689. The Greatest Reward Comes With The Greatest Trial

By Asma Bint Shameem

There’s an authentic hadeeth where the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said: 

"The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allaah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath." (Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)

However just because a person is going through difficulties does not necessarily mean that he is beloved to Allaah so the person gets complacent. 

Rather there are many reasons why Allaah puts a person through difficulties, and his SINS could be reason for that. 

If we’re tested with sickness, or other affliction, we should take a deep hard look at ourselves in the mirror and see...

If we’re obeying Allaah to the best of our ability and staying away from haraam, then the affliction is a test that will remove our sins and raise our ranks with the permission of Allaah. 

But if our life is full of disobedience and forbidden things, and we’re negligent of the day we will meet Allaah then most likely we’re being punished for our sins. And so we should hasten to make taubah to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala and ask for forgiveness. 

A believer does not forget his own sins and mistakes but he also ALWAYS has hope in Allaah’s Mercy. 

Someone asked Shaikh Salih Ibn Fawzaan Al-Fawzaan:

“How does a servant know if that which Allaah  has decreed to befall him is a punishment or a test and an exam from Allaah?”

Sheikh Sālih Al-Fawzaan replied: 

“He looks to himself and holds himself to account. If he has sins and evil deeds, then it is a punishment, and a warning from Allaah so that he may make tawbah.

And if it is the case that he does not have any sins — although there is nobody who is free from sins except if Allaah wills. However, if it is decreed that he has no sin, then it may be an elevation of his rank. It is possible that it is written for a person that he has a rank in Paradise that he cannot attain by way of his actions alone. So Allaah trials him with calamities, so that Allaah may by way of them elevate his station with Himself (subhānahū wa ta’ālā). 

Verily Allaah is the All-Wise and All-Knowing! He does not restrict a servant at all and he does not vengefully decree things in order to harm a person. Rather he decrees them for the benefit of the believer, forever and always.

As for the hypocrite and the disbeliever then Allaah  decrees them as a punishment upon them. 

And for this reason, Allaah said when the Incident of Uhud took place, and there occurred within the Muslims that which occurred: 

“So that Allaah may test (or purify) the believers (from sins), and destroy the disbelievers.”

This is wisdom from Allaah  Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.

So the calamities are for the believers a purification, and for the Disbeliever they are punishment and destruction. In this there is no doubt. 

So the Muslim holds himself to account, and he knows: ‘Nothing befalls you of calamity except due to that which your own hands have earned. And [Allaah] pardons much.’”

And Allaah knows best