Trials – Tests – Fitan – Page 3

Istirja (Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilahi Raaji’oon) – Tafseer Ibn Katheer

by AbdurRahman.orgDecember 8, 2009January 17, 2015

Tafseer Ibn Katheer – Suratul Baqarah [Surah No.2]

(155. And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient).)
(156. Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”)
(157. They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e., who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.)

Allah informs us that He tests and tries His servants, just as He said in another Ayah:

(And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard (for the cause of Allah) and As-Sabirin (the patient), and We shall test your facts (i.e., the one who is a liar, and the one who is truthful).) (47:31)

Hence, He tests them with the bounty sometimes and sometimes with the afflictions of fear and hunger. Allah said in another Ayah:

(So Allah made it taste extreme of hunger (famine) and fear.) (16:112)

The frightened and the hungry persons show the effects of the affliction outwardly and this is why Allah has used here the word `Libas’ (cover or clothes) of fear and hunger. In the Ayat above, Allah used the words:

(with something of fear, hunger,) meaning, a little of each. Then (Allah said),

(loss of wealth,) meaning, some of the wealth will be destroyed,

(lives) meaning, losing friends, relatives and loved ones to death,

(and fruits,) meaning, the gardens and the farms will not produce the usual or expected amounts. This is why Allah said next:

(but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient).)

He then explained whom He meant by `the patient’ whom He praised:

(Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”) meaning, those who recite this statement to comfort themselves in the face of their loss, know that they belong to Allah and that He does what He wills with His servants. They also know that nothing and no deed, even if it was the weight of an atom, will be lost with Allah on the Day of Resurrection. These facts thus compel them to admit that they are Allah’s servants and that their return will be to Him in the Hereafter.

This is why Allah said:

(They are those on whom are the Salawat (i. e., who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His mercy,) meaning, Allah’s praise and mercy will be with them. Sa`id bin Jubayr added, “Meaning, safety from the torment.”

(and it is they who are the guided ones.) `Umar bin Al-Khattab commented: “What righteous things, and what a great heights.

(They are those on whom are the Salawat from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His mercy) are the two righteous things.

(and it is they who are the guided ones) are the heights.”

The heights means more rewards, and these people will be awarded their rewards and more.

There are several Ahadith that mention the rewards of admitting that the return is to Allah by saying:(“Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”) when afflictions strike.

For instance, Imam Ahmad reported that Umm Salamah narrated:

Once, Abu Salamah came back after he was with Allah’s Messenger and said: I heard Allah’s Messenger recite a statement that made me delighted. He said:(No Muslim is struck with an affliction and then says Istirja` when the affliction strikes, and then says: `O Allah! Reward me for my loss and give me what is better than it,’ but Allah will do just that.) Umm Salamah said: So I memorized these words. When Abu Salamah died I said Istirja` and said: “O Allah! Compensate me for my loss and give me what is better than it.” I then thought about it and said, “Who is better than Abu Salamah” When my `Iddah (the period of time before the widow or divorced woman can remarry) finished, Allah’s Messenger asked for permission to see me while I was dyeing a skin that I had. I washed my hands, gave him permission to enter and handed him a pillow, and he sat on it.

He then asked me for marriage and when he finished his speech, I said, “O Messenger of Allah! It is not because I do not want you, but I am very jealous and I fear that you might experience some wrong mannerism from me for which Allah would punish me. I am old and have children.” He said: (As for the jealousy that you mentioned, Allah the Exalted will remove it from you. As for your being old as you mentioned, I have suffered what you have suffered. And for your having children, they are my children too.) She said, “I have surrendered to Allah’s Messenger.” Allah’s Messenger married her and Umm Salamah said later, “Allah compensated me with who is better than Abu Salamah: Allah’s Messenger .’ [ Muslim reported a shorter version of this Hadith]

Source : Quran : Tafsir Ibn Kathir : Surah No.2

When Does a Slave Know that a Trial is a Test or a Punishment? – Imam Ibn Baz

by AbdurRahman.orgOctober 30, 2009March 24, 2018

Taken From the Fatawaa of our Shaykh, Allaama Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdul Azeez bin Abdullaah Bin Baz. Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya [Taken from : binbaz.org.sa via Sahab.net]

Question:

If a person is put to trial with a sickness or an evil affliction physically or with his wealth, how does he know that this trial is a test or Anger from Allaah?

