Why am I being tested?

There comes a time in all our lives when we are accused and our accusers are not interested in facts, only in dispensing with us. Everything we say is counted against us, even our good points and our virtues are brought in evidence against us, and all the rules seem to be suspended. When we face situations like this, we tend to despair of our faith or ask ourselves where is the help of Allah.

A Muslim is not a member of some sort of elite leisure class, that Allah gives us a credit card with an unlimited line of credit, which incurs blessings, healing and honours upon us. Its quite different. Most of the practising religious folks go through a lot of hardships, they tempered with adversity and annealed in pain and struggle because Allah loves them. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "When Allah loves a servant, He tests them" [Tirmidhi].   The suffer bruises, lose temper, face evil and injustice...by the permission of Allah all the elements of the universe merge to drag them to sin to test their resilience. 


When life gets tough, remember the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) also faced many challenges in his life. It did not make him any less Muslim, nor does it make you any less a Muslim. Islam is not a religion that promises to expunge all hardships from your life after you accept the faith; it is a religion that guarantees that your hardships would have meaning and reward. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick she receives from a thorn, but Allah expiates some of her sins for that" [Bukhari]. The greater the toils, snares and unfair disadvantages we suffer, inshaAllah the greater love and reward we will receive from Allah.