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One thing that helped me was reading the Quranic stories of messengers and believers being tested. It gave me faith that God will protect us if we’re devoted to Him alone.
The tests are an important part of the learning process. To pass a class, they give us tests. The tests for our souls are far bigger and teach us what no tutor or school can. The best part is that God decreases the magnitude of the tests as soon as we learn and implement the lessons He’s teaching us.
[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.
The later part of 20:40 says about Moses: “… indeed we tested you thoroughly. …”
[33:9-11] O you who believe, remember GOD’s blessing upon you; when soldiers attacked you, we sent upon them violent wind and invisible soldiers. GOD is Seer of everything you do. When they came from above you, and from beneath you, your eyes were terrified, your hearts ran out of patience, and you harbored unbefitting thoughts about GOD. That is when the believers were truly tested; they were severely shaken up.
They “harbored unbefitting thoughts about God.” Yes, there were times when I thought if God is running everything, then why is He running it like “this” for me. I knew He is watching me but why is He doing “this to me”. He knows what I am going through; still I’m going through the situation. May God Almighty forgive me. I couldn’t understand the wisdom behind it. I couldn’t understand that it is God’s way of teaching me things. God’s way is perfect.
Another thing that helped me during those days were sermons by Dr. Rashad and the Friday sermons in the mosque.
By God’s grace, some of those sermons helped me a lot; otherwise, I had almost given up.
But after reading this verse, I really felt that my tests are like a tiny car compared to a jumbo jet:
[2:49] Recall that we saved you from Pharaoh’s people who inflicted upon you the worst persecution, slaying your sons and sparing your daughters. That was an exacting test from your Lord.
This kind of a test is something which God Himself calls an exacting test.
I can’t say that my tests have come to an end, but God has taught me how to perceive things that happen in my life. This change took time and happened gradually. Sometimes we want our situation to change overnight. But we have to work at it.
Even today, Satan tries to instill fear in me, but I try to smile and ask myself, “How does it matter?” What I mean to say is that God teaches us to tackle our fear factors through our tests and later, by His grace, those fear factors don’t worry us anymore.
When talking about tests, it’s important to realize that God also calls prosperity a test: [64:15] Your money and children are a test, and GOD possesses a great recompense.
Sometimes, people associate tests only with hardship, but God calls money and blessings tests too. Consider the example of prophet Solomon: [27:40] … “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.”
I feel if we learn to perceive prosperity as a test, then hopefully we will not get preoccupied with material gains, and our priorities will be set right. God wants us to enjoy the nice things in this world, but not at the cost of the Hereafter.
[7:32] Say, “Who prohibited the nice things GOD has created for His creatures, and the good provisions?”
Say, “Such provisions are to be enjoyed in this life by those who believe. Moreover, the good provisions will be exclusively theirs on the Day of Resurrection.” We thus explain the revelations for people who know.
[3.154] … GOD thus puts you to the test to bring out your true convictions, and to test what is in your hearts. GOD is fully aware of the innermost thoughts.
[6:42] We have sent (messengers) to communities before you, and we put them to the test through adversity and hardship, that they may implore.
[18:7] We have adorned everything on earth, in order to test them, and thus distinguish those among them who work righteousness.
[47:31] We will certainly put you to the test, in order to distinguish those among you who strive, and steadfastly persevere. We must expose your true qualities.
Through these verses we see some of the reasons for tests. For example, tests expose people’s true convictions (3:154). Tests also make the righteous implore and turn towards God (6:42-43). But obviously God’s tests are never unreasonable. Nor are they for God’s amusement. Instead, it is we who incur hardships on ourselves by not upholding God’s words. We were the confused lot, up in God’s kingdom. We didn’t uphold God’s authority and landed ourselves in this test.
God never burdens a soul beyond its means, and God doesn’t send any soul astray unless it chooses to go astray. So, I feel we choose to take that burden on ourselves.
[89:15] When the human being is tested by his Lord, through blessings and joy, he says, “My Lord is generous towards me.” [89:16] But if He tests him through reduction in provisions, he says, “My Lord is humiliating me!” [89:17] Wrong! It is you who brought it on yourselves by not regarding the orphan. [89:18] And not advocating charity towards the poor.
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