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"From among the perfection of Allah's bounty upon His believing servants is that He imposes difficulties and hardships upon them in such a way that it forces them towards believing in His oneness. They call upon Him in total devotion, they hope from Him and from no one else.
In so doing, their hearts are attached to Him and no one else. They thus acquire the qualities of placing their trust in Him, turning to Him, experiencing the sweetness of Iman, tasting its sweetness, and freedom from polytheism. All these qualities are a far greater bounty upon them than the removal of some illness, fear, drought or harm which they may have been experiencing.
The absolute devotion to Allah سبحانه و تعالى that these believers in the oneness of Allah سبحانه و تعالى acquire cannot even be described. Each believer has a share of this according to the strength of his Iman."
"O my son! The affliction has not come to destroy you. Rather, it has come to test your patience and eeman. So an affliction is actually a bellows of a servant - a bellows is used by an iron-monger in order to remove the rust that is on steel - he either comes out as gold or as filth. As stated by a poet: 'We smelt it and thought that it was silver. However, the bellows exposed the filth of the steel.'"
"You should know that were it not for afflictions, a servant would become haughty, he would transgress and oppress.
Allah سبحانه و تعالى thus saves him from all this through afflictions. He purifies him of all the filth that is within him. So glory to that being [Allah سبحانه و تعالى] who shows His mercy through His afflictions and tests a person through His bounties.
A poet says: "At times, Allah سبحانه و تعالى bestows His bounty through afflictions even if they are very severe. And Allah سبحانه و تعالى tests some people through bounties."
A test exposing people to hardship may be met with perseverance, because hardship may sharpen the elements of determined resistance. It may remind those who are good at heart of Allah سبحانه و تعالى, so they turn to Him with earnest supplication which gives them hope, reassurance and a promise of better things to come.
A trial with affluence is withstood by only a few, because affluence makes people forget and riches cause them to feel self-sufficient. Hence, they indulge themselves seeking every type of pleasure. Such a test is passed only by a very small number of people.
"You should know that the pleasure of the intellect by what the creator [Allah سبحانه و تعالى] has decided is from among the acts of worship that are most devoted, that are the severest and the most difficult. Allah سبحانه و تعالى has drawn our attention to our inability to foresee the consequences. He says: 'It is likely that you dislike something while it is good for you. And it is likely that you like something while it is bad for you. Allah knows while you do not know.'" [see 2:216]
"Your riches and your children are but a trial. As for Allaah, with Him is a great reward."(64:15)
The word fitnah means 'test or trial'. The purport of the verse is to say that Allah سبحانه و تعالى tests man by means of his wealth and children as to whether he is so much engrossed in the love of wealth and children as to become heedless of Divine laws and injunctions, or he maintains his love for them within limits and remains heedful of his duties and obligations towards Allah سبحانه و تعالى.
The truth of the matter is that the love of wealth and children is a great trial for man. He mostly commits sins for their love, especially when he indulges in earning livelihood through unlawful means.
According to a hadith, some people will be brought on the Day of Judgment, and the people will look at him and say, "His family ate up his good deeds". [Ruh al-Ma'ani]
In another narration, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, referring to the children, said: "They are the cause of one's miserliness and cowardice."
It means that on account of their love, man fails to spend in Allah's way, and on account of their love he fails to participate in Jihad.
Some righteous elders have said, "Family is the weevil of obedience."
A weevil is a small beetle that feeds on grain and seeds and destroys crops. Likewise, a family feeds on man's good deeds and destroys them.
[Mufti Muhammad Shafi رحمه الله: Ma'ariful Qur'an]
In many cases, the pious prefer to bear patiently the afflictions of this world and hope that by doing so they will receive their rewards from Allah سبحانه و تعالى.
Such was the case with the Companion Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas رضي الله عنه who had lost his sight and was told by his friends that he should ask Allah سبحانه و تعالى to return his sight. His reply to them was, "The decree of Allah سبحانه و تعالى is more beloved to me than my eyesight."[Zarabozo: Sharh Arba'een an-Nawawi رحمه الله, p1170]
"O my son! Aqim-is-Salat (perform As-Salat), enjoin (people) for Al-Ma'ruf (Islamic Monotheism and all that is good), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allah, polytheism of all kinds and all that is evil and bad), and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily! These are some of the important commandments ordered by Allah with no exemption."(31:17)
"Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is Able to do all things. Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;(67:1-2)
Mufti Muhammad Shafi رحمه الله writes,
"It should be noted here that Allah سبحانه و تعالى did not say 'which of you does more deeds', but said 'which of you is better in deeds'. This indicates that it is not the quantity of actions that counts, but rather the quality of actions, that is, their being righteous and acceptable in the sight of Allah. That is why man's actions will not be counted on the Day of Judgement, but they will be weighed. In some instances, the weight of one action would be heavier than a thousand actions."
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم would supplicate:
"O Allah, give us certainty [in faith] such that it would make the hardships of this world easy upon us... And do not make our trials related to our religion..."
[at-Tirmidhi]
The greatest harm that could come to any Muslim is the type of trial that could affect his relationship with Allah سبحانه و تعالى and because of his own shortcomings make him a weaker Muslim. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has instructed, by example, that the Muslim should ask Allah سبحانه و تعالى to keep him safe from such a trial. And the first part of the supplication demonstrates that the person with a firm faith will be able to face any trial related to this world.
"Our life in this world is precarious. We pass through alternating periods of happiness and sadness, vigour and weakness, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, and so on.
A true believer is one who maintains a clear level of iman throughout the worldly fluctuations. He continues to remember Allah سبحانه و تعالى and ascribe the favours to Him, asking Him for relief from afflictions."
