Benefits of Trials & Tribulations

Benefits of Trials & Tribulations

Bismillah, all praises be to Allah, and may He send His salutations and blessings to our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

We wake up every day hoping that today will be a great day ahead of us. But sometimes life hits us with certain challenges and trials that we least expect. In fact, what could possibly be a great day can turn out to be a disaster as we are surprised by a calamity manifesting right in front of us. Some are facing the loss of a loved one, others on the other hand might be feeling that their life is turning upside down with obstacles at work and at home. Is life really that sad that we may not find any benefit in the calamities that we faced?

For a Muslim, the answer is quite clear. This is something he expects to happen because he knows this world is not a utopia but a realm of trials and tribulations and Allah s.w.t had prepared benefits for those struggling and striving to overcome their life trials and challenges.

The cycle of life

Does a Muslim really expect bad things to happen in his life? Yes, he does. This expectation will help us see the world differently from other people. This paradigm that the world is but a cycle of happiness and grief, interchanging in every moment of a person’s life, is part of Allah s.w.t’s grand design of this world.

Allah swt says:

وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةًۭ وَۖ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

“And We test you ˹O humanity˺ with good and evil as a trial, then to Us, you will ˹all˺ be returned.” – Surah Al Hadid verse 35.

The verse highlights the reality that we live in and that true happiness is when we return back to Allah in the afterlife. This is the manifestation of our belief in destiny (Taqdir) and in the existence of the next life.

With this expectation, we would not be shocked if anything happens and we are constantly prepared to face life’s challenges, perpetually building our resilience and patience to go through any affliction that will come.

It is no wonder the Prophet Sallahu Alaihi Wasallam stated in a Hadith:

الصَّبْرُ عِنْدَ الصَّدْمَةِ الأُولَى

“The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity”. – Sahih Bukhari

Hence only with this mindset and expectation in hand can we achieve patience at the first stroke of a calamity as we are not fooled by ourselves of the current state of happiness we are in and never be forgetful of the afterlife and Allah s.w.t’s eternal reward.

Forgiveness in pain

But even with this expectation in mind, we are still human, and therefore prone to feel grief, sadness, and a feeling of giving up when life strikes the hardest. But is there nothing underneath that sadness and suffering? Allah s.w.t sends glad tidings to us as there is a spiritual benefit underlying our challenges in the form of the expiation of sins.

The prophet Sallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:

مَا مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ تُصِيبُ الْمُسْلِمَ إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ اللَّه بُِهَا عَنْهُ، حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا

“No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn.” – Sahih Bukhari

Imagine the amount of pardon, mercy and forgiveness that one receives from Allah s.w.t while facing a hard time in life that even a small thorn that you stepped on while walking in the garden, invites His forgiveness and mercy. So what more if the afflictions of life that we faced are bigger than just a prick of a thorn.

Levelling Up Another form of benefit that Allah bestows upon us in times of affliction is raising our status in His eyes and in our next life. The bigger a calamity one faces, the higher the ranking you will be rewarded and paradise will be your compensation. This so-called law is evident in many Hadiths where the Prophet Sallahu Alaihi Wasallam describes the rewards of different groups of people who are tested in different ways.

Amongst them:

1) A person whom Allah has taken away his sight:

The Prophet said: “Allah said, ‘If I deprive my servant of his two beloved things (i.e., his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter Paradise in compensation for them.” – Sahih Al-Bukhari

2) A passing of a loved one be it a relative or a close friend:

The Prophet said: “Allah says, ‘I have nothing to give but Paradise as a reward to my believer slave, who, if I cause his dear friend (or relative) to die, remains patient.” – Sahih Al-Bukhari

Remember this law and it will give you a huge positive impact on you the next time you are faced with a calamity and it will reaffirm your faith in times of crisis as well.

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger

Someone might ask: But what you have presented so far are all things related to the afterlife and the unseen. Is there any tangible benefit that we can derive from a calamity in this world?

The idea that humans always tend to fail but come back stronger is the epitome of being a human. We are not perfect no matter how much we strive to be, but it is through our imperfections and failure that we grow to be a better person in life. Every time life comes and knocks us down, we get back up, learn from our mistakes, and embrace our adversity by turning it into an opportunity in life.

That is why a Muslim never gives up in life. Even though you might feel that there is no hope left, it is only when you choose to give up that you utterly fail. The Prophet Sallahu Alaihi Wasallam reaffirms this positive mindset even when we are in a negative state:

“A strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak one, and both are good. Strive for something that is beneficial for you. Keep asking Allah for help and do not refrain from it. If you are afflicted in any way, do not say: ‘If I had taken this or that step, it would have resulted into such and such,’ but say only: ‘Allah so determined and did as He willed.’ The word ‘if’ opens the gates of satanic thoughts.” – Sahih Muslim

Happiness is the default

When we are afflicted by adversity, know that there are rewards waiting for us in this world and in the next life. The unknown reality of this compensation might breed fear and anxiety in ourselves but one thing we need to understand about this life is that, goodness and happiness is the default state of affairs.

Any adversity that we face is only a deprivation of the goodness that is present in front of us. So do not despair as Allah had promised that even in this deprivation we will gain something out of it. So in reality, we are truly blessed to be believers. If a blessing comes into our lives, we are grateful that Allah cares for us, and if adversity comes, we are happy that Allah is paying attention to us and waiting to lend a helping hand. In any state of life we are thrown at, we will see victory, success, and opportunities at the end of the road.