☕ Trials — Ibtila 🌙

Assalamu Alaikum

You lose your job.

Someone you love becomes sick.

A family member struggles with issues.

Money gets tight.

A dua you've made for years still hasn't been answered the way you hoped.

Eventually, a question may surface:

Why is Allah testing me?

Islam doesn't pretend hardship isn't painful.

But it does give hardship a framework.

It's called ibtila — being tested by Allah.

And interestingly, the test isn't always something bad.

Allah says:

Notice the wording:

“We will certainly test you.”

Difficulty isn't an unexpected glitch in the life of a believer.

It's part of the experience Allah told us to expect.

But the verse doesn't say believers won't feel pain.

It teaches us how to respond to it.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Even seemingly small suffering isn't necessarily meaningless.

A difficult experience may become a means through which Allah removes sins.

The pain is real.

But it doesn't have to be wasted.

The Qur'an gives us several answers.

Trials can reveal the sincerity of our faith.

They can distinguish patience from impatience.

They can turn us back toward Allah.

They can remove sins.

They can raise a believer's rank.

And sometimes—

we simply don't know the specific reason.

That's important.

We shouldn't confidently tell someone, “Allah did this to you because…”

We know the general wisdom Allah has revealed about trials.

We don't always know Allah's specific wisdom behind a particular one.

When we hear test, we usually imagine hardship.

But Allah says:

Money can be a test.

Success can be a test.

Health can be a test.

Influence can be a test.

So can poverty, illness, and loss.

The question isn't simply:

“Is my life going well?”

It's:

“How am I responding to what Allah has given me?”

Patience is sometimes misunderstood as quietly accepting every problem.

But sabr doesn't prevent action.

If you're sick, seek treatment.

If you've lost your job, apply for another.

If you've made a mistake, correct it.

If someone is being wronged, address the injustice appropriately.

You can take action and have sabr.

Sabr means remaining within what pleases Allah while dealing with what He has decreed.

When hardship comes, two questions produce very different mindsets.

“Why is this happening to me?”

versus:

“What does Allah expect from me while this is happening?”

You may never receive a complete answer to the first question in this life.

The second one often has an answer:

Pray.

Take the appropriate action.

Make dua.

Avoid what is haram.

Have sabr.

And keep turning toward Allah.

When faced with difficulty, the Qur'an teaches us:

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un.

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”

— Qur'an 2:156

This isn't only something Muslims say when someone dies.

Allah mentions it immediately after describing those who are afflicted by hardship.

It reminds us of something fundamental:

We belong to Allah. And eventually, all of us return to Him.

A trial doesn't automatically mean Allah is angry with you.

And an easy life doesn't automatically mean Allah is pleased with you.

Both hardship and ease can be tests.

So when life becomes difficult, don't feel obligated to understand every reason behind it.

Sometimes you won't.

Instead ask:

What would please Allah from me right now?

Take the necessary action.

Make dua.

Have sabr.

And remember:

The test is temporary.

What you do with it can follow you into the akhirah.

Until tomorrow,
Stay steadfast on the Straight Path.

— Islam Brew 🌙

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