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prosperity. We must remember Him and implore Him in those circumstances. The following verses will help us in remaining steadfast and submitting to God in all kinds of tests.
[2:155-7] We will surely test you through some fear, hunger, and loss of money, lives, and crops. Give good news to the steadfast. When an affliction befalls them, they say, “We belong to GOD, and to Him we are returning.” These have deserved blessings from their Lord and mercy. These are the guided ones.
[2:214] Do you expect to enter Paradise without being tested like those before you? They were tested with hardship and adversity, and were shaken up, until the messenger and those who believed with him said, “Where is GOD’s victory?” GOD’s victory is near.
[22:35] They are the ones whose hearts tremble upon mentioning GOD, they steadfastly persevere during adversity, they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and from our provisions to them, they give to charity.
[27:40] … When he saw it settled in front of him, he said, “This is a blessing from my Lord, whereby He tests me, to show whether I am appreciative or unappreciative. Whoever is appreciative is appreciative for his own good, and if one turns unappreciative, then my Lord is in no need for him, Most Honorable.”
[38:34] We thus put Solomon to the test; we blessed him with vast material wealth, but he steadfastly submitted.*
The Devil Afflicts Job*
[38:41] Remember our servant Job: he called upon his Lord, “The devil has afflicted me with hardship and pain.”
*38:34 & 41 Solomon and Job represent both ends of the testing spectrum. We are put to the test through wealth, health, or lack of them, to see if we worship God alone under all circumstances.
[6:43] If only they implored when our
test afflicted them! …
[40:60] Your Lord says, “Implore Me, and I will respond to you. Surely, those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter Gehenna, forcibly.”
Therefore to conclude, we need to pass through tests to enter God’s Paradise. What should we do to help us pass tests? We learn from the Quran to implore God for forgiveness, bow down, repent, steadfastly persevere and maintain righteousness (2:249, 3:186, 38:24, 38:34).
[3:186] You will certainly be tested, through your money and your lives, and you will hear from those who received the scripture, and from the idol worshipers, a lot of insult. If you steadfastly persevere and lead a righteous life, this will prove the strength of your faith.
*3:186 After passing the admission tests, the proven worshipers of God ALONE enjoy a perfect life, now and forever. See 10:62, 24:55, and 29:2-3.
[38:24] … Afterwards, David wondered if he made the right judgment. He thought that we were testing him. He then implored his Lord for forgiveness, bowed down, and repented.
We must always seek guidance and mercy from God. We must always reverence God and fulfill all the obligations and avoid gross sins. We must rest assured that God will definitely grant happiness to believers (16:97, 24:55) and provide ease after difficulty (65:7). We must seek God’s help through steadfastness and the Contact Prayers (Salat) (2:45, 2:153). And we must constantly implore God in all circumstances knowing with pain there is gain, and strive to please God alone (94:5-8).
[2:186] When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me. The people shall respond to Me and believe in Me, in order to be guided.
[2:153] O you who believe, seek help through steadfastness and the Contact Prayers (Salat). GOD is with those who steadfastly persevere.
It’s exam season at schools and universities. Students and teachers spend a significant amount of time preparing for exams. Sometimes students wishfully ask, “Can we skip the exam?” The answer is invariably, “No.” You have to be tested to pass school—so that your worldly abilities can be assessed. Similarly, tests are mandatory for our souls.
Our Claims Must Be Tested
[3:142] Do you expect to enter Paradise without GOD distinguishing those among you who strive, and without distinguishing those who are steadfast?
The Test is Mandatory
[29:2-3] Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe,” without being put to the test? We have tested those before them, for GOD must distinguish those who are truthful, and He must expose the liars.
We can think of this life as a school for our souls. We were deficient in our previous life (38:67-69, 43:5), and God in His Grace and Mercy sent us down, and gave us a text book (Quran). We read text books thoroughly for worldly tests. If we want our souls to succeed, we need to study the Quran carefully (17:78, 18:28, 27:84, 47:24, 73:2-4, 73:20). We don’t want to be among those who say on the Day of Judgment:
[89:24] … “Oh, I wish I prepared for my (eternal) life.”
Here are some ways in which God’s tests are far better than human tests:
The test is open-book. At the university level, students read stacks of books to pass exams. And in most cases you’re not permitted to use the book during the test. Compare that to God’s tests. Everything we need for salvation is in
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