5 Reasons - Reasons We Are Tested (1/3)

Life is filled with ups and downs, and Allah tests us for various reasons. Tests are a means for us to fulfill our promise to worship Allah and to distinguish between those with faith and those without. Allah tests us to purify us and wash away our sins. Tests can also replace worse misfortunes and protect us from harm. They strengthen our faith and allow us to attain the highest rank in Paradise. Tests expose our faults so we can rectify them. Allah tests those He loves because it brings them closer to Him. 5 Reasons Why We Are Tested Life is filled with ups and downs, and there are times where our trials seem unending. In the Quran, there are several verses in which Allah talks about the varying ways we will be tested. But He also provides a care package to help us navigate those trying moments. Why Are We Tested? This is a very common question from Muslims, people of other faiths or no faith. So it's important to reflect on it. Lack of answers can sometimes distance people from their faith. If a person doesn't understand why trials happen, they can start to feel life is unfair or even that God is being unfair. But Allah is Al-Adl, the Just, and He is Ar-Rahman, the Most Merciful. He never wants ill for His servants. He only wants the best for us. There is a lot of evidence in the Quran and Hadith that helps us answer this question of why we are tested. We were created to worship Allah, and we all made a promise to do so before we were sent to earth. Tests are a means for us to fulfill this promise. In fact, they are a Sunnah of Allah. That is, tests are the means by which Allah distinguishes between us because they help to expose faith and the lack of faith. Allah states in the Quran Do people think that they will be left at ease only on their saying, we believe, and will not be put to test? Allah tests us to purify us and wash away our sins. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even if it were the prick of a thumb. So, instead of seeing tests as a punishment from Allah, this shows that in fact, Allah wants to save us from the punishment, that is, the punishment of the Hereafter, which is much more worse than any test faced in this Dunya. A test can sometimes replace a worse misfortune. A test can be a form of protection from something that might have befallen us, or being deprived of something might, in fact, be saving us from something that is not good for us, even though we don't have the knowledge to realize it at that time. Allah tells us, perhaps you dislike a thing, and Allah makes therein much good. Therefore, the test which might seem so awful to you at that time is in fact a blessing. Tests are given to us to strengthen our Iman. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, The people who face the most difficult tests are the Prophets, then the righteous, then those following them in degree. A person is tried according to his religion. So, if there is firmness in his religion, then the trial is increased, and if there is a weakness, then it is lightened. Verily, a trial remains with a servant until he walks the earth having no sin left upon him. Allah wants to refine us out of His love and mercy, so that we can attain not just Paradise, but the highest rank of the Prophets and the righteous. Tests expose our faults and weaknesses to ourselves, and that awareness enables us to be more focused and proactive in rectifying those aspects of our character. Allah tests a person He loves. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, Whenever Allah wills good for a person, He subjects them to adversity. Why? Because if the servant reacts with sabr and contentment with Allah's decree, it brings them closer to Allah, and Allah loves the patient.