An email I received. Sharing because I want him to get rewarded for everyone that benefits from it.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم جزاك الله خيرا for your recent post! Amazingly, I had been feeling overwhelmed for the last few months, and especially this morning I was being faced with some troublesome thoughts, then Allāhu Akbar!! Allaah سبحانه وتعالى guided you to write this post, as if it was a reminder from Him to me, Alhamdulillāh! May He alleviate our sadness, grant us ease and may He make us patient with the trials and reward us for it in the hereafter. I wanted to share a benefit by Ibnul-Qayyim I came across some time ago, which is beneficial in helping oneself in having حسن الظن. He mentions six points a person can consider to help deal with the decree which is difficult to deal with. I’ve added a pic of the arabic as well. قال ابن قيم الجوزية، رحمه الله: إذا جرى على العبد مقدور يكرهه؛ فله فيه ستة مشاهد : Ibnul-Qayyim (May Allāh have mercy upon him): If something occurs to the slave from the decree which he dislikes then let him adopt six perspectives regarding it: أحدها: مشهد التوحيد، وأن الله هو الذي قدّره وشاءه وخلقه. وما شاء الله كان، وما لم يشأ لم يكن. 1. The aspect of tawheed (monotheism); that Allāh is the One who decreed it, willed it and created it. What Allāh wills, occurs and what He does not will, will not occur. الثاني: مشهد العدل، وأنه ماضٍ في حكمه، عدل فيه قضاؤه. 2. The aspect of justice; that His judgment will come to pass and His divine decree concerning him is just. الثالث: مشهد الرحمة، وأنَّ رحمته في هذا المقدور غالبة لغضبه وانْتقامه، ورحمته حشوه. 3. The aspect of mercy; that His mercy concerning this decree prevails His anger and His retribution. الرابع: مشهد الحكمة، وأنَّ حكمته سبحانه اقْتضتْ ذلك، لم يُقدِّرْه سدًى، ولا قضاه [عبثًا]. 4. The aspect of wisdom; that His wisdom, Exalted is He, necessitated this [decree]. He did not decree it futilely and nor did He foreordain it in vain. الخامس: مشهد الحمد، وأنَّ له سبحانه الحمد التامّ على ذلك من جميع وجوهه. 5. The aspect of praise. Acknowledging that to Allāh belongs all perfect praise for this [decree] in all it’s aspects. السادس: مشهد العبودية، وأنه عبد محض من كل وجه، تجري عليه أحكام سيِّده وأقضيته بحكم كونه ملكه وعبده، فيُصرِّفه تحت أحكامه القدرية كما يُصرِّفه تحت أحكامه الدينية، فهو محلٌّ لجريان هذه الأحكام عليه. 6. The aspect of uboodiyyah (servitude to Allāh). That the person is merely a slave of Allaah in every aspect. The judgments and decrees of his Lord will occur to him by virtue of him being His possession and His slave. So He directs the slave to His universal rulings just as He directs him to His religious rulings, thus the slave is subject to the occurrence of these judgments upon him. [الفوائد لابن القيم، ص. ٤٦] Al-Fawaaid (pg.46) And like you said LIFE IS A TEST! Rather the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم affirmed that the believer will not cease to continue being tested until he meets Allāh سبحانه وتعالى!⬇️ قال رسول الله ﷺ: ما يَزالُ البَلاءُ بِالمُؤمن والمُؤمِنَة فِي نَفسِه وَوَلَدِه وَمَالِه، حَتَّى يَلقى الله َوَما عَلَيهِ خَطِيئَةٌ. رواه الترمذي[٢٣٩٩] صحيح في صحيح الجامع للإمام الألباني [٥٨١٥] وحسن صحيح في الصحيح المسند للإمام الوادعي [١٤٢٠] The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said : “The believing male and believing female will not cease to be tested within their own-self, children and wealth until they meet Allāh whilst having no sins.” (i.e. as an atonement through the hardships they suffered) Reported by At-Tirmidhī [2399]. Graded ‘Sahīh’ by Al-imām Al-Albānī in Sahīh Al-Jāmi’ [5815] and ‘Hasan Sahīh’ by Al-Imām Muqbil Al-Wādi’ī in As-Sahīh Al-Musnad [1420].