Dalia's Articles
Know About Your Everyday Trials (Ibtela’)
By Dalia Rashwan
The tests and trials by Allah is an aspect of everyday’s life which a believer must learn and memorize. Allah gave us complete information about such tests and trials to be able not only to succeed in them but also to deal with them while feeling stable and secure.
Every time your belief in Allah deepens, the real truth about events unravels, trials would become identifiable, and your response would turn out to be much easier. You will feel that your sight is becoming clearer than before.
The clearest sight you will have will be on your day of judgment.
{(It will be said:) “Thou wast heedless of this; now have We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight this Day!”} (Kaf 50:22)
Forgetting Allah, sinning and tumbling in bad deeds are the causes for thickening of the veil on your sight.
{Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur).} (Bakara 2:7)
Allah’s trials vary widely. So, you need to be always alerted to be able to respond with the appropriate attitude before slipping into an emotional turmoil.
{Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere,} (Bakara 2:155)
Reasons and Benefits
Allah’s test “Ibtila’ ” identifies if you are a believer or a hypocrite.
{Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, “We believe”, and that they will not be tested?} (Ankaboot 29:2)
{We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.} (Ankaboot 29:3)
But if a believer decides to do a new good deed he must also be tested for this particular new case. The test would assess his sincerity besides serving as a purifier for his heart, to start the good deed with a purer sole.
Sometimes the events tighten its grip on the non-believer or the disobedient to ease his return to the right path. Feeling in distress and not being able to do anything to reverse the bad events, in other words “feeling helpless”, could drive a person to find his way to Allah as there would be no other way in sight.
{We had sent (Our guidance) to the nations who lived before you and afflicted them with distress and adversity so that they might submit themselves (to God).} (Al Anaam 6-42)
The test benefits the believer in many other ways.
It makes him appreciates Allah’s blessings so he can end up being more grateful.
It helps a believer feels even closer to Allah by the end of the test. Experiencing the need of Allah and being very weak enriches the believer’s spiritual feelings and help him build stronger bond with Allah. Then, Allah saves him through a rescue plan that did not come to his mind and add even to this healthy and strong relation.
{And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out,}{And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion.} (Talaq 65:2-3)
Allah’s test also serves as a teaching tool for a believer to know the rules of life. After every trial he would need to rethink the ordeal from the beginning till the end and learn a lesson about life.
These tests would make you stronger. Just imagine a young person who never experienced any pain in life and another who suffered, which one of them will be stronger and will able to walk through life hurdles steady and constructive? Certainly the second. Every experience in life gives you more power and wisdom and stimulates the development of an emergency mechanism that helps you deal with any future crisis.
In addition, these tests make you more tolerant to any disturbances around you, even if they seemed disastrous, because you know that being a believer gives you immunity from any harm that could happen, you also know that Allah is protecting you. All you need to do is to keep up with the good deeds, be patient and react with a proper response according to the teachings of Islam. What you need “not to do” is react emotionally with anger or fear that can drive you into disobeying Allah while trying to avert any damage you think it could happen. You must not worry at all.
In general, Allah’s test prepares you for a tough role in life and pushes you more towards being attached to the Hereafter than being distracted by materialistic life ambitions.
Fearing the Future
Some people are afraid of what is coming in the future. They know that there are tests for the Muslim but the idea scares them because this means there will be certainly some bad news to take.
Allah said in the Quran that he will test us for sure but he also said that these tests have rules and that they are not meant to destroy you. These rules are:
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Not every bad event will hurt you. It could have good consequences. Similarly, a good event is not always of benefit to you. It could have bad consequences.
{….But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.} (Baqara 2:215)
{….If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing, and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good.} (Al Nesaa 4:19)
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You will not be given any duty that is more than your capability.
{On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns….} (Baqara 2:286)
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There will always be some facilitation parallel with difficulties.
{So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief:} (Sharah 94:5)
{Verily, with every difficulty there is relief.} (Sharah 94:6)
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Allah will help you to overcome any difficulties.
{We will, without doubt, help our messengers and those who believe, (both) in this world’s life and on the Day when the Witnesses will stand forth,-} (Ghafer 40:51)
{Verily Allah will defend (from ill) those who believe: verily, Allah loveth not any that is a traitor to faith, or show ingratitude.} (Haj 22:38)
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Your reward will be in your lifetime before the Hereafter – which will be even much greater.
