INTRODUCTION:


If people were aware and act according to the word of Almighty Allah in Surah Al-Anam 6: 162 that Say:my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and death are all for Allah, the Lord of the World”; trial would not have become problem of their life to be worried about. Based on the iman (faith), True faith is to believe in Oneness of Allah, His angels, His books and the messengers, the last day and to believe in preordainment of all that is good and evil.

This is a matter of personal conviction which has to do with commonsensical reasoning to which divine worship and good deeds are attached. One has to furnish and fortify this with fear of Allah, humility, patience, avoidance of doubt, fidelity to trust and covenants as well desire to get closer to Allah through salat, fasting, zakat, and dhikr are works for true faith which will be able to withstand and challenge any kind of trial.


TWO DIFFERENT THINGS:

“Test of Faith” is different from “fate of disobedient and wickedness”. The favour or misfortune that exists by Allah’s decree, knowledge and will has no correlation with the choice of good and evil action of man and their consequences. One who failed to worship Allah, or who raped or chose to be prodigal, deserves the penalty for violating Allah’s order and prohibition and must repent and regret for it.
Therefore he cannot absolve himself or cover the consequence with the veil of trial. “Allah have shown to man the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful” Q 76: 3.


ACID TEST:

Putting one’s faith under test is a crucial matter very sensitive and need special consideration, because a lot of people have erroneously perceived, interpreted and conceived it and so have gone astray. Prophet Mohammed(SAW), said “Every child is being born into this world as a Muslim but it is the parents who make the child into Christian, Jew, Buddhist or an idolater”.

This is so because of the misconception and ignorance of such parents about “the nature by which Allah has created mankind which is Islam” Q30 : 30. When scrutinized, it will be seen that it was from this same Islam that all other religions emanated, but just because of the misconception and corruption of the original source i.e. Islam, on the part of the renegades, holders of such corrupt belief when their faiths were being tested by Allah.

They doubted it and were confused; they slipped from this original way, and deviated out of true divine salvation.

WHY ARE WE BEING TESTED?

Allah has vowed to weigh and determine the degree of man’s faith in order to prove the extent to which he believes fears and sincerely worship Allah and that those around him may know whether he is a true believer or a hypocrite. This inturn raise or relegate him before his Lord, angles and men as well.

Allah says: “The true believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His prophet, then doubt not of their faith.”Q59: 15. Holy Prophet said: “Unless a person is said to be crazy, his faith will not be perfect”.
So one’s faith must be strong enough to withstand all kind of ridicule, criticisms, provocations, persecution and trials before being said to be perfect.

Trial of mankind is inevitable as Allah says: “Blessed is Allah in whose hand is the sovereignty and He has power over all things. He has created, death and life that He might try you which of you is best in deeds”Q67: 1-2.
Also he says: “And we will try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits but give glad tiding to the patient”Q2:155.

This means that every distressful and easy condition of man is well known and only permitted by Allah to try him if he will retreat and withdraw from His way, as well as His worship, struggle, and belief. In case you see those who died or are slained on His way, if you see His poor servant living in destitute or you even become the subject; will you say that Allah has nothing to offer or will you incline to polytheism because life is not dancing to your tune; or will you become tyrant and incline to injustice because you are in power or a favour has been granted to you; or will you allege the misfortune that happened to you or your family to an innocent person while “the key of heaven and earth belongs to Allah” Q39: 63.


It is this state of uprightness and devotion and piety that Allah is trying to test in you us and it is mandatory that we be steadfast in order to pass and be blessed but not to fail and be disgraced.


A CUE FOR UNBELIEVERS:

Quranic fact has become an eye opener for the non-Muslims on this and other issues to which they are blind or pretend to be ignorant of. Hence Allah says in Q2: 214: “Do you think you will enter heaven while there has not come over you the condition of those who passed away before you? Suffering and adversity befell them and they were violently shaken until the messenger and those who believe with him said, ‘when will come the help of Allah?’. Surely the help of Allah is nigh!” .

This is telling every man that paradise is not a father Xmas gift, that the common saying i.e. I want to be like Jesus, like Muhammad (PUBT) is not by mouth and not in prosperity alone, but one must be ready to be tried and experience at least a breath of their afflictions.

It is then that one stand for the like of their favour and honour and have hope in the paradise. We must not entertain but erase the like of fictitious belief of vicarious atonement, Pauls innovation (Romans 5: 11-21) from our mind. Allah has affirmed in Q12: 15 that “No bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another”.
This is what is also contained in the Bible, Ezekiel 18: 20 and 1st Corinthians 3: 8. So you are going to be tested both of good and bad, not a curse but a divine order. We need to be prepared.

Disbelievers are reverting back to Islamic truth and are being forced to eat their ignorant words that “God does not allow evils to touch his children”. Infact their absurd claim that “misfortune in man’s life is Satan handiwork” has finally lost credibility. Such saying or belief nullifies true faith i.e Islamic monotheism, it is foolishness to think Satan has its power over Allah’s Will!

Think of the prophets whom we are following in all faiths, none of them escaped the wave of trial (Q 21 and Q 37), and certainly they were nearer to Allah than everyone on earth today, yet they entreated not any deity except Allah. In the Bible God affirmed: “I God form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil, I the lord do all these things” Isaiah 45: 6-7.

The ultimate of these is in Q 53: 43-44 that “And that it is Allah who makes man laugh and make them weep and it is He who causes death and gives life”!. Mind you, those things which seems evil or good to we men are often not so with (AL- LATEEF), The Incomprehensible God, afterall, there is a common saying that “behind every disappointment is a blessing”!

