Allah’s will as in the
above hadeeth, he would be rewarded for both the submission and the
sickness, otherwise, he would not be rewarded at all; because he resented
Allah’s decree. This is what should be understood from Ibn Hajar
al-‘Asqalanee’s words:
“The
authentic hadeeths are clear in that the rewards are recorded once
affliction strikes a Muslim as for patience and acceptance, they are virtues
for which a person may get additional rewards over those for the
affliction.”
‘Abdullah
Bin Amr (radiallaahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi
wasallam) said:
“If
a Muslim is pricked (as little as) a thorn in the worldly life, and he seeks
its reward from Allah, some of his sins will be removed, because of it, on the
Day of Judgement.” [ Bukharee ]
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