Why we are tested?

 

God is being unfair?

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 Qur’an and hadith that helps us answer this question of why we are tested.

 We were created to worship Allah

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 – i.e. tests are the means by which Allah distinguishes between us, because they help to expose faith and lack of faith.  Allah states in the Qur’an:

‘Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe” and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident those who are false.’ [Qur’an 29: 2-3]

2) Allah tests us to purify us and wash away our sins.

The Prophet (saw) 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 thorn.”  [Bukhari, Muslim].

So instead of seeing tests as a punishment from Allah, this shows that in fact, Allah wants to save us from punishment – i.e. the punishment of the Hereafter which is much 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 realise it at the time.  Allah tells us: “Perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.” [Qur’an 4: 19]. Therefore the test which might seem so awful to you at the time is, in fact, a blessing.

 Tests are given to us to strengthen our iman (faith).

The Prophet (saw) 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.” [Bukhari].

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.