Allah advises us: “That you may not grieve over what is lost to you nor exult because of that which He has given you”Q57:23.
We therefore need not to be restless about our problem.

ANY EXEMPTION?

Allah says “Do men think they will be left alone because they say we believe and that they will not be tested? And We did test those before them, so Allah will surely distinguish those who are truthful and the liars apart” Q29: 2-3.

This means that a Muslim or whosoever it may be must not be rest assured that because he/ she is observing all the pillars of Islam regularly and doing other supererogatory worship or being a Jihadist, Imam, Sheikh, or even you are ‘son’ or ‘daughter’ of God, whatever you are, be ye rich or poor, wise or fool, beautiful or ugly, master or servant, literate of illiterate. This will not break you loose from trial! even these qualifies of yours are tests (Q 64: 15).

OBJECTS OF TEST:

Quran 89: 15-16 purports: “As for men when his Lord tries him and honour him and bestow favours on him, he says my lord has honoured me but when God tries him and straightens for him his means of sustenance, he says my Lord has disgraced me!”.

This revealed the two ways by which we are being tested and our usual but absurd and ungrateful response, which has turned some to beggars, frauds, prostitutes, liars, criminals, robbers and disbelievers. It must be known that, it is to test our faith, that one never been sick before; that you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth; that you are in need and you are given; you wish and it materialized; that you vie for post and succeeded, you struggle for wealth and is granted; you seek for children and are given; that you search for knowledge and is acquired, and so on.

On the other hand, it is to test our faith, if everything mentioned above go negative; it is a trial to be having horrorfull dreams; that unbelievers used to mock you up (Q 3: 186); that your sickness persists beyond normal and many more Q41: 49-51. It should be borne in our mind that no creature can cause us harm or do us good without the knowledge and permission of Allah-(Q10: 107).

It is our faithfulness or ungrateful reaction upon these conditions that Allah will use to register us in ILLIYUN (the Book of live of the righteous) OR in SIJJIN (the Book of torment of the wicked) Q 83: 7-21.


CAUTION:

Unfortunately for some people, issue of trial has led the ignorant and the lazy to the modern day idolatry, fortune teller, magician, Jinn and even men like themselves thereby depriving Allah the esteem due to Him, rejecting His uniqueness and denying His ultimate power to save and bless them(Q39: 67), certainly ultimate and perpetual solution lies with Him, while affliction carried to other being apart from Allah still persist of its worries and indeed that can not mark the end of every problem in such a life!
It is bound to be so, Allah declares: “Allah delivers you from them and from every distress yet you associate partners to Him”Q6: 64. This means that it is not what you call beside Him that gives you what you seek- Q 22: 55, but it is Allah, Good God in His infinite Mercy and Beneficence. Allah warns: “Do the disbelievers think that they can take my servants as protector instead of Me (Allah), surely I have prepared Hell as entertainment for the disbelievers”Q18:102!

THE JOY OF TEST:

The Prophets and those who believed with them upheld their faith and worshipped Allah in truth and in spirit during their incomparable trails. Seeing this, Allah removed their burden and raised them to exalted position (Q2: 124). The advantages of upholding one’s faith and remaining pious during the time of affliction are many which include: uplifting one to state of glory, holiness and favour; it makes one more closer to Allah; it gives additional experience to live and guide; it cleanses one’s faults and fortifies the faith.

Allah gives us solace to cope: “surely after hardship comes the ease” Q94: 5 and “No soul knows what joy of the eyes is kept hidden for them”Q32: 17.

THE WAY OUT:

Nobody can redeem you from what Allah has decreed for you, not 'Jesus' nor Moses nor Muhammad (PBUT) and neither the miracle mongers nor by charm of a sorcerer, but in what Allah has prescribed, but, “surely there is easy after hardship” and a common saying is that “no condition is permanent”.

So whichever condition you are, it is for a while, if it doesn’t leave you, you will eventually leave it! Meanwhile, AL-WADUD the Loving God has prescribed three antidotes for us to become victorious in the world of trials.

1) SUPPLICATION:
“Pray unto me, I will answer your prayer” says Allah in Q 40: 60 as well in Q 2: 186. Pray fervently on every condition of yours after each daily salat also in the midnight do observe nafl and pray (Tahajjud) Q17: 78-79 and Q73: 1-6.

Also fasting along with your prayer is enjoined by the Prophet(SAW).

2) FEAR OF ALLAH:
This is very important for it guides one’s habit during easy and hard period and very rewarding to be adorned by virtues and abstain from vices and Allah’s prohibition, this is by fearing Him for it keeps one in state of holiness which Allah is well pleased with. “So fear Allah as best as you can and listen and obey and spend in His cause, it will be good for you and whoso is rid of the covetousness of his own soul shall be successful”Q64: 16.

3) PATIENCE:
“O ye who believe seek help (on your trial) with patience and prayer, surely Allah is with the steadfast one”, an advice from your Lord Q2: 153.

Avoid hasteful decision, or expectation to your request, but patiently entreat Him and uphold your faith with His worship and you shall be triump. You are on trial every moment of your life and it falls a lot of people who do not submit completely to Allah whereas true Muslim stands above it (Q2: 112). Surely there is none who does not get happy or sad, hence make your happiness gratitude and your grief patience.



By DR. Tijani Adekilekun (Late) (Chief Imam University of Ibadan)[May Allah forgive him of his shortcomings]