Answer:

Allaah Azza Wa Jal tests His slaves in prosperity and adversity, in hardship and ease. He sometimes tests them with these things to raise their grade and to enhance the status of those people and to double their good deeds. Like what Allaah did for the Prophets and Messengers – alayhim as-Salaat wa as-Salaam, as well as the righteous people from the worshippers of Allaah.

Like the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – said: the most severely of the people to be trialed are the Prophets, then those who are next in grade, then the next.

Sometimes Allaah does this due to the sins and transgression of the people, so that the punishment can be hurried.

Like Allaah Subhanahu said:

<< And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much. >>

So, what is general for humans is that they are deficient, and they do not observe all the obligatory duties. Therefore, what afflicts them is due to their sins and shortcomings with regard to Allaah’s commands.

For this reason, if someone from the righteous slaves of Allaah is afflicted with some disease or something similar, then this is from the type of trials for the Prophets and Messengers, raising of their grades and increase of reward, to be an example for others, in having patience and contentment.

So briefly, it could be a test to raise grades and to make the reward greater, like Allaah does for some of the righteous people. It could be expiation for evil deeds, as is mentioned in the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:

<< whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof >>

Also the saying of the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam –: A Muslim is not afflicted with distress, nor sorrow, nor disease nor hardship, nor sadness nor any harm except that Allaah expiates from his sins even by a thorn that pricks him.

The saying of the Prophet – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – whom so ever Allaah intends good for, Allaah compels him with a trial. It could be that this is a punishment which has been hastened due to transgression by the slave and him not having hastened in repenting as is mentioned in the hadeeth of the Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – that he said:

‘If Allaah intends good for His slave then He hastens his punishment in this world, and if Allaah prescribes evil for His slave, then Allaah holds back his sins until He recompenses them for him on the Day of Judgment.’

[ Narrated by Tirmidhi & he declared it hasan]

All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His peace and blessings be upon our final Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions and all those who follow his guidance.

The greater the test, the greater the reward – Abu Uwais Abdullaah Ali

by AbdurRahman.orgOctober 19, 2009October 25, 2014

Allaah says in Surah Al-Hajj (22:11) :

“And among mankind is he who worships Allâh as it were, upon the very edge; if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, when fitnah comes to him, or a hardship befalls him, if something that brings about grief comes his way, if he is tested, if he is put to the test, when sadness comes his way, if a hardship befalls him, what happens? He flips upon his face. He loses both this world and the Hereafter. There is no doubt that this is the clear loss.”

Walhamdulillah. The greater the test, the greater the reward, the greater the hardship the greater the reward, the greater the difficulty, the greater the reward from Allaah (tabarak wa ta’ala). And the Salaf understood this.

Urwah Ibn Zubair, a well known from the Salaf had a problem with his foot. So the doctors decided that they had to cut it off, cut the foot off. When the doctors cut it off he didn’t say anything except these words: ‘O Allaah, for you are Full praise. For if you have taken some, you have left some. And if you have tested, and put through difficulty you have also put in good condition. If you have tested and tried and put through difficulty you have also put good health, good circumstances and good conditions.’The next day his son was riding a horse or mule and fell off of it and died. So they came to Urwah with the information of the death of his son, he didn’t say anything except : ‘O Allaah, for you is full praise. For if you have taken some, you have left some. And if you have tested and tried you have also placed us in good situations and good condition.’ So when he was asked about this he said: ‘I had 4 limbs (meaning 2 arms and 2 legs) and Allaah took some and left some. ‘I had 4 limbs 2 arms and 2 legs Allaah took one and left me three. I had 7 sons, Allaah (tabrak wa tala) took one and left six. And he gave me good condition, or good situation my whole life up until this time. Then he tested me. Should I not praise Allaah for that? Should I not praise Allaah for that?’