"And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord, 'Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.' So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them, as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us."(21:83-84)
The Story Of Sayyiduna Ayyoob عليه السلام
The story of Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) is based mostly on Jewish legends. Those which are considered as historically reliable by scholars of hadith are being reproduced here. The Holy Qur'an tells us only that he suffered from some serious disease but he endured his suffering with fortitude. Ultimately he prayed to Allah for recovery which was granted. During his illness all his family members and friends disappeared. They either died or just abandoned him to his fate. Then Allah Ta'ala restored him to complete health and gave him back all his children and also an equal number in addition. The remaining elements of this story have come down to us either through authentic sayings or by way of historical accounts. Hafiz Ibn Kathir رحمه الله has recorded the story as follows:
Allah Ta'ala had bestowed upon Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام), in the early days of his life, all sorts of material comforts such as wealth, property, magnificent houses, children, servants and attendants. But later he faced a trial whereby the prophets are normally tested by Allah, and was deprived of all these comforts. Moreover he suffered from a serious disease which was like leprosy and which affected his whole body except the heart and the tongue. In this miserable condition too he spent his time in prayers and in giving thanks to Allah Ta'ala with his heart and tongue. Because of this serious illness all his relatives, friends and neighbors avoided him and placed him near a garbage-dump outside the city. Nobody went near him except his wife who used to take care of him. She was either the daughter or grand daughter of Sayyidna Yusuf (عليه السلام) and her name was Layya daughter of Misha Ibn Yusuf (A.S). (Ibn Kathir)
All his wealth having been lost, she worked and earned a living for him and for herself and also nursed him in his illness. The ordeal of Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) was nothing new, nor something to be wondered at. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said that is the prophets عليهم الصلاة والسلام face the most severe tests, and then come the other believers according to their degree of piety.
In another tradition it is reported that every man is tested according to his adherence and devotion to religion. The stronger his beliefs, the harder is the test to which he is subjected, so that his rewards are in proportion to his sufferings.
Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) occupies a distinctive position among all the prophets for firmness in his devotion and endurance in his sufferings in the same manner as Dawud (عليه السلام) enjoyed distinction for offering thanks to Allah Ta'ala.
Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) is a model of endurance and fortitude in the most trying circumstances. Yazid Ibn Maisara رحمه الله reports that when Allah Ta'ala deprived him of all his worldly possessions and subjected him to a severe ordeal, he concentrated all his mind and efforts upon the sole purpose of remembering Allah Ta'ala and offering prayers to Him. While thanking Allah Ta'ala for all sorts of worldly comforts and children granted to him earlier and whose love had filled his heart completely, he also thanked Him for their total withdrawal because nothing remained to distract him from total devotion to Allah Ta'ala.
The ordeal of Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) was very severe indeed. He not only lost all his worldly possessions but was also afflicted by a terrible disease because of which people avoided his company. He spent seven years and some months lying near a garbage dump outside the city, but never once did he lose his heart nor did he ever utter a word of complaint about his fate. His wife, Layya once asked him to pray to Allah for His Mercy as his sufferings had become unbearable, to which he replied that having enjoyed for seventy years the best of health surrounded by all the luxuries that money could buy, it would be unworthy of him to complain because a mere seven years has been spent in pain and poverty.
His firm prophetic resolve, self-discipline and fortitude prevented him from beseeching Allah Ta'ala's mercy on his condition, lest it should be construed as an act contrary to the unquestioning submission to the will of Allah Ta'ala" (Although to invoke Allah's Mercy for relief from sufferings does not mean absence of fortitude). Ultimately something happened which made him pray to Allah Ta'ala for His Mercy but as mentioned earlier this was just a prayer and did not express a sense of complaint. As such Allah Ta'ala has put His seal in acknowledgment of his extreme endurance in these words:[color=red] "Surely We found him a steadfast man."(38:44). There are numerous versions of this story which have been omitted for their length.
Ibn Abi Hatim رحمه الله has reported on the authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas رضي الله عنهما that when Sayyidna Ayyub's (عليه السلام) supplication was granted, he was told to rub his heels on the ground and a stream of fresh and clear water would gush forth. He should then bathe himself in the water and also drink it, and the disease would disappear. Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) did as he was told and in no time his body, which was covered with boils and was reduced to skin and bones regained its original shape and health. Allah Ta'ala sent him garments from Paradise which he wore and sat down in a corner away from the garbage dump. His wife came to see him as usual and when she did not find him, she started crying. She did not recognize Ayyub (عليه السلام) who was sitting nearby in a corner because his appearance had changed completely. Then she turned to him and asked him if he had any information about the sick man who was lying there, and whether he had gone somewhere or had been eaten up by dogs and wolves.
She spoke to him for some time without realizing that the man was none other than her husband. Then Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) revealed himself, but even then she did not recognize him and asked him why he was making fun of her. Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) then told her to look at him again and try to recognize him. He also informed her that Allah Ta'ala had healed his body after he invoked His Mercy. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas رضي الله عنهما reports that after this, Allah Ta'ala restored to him all his wealth and children and gave him more children equal in number to the children which he had before (Ibn Kathir).
Sayyidna Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه says that Sayyidna Ayyub (عليه السلام) had seven sons and seven daughters but they all died while he was undergoing the ordeal. When his days of hardship were over, his children were brought back to life by Allah Ta'ala and his wife also gave birth to as many more children, to which the Qur'an refers to as (and the like thereof alongwith them - 21:84). According to Tha'labi this version is closer to the text of the Qur'an. (Qurtubi)
Some scholars say that he was granted as many new children as he had before and the word "mithl" (the like) refers to an equal number of grand children. (Only Allah knows best).
[Mufti Muhammad Shafi رحمه الله: Ma'ariful Qur'an]
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