💯 Miscellaneous Benefits from Yemen

BENEFIT 16: Perhaps Allāh is testing you because He loves you Muṣ’ab ibn Sa’d narrated from his father (Sa’d ibn Abī Waqqās) that a man said: O Messenger of Allāh! Which of the people is tried most severely? He ﷺ said: ((الأَنْبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الأَمْثَلُ فَالأَمْثَلُ فَيُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ دِينُهُ صُلْبًا اشْتَدَّ بَلاَؤُهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ رِقَّةٌ ابْتُلِيَ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ فَمَا يَبْرَحُ الْبَلاَءُ بِالْعَبْدِ حَتَّى يَتْرُكَهُ يَمْشِي عَلَى الأَرْضِ مَا عَلَيْهِ خَطِيئَةٌ)).‏ “The Prophets, then those nearest to them, then those nearest to them. A man is tried according to his religion; if he is firm in his religion, then his trials are more severe, and if he is frail in his religion, then he is tried according to the strength of his religion. The servant shall continue to be tried until he is left walking upon the earth without any sins.” [Jami’ At-Tirmidhi (2398)] Sheikh Albāni raḥimahullāh explained: ﻭﻓﻲ ﻫﺬﻩ اﻷﺣﺎﺩﻳﺚ ﺩﻻﻟﺔ ﺻﺮﻳﺤﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺃﻥ اﻟﻤﺆﻣﻦ ﻛﻠﻤﺎ ﻛﺎﻥ ﺃﻗﻮﻯ ﺇﻳﻤﺎﻧﺎ، اﺯﺩاﺩ اﺑﺘﻼء ﻭاﻣﺘﺤﺎﻧﺎ، ﻭاﻟﻌﻜﺲ ﺑﺎﻟﻌﻜﺲ، ﻓﻔﻴﻬﺎ ﺭﺩ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺿﻌﻔﺎء اﻟﻌﻘﻮﻝ ﻭاﻷﺣﻼﻡ اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻈﻨﻮﻥ ﺃﻥ اﻟﻤﺆﻣﻦ ﺇﺫا ﺃﺻﻴﺐ ﺑﺒﻼء ﻛﺎﻟﺤﺒﺲ ﺃﻭ اﻟﻄﺮﺩ ﺃﻭ اﻹﻗﺎﻟﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻮﻇﻴﻔﺔ ﻭﻧﺤﻮﻫﺎ ﺃﻥ ﺫﻟﻚ ﺩﻟﻴﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺃﻥ اﻟﻤﺆﻣﻦ ﻏﻴﺮ ﻣﺮﺿﻲ ﻋﻨﺪ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ! ﻭﻫﻮ ﻇﻦ ﺑﺎﻃﻞ، ﻓﻬﺬا ﺭﺳﻮﻝ اﻟﻠﻪ ﷺ ﻭﻫﻮ ﺃﻓﻀﻞ اﻟﺒﺸﺮ، ﻛﺎﻥ ﺃﺷﺪ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﺣﺘﻰ اﻷﻧﺒﻴﺎء ﺑﻼء، ﻓﺎﻟﺒﻼء ﻏﺎﻟﺒﺎ ﺩﻟﻴﻞ ﺧﻴﺮ، ﻭﻟﻴﺲ ﻧﺬﻳﺮ ﺷﺮ، ﻛﻤﺎ ﻳﺪﻝ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺫﻟﻚ ﺃﻳﻀﺎ اﻟﺤﺪﻳﺚ اﻵﺗﻲ: ((ﺇﻥ ﻋﻈﻢ اﻟﺠﺰاء ﻣﻊ ﻋﻈﻢ اﻟﺒﻼء، ﻭﺇﻥ اﻟﻠﻪ ﺇﺫا ﺃﺣﺐ ﻗﻮﻣﺎ اﺑﺘﻼﻫﻢ، ﻓﻤﻦ ﺭﺿﻲ ﻓﻠﻪ اﻟﺮﺿﺎ، ﻭﻣﻦ ﺳﺨﻂ ﻓﻠﻪ اﻟﺴﺨﻂ)). “In this ḥadīth there is a clear indication that the stronger the faith of a believer, the greater his trial and affliction, and vice versa. It also contains a refutation against those with weak minds and understanding who assume that whenever a believer suffers a misfortune, such as imprisonment, expulsion, or removal from work, etc., that this proves the believer is not beloved to Allāh! And this is a false assumption. Look at the (example of the) Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, and he is the best of mankind. He was the most severely tested of all people, including the prophets. So, affliction is often a good sign - not a bad sign, as is proven by the following hadith: “Indeed greater reward comes with greater trial. And indeed, when Allāh loves a people He subjects them to trials, so whoever is content, then for him is pleasure, and whoever is discontent, then for him is wrath.” [As-Silsilah Aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥah, ḥadīth No. 143 - 145]