Read the full transcribed lecture here:
The Greater The Hardship The Greater The Reward – Abu Uwais Abdullaah Ali – Transcribed Lecture

Prophet’s Guidance in Treating Afflictions – Imaam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah

by AbdurRahman.orgJuly 23, 2009October 16, 2014

Another excellent piece of analysis & advice from Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah

Source: Provisions for the Hereafter (Mukhtasar Zad Al-Ma’ad) – By: Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. Summarized by: Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab At-Tamimi Pgs.457-459.

Allah the Most High says,

“And certainly we shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say, “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi raji’un (Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return).” They are those on whom are the Salawat ( i.e who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and ( they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.” Surah Al-Baqarah 2:155-157

Then he (i.e. Ibn Al- Qayyim) mentioned the Hadeeth of Al-Istirja and then he said: This expression is one of the most effective and most beneficial treatments for one who is afflicted by calamities, because it contains two fundamental principles, which if they are realized, the slave will be consoled thereby from his calamity.(Al- Istirja’: saying the words: “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi raji’un”) Verily, we are for Allah and to Him we shall return. This Hadeeth was narrated by Muslim and Ahmad, on the authority of Umm Salamah radi Allahu anhu.

The first of them is that the slave and his wealth belong to Allah and He has given it to him as a loan.

The second of them is that the return is to Allah and it is inevitable that he will leave the life of this world behind; so if this is his beginning and his end, then his thinking about them is one of the greatest treatments for this illness and a part of his treatment is that he knows that what was ordained to afflict him cannot miss him and what was ordained to miss him cannot afflict him.And a part of it is that his Lord has set aside for him the like of that which he missed or better and He has stored up for him that which is many times better than the calamity and that if He had willed, He could have made the calamity greater than it was.

Another part of his extinguishing the fire of his misfortune by the coolness of comfort and consolation, so he should look to his right and to his left (i.e. at the world around him) and he should know that the pleasures of this life are an illusion, though they may cause him to laugh a little, they will cause him to weep much.

Also a part of it is the knowledge that discontent does not alleviate the misfortune; indeed , it increases it.

And another part of it is the knowledge that losing the reward which Allah has guaranteed for patience and Istirja’ is greater than it.

And another part of the treatment is the knowledge that discontent causes his enemy to take pleasure and grieves his friend and makes his Lord Angry.

Still another part of it is the knowledge that the pleasure which follows patient perseverance and the expectation of Allah’s Reward is many times greater than that which he would have experienced from the thing which he lost, if it had remained with him.

Another part of it is that he should sooth his heart by seeking recompense for it from Allah.

And a part of it is the knowledge that his reaction to the calamity will determine what happens to him, for whoever accepts( Allah’s Qadr), Allah will be pleased with him and whoever is angry at it, Allah will be angry with him.

Also a part of the treatment is the knowledge that even if he was patient sometime after the calamity struck, that being the patience of the one who is resigned, that is not praiseworthy and it is not rewarded.

Another part of it is the knowledge that one of the most effective medicines is the success granted by Allah in attaining that which He loves and which is pleasing to Him and that it is the essence of love.

Another part of it is for him to compare between the greater and the lesser of the two pleasures: between the pleasure which he enjoys due to (his acceptance of) the calamity which befell him and the pleasure which he enjoys due to the reward of Allah (which he receives due to his acceptance and patient perseverance).

And a part of it is the knowledge that the one who put him to trial is the Best of judges and the Most Merciful of those who show mercy and that He has not subjected him to misfortune in order to destroy him, but in order to test him and to hear entreaties and see him prostrating at His door.

Another part of it is the knowledge that misfortunes are a means of preventing sickness which will cause his destruction, such as pride, arrogance, and hardness of the heart.

Still another part of it is the knowledge that the bitterness of this life is the sweetness of the afterlife and vice versa. And if this is not apparent to you, examine the words of the truthful one, whose words are believed:“Paradise is surrounded by hardships and the Hell-Fire is surrounded by temptations.”(Narrated Muslim, At-Tirmidihi, Ahmad and Ad-Darimi, on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik radi Allahu anha).

And in this matter, the minds of mankind are at fault and the reality of men is made clear (i.e. that they prefer the temporary pleasures of this world to the everlasting pleasures of the Hereafter).